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Despite having been written 157 years ago, the American Medical Associations (AMAs) Code of Medical Ethics still is a critical tool for solving day-to-day ethical dilemmas, according to experts who recently evaluated the guide.
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A Texas man whose family circumvented the national organ donor registry by mounting an Internet and billboard campaign asking for a donated liver not only was successful in obtaining a liver, but also succeeded in escalating the national debate over the ethics of soliciting anonymous directed donations.
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When discussing death, always use language that the child will understand. Parents and health care providers should consider the following:
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With the advent of managed health care came the need for managed care organizations (MCOs) to develop ways to convince physicians of the need to cut unnecessary medical costs. The resulting growth of incentives to physicians both real and perceived brought on debate that has yet to abate among health care professionals, legislators, and the public.
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Are you aware of the life-threatening risks of the antibiotic erythromycin for patients taking certain medications? Researchers found that patients given this antibiotic who were also taking calcium-channel blockers, antifungal drugs, or antidepressants had a five-times greater risk of sudden death from cardiac causes than patients who did not take these drugs.
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In 2003, the ED at Indiana University Hospital in Indianapolis finished the year $327 over budget for supplies. As of August 2004, it was $725 under budget. What made the difference? Handing over the role of supply ordering to unit secretaries.
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Many ED nurses are wary of caring for sick or injured children, but these patients have unique needs that every nurse must be prepared for, says Nancy Blake, RN, MN, CCRN, CNAA, director of critical care services at Childrens Medical Center in Los Angeles. Adverse outcomes may occur if pediatric education is allowed to fall by the wayside, she warns.
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Whats the most common mistake resulting in potential violations of the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) made by emergency nurses? Most likely, it is confusing triage for a medical screening examination (MSE).
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Verbal orders can put patients in danger for serious adverse outcomes resulting from medication errors, and the ED is at especially high risk for this, says Lisa DiMarco, RN, BSN, MBA, administrative director for emergency services at Edward Hospital in Naperville, IL. Unlike other departments, verbal orders are common in the ED out of both habit and necessity.
