Medicine

Halloween

skullbook Just a friendly reminder that the Libraries will be open this weekend. The Isché Library will be open from 9:30-6 on Saturday & from 12-12 on Sunday. The Dental Library is open from 1:30-10 on Sunday.

To help you and your family stay safe this Halloween, here are Tips from the Centers for Disease Control, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Diabetes Association. Enjoy!

Louisiana Go Local

Louisiana Go Local officially launched on Wednesday, October 28, 2009! This online service lists thousands of services across the state. Users can find doctors, hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, support groups, diabetes care, cancer services, home health care, weight management services, and much more.

Governor Bobby Jindal proclaimed October 28, 2009 Go Local Day in Louisiana to recognize the launch of the site. The proclamation notes that ÔÇ£knowing how to locate health services in the community can aid in the prevention of disease and maintenance of a healthy lifestyle.ÔÇØ

Louisiana Go Local is produced by Baton Rouge GeneralÔÇÖs Health Sciences Library in collaboration with the LSU School of Library and Information Science, and the National Library of Medicine, part of the National Institutes of Health. Additional thanks go to the Louisiana Go Local Advisory Board, East Baton Rouge Parish Library, and Pennington Library and Information Center.

Frankenstein: Penetrating the Secrets of Nature

This is the appropriate week to highlight the National Library of Medicine online exhibition, Frankenstein.

from the NLM online exhibit.
This online exhibition “explores Mary Shelley’s world that gave birth to Frankenstein. The exhibition considers how her novel provides a framework for discussions of contemporary bio-medical advances that sometimes challenge our understanding of what it means to be human.”

Intro to Consumer Health Information class @ Dental

The dental library will be presenting a class, Introduction to Consumer Health Information, tomorrow as part of our celebration of National Medical Libraries Month. Please join us in the dental library conference room from noon-1:00pm. For more information or to reserve your space for this class please email us.nmlm_09_thumbnail.jpg

Drug Talk

October is Talk About Prescriptions (TAP) Month where ÔÇ£Communication is Key!ÔÇØ
The National Council on Patient Information and Education has a set of questions that patients can ask their health provider when given a prescription.
Patients are more responsible for drug treatment decisions concerning their own health. Better medicine communication between consumers and their healthcare providers is the key to safe and appropriate medicine use ÔÇô and better health.

Health Literacy Month

October is Health Literacy Month. The intention is to highlight the need for organizations and healthcare providers to offer understandable health information to their patients or clients. This year’s theme is “Why Health Literacy Matters: Sharing Our Stories in Words, Pictures, and Sound.” “Health literacy is the ability to understand health information and to use that information to make good decisions about your health and medical care.”

Pill Identification System

The National Library of Medicine has launched a beta version of PillBox, its new “aid in the identification of unknown solid dosage pharmaceuticals.” It contains over 5,000 records with over 750 illustrations.

Classes at the dental library

The dental library will be offering five classes throughout the month of October to celebrate National Medical Libraries Month. All classes will be held in the dental library conference room from noon to 1:00pm. Reserve your space by emailing dentlib@lsuhsc.edu
Thursday, 10/1/09, Accessing Journal Articles Online
Monday, 10/5/09, Introduction to PubMed
Wednesday, 10/7/09, Introduction to RefWorks
Tuesday, 10/13/09, Health Literacy: More than the Ability to Read
Tuesday, 10/27/09, Introduction to Consumer Health Information

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Fast Help for E-Resources

The LSUHSC Libraries have access to almost 200 databases so how do you decide which one to start searching in? The Reference Librarians have created 6 E-Resources at a Glance sheets for each of the school of LSUHSC.
Electronic Resources at a Glance: Allied Health
Electronic Resources at a Glance: Dentistry
Electronic Resources at a Glance: Graduate Studies
Electronic Resources at a Glance: Medicine
Electronic Resources at a Glance: Nursing
Electronic Resources at a Glance: Public Health
Let us know what you think.

Swine flu rap

Today’s the last day to vote for the US Dept. of Health and Human Services 2009 Flu Prevention PSA contest. Who could resist the swine flu rap, by Dr. Clarke?


Spoonful of Medicine also points out a swine flu rap done by cute little pigs. It’s in Chinese but there are subtitles.

Seasonal Flu Shots@LSUHSC

Speaking of being prepared, seasonal flu shots will be available September 23, 24 and 25 (next Weds. – Fri.) from 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. at the School of Nursing, 1900 Gravier Street, 5th floor IV lab. Free for students and $10 for Faculty & Staff payable by cash or check.

~EDIT~ Shots were cancelled due to a shortage of vaccine. edited 9/21/09 @ 8:44 a.m.

LSUHSC has also created a H1N1 info portal, with updated swine flu information. Our campus is also applying to become a point of distribution for the H1N1 vaccine when it becomes available. The H1N1 flu vaccine will be distributed in accordance with the CDC?óÔé¼Ôäós priority group vaccination recommendations.

Fall Prevention Workshop

LSUHSC Occupational Therapy faculty and students will be providing a Fall Prevention Workshop on Tuesday, September 22, 2009 from 1-4 p.m. at Grace Episcopal Church, 2700 Canal St. Other participants include the LSUHSC Departments of Physical Therapy, Medicine, Community Nursing, as well as the Louisiana Fall Prevention Coalition and the Office of Public Health Injury Research and Prevention Program. For more information, see the official LSUHSC press release.

Get Ready in September

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The month of September not only ushers in the official end of summer, it is also designated National Preparedness Month (NPM).

NPM encourages Americans and their communities to prepare and plan for emergencies that affect the general public. Ranging from common power outages to horrific national disasters, the American Public Health Association stresses the importance of being prepared.

September 15th is designated Get Ready Day so take the time on this date to come up with a plan for yourself and your family.

Free Influenza Resource from EBSCO

Influenza: Evidence Based Resources is a FREE database offered by EBSCO Publishing (from whom the Libraries purchase a number of databases). It is comprised of selected resources from a number of its health related databases. And includes information for clinicians, nurses and patients.

Flu Statistics for LA

The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals has released its Influenza Surveillance Report through the end of August. It finds that:

  • 11% of swine flu patients are 4 or younger.
  • 70% are 5 to 24 years old
  • 18% are 26-64
  • 1% are 65 are older
  • Further the report states that “there are 737 lab confirmed cases of 2009 Influenza A (H1N1) in Louisiana. Based on an extrapolation from CDC data, the real case count in Louisiana is closer to 39,000.”

    Don’t forget to follow the CDC guidelines for staying healthy.