This month AJN, American Journal of Nursing features a case study of a patient that proves this point. A severely disabled man received such poor oral care from nursing home personnel that his oral and nasopharyngeal secretions built up (?óÔé¼?ôinspissated?óÔé¼?Ø), and he died from asphyxia. The lead author, Joseph A. Prahlow, was the pathologist in charge of the autopsy; the article features graphic photos of the thickened secretions that blocked his airway. A companion article by two dentists, Pamela S. Stein and Robert G. Henry, gives nurses suggestions on how they can overcome barriers to providing oral care to patients.
Here is a link to other articles on the subject of oral hygiene of the elderly or patients in long term care.
Hospital sign: “All Patients Go Here” in multiple languages
An article from ACRL News pointed me to a new resource offering health information translations:
Health Information Translations
This resource, sponsored by several medical centers in Ohio, provides education and procedural instructions about health topics for patients with limited English proficiency. Search by keyword or language and retrieve a short document in English about that particular health issue followed by the translation of the article. Some documents have audio files. For example, the document on ?óÔé¼?ôbreast biopsy?óÔé¼?Ø explains the different kinds of biopsies, the procedure the physician will follow and instructions for the patient, all in Spanish. This is a source for timely, accurate medical vocabulary as well as practical application, since the translation of common procedures and instructions into Spanish is ready to be handed out to the patients. Includes translations of disaster preparedness plans. Access: http://www.healthinfotranslations.com/.
One of the best things I like about it are the common hospital signs with multiple translations (see photo above). The signs are available for download in PDF format for free on their site.
The latest issue of the Library?óÔé¼Ôäós Newsletter has been released. Archives of the newsletter are also available from 1998 to the present.
The city of New Orleans has been chosen as one of the 100 sites for the Healthy Start Program.
According to The Gambit’s Blog of New Orleans, “Healthy Start is a federally-funded initiative that was introduced in 1991 to lower the alarmingly high rate of infant mortality in the United States by addressing the disparity in prenatal care afforded women at different economic levels.”
Take the time to learn more about this great initiative providing prenatal and postnatal care to the women and children of our city.
You can now easily track disciplinary action against physicians and other licensed health care professionals in Louisiana through the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners homepage.
http://www.lsbme.louisiana.gov/
There is even an RSS feed available, so you could set up a folder in your Microsoft Outlook email to track who’s been reprimanded, warned or summarily suspended from practice in our fair state. More info on setting up RSS in Outlook here.
The LSU Faculty Senate has created a “A Brief Review of the Issues” pertinent to our health sciences center, the proposed Academic Medical Center and state legislative bill HB 830 (the Tucker Bill). This document serves to present information in “a concise form that you can read and then do with what you wish.” It is provided by the Faculty Senate Executive Committee and LSUHSC Faculty Senators, with the support of Chancellor Hollier.
Read the report.
Related:
Original House Bill No. 830:
http://www.legis.state.la.us/billdata/streamdocument.asp?did=646400
Official page of Rep. Jim Tucker, for which the bill is named:
http://house.louisiana.gov/H_Reps/members.asp?ID=86
A Harvard Psychiatrist Explains Zombie Neurobiology
In Night of the Living Dead, zombies are brought back from the dead by a “mysterious force” that allows their brains to continue functioning. But how exactly does a zombie brain function? Finally, a Harvard psychiatrist has the answers.
Through education Dr. Steven C. Schlozman is an assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and a lecturer at the Harvard School of Education. He is also an avid sci-fi and horror fan – and, apparently, the world’s leading authority on the neurobiology of the living dead. He has even drafted a fake medical journal article on the zombie plague, which he calls Ataxic Neurodegenerative Satiety Deficiency Syndrome, or ANSD (the article has five authors: one living, three “deceased” and one “humanoid infected”).
Check out some of the scholarly articles Dr. Schlozman has published.
The Ische’ Library has a large selection of Neurobiology books if you would like even more info.
The LSUHSC Libraries have recently purchased over 70 health sciences books in multiple subject areas of medicine, nursing, and allied health through the Rittenhouse R2 Digital Library. R2 is available on campus and remotely through WAM. Please use our library Electronic Resources R2 page for access: http://www.lsuhsc.edu/no/library/ss&d/data/r2library.html. Searches can be performed on our entire R2 collection, a subject collection or an individual book. You may also browse a book from beginning to end or use the Table of Contents to help navigate your way. To see all currently purchased titles, please click “View all Titles.” To see books in a particular subject, click the subject menu tabs at the top or the subject “books” in the center. Dentistry and public health titles are included under the subject of medicine, and dental hygiene titles are included under the subject of allied health. You can also register for a free account which will allow you to customize your R2 Library by bookmarking chapters, saving images, assigning course links, and more.
Yesterday workers began adding bracing to the tops of all the shelves on the 4th & 5th floors of the Isché Library. The project should be completed in about a week. The bracing is being added to ensure the stability of the shelves; we don’t want our library ending up like the one in the Mummy.
~edit~ The project was completed on Friday, June 12th.
In an effort to improve the health of Americans, acting Surgeon General, Steven K. Glason, issued The Surgeon General’s Call to Action To Promote Healthy Homes.
The Call to Action places emphasis that “Good health begins at home.” Not only does it include tips on preventing injuries and diseases, the document also urges homebuilders and community leaders to do their part to ensure healthy and affordable homes are available to the public.
Visit the CDC for a user-friendly guide on how to improve the health of your home one room at a time.
The Dental Library has recently put up a display of prints of St. Apollonia, the patron saint of dentistry and toothache sufferers. The display, which is located to the right of the library entrance, consists of four prints done in a medieval style and explanations accompanying them.
St. Apollonia was a Christian living in Alexandria under the Roman Empire in the 3rd century. Despite the persecution and torture of Christians during that time, Apollonia continued in her faith and was arrested. Refusing to deny her beliefs, all her teeth were broken and removed and then she was burned to death in 249 AD. Her feast day is celebrated on February 9th.
Several dental journals have been named in honor of St. Apollonia.
Here is a preview: St. Apollonia & St. Apollonia set
A new health care program was founded last year by the Louisiana Cultural Economy Foundation with the support of the the Lt. Governor’s office and LSU Healthcare Network. The Louisiana Cultural Economy Healthcare Initiative functions similarly to the New Orleans Musicians Clinic (now in its 11th year) except that it expands coverage to all cultural workers; cultural worker areas include music, film, design, literary, historic preservation, culinary arts, performing arts, visual arts and crafts.
The National Headache Foundation has declared that June 7-13, 2009 is National Headache Awareness Week.
Over 45 million Americans suffer from chronic, recurring headaches, with over half of these classified as migraines.
Headaches have numerous causes. Correctly diagnosing and treating a headache patient depends primarily on establishing an accurate and open line of communication.
The American Headache Society provides information on a variety of resources available to patients and medical professionals that are dedicated to the study and treatment of headache. Learn what you can do to help stop the pain.
MobiHealth News has an interesting article on Natalie Hodge, MD, who uses mobile technologies to run her Personal Pediatrics practice. She aims to “equip a fleet of self-starter pediatricians in major metro areas with iPhones, cloud-based practice software and the marketing know-how to court new parents, families and corporate health programs alike.”
“Some would call Personal Pediatrics a ?óÔé¼?£concierge medical practice,?óÔé¼Ôäó but I prefer to call it a direct medical practice,?óÔé¼?Ø Hodge explained,?óÔé¼?Øbecause we?óÔé¼Ôäóre connecting patients who want house calls to physicians who want to make them.?óÔé¼?Ø
http://mobihealthnews.com/2401/interview-dr-hodge-the-first-iphone-doctor/
?é?áSunday June 7th, 2009 will be the 22nd annual celebration of the National Cancer Survivors Day. It is held throughout hundreds of communities worldwide. The event demonstrates that life after being diagnosed with cancer has become a reality. Currently in America, there are an estimated 10.8 million men, women, & children living with a history of cancer.?é?á Hope, knowledge and inspiration can help beat cancer. For more information, please visit http://www.ncsdf.org/
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