Improperly cleaned equipment may have exposed patients to viruses in New York

June 20, 2004

Bamboochik <bamboochik wrote:

"lupus_etcBamboochik" Fri, 18 Jun 2004 08:54:14 -0500[Lupus_etc] FW: June 17, 2004 - Improperly cleaned equipment may have exposed patients to viruses in New York

My sis is a Nurse Practitioner Specialist in IL and sends me this daily. Thought some of you who have not seen a copy might enjoy reading the articles. They are very informative and not something the "average joe" get's a chance to read....love, deb/list owner

PS: She was the first person to diagnose Lupus with me. At the time, I had not even heard of it! (many years ago)

****REMEMBER TO CUT THIS NEWSLETTER OFF IF REPLYING TO SOMETHING IN IT................

June 17, 2004

E-Mail news for nurse practitioners

Health Care News

Improperly cleaned equipment may have exposed patients to viruses in New York A New York hospital has notified 177 patients that they may have been exposed to HIV or hepatitis through equipment that was not properly disinfected. Officials at North Shore University Hospital say the equipment, used for endoscopies or colonoscopies, was cleaned without proper testing of disinfectant levels in the water used for the cleaning machine, but the risk of transmission was "minuscule." About half of the patients have already undergone tests, but none have tested positive for either virus. USA TODAY/Associated Press (6/16), Modern Healthcare (free registration) (6/16)

"Worst nightmare" scenario gets improvements off the ground at UMHS: Among key factors credited with the success of the University of Michigan Health System's Patient Safety Initiative is the single question professor of surgery Darrell Campbell, M.D., launches patient-safety rounds with: "What is your worst nightmare?" The question has led to significant improvements thanks to staff confessions in areas ranging from equipment needs to safety gaps. HealthLeaders Magazine (6/1)

Study: Calcium supplements can play big role in preventing colorectal cancer New research shows calcium supplements not only can prevent polyps in the colon, but can also protect against the advanced polyps that are the most strongly associated with invasive colorectal cancer. Researchers say that with advanced polyps, the supplements may reduce the risk of colorectal cancer by as much as 35% to 45%. Forbes/HealthDayNews (free registration) (6/15)

Report: U.S. behind other countries on sick leave benefits The U.S. is behind other industrialized nations and less developed nations in providing time off for illness and other benefits that would help working families, according to a Harvard University report. The Project on Global Working Families noted the U.S. doesn't require companies to guarantee paid sick time for employees, whereas 139 other countries either require employer benefits or provide government benefits. The Boston Globe (6/17)

Pharmaceutical News

Miami hospital offers discounted drugs to some uninsured patients A new program at Miami's Mercy Hospital offers highly discounted drugs for uninsured patients with chronic conditions including diabetes and hypertension, and for physicians affiliated with the hospital. The Freedom Program's discounts, which are as much as 50% cheaper than those offered through local Medicare discount cards, are made possible through a little-known federal program, dubbed 340B, which is available to nonprofit hospitals and health clinics that treat higher numbers of Medicaid and uninsured patients. The Miami Herald (free registration) (6/17)

WHO removes two generic HIV drugs from approved list The World Health Organization removed two generic versions of antiretroviral drugs from its approved list of HIV medicines because of doubts they are the same as the patented drugs. The two drugs, lamivudine and zidovudine, produced by the Indian firm Cipla, are commonly used in developing countries. WHO officials said questions arose because the laboratory testing the drugs was found to be deficient in meeting good clinical and laboratory practices, but the drugs could be returned to the approved list if the company resubmits documentation. The New York Times/Associated Press (free registration) (6/16)

GAO says imports from Canadian pharmacies safer than most A congressional investigative agency said that contrary to official U.S. government fears, Canadian pharmacies and the Web sites they use are less risky than other Internet pharmacies and even have higher standards than some U.S. pharmacies. The General Accounting Office issued a report for a congressional hearing stating that compared with the medicines it obtained from 11 other countries, including the U.S., only the Canadian sites required a prescription from a physician before filling an order. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel/Associated Press

(6/16)

Tamoxifen's tumor stimulation in some women reversed by other drug Scientists trying to find out why some women do not respond positively to tamoxifen report another drug to treat cancer, gefitinib, may work to make tamoxifen effective in fighting cancer. They examined molecular interactions in suspect breast cancer cells and found tamoxifen stimulated tumor growth rather than halted it, and concluded that gefitinib appears to reverse that effect. /HealthDayNews (6/16)

2004 Healthcare Business Market Research Handbook - No other guide covers the complete healthcare industry like this exciting new volume. With the latest industry statistics and data available, this is an indispensable tool designed to help you manage and expand your healthcare operations. Click here to read a detailed description.

Interested in learning more about advertising in the AANP SmartBrief? Contact Mike Thomas at (202) 737-5500 x261 or m.

Emerging Trends, Products and Technologies

Low number of organ donations forces potential new plans In order to bridge the gap between organ donors and those who need transplants, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations announced the possibility of not requiring a family member's consent for a would-be organ donation if the donor has already registered to donate. About 85,000 people are on waiting lists to receive organs, and a record high of about 6,000 people per year die waiting for transplants. Seattle Post-Intelligencer/Associated Press (6/15)

Study: Risk for recurring blood clots in legs higher in men Men run a greater risk than women of developing dangerous recurring blood clots in their legs after having an initial one, according to a new study. While the risk for developing the first blood clot is about the same in men and women, researchers say they are not sure why men stand a greater chance of having another. The study also found some women may be able to take anti-clotting drugs for shorter periods of time after developing their first clot. MSNBC/Associated Press (6/16)

Study: Liposuction improves looks, not health Liposuction may make a person look thinner, but the most common type of cosmetic surgery in the U.S. does not offer the health benefits of a proper diet and exercise, a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine found. Researchers studied 15 obese women who had roughly 20 pounds of fat removed from the abdomen, measured their cholesterol, blood pressure and other vital signs 10 to 12 weeks after the procedure, and found no improvements. The New York Times (free registration) (6/17)

Health Policy and Legislative News

Medicare coverage of brain scans for Alzheimer's tentatively OK'd The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has made a preliminary decision to allow Medicare to cover brain scans used to diagnose Alzheimer's disease in patients who have symptoms of the disease. Coverage of the scans had previously been rejected because officials argued there was too little evidence that the scans would be useful in diagnosing the disease, but experts asserted that early diagnosis could help patients. The Washington Post (free registration) (6/17), MSNBC/Reuters (6/16), Modern Healthcare (free registration) (6/16)

Congress, advocacy groups looking to override Bush opposition to stem-cell research Despite President Bush's recent speech in which he made clear he continues to oppose using embryonic stem cells for research, members of Congress and advocacy groups are increasing the pressure to get the U.S. government to relax its funding restrictions. The groups are giving greater attention to legislation that would expand the government's stem-cell policy, with work already begun on a bill to be introduced within the next few months and possibly acted on after the November elections. The New York Times/Reuters (free registration) (6/15), The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) (6/17)

AMA urges U.S. government on pair of medical issues The American Medical Association adopted a pair of resolutions aimed at the federal government at its annual meeting, one calling for a database of all clinical drug trials performed in the U.S. and the other announcing opposition to the FDA's decision against allowing over-the-counter sales of morning-after birth control pills. In the database action, the physicians' group said a national registry of drug study results should include research pharmaceutical manufacturers fund, including that which shows negative results for their products. The New York Times (free registration) (6/16)

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