Feature Channels: Patient Safety

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People with operable non-small cell lung cancers may fare better over the next few years by receiving immunotherapy treatments before and after surgery instead of only before surgery, according to a new analysis by Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center investigators.

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Today, the Association for Diagnostics & Laboratory Medicine (ADLM, formerly AACC) released the latest results from an ongoing survey that ADLM has been conducting to determine how the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) final laboratory developed tests rule will impact patient care. The survey found that, under the FDA rule, individuals from rural and historically marginalized communities will have severely limited access to vital tests, which could lead to harmful and even life-threatening delays in diagnosis and treatment.

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When you pick up a prescription or get a vaccination, it’s paramount that you trust the medication is safe. In the U.S., a system of laws, procedures, and personal responsibility combine to ensure drug safety, or pharmacovigilance.

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When hospitals replace registered nurses (RNs) with licensed practical nurses and unlicensed assistive personnel, patients are more likely to die, experience readmissions, and have longer hospital stays, and Medicare must bear millions of dollars annually in avoidable costs. Moreover, there is no business case for this practice—hospitals actually experience a negative return on investment.

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The American Academy of Ophthalmology is sounding the alarm on over-the-counter eye drops advertised as eye color-changing solutions. These products are not FDA approved, have not been tested for safety or efficacy, and could potentially damage the eyes.

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Once they turn 18, most adolescents with epilepsy must transfer from pediatric to adult care. Factors on both the pediatric and adult sides of the health care system can make this process fragmented and stressful. How can pediatric and adult neurologists ensure that teenagers with epilepsy do not get lost in the system?

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FAU joins the National Academy of Medicine’s Action Collaborative on Combating Opioid Crises. This pilot project, involving more 80 organizations, aims to enhance coordination and address addiction challenges through collaboration among public, private and nonprofit sectors.

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Children born with certain heart defects receive a shunt implant to improve blood flow. The shunt must be replaced as their bodies grow. Researchers say a new light-reactive expandable shunt could cut the number of surgeries these children receive. They will present their results at ACS Fall 2024.

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Los niños que nacen con ciertos defectos cardíacos se someten a un implante de shunt para mejorar el flujo sanguíneo. El shunt debe cambiarse a medida que el cuerpo crece. Los investigadores informan que un nuevo shunt expandible que reacciona a la luz podría reducir el número de cirugías a las que se someten estos niños. Presentarán sus resultados en la ACS Fall 2024.

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Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen may be a simple way to reduce the risk of postoperative delirium. Combining two common blood tests may help doctors identify pregnant women who are at higher risk for life-threatening preeclampsia.

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Hackensack Meridian Mountainside Medical Center has received the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines® - Stroke Gold Plus quality achievement award for its commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines, ultimately leading to more lives saved and reduced disability.

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Neonatal shock is an acute and potentially life-threatening condition for babies. To treat it, physicians must determine whether systolic or diastolic dysfunction—or both—is causing a lack of oxygen to the baby’s organs.But that’s not always a simple task.

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Ancient Chinese traditional medicine significantly reduces the side effects of rectal cancer treatments that, in some patients, can be so toxic that treatment must be paused, or stopped, which diminishes its effectiveness.

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Children's Hospital Los Angeles has long been a forceful leader on the issue of medication safety, advising parents on what they can do at home to prevent their kids from ingesting prescription drugs that can do them great harm.Effective medication safety requires adhering to a few simple rules. We break those down here with the guidance of Helen Arbogast, DrPH, MPH, Manager of CHLA’s Injury Prevention Program, and CHLA pediatric surgeon Lorraine Kelley-Quon, MD, MSHS, FACS, FAAP, who oversees the Health Outcomes and Policy Effects (HOPE) Laboratory, which devotes a good portion of its research to studying the risks associated with opioid use for infants, children and adolescents.

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The American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology (AANA) presented Lorraine Jordan, PhD, CRNA, CAE, FAAN, FAANA, with the Agatha Hodgins Award during its 2024 Annual Congress, August 2-6, in San Diego.

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The American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology (AANA) presented Certified Registered Nurse Anesthesiologist (CRNA) Angela Mund, DNP, CRNA, with the 45th Annual Helen Lamb Outstanding Educator Award during its 2024 Annual Congress, August 2-6, in San Diego.