Babies

960 babies exposed to TB at San Francisco hospital

Anne Zieger — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 11:25:17 -0400

Kaiser Permanente has discovered that a worker at San Francisco Medical Center had an active case of tuberculosis and may have exposed 960 babies to the disease. The worker, who was a part-time night-shift employee who worked at Kaiser from March 10 to August 10 and is no longer an employee, was assigned to the postpartum unit in the maternity ward of the hospital. Kaiser is notifying the babies' mothers of the risk, which experts say is very low but still requires notification. Kaiser is also notifying 115 employees who might have been exposed to the disease. Kaiser will test and if need be, treat any patient who comes up positive. In the unlikely event that a patient has become infected, the TB strain involved is one that responds will to antibiotics, Kaiser officials noted.

To learn more about the TB scare:
- read this piece from the San Francisco Chronicle

Study: Bacteria a factor in sudden infant death syndrome

Fri, 30 May 2008 06:59:54 -0400

For many years, the mysterious phenomenon known as sudden infant death syndrome has been one of the leading causes of death for children under the age of 1. About 2,000 infants per year die of SIDS in the U.S., and more than 200 in Britain. To date, medical researchers haven't been able to determine a cause, though many have been considered, including infant sleep positions. However, at long last, British researchers now say they may have found a cause--common bacteria--which contribute to SIDS deaths. A new study published in The Lancet found potentially harmful bacterial such as staphylococcus aureus and E. coli in almost half of all babies who died abruptly and unexpectedly at a London hospital between 1996 and 2005.

To learn more about the study:
- read this USA Today article

ALSO NOTED: S&P to rate non-profit hospitals' IT investments; Pharmas winning legal battle over pre-emption; and much more...

Wed, 14 May 2008 06:59:50 -0400

> Ratings firm Standard & Poor's has announced that it plans to track not-for-profit hospitals' IT investments and factor them in significantly in how they rate the hospitals' financial health. FierceHealthFinance

> It looks like pharmaceutical companies may be winning one of their key arguments--that since they're regulated by the FDA, plaintiffs are pre-empted from suing in state courts. Let's see what the Supremes think. FiercePharma

> Think your electronic medical record system is just for patient care? Think again, say policy makers and researchers. FierceHealthIT

> Stem cell researchers who managed to engineer a human embryo are now facing criticism that their work is a big step toward designing babies. FierceBioResearcher

And Finally... What includes Harry Truman's 1948 Democratic National Convention speech, Michael Jackson's "Thriller" and Fiorello LaGuardia reading comics? Article

ALSO NOTED: Tenet reports $31M loss for quarter; FDA rules against broader Fentora use; and much more...

Wed, 07 May 2008 06:59:50 -0400

> Tenet has reported a $31 million loss for the first quarter of this year. FierceHealthFinance

> An FDA panel has decided against broadening the use of the painkiller Fentora for the time being, though observers predict that the agency will eventually cave. FiercePharma

> In another FDA note, the agency has ordered drugmaker Merck to fix problems with its main vaccine plant in West Point, PA. FierceVaccines

> The National Council for Prescription Drug programs is launching a new database which it says will make claims processing easier and reimbursement faster. Article

And Finally... In this culture, it's normal to drop babies off of buildings. But should we stand by and watch? Article

Trend: Young MDs seek new practice options

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 06:59:55 -0400

Historically, doctors in training have been encouraged to see medicine as their entire life, not just something they do--and to make themselves available around the clock for patient care. But this doesn't sit well with the emerging generation of new physicians, who are intent on balancing their work with family life and personal interests.

To address their concerns, newly-minted physicians are turning to options like being a hospitalist, offering a more predictable schedule and a fixed salary. Historically, hospitalists have largely been primary care physicians, but today other specialists, such as OB-GYN physicians, are going on staff at hospitals, too. They're also showing more interest in specialties, like dermatology, which don't force them to remain on call, notes The Wall Street Journal.

Meanwhile, group practices are being forced to change how they do business. For example, the OB-GYNs employed by Philadelphia's Albert Einstein Healthcare Network only deliver babies during three 24-hour shifts in the hospital each month, providing office care the rest of the time. Another example is San Francisco-based primary-care practice 1Life, whose physicians work four days a week for eight or nine hours a day and don't follow patients to the hospital.

To find out more about this trend:
- read this article in The Wall Street Journal

Related Articles:
Physician now have many choices
Trend: Hospitalist ranks exploding
Hospitalist group predicts presence will double by end of decade

Joint Commission issues warning on child med errors

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 06:59:55 -0400

As we reported earlier this week, a new study found that one of 15 hospitalized children is harmed, most often by medication errors. Now, following up on that study, the Commission has released an alert urging hospitals to take children's unique safety needs into account. The new alert asks hospitals to weigh children in kilograms when admitted, given that such weights routinely are used to calculate medication doses for children. Hospitals that weigh children in pounds increase the risk of giving the child a double dose, they noted. The Commission also reminded hospitals to clearly mark products that get repacked from adult formulations for use in children, keep adult meds away from pediatric units, and avoid storing adult and children's meds in the same dispensing machine or cabinet.

To learn more about the Joint Commission's recommendations:
- read this Associated Press article
- read this Joint Commission press release

Related Articles:
Study: One of 15 hospitalized children harmed
Quality studies proposed for children's healthcare
Babies infected at CA hospital
Study: Hospitalized kids get off-label drugs