> Medicare is taking a closer look at how hospitals use "observation" status. The medical billing classification in is designed to be used when there isn't an immediate diagnosis, or the condition isn't normally treated within an inpatient setting, such as setting broken bones. Article
> Some Florida hospitals perform CT scans that deliver a double dose of radiation on more than half of their patients, although such scans are recommended for only a small number of conditions. Article
> Pediatric clinical studies fail to minimize bias. A Johns Hopkins review of nearly 150 randomized controlled trials on children revealed that up to 60 percent of the studies either failed to minimize risk for bias or to at least properly describe those measures. Press release
> A specialized sexual assault nurse examiner is now available "24/7" at the Ottawa Hospital, according to the Ottawa Citizen. The change was made after a 21-year-old woman who had been sexually assaulted was refused treatment, because a sexual assault nurse wasn't available. Article
> Getting admitted to an ICU over the weekend may give you a higher chance of dying than if you were admitted at other times, according to a review of research. Reduced staffing is to blame. Article
And finally... Here's to a smuggling operation Dracula would likely avoid. Article