Hospitals Under Siege by New ‘Super Bug’
The spread of "super bugs" has been at the forefront of health care news in recent years causing many to question the overuse of antibiotics and antibacterial cleansers. On the heels of both hospital and community-associated Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) scares, comes a new strain of drug-resistant bacteria, Clostridium difficile.
'Whistleblower' Nurse Gets Support of ANA on Appeal
The American Nurses Association and other nursing organizations have filed an amicus or "friend of the court" brief, in support of a Maryland nurse, Susan Lark, RN, who was terminated for bringing unsafe and illegal practices involving distribution of narcotics, to her employer's attention.
Alternatives to Antibiotics for Sinusitis
When suffering through a sinus infection, many people ask for an antibiotic to speed their recovery. However, a recent review of clinical trials found that while antibiotics can provide minor improvements in uncomplicated sinusitis cases, most patients recover without the drugs within two weeks.
Risks of Bisphenol A in Plastic Bottles
Bisphenol A, an estrogen-like compound in polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resin, has been popping up in the news a lot lately. On April 18, Canada announced that it would ban baby bottles containing bisphenol A beginning in mid-June. The action would make Canada the first country in the world to set exposure limits on the chemical.
Factors Affecting Survival, Disability of Extremely Premature Infants...
Gestational age has long been the factor most commonly used to predict whether an extremely low-birth-weight infant survives and thrives, but four additional factors that can help predict a preemie's outcome have been identified by the National Institutes of Health Neonatal Research Network.
New Allergy-free Latex Gains FDA Approval
Nurses who suffer from a latex allergy may soon be able to put the gloves back on thanks to a new type of latex that was recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The new material, called Yulex latex, is derived from a desert plant called guayule and does not produce a reaction in health care workers with the allergy.