The progeny of the iPhone and the iPad will change the shape of your institution — and your balance sheet. One of the more striking images, to me, out of the online spew in the last few months was from the inauguration. It was a wide view of an inaugural ball. There was the president waltzing with the first lady, and a crowd of several hundred watching them. What was striking ...

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Brought to you by MedPage Today. 1. Stroke May Trigger Chronic Pain. Roughly one in every 10 patients who suffer an ischemic stroke will develop a new chronic pain syndrome, which might increase the risk of cognitive and functional decline. 2. More Support for 'Less Salt, More Potassium'. The idea that reducing salt intake -- and increasing potassium intake -- can lower blood ...

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Full Code.  Do not resuscitate.  Do not intubate. Ask anyone without a personal or family history of a hospitalization on the implication of these terms and you’d likely get a blank stare in response. Unfortunately, this incomprehension often rings true with those who need to know it most: the hospitalized patients themselves. Many clinical reports (see here and here) have demonstrated that most physicians are not only inadequate in discussing code status with ...

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Brought to you by MedPage Today. 1. Glucocorticoids Boost Risk of Blood Clots. Glucocorticoid use significantly increased the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) among current, new, and continuing users of the anti-inflammatory agents. 2. Mortality Worse at Critical Access Hospitals. Adjusted death rates among Medicare patients in so-called critical access hospitals, located in rural areas, rose from 2002 to 2010 whereas mortality in ...

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“We’re doing everything we can,” I said as I put my hand on the sobbing woman’s shoulder. “We’re going to keep trying for about 10 more minutes, but I don’t know if we’re going to be successful with this.” These are the moments that are truly difficult in my job. Telling people their loved ones have passed away, or preparing them for what seems inevitable. “You can do it!” the woman said ...

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Brought to you by MedPage Today. 1. Heart Health in Future Foretold in Teens. Many U.S. adolescents are already on their way to increased cardiovascular risk in adulthood. 2. Sleep Disordered Breathing Takes Toll on Kids. Children with sleep disordered breathing (SDB) are at significantly increased risk of behavioral problems, including hyperactivity, attention problems, aggressiveness, and reduced social competency. 3. $$$ ...

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Consider new treatment options for aortic stenosis I recently encountered a previously functional and independent 80-year-old woman who slipped and broke her hip. Surgery was required to repair the injury and was her only hope of returning to her premorbid state. She lived alone and was still able to shop, clean, and cook for herself, despite being on several medications for congestive heart failure. She had a long-standing history ...

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How a smart process helped Kaiser Permanente save livesHow a smart process helped Kaiser Permanente save lives

The following is an exclusive excerpt adapted from #1 New York Times best selling authors Chip and Dan Heath’s new book Decisive: How to Make Better Choices in Life and WorkHow a smart process helped Kaiser Permanente save lives, which was ...

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Brought to you by MedPage Today. 1. Long Quest for Pregnancy Ups Neuro Risk for Child. The more years spent trying to achieve pregnancy, the greater the risk of conceiving a child with neurological dysfunction. 2. Heart Failure: Is There a Breath Test? Analyzing a single puff of exhaled air, or "breathprint," aids in speedy diagnosis of heart failure. 3. AAP: ...

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A recent meta-analysis published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that coenzyme Q10 is of benefit in congestive heart failure. For those who like the idea that food and nutrients can be excellent medicine, this paper is interesting at the very least. But there is a case to be made that it is far more than that. There is a case to be made that it ...

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