Healthcare Update Satellite – 09-25-2013

See more health care news from around the web on my other blog at DrWhiteCoat.com Man found dead in parking lot of Detroit’s Grand Valley State University had just used the university computers to query Dr. Google on “pain and tightness of the chest and sweating.” Wonder what happens if the web site he landed on didn’t tell him to call 911? Maybe Google, Esq.? North Carolina woman busted for drug trafficking and felony possession of controlled substances after going to multiple physicians and being prescribed 1,286 doses of Xanax and 2,330 doses of oxycodone/hydrocodone between May 2012 and May 2013. Think closely about those discharges against medical advice. A Canadian study of more than 1.9 million patient records shows that the 90 day mortality rate for patients leaving against medical advice was 2.5 times greater than for all patients combined. Then again, I did a survey of two patients who left AMA and neither of them died in 90 days, so using Press Ganey statistical methods, the authors of this study must be all wrong. The first day of Fall was also National Falls Awareness Day. The Executive Director of Elder Care Advocacy in Florida provides a nice letter to the editor listing some easy ways to minimize fall risks in elderly patients … including getting rid of throw rugs, avoiding slippers/sandals/[and flip flops], and placing non-slip mats in bathtubs and showers. You can’t make this stuff up. Sadly, I’ve heard the same things said by patient before. ...
Source: WhiteCoat's Call Room - Category: Emergency Medicine Doctors Authors: Tags: Healthcare Update Source Type: blogs