A study in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) examined 320 German patients undergoing heparin injections over a 12-month period. Heparin-induced skin lesions were observed in 7.5% of the study group. This result was considerably above the expected rate of 2%. Skin lesions caused by heparin can indicate a serious condition called heparin-induced thrombocytopenia or in most cases an allergic skin reaction. To read more about the study, continue here.
Photo Credit: Prashant Zi
Hospitals across the country are diligently working to reduce infection rates. According to the World Health Organization, hospital-acquired infections affect as many as 1.7 million patients in the United States each year. These infections come at an annual cost of $6.5 billion and contribute to more than 90,000 deaths.
Proper hand hygiene is essential in helping to prevent hospital-acquired infections. A recent study performed by French researchers examined three types of healthcare workers. The first type spent a large amount of time with a discreet group of patients like a nurse would. The second group saw more patients but spent less time with each one - similar to doctors. Group three consisted of healthcare workers who interacted with every patient every day like therapists. The study found that if a healthcare worker in group three failed to wash their hands, the spread of disease was three times worse than if someone from group one or two didn't. The study was published online in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. To read more about the study, continue here.
To read another take on hand hygiene and about the Joint Commission's national hand hygiene project, click here.
Photo Credit: Jessica Flavin
Should family members be present during a bedside PICC placement? This is an issue that PICC team members face with every PICC insertion. Lynn Hadaway, M.Ed., RNC, CRNI tackles the issue in a recent blog post here.
Photo Credit: Zachary Wolf