If 1 in 25 Hospital Patients Get An Infection, Then Let’s Keep People Out Of The Hospital

Healthcare technology continues to advance, but the CDC has new estimates on where infection rates aren’t falling — hospitals.

About one in 25 hospital patients in the U.S. pick up an infection during their care, according to a new estimate from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Posted by: AtlasMD

January 9, 2014

CDC Study Finds Lung Cancer On The Decline

Finally, some good news in healthcare! The CDC writes on their weekly Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, “Lung cancer incidence decreased to a statistically significant extent from 2005 to 2009 among men in all U.S. Census regions and 23 states, and among women in the South and West U.S. Census regions and seven states. By state and age group, lung cancer incidence rates decreased or were stable in most states.”

But bittersweet already seems to be the theme of 2014. Two statements to look at:

“CDC has declared reducing tobacco use a ‘winnable battle’ and supports comprehensive efforts to prevent the initiation of tobacco use, promote quitting, and ensure smoke–free environments.”

“Although many factors might have contributed to this decline, a study of 44 states showed that strong tobacco control indicators were correlated with lower lung cancer incidence rates among adults age 20–44 years.”

From a doctor’s perspective, and a health perspective, this news is worth celebrating. However, the cause of the celebration is debatable. How much of this reduction in smoking was the result of strong patient-doctor relationships, versus decades of anti-tobacco PSAs? Again, we don’t have a problem with public service announcements or even people freely electing to smoke (although we’d never advise it). It’s just worth pointing out that there’s still room for family physicians to make an impact on our nation’s health — by getting to know our patients, earning their trust, and helping them make their own healthy lifestyle choices.

READ THE COMPLETE CDC REPORT HERE

How a Cabal Keeps Generics Scarce

How a Cabal Keeps Generics Scarce

So around a year ago, President Obama signed a law meant to end chronic shortages of lifesaving drugs. However, a critical lack of generic drugs continues. This is being called a “preventable crisis” and it’s harming patients, even leading to death in the case of botched anesthesias. The New York Times does not believe the law will be effective, in part because it addresses the symptoms but not at all the disease.