Patient Safety in the News February through March 2015

The editors at medGadget discussed a study appearing in the journal Inorganic Chemistry regarding research at Bielefeld University in Germany which demonstrated a new method of disrupting the spread of cancer using molecules that bind to DNA.

Sarah Knapton, with The Telegraph, discussed research published in JAMA about a new stem cell treatment which is reversing the symptoms of multiple sclerosis.

Robert Preidt, for Health Day, discussed a study performed by Cancer Research UK, which demonstrated that obesity raises the risk of cancer in women 40%. 

Jane Brody, for the NYT, reported on a study appearing in The Lancet which described a constellation of symptoms which appear to foretell a diagnosis of Parkinson's disease, including tremors, balance problems, constipation, low blood pressure, dizziness, erectile and urinary dysfunction, fatigue, depression and anxiety.

Beth Greenwood, for Daily RX, discussed a presentation at the March 12, 2015 American College of Cardiology's 64th Annual Scientific Session in San Diego, which demonstrated that excessive sitting can increased risk for coronary calcification.

Kathleen Doheny, for Health Day, reported on a study in Neurology that indicated that people who sleep more than 8 hours a day were 46% more likely to have a stroke than people who slept 6-8 hours. The article's authors, however, did report that there was uncertainty about whether long sleep was a cause, consequence or early warning sign of declining health.

Shereen Lehman, for Reuters, discussed an article in The American Journal of Gastroenterology, which concluded there is a rise in celiac disease.

Robert Preidt, for Health Day, reported on an article appearing in Couple and Family Psychology Research and Practice which concluded that depression in fathers may be linked to anxiety and bad behavior in toddlers.

Robert Preidt, for Health Day, discussed an article in Maternal & Child Nutrition which concluded that too much weight gain during pregnancy can put a child at risk for obesity in childhood and later years.

Michelle Roberts, for the BBC, discussed an article appearing in JAMA Psychiatry which indicated that autism is much more likely to be caused by genetics than environmental factors.

Janis C. Kelly, for Medscape Medical News, reported on an article in Arthritis Research & Therapy, which indicated that gout is prevalent, yet undertreated.

Sue Hughes, for Medscape Medical News, reported on an article published in Stroke that indicated that individuals consuming more than 2 alcoholic beverages a day in middle age have an increased risk of stroke. 

An article appearing in the Diagnosis discussed characteristics of missed myocardial infarction diagnoses. Characteristics of patients increasing the risk of missed diagnoses included being younger, or African American. Characteristics of the hospital increasing the risk of a missed diagnosis included the teaching status of the hospital, the availability of cardiac catheterization, high ED admission rates, high inpatient occupancy rates, and urban location.

An article published in Intensive Care Medicine concluded that the use of liaison nurses and handover forms helps improve the quality of care provided between patients who were being handed off between the ICU and general ward.

An article published in JAMA Pediatrics  discussed how simulation training compliments clinical training for health care professionals that is based traditionally on learning from actual patients.

The Joint Commission and National Quality Forum announced the 2014 Eisenberg Awards for key contributions to patient safety and quality improvement. This year’s honorees include Mark L. Graber, MD, the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program, and North Shore-LIJ Health System in New York.

An article in Lancet Infectious Disease discussed how to reduce health-care-associated infections and improve patient safety.

Dr. Darshak Sanghavi wrote an editorial in the Boston Globe arguing for disclosure of medical errors to patients.

An article published in Pediatric Critical Care Medicine discussed the rate and characteristics of diagnostic errors in pediatric and neonatal units that result in morbidity and mortality.