Hydromorphone (brand name Dilaudid) is a powerful analgesic that can cause death if not carefully monitored. At 28 years old, Anders Pederson had been close to his older sister, Kelly, their entire lives.  After a childhood E.coli infection damaged her kidneys, Kelly needed a kidney donation and her brother stepped up.  Following a rigorous work-up … Continued

The number of people dying each year from drug overdose continues to rise. In May, the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) released provisional data on the overdose death rate for 2021.  While statistics give us a needed view of what is happening in this country around opioid and other medication deaths, they do not … Continued

An injury to the brain can lead to increased lifetime risk of disease and disability. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of death and disability in the US.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports approximately 64,000 people died of causes related to brain injury in 2020.  Non-traumatic disabling injury can … Continued

The new $16 billion electronic health records system rolled out by the Department of Veterans Affairs’ is the subject of a scathing series of reports by the VA Office of Inspector General (OIG). Electronic health record (EHR) systems have largely replaced paper-based records in the US.  The transition to digital records has been bumpy, plagued … Continued

A new brief from The Commonwealth Fund explores the American disconnect from primary medical care.  The metrics place the US near the bottom of the 11 high-income countries surveyed. The Commonwealth Fund is a private foundation founded by Anna Harkness in 1918.  Ms. Harkness was a philanthropist deeply interested in healthcare improvement. She and her … Continued

Treatment options offered to patients with appendicitis should include discussion of appendiceal cancer. On the right side of the body, as the colon descends downward, rests the appendix, a so-called vestigial organ at about four inches in length.  Appendicitis occurs when a blockage forms within the appendix, possibly caused by viral or bacterial infection.  The … Continued

A Vanderbilt University Medical Center nurse made a devastating medication error that resulted in the death of a 74-year-old woman, Ms. Charlene Murphey.  The nurse, RaDonda Vaught, was convicted of two felonies, for which she will soon be sentenced. When using the electronic medication cabinet to obtain a sedative for a patient, Ms. Vaught withdrew … Continued

Medical process improvement takes years to accomplish.  A new study reveals the pandemic overcame that entrenched model in some facilities, driving healthcare providers to better serve their patients. A new study in JAMA Network Open explored how quickly process changes occurred in healthcare facilities as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Prior research on the … Continued

New guidelines offer important recommendations to physicians working with patients who suffer from heart disease. In early April, updated clinical practice guidelines (CPG) addressing heart failure were published by the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology.  The 2022 guidelines replace practice recommendations made in 2013 and 2017. Heart disease and heart failure … Continued