A Family in Need

Some friends of friends of mine are going through a very tough time. Their first baby was a big girl at 9.2 pounds. Her shoulder got stuck during delivery and caused her to have a prolonged, rough delivery. She had a lengthy resuscitation, including induced hypothermia. Madeline is responsive, but still in NICU, fighting for her little life. Her parents are by her side every day, so along with hospital costs, they are dealing with lost wages and their usual bills. At http://sommerfamilydonations.blogspot.com/ you can donate some money straight to her parents. 100 % of the money will go to them. I know most of you are probably solidly in the middle class like me, but even a couple of bucks would be most appreciated, I'm sure. If you are not able to donate financially please pray, chant, offer good thoughts, work on her aura, send good vibes, light a candle, whatever floats your boat. I can't even begin to imagine what this family is going through. You can read about Baby Maddie at the family's blog:
 http://babymaddiebelle.blogspot.com/

Thank you!

Really, Sir?

I did not realize that using a urinal was so complicated. My rather healthy young adult male patient assured me that he genuinely needed my assistance to urinate in the ubiquitous plastic container. He was not in any way paralyzed. He was not one of those males so obese that he needed help locating his penis. He simply wanted me to position and hold it in place while he used the urinal. That would be a no.
Of course he later used the urinal successfully all by himself.

Europe and the USA

Apparently this photo is from 2004, long before I entered the blogosphere. So, bear with me if you have seen it before. I admit that I do eat fast food sometimes. Working 12 hour shifts and shuttling kids to activities sometimes makes the drive thru  inevitable, but I can definitely appreciate the humor.

Good Times

I was floated to the floor this week. This rarely happens, as I am an ER, Preop, and Recovery nurse with little floor experience. However, desperate times call for desperate measures, I guess, so off I went to take care of some inpatients.
A gentleman in his 80's a couple days out from neck surgery was having trouble urinating. I got an order to straight cath him, which I did. He put out about a liter of urine and was much more comfortable afterwards.
I returned a while later, asking him how he was doing. he informed me that he had been able to urinate on his own.
"Are you having burning when you urinate, Sir?" I asked him.
"No, Maam," he replied "and I can tell you I don't have VD."
"Well, that's good to know," I said
"But you know I had the clap once" he started reminiscing, smiling dreamily. "Actually I had it twice when I was in the army. Back in Japan, you know. Goop just started dripping everywhere. Come to think of it, I recall I had the clap three times. Those were some good times, I tell ya" .

Misleading Headline of the Day

Found on Fox Health. A typo in the headline raises all kinds of interesting images.

Derma Sciences Foot-Wound Rug Shows Promise

Published May 27, 2011

BANGALORE –  Derma Sciences Inc said foot ulcers in 85 percent of diabetic patients healed completely after being treated with its experimental drug at the end of a 24-week trial, improving its chances of licensing the drug to potential partners.

Shares of the company, which specializes in wound-care products, jumped 25 percent to a more than three-month high of $11.65 in afternoon trade on Wednesday on Nasdaq.

The data will help the company in outlicensing ex-U.S. rights of the drug, codenamed DSC127, to a potential partner, Chief Executive Edward Quilty said in an interview.

Rodman & Renshaw analyst Michael Higgins said, "I think, the 24-week data increases Derma's negotiating power with potential collaborators."

Higgins, who has a "market outperform" rating on the stock, said he was most impressed by the drug's ability to heal wounds 13.5 week sooner than the placebo.

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And  so on.....

My favorite comment echoed my thoughts. Yes! I want to read about this amazing wonder rug too!

Can we get it at Macy's. Maybe Bed Bath and Beyond?

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/05/27/derma-sciences-foot-wound-rug-shows-promise/#ixzz1NmLz1QgH

Link of the Day

I know a few individuals to whom I would like to send this 
How about you?

Interesting

 I would be very interested to hear everybody's thoughts on this situation that occurred in the UK.

 

 Woman Dies After Being Sent Home From Hospital Twice

Published May 10, 2011

| The Sun

A woman who died 10 minutes after arriving home from hospital for the second time in a one day was not even seen by a doctor, a coronial inquest has found.

June Owen, 63, died after visiting Stawell Hospital in the United Kingdom. 

Janice Campbell said it was shocking a doctor had not seen her mother, who was in pain and suffering breathing difficulties.

Coronial findings made by magistrate Richard Pithouse last week had left her family "confused."

"It still leaves many questions unanswered, and it contains no recommendations on changes that need to be made to prevent this happening again," Campbell said.

On the day of her death, Owen contacted Rural Ambulance Victoria four times, and was twice taken to Stawell Hospital.

She first visited the hospital at 5 p.m. January 21, 2008 with abdominal pain, and a nurse gave her two codeine pills and sent her home.

At 10.15 p.m., Owen arrived by ambulance again and a nurse phoned on-call doctor Briandha Jeremiah, who decided not to attend to examine her.

Jeremiah told the nurse to give her a Demerol injection, to relieve her pain, but the inquest heard conflicting reports on how long Owen should be monitored afterwards.  

Owen was released from hospital 40 minutes after her injection.

An autopsy found Mrs Owen, who suffered heart and lung disease, had died from an enlarged heart.

Stawell Regional Health acting chief executive Claire Letts said after Mrs Owen's death, triage, assessment and pain management policies at the hospital had been reviewed, and minor changes had been made.

Click here to read more on this story from the Herald Sun. 

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Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/05/10/woman-dies-sent-home-hospital-twice/#ixzz1M328HLuX