Dr. Howard Smith Reports

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/5rTC9x7Rics

Female nurses are nearly 40% more likely to die of suicide than women in the general population.  The rate for male nurses is half that but still worrisome.  Several just published studies from UC-San Diego reviewed more than 154,000 records from the CDCs National Violent Death Database.

The overwhelming drivers for nurse suicide are job-related stress, burnout, and depression.  The causes: over-regulation and digital paperwork, overbearing managers, violent patients and their visitors, and inadequate staffing.

We need nurses to effectively and affectionately deliver quality individual health care and community preventive efforts.  Be kind and grateful to your family’s nurses.  Help them demand support from indifferent hospital and healthcare system bosses. 

Davidson, J.E., Proudfoot, J., Lee, K., Terterian, G. and Zisook, S. (2020), A Longitudinal Analysis of Nurse Suicide in the United States (2005–2016) With Recommendations for Action. Worldviews on Evidence‐Based Nursing, 17: 6-15. doi:10.1111/wvn.12419

Judy E. Davidson, Rachael Accardi, Courtney Sanchez, Sidney Zisook and Laura A. Hoffman, Sustainability and Outcomes of a Suicide Prevention Program for Nurses, Worldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing, 17, 1, (24-31), (2020).

#nurses #suicide #overregulation #electronicmedicalrecord

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/5rTC9x7Rics

Female nurses are nearly 40% more likely to die of suicide than women in the general population.  The rate for male nurses is half that but still worrisome.  Several just published studies from UC-San Diego reviewed more than 154,000 records from the CDCs National Violent Death Database.

The overwhelming drivers for nurse suicide are job-related stress, burnout, and depression.  The causes: over-regulation and digital paperwork, overbearing managers, violent patients and their visitors, and inadequate staffing.

We need nurses to effectively and affectionately deliver quality individual health care and community preventive efforts.  Be kind and grateful to your family’s nurses.  Help them demand support from indifferent hospital and healthcare system bosses. 

Davidson, J.E., Proudfoot, J., Lee, K., Terterian, G. and Zisook, S. (2020), A Longitudinal Analysis of Nurse Suicide in the United States (2005–2016) With Recommendations for Action. Worldviews on Evidence‐Based Nursing, 17: 6-15. doi:10.1111/wvn.12419

Judy E. Davidson, Rachael Accardi, Courtney Sanchez, Sidney Zisook and Laura A. Hoffman, Sustainability and Outcomes of a Suicide Prevention Program for Nurses, Worldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing, 17, 1, (24-31), (2020).

#nurses #suicide #overregulation #electronicmedicalrecord

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/_BuvLprMqjg

When blood pressures first rise, guidelines tell doctors to prescribe chlorthalidone.  A just published multi-site study from Columbia, Cornell, Yale, and UCLA warns that drug is not the safest choice.

Comparing the outcomes of chlorthalidone with the more traditional anti-hypertensive hydrochlorthiazide in more than 730,000 treated patients, both drugs prevent heart attacks, heart failure, and stroke equally well.   But chlorthalidone has nasty side effects.  It increases the incidence of kidney failure by up to 37%, diabetes by 21%, sodium depletion by 31%, and critical potassium depletion more than 250%.

The investigators warn against routine use of chlorthalidone.  If you are taking it, speak with your doctors about an alternative. 

Hripcsak G, Suchard MA, Shea S, et al. Comparison of Cardiovascular and Safety Outcomes of Chlorthalidone vs Hydrochlorothiazide to Treat Hypertension. JAMA Intern Med. Published online February 17, 2020. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2019.7454

#hypertension #chlorthalidone #hydrochlorthiazide #kidneyfailure #electrolytes

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/_BuvLprMqjg

When blood pressures first rise, guidelines tell doctors to prescribe chlorthalidone.  A just published multi-site study from Columbia, Cornell, Yale, and UCLA warns that drug is not the safest choice.

Comparing the outcomes of chlorthalidone with the more traditional anti-hypertensive hydrochlorthiazide in more than 730,000 treated patients, both drugs prevent heart attacks, heart failure, and stroke equally well.   But chlorthalidone has nasty side effects.  It increases the incidence of kidney failure by up to 37%, diabetes by 21%, sodium depletion by 31%, and critical potassium depletion more than 250%.

The investigators warn against routine use of chlorthalidone.  If you are taking it, speak with your doctors about an alternative. 

Hripcsak G, Suchard MA, Shea S, et al. Comparison of Cardiovascular and Safety Outcomes of Chlorthalidone vs Hydrochlorothiazide to Treat Hypertension. JAMA Intern Med. Published online February 17, 2020. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2019.7454

#hypertension #chlorthalidone #hydrochlorthiazide #kidneyfailure #electrolytes

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/VXiQqpMRrxc

ResMed company has issued a compulsory recall of its Stellar 100 and 150 Non-invasive and Invasive Ventilators.  The sound alarm on the devices may not operate properly risking patient safety.  

The alarm will not work if the ventilator plugged in with the power switch already on.   It should be plugged in with the switch off and then powered up.  The alarm will also not sound if the device has been stored without AC power for more than 1.5 days.

If you are a respiratory-dependent patient, obtain a different respirator from your home health supply.  If not, test the alarm by flipping the power switch.  Contact the company at 1-855-245-4640.

https://bit.ly/38IEwQj

#ventilator #resmed #stellar #alarm

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/VXiQqpMRrxc

ResMed company has issued a compulsory recall of its Stellar 100 and 150 Non-invasive and Invasive Ventilators.  The sound alarm on the devices may not operate properly risking patient safety.  

The alarm will not work if the ventilator plugged in with the power switch already on.   It should be plugged in with the switch off and then powered up.  The alarm will also not sound if the device has been stored without AC power for more than 1.5 days.

If you are a respiratory-dependent patient, obtain a different respirator from your home health supply.  If not, test the alarm by flipping the power switch.  Contact the company at 1-855-245-4640.

https://bit.ly/38IEwQj

#ventilator #resmed #stellar #alarm

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/8uSNSFtyP3k

Bilingual individuals appear to possess greater cognitive or thinking reserve and appear more resistant to the scourges of mental decline.  This is the conclusion of Canadian research just published in Alzheimer Disease & Associated Disorders.

The investigators studied 75 bilingual and 83 monolingual individuals.  Those whose brains were stimulated with a second language had fewer symptoms of dementia at a time when their brains were already affected by advancing Alzheimer’s disease.

Memory and problem-solving prove over and over again to be governed by the “use it or lose it” principle.  To keep your thinking sharp throughout life, read, think outside the box, and embrace mental challenges of all types. 

Matthias Berkes, Ellen Bialystok, Fergus I.M. Craik, Angela Troyer, Morris Freedman. Conversion of Mild Cognitive Impairment to Alzheimer Disease in Monolingual and Bilingual Patients. Alzheimer Disease & Associated Disorders, 2020; 1 DOI: 10.1097/WAD.0000000000000373

#dementia #bilingual #alzheimers

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/8uSNSFtyP3k

Bilingual individuals appear to possess greater cognitive or thinking reserve and appear more resistant to the scourges of mental decline.  This is the conclusion of Canadian research just published in Alzheimer Disease & Associated Disorders.

The investigators studied 75 bilingual and 83 monolingual individuals.  Those whose brains were stimulated with a second language had fewer symptoms of dementia at a time when their brains were already affected by advancing Alzheimer’s disease.

Memory and problem-solving prove over and over again to be governed by the “use it or lose it” principle.  To keep your thinking sharp throughout life, read, think outside the box, and embrace mental challenges of all types. 

Matthias Berkes, Ellen Bialystok, Fergus I.M. Craik, Angela Troyer, Morris Freedman. Conversion of Mild Cognitive Impairment to Alzheimer Disease in Monolingual and Bilingual Patients. Alzheimer Disease & Associated Disorders, 2020; 1 DOI: 10.1097/WAD.0000000000000373

#dementia #bilingual #alzheimers

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/5QYhhM7LxNQ

Gamers new to virtual reality will have less dizzying nausea playing games with an immersive storyline.  Researchers at Canada’s University of Waterloo studied 198 VR newbies 8 to 60 years of age.  Half were provided with a rich, emotionally stimulating narrative before gaming, and the controls received only sketchy plot details.

After the experience, those given extensive story info reported less unnerving spacial disorientation and eye strain.  Wrapping the visual experience around a riveting story focuses the brain reducing the impact of unfamiliar sensory input.  Veteran VR gamers, wrapped up in the scoring, don’t develop cybersickness.

When trying VR, select an experience that will draw you in rather than to the toilet. 

University of Waterloo. "Storytelling can reduce VR cybersickness." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 13 February 2020. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/02/200213090724.htm.

#vr #virtualreality #gaming #cybersickness

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/5QYhhM7LxNQ

Gamers new to virtual reality will have less dizzying nausea playing games with an immersive storyline.  Researchers at Canada’s University of Waterloo studied 198 VR newbies 8 to 60 years of age.  Half were provided with a rich, emotionally stimulating narrative before gaming, and the controls received only sketchy plot details.

After the experience, those given extensive story info reported less unnerving spacial disorientation and eye strain.  Wrapping the visual experience around a riveting story focuses the brain reducing the impact of unfamiliar sensory input.  Veteran VR gamers, wrapped up in the scoring, don’t develop cybersickness.

When trying VR, select an experience that will draw you in rather than to the toilet. 

University of Waterloo. "Storytelling can reduce VR cybersickness." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 13 February 2020. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/02/200213090724.htm.

#vr #virtualreality #gaming #cybersickness