News (Page 2)

Patient Safety in Diabetes Care and Intensive Glycemic Therapy

In June 2008, the results of both the ADVANCE and ACCORD studies became public. The results were published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) on June 12, 2008, presented at the American Diabetes Association (ADA) meeting, and widely discussed in the public media as well. The two trials, ADVANCE and ACCORD, are clearly […]

Insulin Pens and Safety

The Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) released an article recently that highlighted potential safety problems that are being seen in hospitals when they switch the delivery of insulin subcutaneously from insulin that is drawn from multiple-dose vials to insulin pens. The details of the ISMP Medication Safety Alert were included in an FDA Patient […]

AACE Calls For New Standards for Safer Insulin Pump Use

JACKSONVILLE, FL – “The American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists applauds the FDA’s efforts to protect the safety of children and adolescents who are using insulin pumps,” said Dr. Richard Hellman, the Association’s President. In the May edition of Pediatrics, Dr. Judith Cope, a physician at the FDA, provided new data that shows there is a […]

Too Much of a Good Thing: Thyroid Cancer Suppressive Therapy and Atrial Fibrillation

The Case A 63-year-old man with a distant history of thyroid cancer presented to the emergency department with complaints of chest pain, palpitations and shortness of breath. He had been losing weight over the last year, which he attributed to chemotherapy for prostate cancer, diet and exercise. He was admitted to the coronary care unit […]

Post Operative Hypernatremia: A Simple but Dangerous Oversight

The Case The patient is a 63-year-old Caucasian female with a history of central diabetes insipidus following resection of a nonfunctioning pituitary macroadenoma. The patient had been stable with normal electrolyte and fluid balance taking desmopressin 0.2 mg orally twice a day. She presented with complaints of abdominal pain; subsequent evaluation disclosed cholelithiasis. The patient […]

Joint Commission Safety Alert regarding Health Information Technology

On December 11, 2008, the Joint Commission released a sentinel event alert regarding implementation of health information technology (HIT) and converging technologies – the interrelationship between medical devices and information technology. This very thoughtful document highlights the many ways that poorly designed or implemented HIT products can lead to medical errors and serious problems in […]