The Ebola virus continues to be a serious issue for healthcare professionals
The Ebola virus continues to be a serious issue healthcare professionals. As discussed in the last blog, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have recently emphasized the importance of personal protective equipment (PPE). Healthcare workers put themselves at risk in order to treat those infected. However, PPE can keep professionals safe. This is […]
Stricter Guidelines for Ebola Prevention
Stricter Guidelines for Ebola Prevention Many of us are aware of the potential for becoming victim to the Ebola disease. Like many diseases, it can be contracted by the very healthcare workers who are caring for the infected. Thus, the Centers for Disease Control and prevention, or the CDC, has become more scrupulous in […]
Heart Disease
Many people in the United States today suffer from a very common type of heart disease called coronary artery disease. This disease is very serious because it can lead to heart attacks. Coronary artery disease happens when the arteries become filled with a substance called plaque. This causes the arteries to narrow and decrease the […]
Diabetes
Over 29 million Americans have diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is the most common form affecting 90-95% of all diabetics. People with Type 2 diabetes have insulin resistance, meaning their bodies do not produce enough insulin or insulin is not used properly by the body. This causes glucose to build up in the blood instead of […]
How to prevent HBV
Hepatitis B is an infection that causes inflammation of the liver. It can survive outside the body for up to 7 days. It can become chronic and lead to cirrhosis, liver cancer, liver failure and death. Hepatitis B can be contracted through sexual contact, needle sticks, blood transfusions, and the sharing of needles. One of […]
Healthcare Workers: Protect Yourselves!
Healthcare workers (HCWs) are at risk for exposure to serious, and sometimes deadly, diseases. If you work directly with patients or handle material that could spread infection, you should get appropriate vaccines to reduce the chance that you will get or spread vaccine-preventable diseases. Protect yourself, your patients, and your family members. Make sure you […]
How to prevent needlestick and sharps injuries
CDC: “Needlestick and other sharps injuries are a serious hazard in any healthcare setting. Contact with contaminated needles, scalpels, broken glass, and other sharps may expose healthcare workers to blood that contains pathogens which pose a grave, potentially lethal risk. If you experience a needlestick or sharps injury or are exposed to the blood or […]
Puncture: Exposure for Bloodborne Pathogen Exposure
A dedicated and hard-working nurse is going through a normal shift. Checking vital signs, updating medical records, administering medications, comforting patients, drawing blood samples, inserting IVs, and then OUCH! What just happened? Is that a red dot underneath the glove? This can’t be right… Read more
US Department of Labor’s OSHA revises Hazard Communication Standard
WASHINGTON – To better protect workers from hazardous chemicals, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has revised its Hazard Communication Standard, aligning it with the United Nations’ global chemical labeling system. The new standard, once implemented, will prevent an estimated 43 deaths and result in an estimated $475.2 million in enhanced productivity […]
TB Data Statistics
Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the world’s deadliest diseases: One third of the world’s population are infected with TB. In 2011, nearly 9 million people around the world became sick with TB disease. There were around 1.4 million TB-related deaths worldwide. TB is a leading killer of people who are HIV infected. A total of […]
What Can You Do to Reduce Sharps Injuries?
Safety Culture: What Can You Do to Reduce Sharps Injuries? Endorse the STOP STICKS campaign objectives and communicate to all staff (including management, clinical, and non-clinical) the organization’s commitment to the safety campaign. Ask managers and staff to also commit time and resources to the campaign. Attend briefing (or read materials) on establishing a […]
Oklahoma bill would create first dental assistant permit in the nation
A bill that would create the first oral surgery dental assistant permit in the country and require all dental assistants to have permits is awaiting the governor’s signature. Senate Bill 684 comes months after Tulsa oral surgeon Dr. W. Scott Harrington was found to be using unsanitary equipment and poor infection-control procedures that could have […]