Remote Diabetic Foot Temperature Monitoring for Early Detection of Diabetic Foot Ulcers: A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis.

Background: Foot temperature monitoring for the prevention and early detection of diabetic foot ulcers (DFU) is evidence-based and recommended in clinical practice. However, easy-to-use remote monitoring tools have been lacking, thereby preventing widespread adoption.

Objective: To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of remote foot temperature monitoring (RFTM) (Siren's Neurofabric™ Diabetic socks) in addition to standard of care (SoC) versus SoC alone for early detection of DFU with diabetic neuropathy and a moderate to high risk of DFU.

Clinical and Economic Impact of a Digital, Remotely-Delivered Intensive Behavioral Counseling Program on Medicare Beneficiaries at Risk for Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease.

Background: Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease impose substantial clinical and economic burdens for seniors (age 65 and above) and the Medicare program. Intensive Behavioral Counseling (IBC) interventions like the National Diabetes Prevention Program (NDPP), have demonstrated effectiveness in reducing excess body weight and lowering or delaying morbidity onset. This paper estimated the potential health implications and medical savings of a digital version of IBC modeled after the NDPP.

Outbreak of Serratia marcescens bloodstream infections in patients receiving parenteral nutrition prepared by a compounding pharmacy.

Background: Compounding pharmacies often prepare parenteral nutrition (PN) and must adhere to rigorous standards to avoid contamination of the sterile preparation. In March 2011, Serratia marcescens bloodstream infections (BSIs) were identified in 5 patients receiving PN from a single compounding pharmacy. An investigation was conducted to identify potential sources of contamination and prevent further infections.

Cost-effectiveness of gene-expression profiling for tumor-site origin.

Objectives: Gene-expression profiling (GEP) reliably supplements traditional clinicopathological information on the tissue of origin (TOO) in metastatic or poorly differentiated cancer. A cost-effectiveness analysis of GEP TOO testing versus usual care was conducted from a US third-party payer perspective.

Methods: Data on recommendation changes for chemotherapy, surgery, radiation therapy, blood tests, imaging investigations, and hospice care were obtained from a retrospective, observational study of patients whose physicians received GEP TOO test results.

Clinical utility of gene-expression profiling for tumor-site origin in patients with metastatic or poorly differentiated cancer: impact on diagnosis, treatment, and survival.

Purpose: The primary tissue-site origin in over 4% of cancers remains uncertain despite thorough clinicopathological evaluation. This study assessed the effect of a Food and Drug Administration-cleared 2,000- gene-expression-profiling (GEP) test on primary tissue-site working diagnoses and management for metastatic and poorly differentiated cancers.

Methods: Clinical information was collected from physicians ordering the GEP test for patients with difficult to diagnose cancers.

Understanding medication errors: discussion of a case involving a urinary catheter implicated in a wrong route error.

Medication errors represent a failure in the medication use process leading to an increase in morbidity and mortality. In an effort to standardize reporting, evaluating, and trending of medication errors, the National Coordinating Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention (NCC MERP) developed and maintains a medication error taxonomy. A case study involving a medication intended for administration via rectal tube and inadvertently given through a Foley catheter is discussed using the NCC MERP medication error taxonomy and critiqued using recent national findings.

Error-avoidance recommendations for tubing misconnections when using Luer-tip connectors: a statement by the USP Safe Medication Use Expert Committee.

Recommendations are provided to assist health care professionals, manufacturers, and consumers in the appropriate handling of tubing with Luer-tip connectors.

A summary of NICU fat emulsion medication errors and nursing services: data from MEDMARX.

Intralipid infusions remain a critical part of ensuring adequate nutritional supplement and growth in premature and term infants. Managing intralipid therapy requires great care to prevent metabolic and physiological side effects. The authors sought to systematically study medication errors associated with intralipid administration in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

Tissue handling for genome-wide expression analysis: a review of the issues, evidence, and opportunities.

Context: Molecular diagnostic applications that use microarrays to analyze large numbers of genes simultaneously require high-quality mRNA. As these genome-wide expression assays become more commonly used in medical practice, pathologists and oncologists will benefit from understanding the importance of obtaining high-quality RNA in order to generate reliable diagnostic and prognostic information, especially as these relate to cancer.

Objective: To review the effects that different tissue preservation techniques have on RNA quality and to provide practical advice on changes in tissue acquisition and handling that may soon be needed for certain clinical situations.

Medication errors in the PACU.

A collaborative research group examined seven years of PACU medication errors from the MEDMARX database. Descriptive statistics showed a comparison of medication errors in all ages from pediatric to adult to geriatric groups. Nine categories of medication errors were noted and a total of 3,023 errors were attributed to errors in prescribing, transcribing, dispensing, administering, and monitoring.

Harmful medication errors in children: a 5-year analysis of data from the USP's MEDMARX program.

Harmful pediatric medication errors are common in hospitals and health systems. Understanding what products are involved in these errors is important in the prevention of future errors. We used data from a voluntary medication error reporting system (MEDMARX) and identified 816 harmful outcomes involving 242 medications during a 5-year period.

An overview of intravenous-related medication administration errors as reported to MEDMARX, a national medication error-reporting program.

Medication errors can be harmful, especially if they involve the intravenous (IV) route of administration. A mixed-methodology study using a 5-year review of 73,769 IV-related medication errors from a national medication error reporting program indicates that between 3% and 5% of these errors were harmful. The leading type of error was omission, and the leading cause of error involved clinician performance deficit.

Medication errors in the PACU: a secondary analysis of MEDMARX findings.

Medication errors commonly occur in many health care settings. This review of medication errors illustrates that complex, fast-paced care delivered in PACUs often occurs in an environment where patients encounter numerous processes as they move from preadmission, to preop holding, to the operating room, to PACU, and then back to a clinical unit or discharge. Using a nationally recognized framework, 645 PACU medication error records were analyzed.

Medication errors in the OR--a secondary analysis of Medmarx.

Although medication errors can result in serious patient complications or even death, a paucity of information regarding medication errors that occur in the OR exists. AORN and the US Pharmacopeia (USP) collaboratively conducted a secondary analysis of reports of medication errors that occurred in the OR. These reports were submitted to the USP via the Medmarx program.