Emergency Nursing Today Show

Episode 27: Abdominal Emergencies Part 2

It’s the one year anniversary of the Emergency Nursing Today show! That’s right, it’s been one year since I began this blog/show, and I want to thank all of my listeners/readers for making it all possible!
With that in mind, I’m going to be offering an archive CD of all the shows from the first year. This is a great way to have the entire archive of the show on hand any time you want! And the best part is it will only be the educational part of the show! Every episode, from the beginning, all on one handy CD. Look for it within the next couple of weeks!
Iâ??m also going to be publishing a book that will go along with the podcast to date for you to review and use as a prep to take the CEN. More info on that as it comes closer to the publishing date, so stay tuned!

Donâ??t forget to sign up there to get your CEUâ??s just for listening to the podcast! What a cool and easy way to get your CEUâ??s! And you can still get access to the entire archives there for 40% off the regular price! Just use the discount code EC36BB51 when you sign up! Join today and start enjoying the benefits of continuing education credit JUST FOR LISTENING!

Now for the news:

First up, with this being the 40th anniversary of the first man on the moon, I thought it would be fun to take a look at just what the space program has given to medicine.
Did you know that ultrasound scanners, portable xray machines, pacemakers, and MRIâ??s all came from the space program? Just think where we would be WITHOUT these things! And people want to scrap the space program? There are many other things the program has given us over the years, not just in the field of medicine. Things like solar energy, portable coolers/warmers (who doesnâ??t use those!?!), smoke detectors, flat panel TVâ??s, wireless communication, and NUMEROUS others!
There is a website that lists many of these innovations that I will put a link to on the site. Go check it out when you have a chance!
NASA Spinoffs website

And in the same vein, I wondered if anyone had documented what nurses had one for the space program. Low and behold, there is a paper that describes what we have done! Itâ??s from the AORN Journal in2000, and it details some of the nurses and their contributions to space flight from the early years through the end of the 20th century. Iâ??ll link to it on the site so you can go read about some of what we have done for the space program over the years.
AORN article on nursing’s contributions to the space program

And,out of EMS Responder, an article on a complaint filed with CALOSHA by nurses at Suter Solano Medical Center, alleging hospital management is jeopardizing their health by asking them to reuse the 3M N95 masks. The aricle goes on to say that multiple agencies who govern their use have different standards of how and when they are to be changed. This poses a REAL problem in that which standard DO you follow? Iâ??ll link to the article so you can read more for yourself, but stay tuned. Iâ??ll update this as I find out more.
Nurse complaint on 3M N85 mask reuse

Now, on the treatment front, an article from Emergency Medical News discusses PCI v. thrombolytic therapy. It states that although multiple guidelines from the major players in cardiac care recommend PCI for STEMI patients, there are numerous barriers to this. It makes a suggestion on when to use thrombolytics as opposed to PCI.
Emergency Medical News article on PCI v. thrombolytics

And, in the wake of the FDA making stronger labeling mandatory for products that include Tylenol, they have just approved a new opiod for breakthrough pain management. Itâ??s called Onsolis, and is an absorbable film that disolves in the mouth and is absorbed through the mucus membranes. Itâ??s active ingredient is fentanyl!! It is meant for caner patients 18 and older. Stay tuned for the abuse to start with THIS drug!
FDA approves new opiod

And last, but certainly not least, I canâ??t let the news go without something on health care reform. For those of you who follow me on either Facebook or Twitter, you know I linked two sites on Monday to help you try and make sense of this whole mess. Well on the heels of that comes a report from OSHA that discusses a poll by The University of Texas Health Science Center in Huston. Some of the findings include:
84 percent of those who are currently insured are satisfied with
their health care
An expanded role for government in health care is opposed by 48 percent of Americans

The survey carries a margin of error of +/- 1.6 percentage points

At least the debate has slowed the passage of any reform bills so that we, the PAYING public can see just what the heck we may end up paying for and just how much it may cost!
Survey shows many Americans wary of health care reform

And finally…………..here’s the podcast. Enjoy!