For children hospitalized with serious or life-threatening illnesses, fear and stress are a part of everyday life. Not so much at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital in New York, where there’s a real medical magician at work!

West Bloomfield, MI, January 4, 2017 – DiaMedical USA and SimLabSolutions are proud to introduce their newest line of exclusive EMS simulation products with the launch of Loaded Emergency Packs™ for EMS education and training. These packs will help EMS instructors successfully integrate simulation scenarios into National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) Portfolio Project psychomotor skills testing, continuing education, or hands-on training exercises. Loaded Emergency Packs™ are filled with all the supplies and simulated medications needed for pre-service and in-service training.

Opioid abuse is a serious public health issue. Drug overdose deaths are the leading cause of injury-related death in the United States. According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, “Prevention, treatment, research, and effective responses to rapidly reverse opioid overdoses are critical to fighting the epidemic—a top priority for the . . . HHS).”

One of the first skills learned in nursing school is how to properly wash your hands. It sounds easy enough, but there is a proper technique that is used to effectively destroy any organisms. There are thousands of studies out there supporting the importance of proper handwashing in order to stop the transmission of these organisms. However, recent studies have moved further to focus on the contamination of bacteria on nurses’ clothing and in the environment in which they work.

Halloween can be a difficult time for you and your family to stay healthy. It's the start of the holiday season that tests our resolve for a healthier lifestyle. There's no reason for these habits to disappear until New Year's! Try these tricks for a healthier Halloween:

As of last Wednesday, September 28, 2016 the FDA declared the use of an artificial pancreas to treat type 1 diabetes was approved. Type 1 diabetes, or juvenile diabetes, prevents the body from producing the sufficient amount of insulin our bodies need and normally gain energy with our food intake. The Medtronic MiniMed 670G systems, or the artificial pancreas device, will be available by prescription to patients that are of age 14 years and older in the spring of 2017. It is declared to be “the world’s first hybrid closed loop system,” due to the Auto Mode feature that can automatically adjust the delivery of basal insulin. The Medtronic system will actively measure glucose levels, as well as administering the insulin when need be. This will not only ease the patient’s daily routine, but will also reduce the risk of extreme blood level shocks to the system, which can result in a coma.

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On September 2, 2016, the Food and Drug Administration banned 19 Ingredients commonly found in antibacterial soaps and body washes. The FDA states that the inclusion of the ingredients do not provide any benefits to consumers and may even be harmful. They go on to say that antibacterial soaps are no more effective than soap and water at cleaning. The rule becomes effective in one year, in which time companies must either remove their product from the market, or remove the conflicting ingredients from their existing product. However, it is important to note that this ban does not apply to consumer hand sanitizers or antibacterial wipes and antibacterial soaps commonly used in hospitals or the food service industry.

Loaded Crash Carts provide simulation labs and medical training facilities with the supplies and equipment needed for Code Emergency simulation. Simulated medications and supplies are organized in a cardboard tray that slides into the corresponding drawer of the cart. This not only ensures the products arrive safely; it eliminates the need for instructors to organize and stock supplies before running a simulation. They are also sure to expedite the process of restocking after a simulation. Finally, the kits guarantee a higher quality training experience. They provide a comprehensive, realistic, and consistent simulation for every student, every time.

Since the Revolutionary War, nurses have been an indispensable force throughout American history. What began as an unofficial group of women that were forced or coerced into wartime nursing service during the Revolutionary War grew into a force of 65,000 well-trained military nursing corps members.

Hill-Rom has designed and developed multiple Med-Surg hospital beds focused on patient safety, ease of use and patient comfort. Some of their most popular med surg beds include the CareAssist, Advanta and VersaCare beds. Our Hill-Rom hospital bed spotlight this week is on the Advanta 2 Med-Surg Bed.

Hill-Rom has a long-standing tradition of safe and reliable birthing beds with its Affinity Birthing Beds line. The original Affinity Birthing Bed was released in 1992. In 1996 HillRom released its Affinity Two Birthing Bed to the market, followed a few years later in 2000 with its Affinity Three Birthing Bed. The newest addition to the line, the Hill-Rom Affinity Four Birthing Bed was recently released in 2008 and features many updates to the medical field's favorite labor and delivery bed.

Hill-Rom has designed and developed multiple Med-Surg hospital beds focused on patient safety, ease of use and patient comfort. Some of their most popular med surg beds include the CareAssist, Advanta and VersaCare beds. Our Hill-Rom hospital bed spotlight this week is on the CareAssist ES Medical Surgical Bed.

Hill Rom Bariatric Beds, such as the Excel Care ES Bariatric Bed, the 1039/1048 Bariatric Bed, and the TriFlex II Bariatric Bed, are designed to provide advanced bariatric care that increases patient and practitioner safety and comfort. More than 1 in 3 adults and more than 1 in 6 children and adolescents are considered to be obese, according to a study by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2009-2010. It is also one of our fastest growing populations with an increase of 70% from 2000 to 2010.

What causes an infusion pump alarm to sound? It may be tricky to differentiate between an actual problem and blockage in the tubing. A pump can beep for various reasons. Most frequently the alarm will sound if the line is occluded, meaning it is pinched off or there is air backed up in the cassette. The two most common infusion alarms you’ll find are Occluded – Patient Side, and Air-in-Line. Here are a few causes of alarm beeping, and a few tips to help reduce it.

Crash Carts can be found in almost every medical treatment facility throughout the world. Though the exact contents of a crash cart may vary from facility to facility, they typically include emergency medication, medical supplies, and equipment designed to treat a patient that is in or near cardiac arrest. They are typically organized around Advanced Life Support (ALS) or Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) protocols.

Everyone knows that it's important to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables but a recent study has revealed a new reason. The study found that young adults who ate seven to nine servings of fruits and vegetables daily were significantly less likely to have calcified coronary artery plaque two decades later than those who consumed less fruits and vegetables. According to lead author Dr. Michael D. Miedema, this is the first research to suggest that the consumption of fruits and vegetables early in life could affect heart health much later in life.

Nemours Children’s Hospital in Orlando, Florida is using their simulation center to provide help to parents with children that require special clinical care. The attention required by children born with irregularities is foreign to many parents and they need coaching and training on how to deal with these situations safely. The training facility is using its simulation center's manikins and equipment to properly train parents how to inject medications, how to care for children with tracheostomy tubes, and how to properly treat a child who has seizure episodes.