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NEWS:
Kentucky ICU Nurse Balanced Care for COVID Patients with Steps to Protect her Daughter with Rare Liver Disease
Kentucky ICU nurse Emily Ventura was on the front lines in treating patients with COVID-19, working long and stress-filled hours and supporting colleagues as they worked to manage the pandemic. Unlike many of her colleagues, though, she confronted another set of risks and challenges caused by COVID when her shift was over. Emily’s eight-year-old daughter Cedar lives with progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis (PFIC), a rare, genetic liver disease. The life-threatening condition, for which she has received liver transplant, leaves Cedar severely immunocompromised. Consequently, Emily takes extra precautions to protect her daughter from infection.
In patients with PFIC, a genetic defect impairs the ability of the liver to excrete bile acids. As a result, these acids accumulate in the liver and blood stream, causing liver damage that worsens over time and can lead to cirrhosis or l
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COVID-19: Supporting Skilled Nursing Facilities
When the COVID-19 pandemic overwhelmed nursing homes across the nation, Cedars-Sinai nurse practitioner Alexandra Eskin, MSN, worried about the staff members she sees every day at eight skilled nursing facilities near the medical center.
"They were hit pretty hard with COVID-19," said Eskin, who helps manage the care of patients discharged from Cedars-Sinai to partner facilities. "They didn't have all the personal protective equipment (PPE) they needed, and I wanted to help."
With the aid of her husband, Eugene Eskin, Alexandra bought a 3D printer and began making face shields that nursing home staff could wear as eye protection. These clear plastic screens, secured to the forehead with a crownlike headband, protect the eyes from droplets or splashes that could carry the novel coronavirus during close contact with patients.
Eugene, a financial executive and hobbyist, figured out on
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Studies Link Vestibular/Balance Disorders and Dizziness to Hearing Ability and Falls in Older Americans
The American Academy of Audiology has partnered with the Vestibular Disorders Association for Balance Awareness Week, September 13 to 19, to remind Americans about the importance of good hearing health in preventing falls as well as other conditions. Vestibular/balance disorders, including vertigo and dizziness, often associated with hearing loss, cause a number of conditions including depression, anxiety, panic disorders, fainting or light-headedness, nausea and imbalance.
Falls are the leading cause of injury and death in older adults. While there are many reasons why older adults are at risk of falling including medications, vision loss, diabetes, heart disease and confusion; hearing loss also is associated with a higher risk for falling. “We know that there’s a direct link between hearing loss and falls,” said Catherine Palmer, Ph.D., president of the American Academy of Audiology;
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The American Academy Of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology And National Association Of School Nurses Release Guidance On School Attendance, Asthma And Covid-19
The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) and National Association of School Nurses (NASN) have released School Attendance, Asthma and COVID-19, a document that contains considerations for school nurses as schools begin to re-open amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
While certain evaluation procedures and treatment recommendations for students with asthma are no longer consistent due to the COVID-19 pandemic and a lack of objective data to guide recommendations, this new document aims to summarize overall recommendations that may be updated as more data surrounding COVID-19 becomes available.
The document addresses considerations when it comes to personal protective equipment (PPE), daily controller medications, and treatment for asthma prior to physical activity. It also touches on asthma action plans and guidance regarding distinguishing symptoms of COVID-19 from asthma. A
