HAND HYGIENE!

It is EXTREMELY important that you all practice perfect hand hygiene. Studies have shown that over 100,000 people die every year from infections they acquired while in the hospital.The NUMBER ONE thing we can do to prevent infection is very simple—wash our hands!

NYP requires that everyone who has patient contact MUST wash their hands before and after patient contact. This includes volunteers! Hand washing stations are located around your workspace. In addition, Purell containers are also throughout the hospital. This alcohol based gel works extremely well in killing germs and only takes a few seconds to do. Washing hands is not an option—we ALL have to do this for our patients’ safety.

Please Purell before and after entering a patient's room, even if you are just stopping in! There are undercover monitors on the floor checking up on each of you and I have already had reports of certain volunteers not Purelling. Do not let this be you!

Milkshakes

FYI - Milkshakes are suspended for the moment. Ralph, the milkshake man is taking a break from his program. Although we have found a new volunteer to take over his duties, it will be a few weeks until she is cleared to start. I will keep you posted, but for the time being please do not make promises of milkshakes that you can't keep!

For Top Medical Students, an Attractive Field

For all you pre-meds out there...

For Top Medical Students, an Attractive Field

The New York Times
By NATASHA SINGER
Published: March 19, 2008

Getting into med school is difficult as it is, but depending on what you would like to be when you "grow up," your residency match can be even more challenging. The term "ROAD to success" is something I have heard before. ROAD is an acronym for the medical specialties that have the highest salaries and the easiest schedules. It stands for Radiology, Ophthalmology, Anesthesiology, and Dermatology. These fields are attractive because the nature of the work means few emergencies and therefore a more dependable work schedule. This also makes them much more competitive.

CancerCare: Glioblastoma

Glioblastoma is cancer of the brain. This cancer rarely spreads from the brain to other areas of the body. Glioblastoma is classified as "high grade" because it is "fast-growing" and one of the most aggressive types of cancer.

Headaches and seizures are common symptoms of glioblastoma, as well as problems concentrating due to pressure buildup in the brain. The location of the tumor plays an important role in the symptoms that a patient experiences. For example, if the tumor is near the occipital lobe, the patient may have problems with their vision.

Surgery is a common treatment for glioblastoma. A surgeon may decide to perform a craniotomy, which is the opening of the skull to see and remove the tumor. A physician may also decide to use stereotaxis to perform a biopsy. This is the use of a scanning device to more accurately localize where the small hole in the skull will be made. A needle will be passed through the hole to the tumor and then the sample is taken to pathology for tests.

A shunt may be placed if the tumor blocks cerebrospinal fluid (the fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord). Glioblastoma can cause an excess of this cerebrospinal fluid in the ventricles, and the shunt is placed to drain it and thereby relieve excess pressure.

Besides surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, palliative care, and clinical trials are available for treatment.

Patient Safety Fridays: SBAR

When you see nurses reporting to each other when they change shifts, they must be sure to communicate effectively with one another to reduce the chance of medical errors and protect the safety of patients.

• Effective communication is tied to the National Patient Safety Goal to "Improve the effectiveness of communication among caregivers."

• An effective communication method at NYP is SBAR:

o Situation – Describe what is going on with the patient.
o Background – Describe the clinical background of the patient.
o Assessment – Describes the findings.
o Recommendation – Describe the actions needed to correct a problem.

SBAR is a clinical tool, but take a moment to think about how you can use SBAR as a volunteer when describing your interaction with a patient and documenting your visit in the binder.

What was going on with the patient when you visited them? How did they feel? What was their mood? What did you learn about their background? Was there any problem? How did you address it? Any recommendations to other volunteers?

PET Scans and Cancer

Positron Emission Tomography (PET) can help physicians effectively pinpoint the source of cancer. This is possible because many cancer cells are highly metabolic and therefore synthesize the radioactive glucose (sugar) that is injected in the patient prior to the exam. The areas of high glucose uptake are dramatically displayed in the scan imagery, as opposed to the anatomical imagery of CT or MRI, which cannot detect active, viable tumors.

A PET scan can be used in early diagnosis, assisting physicians in determining the best method for treatment. A whole body PET scan may detect whether cancer is isolated to one specific area or has spread to other organs before a treatment path is determined.*

*Copyright © 2008 Siemens Inc. petscaninfo.com