The Determination Of The Medical Diagnosis

The description of medical diagnosis, refers to the process of making the diagnosis, of which the possible disease or disorder is discerned. The history of the medical diagnosis goes back to the earliest days of Hippocrates in Greece. There have been many changes in the medical profession, but the theories that were set down in the early 20th century, still remain today.

If a person detects something that is not known to be normal and expresses a complaint, then it is time to consider what the problem could be. Just the fact that a person goes to a physician itself can be an indication that there needs to be a diagnostic procedure done to determine the problem.
There are different aspects of making a medical diagnosis. One of the most important is the clinical diagnosis. This is made by checking the medical signs and the symptoms reported by the patient, instead of by the use of diagnostic testing.

Laboratory diagnosis are made by the use of significant laboratory testing. An example of this is when an infectious disease will show characteristics of the pathogen involved and is used in combination with the signs and symptoms gathered from the physical examination. The drawing of blood or blood cultures can show the physician which pathogens to treat.

There are also times when medical imaging studies can help with the diagnostic process. Such diagnosis as a fracture, is a common diagnosis that can be made in this manner. X-rays have been used since 1895 and were the first attempt that was made to give images of the interior of the body. There are times when all these are combined to help make the diagnosis needed. The process of identifying all of the possible diagnosis that could be made by the lab and radiologic findings in combination with the signs and symptoms, can help make that final diagnosis.

Years ago, the physicians did not have the information they have today and more people died because of it. It was not uncommon for women to die in childbirth and today it is something that does not happen frequently. The advancements made in the clinics and hospitals of today have saved many a life.

Many clinics today have the ability to do simple x-rays and laboratory testing, which helps the physician make a faster diagnosis and are cheaper for the patient. The hospitals of today are equipped with the best of equipment in order to help with the care and diagnosis of the inpatients. The medical supply companies provide the clinics and hospitals with the best of supplies and equipment needed for this care.

With all the new technology, the future for the medical profession is going to be interesting. A few of the hospitals are already using robodoc's, which roll around checking on the patients. These are on wheels and have a computer screen, which allows the physician and the patient to communicate even if the physician is out of town. Let your imagination go wild and just think, within the next 10 years the changes in the making of the medical diagnosis that might be seen.

Potential Risks With An Implanted Venous Access Port And Huber Needle

The implanted venous access port device is a drug delivery system for the delivery of fluids, drugs, or for the drawing of blood samples. The device has the capability to be accessed repeatedly with a Huber needle. The venous port consists of an implantable stainless steel port, with a septum that is self-sealing.

The major risk with the implanted port is infection, a bacterial infection can cause the port to have to be removed and can jeopardize the health of the patient. Aseptic technique should always be used when accessing, deaccessing, or dressing the site. Another complication can be the formation of a blood clot in the catheter. The blood clots can block the device. In order to prevent this problem, the catheter is flushed with saline or heparin as ordered by the health care provider or by the protocol of the facility.

The failure of the mechanical device is possible, although extremely unlikely. Usually what happens in this case, is the catheter that is attached to the device breaks away and if this happens, surgery will be necessary to remove the device and catheter. Normally the patient is not aware of this happening, but it is discovered because the port cannot be flushed or blood cannot be withdrawn.

An additional risk that can occur with the use of the device in children, is that as they grow, the device may move. A pneumothorax, which is an injury to the lung, can also occur with the insertion of the device.

Risk involving the Huber needle, starts with the possible needle stick injuries of the clinician because of the sharpness of the needle itself. It is common for there to be a rebound injury because of the unusual force that is needed to push the needle into the elastic septum. This is troublesome because these implanted access ports are often used for Hepatitis B and AIDS patients.

The Huber needles are designed to emphasize safe and effective needle stick protection. The needle has a safety cover that is to be used in order to help prevent needle sticks. The safety cover helps when removing the Huber needle with one hand, while using the other hand to apply pressure to the access site.

The policies and protocols for proper techniques while accessing and deaccessing the port site with a Huber needle, should be followed carefully. If these protocols are not followed, the chances of an infection or other complications rise dramatically. The dressing that is applied after accessing, should also be changed per facility protocol. Safety and following protocol is always the safest way to help prevent these risks from occurring.

Diabetes And The Insulin Pump

Diabetes is a disease of the metabolic system, in which the patient has high blood sugar. In some cases, the pancreas doesn't produce enough insulin and in other cases, the cells just don't respond to the insulin when it is produced. This high blood sugar can cause a multitude of problems. The classical symptoms of diabetes is frequent urination, hunger, and increase in thirst.

There are 2 different types of diabetes.

Type 1 occurs because the pancreas does not make enough insulin.

Type 2 occurs because the cells in the body do not use the insulin in the right way.

Gestational occurs when a woman is pregnant and develops diabetes, when she did not have it before her pregnancy. Treatment for diabetes can range from controlling diet, oral medications, insulin injections and insulin pumps. Gastric bypass surgery has been known to help with people who have diabetes because of severe obesity and the gestational diabetic, usually resolves after the birth of the baby.

The insulin pumps replace the need to have injections. The pump delivers rapid acting insulin throughout the day by the use of a catheter. When the pump is used, the insulin can be better matched to the lifestyle. When the insulin pumps were first used, they were used more by the patients that were Type 1 diabetics, but now are being used more by people with Type 2 diabetes. The pump does not work by itself, it must be programed. The pump has to be told to deliver the insulin after the blood sugar is checked.

One type of Insulin infusion pump set is the Paradigm , which is used with the MiniMed Paradigm pumps. The user-filled reservoir holds up to 3 ml of insulin and come 10/box. The insulin pump is a small computerized device, similar in size to a cell phone, which is worn on a belt or pocket. This pump allows for the continuous flow of a rapid acting insulin. The insulin enters the body through a catheter that is inserted under the skin of the abdomen and is then taped down. The average insulin pump costs approximately $6,000 and many of the insurance companies have very strict guidelines that have to be followed.

The insulin pump provides a slow release of insulin, similar to what a normal pancreas would do and the thought is that it provides better blood sugars than with a number of injections given throughout the day. Another advantage is that there is no measuring and administering of injections. The one thing that the pump does not help with is that you still have to check your blood sugars at least 4 times a day. The pump catheter set has to be changed every couple of days and you have to be faithful in counting the grams of carbohydrates that you eat. The more successful diabetics that uses an insulin pump are ones that have been giving themselves two shots or less a day. These people tend to have less trouble with their blood sugars. The most important thing with an insulin pump is that the diabetic that is using it has a good knowledge of the procedures they need to follow.

With the insulin pumps, it can take a period of time for adjustment. The possibility of the blood sugar going high if something happens with the insulin pump or catheter can be a problem. The use of the insulin pump depends on the counting of the carbohydrates that are consumed. If the carbohydrates are not being counted, then the pump may not give good control. There is also a potential for infection of the area where the catheter in placed. This is one of the main reasons that people stop using pumps.

Although it is true, that insulin pumps are not for everyone, the fact remains that the most important part of the pump is the diabetic that is using it. Training, counting of carbohydrates, and checking the blood sugar is a must. A lot of people feel that the pump makes their diabetes easier to live with and keeps their blood sugars closer to the normal range.

Managing Of Hospital Medical Supplies

Healthcare organizations work extremely hard to contain the cost of the medical supplies that are required for appropriate patient care. With the cost of these supplies constantly rising, the management of the supplies, become more and more important. New systems are constantly being implemented to help track the supplies that are used, but this is a very difficult thing to do in a hospital or clinic setting.

Hospital medical supplies cover an extremely wide array of articles. Just a few of the supplies are dressing change IV kits, IV care kits, IV tubing's, IV catheters, and gauze. The number of supplies that are tracked are endless. Medical staff have a long history of not being the greatest at charging for these supplies. They have patient care on their minds and the charging of supplies is not high on their priority list.

Each facility has its own system for tracking of supplies and most of the time it is the size of the facility that determines how complex this system is. Education of the staff is also highly important when it comes to the documentation of supplies used. One of the simplest of systems used to track the medical supplies is by the sticker system. This consists of a coded sticky tag on each article that is to be removed and placed on a patient's charge sheet when the item is used.

Over the years, there have been many systems tried in order to make sure these items where charged for. Many times these systems are not an improvement over what was being used. The cost of supplies that are not documented for charge are lost revenue for the hospital.

It is almost impossible to determine waste, reorder, and replenish supplies, if the supplies are not measured and charged for. There is now a new system that some facilities are trying in order to accomplish the control of supplies. A Radio Frequency Identification system, works by the placement of radio tags on the supplies. The system can then track the supplies where ever they go. This system has proven to work better to identify the article and the last user of the supply, which reduces the inventory loss.

This is just another system that is being tried in order to manage hospital medical supplies. The answer to the problems with the tracking of these supplies is not an easy one, especially when you have staff and patients both involved in the mix. The new health laws and money cuts, only add to this mixture and makes the management of medical supplies even more important.

For The Love Of Disposable Medical Supplies

The enforcement of infection prevention regulations and the increase in the volume of procedures that are done at hospitals and out-patient facilities, is increasing the demand for disposable medical supplies. Because of the increase in the global demand, the manufacturers are seeing an increase in the orders for these supplies and the average annual growth rate is constantly going up.

The increase that is being seen in the end-stage kidney failure patients, is causing a rise in the therapeutic treatment of dialysis. The disposable dialysis supplies has seen the fastest increases in global demand. Medication delivery is another area that is seeing a fast growth for disposable medical supplies.

A very well-known form of the disposable medical supplies is the gloves. Forty years ago, it was not uncommon to have only a box or two of gloves in a hospital. Gloves were only worn when the clean-up was extremely bad. Today, the staff at a hospital wear gloves when doing almost everything.

Different types of gloves are available, such as NitriSkin Plus Nitrile Sterile Surgical gloves. These gloves are available in an assortment of sizes and are latex and powder free. The NitriSkin Plus gloves are approved for use with Chemotherapy drugs. Because of the soft, highly elastic formulation of the gloves, they offer a great deal of tactile sensitivity.

Gloves Nitrile/Aloe vera gloves, sooth and moisturize hands. These are powder free and recommended for areas that involve a lot of wear and tear on gloves, such as the emergency room or trauma units. The Nitrile/Aloe vera gloves have greater resistance than the latex or vinyl gloves. This is just a couple of the types of gloves available for use. There are exam gloves, vinyl gloves, latex free exam gloves, and individually packaged sterile gloves for surgery and other procedures.

Disposable gloves are only one of the types of disposable medical supplies that are available. Syringes, needles, pillowcases, pillows, thermometer covers, sharp containers, and the list goes on and on. Always check the protocols at the facility, to know the appropriate manner to dispose of the these supplies. Safety is the most important thing to take into consideration. There are usually special waste bins designated for the disposal of medical supplies, that reduce the chance of someone getting hurt.

The Changing Of The Medication World With Prefilled Syringes

The medical field has certainly changed over the years and one of the most important areas that we have seen change, is with the dispensing of medications. Before 1980, prefilled syringes were never seen. Because of the changing of the medication systems all over the world, the prefilled syringes have certainly increased the accuracy in dosing and made it more convenient for the nurses and patients.

Not all medications are made available in prefilled syringes at this time, but some available ones are heparin flushes and normal saline flushes, which are used to flush infusion locks. Posiflush Heparin flushes are available in 3 or 5 ml 10 unit BD heparin lock flush syringes or 100 unit BD heparin lock flush syringes. These syringes are latex and preservative free. They are cost effective alternatives to the vial-based systems. The use of these prefilled syringes allow for better care practices with IV therapy. The Posiflush heparin flushes come 30/box.

Posiflush Sodium Chloride prefilled syringes are available in 3, 5, and 10 ml syringes. These are latex and preservative free and provide convenient, reliable, and cost effective alternatives to the vial based system. These are available 30/box.

These prefilled syringes are not for multiple use. They are for one time use only and then are to be disposed of. The normal prefilled syringe contains the medicine in the syringe section with a plastic cap that covers the needle to prevent contamination and accidental needle sticks. It is very important to follow the protocols of the facility for the use and disposal of these syringes.

The market for the increase in the use of prefilled syringes is growing. The fact that these syringes are disposable and cannot be re-used, has definitely stimulated an interest in increasing the sale of more medications that are prefilled. With the healthy growth of interest in recent years, the pharmaceutical companies are beginning to distribute more and more medications that are in prefilled syringes. More categories, such as vaccines, erythroproteins, interferons, rheumatoid arthritis medications, and blood stimulants are increasingly leaning toward the prefilled syringes, with security being the main reason.

Prefilled syringes provide more patient safety because it helps to prevent needle sticks and also provides less chance of contamination, which usually occurred when medications were being drawn up from vials. The prefilled syringes also help to prevent dosing errors and increase the patient compliance because of the convenience and ease of use. The healthcare reform, with the cost containment and the changing of medical practices, are helping to drive the need for the increase of medications in prefilled syringes.

The Use Of Huber Needles

There are circumstances that arise when patients need to have a venous access available for such procedures as medications, blood products, drawing of blood, and total parenteral nutrition. Such illnesses as cancer, kidney disease, leukemia or problems that would require more than 6 weeks of venous access, may require the insertion of an implanted device. The venous access ports are surgically implanted in the chest and are accessed through the chest wall with a Huber needle.

The Huber needles are available in a variety of sizes to accommodate different patients. These Huber infusion sets are available from 19g x 3/4" size to 22g x 1" size. The needle set is latex free, so will not be a concern if a patient is admitted with a latex allergy. The fact they have a new needle hub and a wing design, offers greater security and accuracy when accessing the venous port site with the Huber needle. The set has an 11" micro bore tubing with a Y site, for when the patient is connected to infusions. This makes it more convenient for the patient and the nurses. These Huber needles come 25/box.

Always follow the protocol of the facility when using the implanted central port. Aseptic technique should always be used when caring for or accessing the venous port. The port should only be accessed by a registered nurse or physician. A Huber needle can be left in place for as long as 7 days after insertion, if there are no complications.

Prior to accessing the port with the Huber needle, always wash your hands with antibacterial soap and put on sterile medical gloves. Palpate the patient's chest in order to locate the needle port. Usually you can easily feel the port under the skin. Approximately the size of a quarter, the port will feel firm around the edges with a soft spongy center. After locating the port, follow the protocol of the facility, prepare a clean work area, prepare the Huber needle, clean the port site, insert the Huber needle and secure and cover the needle and site. Always document the gauge and length of the Huber needle used for access in the medical record.

One of the biggest benefits is that the implanted venous port allows for long term access and has the lowest incidence of blood borne infections. Although the port may have been inserted for the patient to receive chemotherapy, it can also be used for other things, such as antibiotics or blood. After use of the port is completed, remove the Huber needle per protocol. Again, always use sterile technique, flush the port per protocol, before you remove the needle.

The complications of the implanted port can include infiltration, skin breakdown, infection, occlusions, thrombus formation or catheter fracture. After assessing the port site, notify the physician and do not access the port if the site is red, tender, swelled or warm to touch.

The Huber needle is the only needle that is used to access the implanted venous port. Always check the site per facility protocol as long as the site is accessed with the Huber needle. Always use sterile technique when accessing or discontinuing a Huber needle, this cannot be stressed enough. The central venous implanted port allows the patient more freedom with daily life and is easy to maintain for hospital or home therapy.

The Reason for Disposable Medical Supplies-Preventing Infections.

According to the CDC and NNIS, the incidence of nosocomial--or hospital acquired infections has surpassed 2 million per year. More than 165 thousand people per month are afflicted by an infection which they obtained after they entered the hospital. About three people per every thousand who enter the hospital get some kind of an infection after they get there. With so much at risk and so much to be gained, hospital infection control teams are working night and day to prevent the incidence of infection inside the health care facility.

As the health care and infection control teams begin to intensify their fight against this kind of infection they are turning more and more to disposable medical products to try to ensure the health and safety of the patients who are in the hospital. Health facility associated infections are a very serious issue for patients. Some can even cost the overall health and the lives of the patients. Physicians and other health care providers are looking for ways to stop the spread of infection and the number one method that comes to mind is the use of disposable medical supplies.

Even for all the infection that we do see in the hospital, the incidences of the nosocomial infection have lowered dramatically over the years. Before disposable medical supplies were available in a widespread way the healthcare providers of yesterday depended on the autoclave to create sterile equipment that was necessary to serve the hospital. The autoclave uses very high heat and high pressure to kill the germs on the equipment. Typically it is very effective, but there were many cases when it was not perfect. Things were missed and problems took place in hospital rooms and in surgeries.

The incidence of infection during the use of the autoclave to keep the hospital or nursing home equipment clean was quite high although the sterilization process was a vast benefit over the original soaking or washing in simple soap and water that preceeded it.

Since the onset of disposable medical supplies the incidence of hospital or healthcare facility infections have dramatically dropped and will continue to do so as long as they are correctly used and implemented in every health care facility. Disposable medical supplies are intended to be used once and then to be thrown away so that no one is exposed to pathogens from another party while using hospital medical supplies. From tourniquets to catheters to iv bags and tubing, these disposable medical supplies prevent infection and save lives. Avoid the risk of cross contamination and infection by using disposable medical supplies from a reputable medical supply company.

Disposable Medical Supplies

In the beginning of the hospital and healthcare world, not a lot was known about cleanliness and why hospital materials should be sterile. The need for sterility hadn't really been established yet and the means of spreading disease wasn't well known. Once it was an established fact that bacteria and viral infections caused disease and infection, new methods for removing or killing the bacteria were experimented with.

Different solutions that ingredients like carbolic acid entered into the mixture. In British hospitals, Joseph Lister began to experiment with different chemicals that would help to kill the bacteria and lower the chance of infection. His research was not well received by medical practitioners. Some physicians and hospitals began to follow the examples that Lister set but most did not believe that bacteria caused the infection and once they did believe, they were not believers of the fact that some types of solutions could kill those bacteria and alleviate the sickness and death that came from infection.

Over time as the idea of infections became more accepted, health care providers and professionals began to use antiseptics and to create conditions by which the instruments in the hospital were kept cleaner. Enter the autoclave. The autoclave was a means by which the instruments in the hospital were cleaned and made sterile.

Today we accept that bacteria can create conditions by which infections can take place.Each time those materials were used they were sterilized in the autoclave, a device that is much like a modern day pressure cooker. It builds up pressure and temperature to kill bacteria, but it was not foolproof. Some kinds of disease processes were not prevented. Prions, which cause Mad Cow Disease, were often not killed. Some bacteria remained because the kind of instrument was not able to be autoclaved due to the fact that some of those instruments could also melt.

The answer was that instruments should be created and delivered in a sterile environment, completely free from any kind of bacteria that might infect an already ill patient. Enter the single use sterile materials which were pre-packaged. These disposable medical supplies were far more healthy and a far better surety against any kind of bacterial infection. They are single use materials which, having been used one time are then discarded.

Today, thankfully there is no need for a second use and no need to try to remove bacteria or fungi from the items. The disposable medical supplies which are largely in use today are one of the best and most positive things to come along in many years. They provide for the better health of the patient and also protect the health care practitioner since many injuries took place in the past as health care providers attempted to clean and sterlize the instruments that they used.

Necessary Pharmacy Supplies for Daily Use

Pharmacies can be located in retail environments, medical facilities or even have their main storefront on the internet. But no matter where they operate out of, they will need to have quality pharmacy supplies.

Typically, the pharmacy will be staffed with trained individuals who are able to ensure that local and federal laws and regulations are being met. While the main focus of the pharmacy will be to distribute medications that a physician has written a prescription for, they may be asked to provide patients with additional items for their healthcare needs.

One example is the compounding pharmacy. The pharmacist in these facilities will blend together medications based on the specific orders of a doctor and ensure that they are producing the highest quality medications possible. The compound medication will be delivered typically in a crème or liquid form, based on the best treatment option for the ailment they are being designed for.

This will mean that the pharmacysupplies for this medical facility will include a dispenser for the medications, the crème or liquid that the medication will be compounded into. Weights and scales to ensure the right amount of medications is being distributed will also be important. In a more traditional setting, the needs of the pharmaceutical staff will likely be different. In these cases, things like pill counters, drug security products, medication labeling and even serum vials will all be necessary to have in place. With these items, they can ensure that they are distributing medications in the safest manner possible.

Of course, some medications are extremely volatile to temperatures. It is because of this that there may be a need to have a storage unit that will provide temperature control. Similar to a refrigerator, these units are designed to ensure that a constant set temperature is maintained for certain medications, while reducing the risk of contamination.

It will be important that with all the different pharmacy supplies that the staff be trained to ensure that they are using them accordingly. While things like pill counters can make the process of sorting pills easier, they still need to be checked and verified to ensure that the dose being issued to patients is correct. After all, their lives may depend on the right amount of dosing being used.

Finally, all pharmacies should have security and cameras in place to ensure that their products remain safe. This brings up the last set of pharmacy supplies that should be used. Since there are medications that can be abused or tampered with, pharmacists should ensure that locks and other security devices are in place to reduce the risks to patients, while protecting the costly investments that some of the prescription pills have associated with them.

Dial A Flo

In some instances Dial A Flo will help the nursing staff to be able to assure that the right flow rate is being achieved. What Dial A Flo is, is a dial that allows the nurse to adjust the rate of flow to anything between 5 ml to 250 ml an hour.

Using Dial-A-Flo means that you're going to need a hep lock and a saline syringe in readiness in order to use the equipment. You'll have a preprepped heparin syringe and will be ready to connect your iv tube to the dial a flo mechanism. In order to make the connection, take the dial A flo tube and connect it to the clear cap that you'll find on the end of your iv tube. Take off the clear cap and then attach the dial a flo. The flow on your set should be set to off. Take the bag and take off the tab that is white in color. You'll want to remove the cover of the spike, making sure that at no time do you come in contact with the iv.

Insert the spike into the port of the bag by pushing and twisting slightly. Attach the entire item to the pole. Once you've done so, slightly squeeze the drip area chamber and let go until you reach the line (the fluid line) and once you have switch the Dial a flo into the open position so that your tube can start to fill. When it gets to the end of the fill set it to the off position again. You can now take the clear cap away from the IV tubing. You'll want to touch just the wings of the cannula and connect it with a slight twist.

The use of the Dial A Flo can be more than helpful in regulating the right medication in the right amount, but do be sure that you've done everything correctly and that no contamination of the dial a flow has taken place.

When you reach this point, you'll simply be following the directions of the medication which requires administration. Ensuring that everyone who will come into contact with the Dial A Flo is properly instructed in the use and mechanics of it is imperative in order to ensure the safety of your patient.