Author: SupremeCmdr

Poisoning Deaths Involving Opioid Analgesics — New York State, 2003–2012

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Comparison of opioid analgesic-related mortality between those enrolled or not enrolled in Medicaid shows considerably higher death rates and a more rapid increase in mortality among Medicaid enrollees. The consistently higher age-adjusted death rates for poisonings involving opioid analgesics among Medicaid enrollees (after stratifying data by sex) suggest that differences in age and sex distributions do not underlie these Medicaid/non-Medicaid differences. Other factors, such as the greater prevalence of mental illness and substance abuse in the Medicaid population (6), might contribute to the observed differences.

via Poisoning Deaths Involving Opioid Analgesics — New York State, 2003–2012.

Maybe the title should be Socioeconomic Status and Death.

Lawyers Smell Blood in EMR – Computerworld

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One recent lawsuit involved a patient who suffered permanent kidney damage when he was given an antibiotic to treat what was thought to be an infection resulting in elevated creatinine levels. The patient was also suffering a uric kidney stone, which precludes the use of the antibiotic. Because of the complexity of the EHR, none of the attending physicians noticed the kidney stone.

Detracting from the EMR’s validity was the fact that a date related to a previous intravenous drip was repeated over and over on all 3,000 pages of the record.

While his physicians claimed they’d documented his care properly, the EMR was so complex and filled with repetitive data, the judge found it in inadmissible. “When an electronic medical record is printed out, the amount of repetitive data in it is ridiculous,” Klein said. “Attorneys are having conferences on how to attack EMRs.

“All these cases were from top vendors. We’re talking about well-established ones used at Kaiser [Permanente], at the VA… and academic institutions,” Klein continued. “These are not rare cases. These are common things.”

“We’ve seen 92-year-old women getting diagnosed as crack addicts because of drop down menus.”

via Lawyers smell blood in electronic medical records | Computerworld.

In my daily work I see more f**k ups in electronic medical records than I’ve seen my entire career.  Et tu?

American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR): CRU: Report: Obesity and 3 Daily Alcoholic Drinks Increase Liver Cancer Risk

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The report also reaffirms the clear link between alcohol consumption and liver cancer, and for the first time quantifies the amount at which risk for liver cancer rises. “We now have a little more precision on the alcohol-liver cancer link,” said Hursting. “Getting above three drinks a day seems to dramatically impact the tumorigenic process and increase risk.”

via American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR): CRU: Report: Obesity and 3 Daily Alcoholic Drinks Increase Liver Cancer Risk.

More coffee!  Less beer!