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JAMA: Use of anesthesia services for GI endoscopies increased substantially
A study in JAMA found that use of anesthesia services for gastrointestinal endoscopies and colonoscopies “increased substantially” between 2003 and 2009. Anesthesia use was...
A new surgical intervention for reflux treatment
Learn about LINX, a surgical procedure for treating chronic gastroesophageal reflux disease.
A swift, decisive response to GI bleeding
Coffee-ground emesis tips off caregivers to acute upper GI bleeding.
Avoiding complications from an acute GI bleed
When a patient begins to vomit bright red blood, a nurse relies on his knowledge of Mallory-Weiss tears-and the adroit interventions of the rapid response team.
Buying time for patients with acute liver failure
Managing the complications of acute failure, so your patient's liver has time to regenerate.
Celiac disease linked to increased risk for CAD
People with celiac disease may have a nearly twofold increased risk of coronary artery disease compared with the general population, according to research to...
Drugs Today – July 2008
An update of drug news, including alerts, approvals, and removals.
Drugs Today – June 2008
An update of drug news, including alerts, approvals, and removals.
Drugs Today – September 2008
Web Exclusive! An update of drug news, including alerts, approvals, and removals at www.AmericanNurseToday.com/journal.
Evidence-based interventions for constipation in patients with cancer
Editor’s note: One of a series of articles on managing cancer-related symptoms from the Oncology Nursing Society.
Constipation is a common but often unrecognized and...
FDA approves first anti-diarrheal drug for HIV/AIDS patients
On Dec. 31, 2012, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Fulyzaq (crofelemer) to relieve symptoms of diarrhea in HIV/AIDS patients taking antiretroviral...
FDA approves first generic capecitabine to treat breast and colorectal cancers
On Sept. 16, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first generic version of Xeloda (capecitabine), used to treat metastatic breast and...
FDA approves new drug for irritable bowel syndrome and constipation
On Aug. 30, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Linzess (linaclotide) to treat chronic idiopathic constipation and to treat irritable bowel syndrome...
FDA approves Simponi for ulcerative colitis
May 15, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a new use for Simponi (golimumab) injection: to treat adults with moderate to severe...
Fecal microbiota transplantation: Breaking the chain of recurrent C. difficile infection
The author describes an innovative technique that is helping patients with C. difficile infection, including patient selection; care before, during, and after the procedure; and patient education.
Fidaxomicin reduces C. diff recurrence
Compared to vancomycin, patients treated with fidaxomicin for Clostridium difficile infection were significantly less likely to have a recurrence. Read more here.
Fine-tuning your feeding-tube insertion skills
Even if you're accustomed to inserting feeding tubes, the procedure can cause complications. The authors provide safety guidelines to help you make feeding-tube insertion safer.
From our readers…Value all your skills
Anyone who’s been a nurse for more than 10 years will agree with me: you can make big leaps from specialty to specialty and...
Getting a grip on GERD
Most patients manage the heartburn, nausea, and belching of gastroesophegeal reflux disease with lifestyle changes and medications. But some may experience a dangerous symptom cluster that warns of more serious problems.
Give patients more than lip service: Manage oral mucositis with evidence-based interventions
The most widely recognized side effects of cancer treatment are hair loss and nausea, but 40% of patients also experience oral mucositis (Beck, 2004),...
Handling with care: The bariatric patient
Technological advances, special equipment, and screening algorithms help healthcare facilities and nurses meet the needs of bariatric patients while reducing worker injury.
Letters to the Editor – January 2009
Why not a bachelor’s degree in 10?
I agree that advanced education for RNs should be mandated, as described in “BSN in Ten” in the...
Managing dysphagia in elderly patients
Multiple factors make the elderly susceptible to dysphagia. The author reviews
multidisciplinary management approaches and offers a checklist of simple nursing actions to promote assessment and management.
MARS®: The new frontier in treating acute liver failure
A type of dialysis, MARS removes toxins and replaces
lost liver functions.
Metabolic syndrome increases risk of cognitive decline
According to a French study (published by Neurology) of more than 7,000 people in three cities, those with metabolic syndrome had a higher risk...
NEJM: Perspective on foodborne diseases
The Feb. 23 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) includes a perspective on foodborne disease. Read it at http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp1010907.
New boxed warning for propylthiouracil
On April 21, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced the addition of a boxed warning to the label for propylthiouracil. The warning includes...
New colorectal screening guidelines
Screening for colorectal cancer is still underused, especially by low-income people, the uninsured, Asians and Hispanics, foreign-born people, and those with limited English-language skills...
Ogilvie’s syndrome: No ordinary constipation
A patient complains of bloating, abdominal tenderness, and constipation. Nothing unusual? Maybe. But if you're too quick to dismiss these symptoms, you could be overlooking a serious condition called Ogilvie's syndrome.
Patient’s voiding diary
You can view this patient voiding diary pdf by clicking the download now button.
Placebos without deception effective for IBS
An open-label study of 80 patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) found that those who knew they were receiving a placebo still experienced improvements,...
Polypectomy lowers colorectal cancer mortality
A study in the New England Journal of Medicine reports that mortality from colorectal cancer was about 50% lower among patients who had adenomatous...
Primary adrenal insufficiency: Elusive and potentially life-threatening
Often difficult to detect, primary insufficiency can flare into a life-threatening crisis. Learn how to identify the signs and symptoms of both chronic and acute insufficiency.
Putting a stop to postop nausea and vomiting
GI distress after surgery is a scary prospect for patients, and an all-too-common reality. But it isn’t inevitable. Learn how to minimize your patients’ risk and relieve their symptoms.
Questioning common nursing practices: What does the evidence show?
To improve patient outcomes, nurses need to challenge practice traditions.
Stopping bowel ischemia
Recognize and reverse this medical emergency.
Study finds radiofrequency ablation effective for Barrett’s esophagus
Radiofrequency ablation for Barrett’s esophagus with dysplasia has an acceptable safety profile and is associated with a low rate of disease progression, for up...
Study: Dementia increases risk of incontinence
A UK study in PLOS Medicine found that people with dementia have about three times the rate of urinary incontinence and more than four...
Study: Disinfection team and standardized cleaning process help reduce CDI
A study in Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology found that a dedicated daily disinfection team, coupled with a standard cleaning process that includes requiring...
Study: Donor feces more effective than vancomycin in treatment of recurrent C. difficile
A study in The New England Journal of Medicine found that infusing a solution of donor feces through a nasoduodenal tube was “significantly more...
Study: Fecal microbiota transplant effective in immunocompromised patients
Fecal microbiota transplant (FMT) for the treatment of Clostridium difficile infection in immunocompromised patients is safe and effective, according to a study in the...
Study: Health care organizations reduce SSIs by nearly half with Joint Commission project
A 2.5-year project under the direction of the Joint Commission Center for Transforming Healthcare in collaboration with the American College of Surgeons reduced surgical...
Study: Regular colonoscopy screening could prevent 40% of colorectal cancers
Regular colonoscopy screening could prevent 40% of colorectal cancers, according to a study in the New England Medical Journal that followed 88,902 participants from...
Study: Smoking increases risk of complications after colorectal surgery
A study published in the Annals of Surgery has found that smoking increases the risk of complications after major colorectal surgery; current smokers were...
Take Note – August 2008
Web exclusive! A monthly round-up of clinical and practice news and alerts at www.AmericanNurseToday.com
Take Note – December 2007
Previous pneumonia vaccination reduces ICU admissions
Among adults hospitalized for pneumonia, those who’ve been vaccinated against the disease are less likely than unvaccinated patients to...
Take Note – December 2008
Web exclusive! A monthly round-up of clinical and practice news and alerts.
Take Note – November 2008
A monthly round-up of clinical and practice news and alerts.
The dangers of postop abdominal distention
The rapid response team scrambles to save this patient.
The genetics of colorectal cancer
A 52-year-old patient arrives at the busy family practice office where you work for his follow-up visit. He had not undergone colon cancer screening,...
Unraveling the enigma of irritable bowel syndrome
Common, complex, and chronic, IBS can markedly decrease the quality of life and work productivity. But by using an integrated approach, you can help patients manage their symptoms.
USPSTF recommends hepatitis B screening for high-risk people
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has released “Screening for hepatitis B virus infection in nonpregnant adolescents and adults,” which recommends screening in...
Virtual colonoscopy: A noninvasive look at the colon
Colonoscopy minus the colonoscope; accuracy without invasiveness. These are just a few of the benefits of virtual colonoscopy.
Voluntary recall of metronidazole
Sagent Pharmaceuticals, Inc., has issued a voluntary recall of metronidazole injection, USP 500 mg/100 mL because of nonsterility found in two lots of the...
What is burning mouth syndrome?
You’ve probably have heard of PMS, but what about BMS? Burning Mouth Syndrome (BMS) is a little-known condition that affects some 1.3 million Americans....
WHO releases new hepatitis C guidelines
The World Health Organization (WHO) has released “Guidelines for the screening, care and treatment of persons with hepatitis C infection.” Access the guidelines.
Women have better outcomes than men after major GI surgery
Women who undergo major gastrointestinal (GI) surgery are less likely to die in the hospital than men according to a retrospective analysis of 307,124...
Most Recent Content
For Nurse Practitioners
Do Vitamins, Plants Help Uterine Fibroid Risk or Treatment?
A research team out of Poland recently undertook a comprehensive examination of published data to determine the role that vitamins and diet might play...