BACKGROUND Reducing rates of rehospitalization has attracted attention from policymakers as a way to improve quality of care and reduce costs. However, we have limited information on the frequency and patterns of rehospitalization in the United States to aid in planning the necessary changes. METHODS We analyzed Medicare claims data from 2003-2004 to describe the patterns of rehospitalization...

BACKGROUND A survey was conducted of 26 physician offices and the County Health Department to determine the quality of vaccine storage. METHODS All refrigerators were examined for secure electrical supply, firmly shut door, storage of inappropriate items, and expired vaccines. A maximum-minimum thermometer was then placed in the middle of the storage area for 24 hours, and temperatures were r...

Skin plays a vital role in immune defense which maintain homeostasis with commensals and quickly detect resist pathogen invasion. Antiviral immunity is dysregulated among broad spectrum of skin conditions. The 2’-5’-oligoadenylate synthetase (OAS) protein family comprises OAS1, OAS2, OAS3, OASL, can be induced by interferons (IFNs) exert antiviral activity. Recent studies also highlight IL-27 i...

Most physicians believe that to provide the best possible care to their patients, they must commit to continuous learning. For the most part, it appears the learning activities currently available to physicians do not provide opportunities for meaningful continuous learning. At the same time there have been increasing concerns about the quality of health care, and a variety of groups within org...

PURPOSE Rituximab may overcome bcl-2-mediated chemoresistance through the inhibition of interleukin-10 (IL-10)-mediated loops, thus down-regulating bcl-2 expression. We examined the effects of genetic variation in BCL2/IL10 gene loops on treatment outcomes of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma when treated with either CHOP or rituximab plus CHOP (R-CHOP) chemotherapy. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN Four geno...

A multiplex polymerase chain reaction was developed to simultaneously identify Listeria monocytogenes and species of the genus Listeria. Two sets of primers were used, with the first amplifying a 938-bp region of the 16S rRNA gene that is highly conserved in all Listeria species and the second amplifying a 174-bp region of the listeriolysin (hlyA) gene of L. monocytogenes. Thus, isolates of Lis...

KEY FINDINGS Data from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, 2012 •Physician office visit rates for well care were lower for school-aged (those aged 6-11 years) children (31 per 100 population) and adolescents aged 12-17 years (29 per 100 population) than for younger children (349 and 74 per 100 population for children under age 1 year and 1-5 years, respectively). •Visit rates for well ...

The second step is information. It should be clear, simple and repetitive, keeping in mind that we only hear what interests us. Therefore, it is important to repeat and repeat, with different approaches, again and again. A well informed patient is better equipped to assume the treatment. The information is completely our responsibility; it should be verbal, written and visual1-3. It should be n...

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