May 2012

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, individuals 65 years and older make up nearly 25 percent of adult emergency room visits. Hospitals are creating geriatric centered emergency departments nicknamed geri-eds. Dr. Mark Rosenberg, the chief of geriatric emergency medicine at St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center in Patterson, NJ has assisted many efforts to build geriatric emergency departments, from hospital systems to emergency medicine management groups.

"I predict that hundreds of EDs will move in this direction over the next several years," Rosenberg said. What makes a geri-ed different from a typical emergency room? Click ahead for more.

Almost 40 years ago the American College of Surgeons developed the first list of standardized medical supplies and equipment for ambulances. In 1988 the American College of Emergency Physicians published a similar list of necessary emergency medical equipment. The two organizations collaborated on a joint document in the year 2000 and again in 2005, with revisions from the department of Homeland Security and the approval of the National Association of EMS Physicians. The current standard list of emergency medical products includes emergency medical supplies that should be stocked on ambulances to provide patient care. Equipment requirements vary due to many factors, but the list represents the consensus of recommendations for first aid and emergency medical equipment and supplies that will facilitate patient care in the out-of-hospital setting.

What's on the list? The list is so large and detailed that including it all in one blog post would do it a disservice. But if you're curious, here's a brief summary of medical equipment required for ambulances.

According to the CDC: "The average restaurant meal today is more than four times larger than in the 1950s."

This cartoon infographic from the CDC proves it! Bigger portions could be one of the factors behind an increasing population of obese Americans. However a recent study from the UK suggests obese people are not inherently at risk for cardiovascular disease. What gives?

The Internet has always been a social network. From the computerized bulletin board communities of the proto-Internet to the rise of the World Wide Web and AOL in the 90's, the Internet has always been about communication and community. Today social networks including, but not limited to Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube have become collectively known as social media, an art form all its own, used by businesses, individuals, organizations, and even governments to communicate with the world. Doctors and hospitals are using social media just like everyone else, but many are also avoiding it, due to privacy concerns and negative stories.

KevinMD.com author Dr. Kevin Pho, one of social media's leading physician voices, writes, "Casting social media in a negative light will only stunt physician adoption of blogs, Twitter, and Facebook. While hospitals probably see this as an negligible trade-off in order to protect their reputations, it's outrageously selfish, and will make doctors even more tentative online. This puts them at a disadvantage at a time when patients expect more of their health care to involve the web, and, perhaps in the future, social media."

Seattle Children's Hospital's Wendy Sue Swanson is a good example of how a hospital can use a physician's online persona to engage in social media and create an important online presence and community. Unfortunately the positive side of social media rarely makes the news. The stories that get our attention about doctors, hospitals, and social media are inflammatory and alarming. Medical schools are advising students to shut down their social media accounts. An ill-advised Facebook post from a Rhode Island doctor in 2010 lead to her dismissal from the hospital and earned her a reprimand from the state medical board. The negative stories are really a small minority of experiences. The vast majority of health professionals are using social media responsibly, both personally and professionally. It's difficult for everyone to navigate the new "tell- all social media culture," and when it comes to people's health it can be even more difficult.

The best solution to issues around social media is education and communication. Hospitals should use the services of social media managers and doctors should familiarize themselves with social network platforms. They might wish to only access professional platforms like LinkedIn, or maintain separate personal and professional network accounts. There's no single answer or rule-- every organization is different and has to have its own social media policy. QuickMedical invites customers, suppliers, and even health conscious consumers and curious web surfers to follow our social media presence and interact with us. We're not medical professionals, but we are your online source for medical equipment and supplies.

A simple question, but not necessarily a simple answer from a truth-seeker on Facebook.

Q. Where can I buy tongue depressors?

We're not medical professionals, so we can't give you medical advice, but when it comes to tongue depressors, we know a few things. You might call them tongue blades, popsicle sticks, or something else, but wooden tongue depressors are a medical supply that QuickMedical offers at some of the best prices online. Click ahead to read about where to buy affordable tongue depressors.

Being active is essential to health. Aerobic activities are a key part of keeping your blood pressure normal. In some cases aerobic exercise can even lower high blood pressure. Aerobic exercise is an important type of exercise that should be a part of any regular exercise plan. Aerobic exercise is any extended activity that makes you breathe hard while using the large muscle groups at a regular, even pace. Aerobic activities help make your heart stronger and more efficient.

Before civilization humans walked for long distances, sometimes days at a time, to hunt and gather food. It's assumed that humans actually walked all the way from what is now Russia to South America in search of food. It was rare for early humans to die of diabetes or heart disease. Humans seem to be built more for activity than non-activity. However with the advent of civilization and technology, humans find themselves in an increasingly sedentary situation.

Aerobic exercise improves the efficiency of the heart, lungs and blood vessels as well as the efficiency of the metabolic enzymes that regulate the conversion of stored energy in muscle cells. So you probably don't have time to walk from Russia to South America, but you do need to make time for aerobic activities. What are some examples of aerobic exercises? Click ahead to find out.

Fabrice Muamba collapsed on the soccer pitch in front of a stadium packed with spectators last month. Around the same time 30 year old distance runner Claire Squires collapsed during the 2012 London Marathon. Muamba recovered, but Squires did not. Both were considered to be in excellent physical condition, but both were afflicted by a sudden cardiac arrest. University College London sports scientist Richard Weiler said in an interview with Reuters ,"There's so much we don't know." He continued, "We don't know what triggers sudden cardiac death. We don't understand the risks in different sports, we don't understand whether race and genetics have an impact, and we don't know why many cases of sudden cardiac death remain unexplained." To read more about this mystery click ahead.

May is National High Blood Pressure Education Month. If you've been diagnosed with pre-hypertension use this opportunity to start participating in your life in ways that will help you feel better. Be pro-active in your own healthcare. It will increase the quality and length of your life. First, start to keep tabs on your blood pressure. Home blood pressure devices have advanced enough in technology so that you can check your blood pressure by yourself easily in a matter of minutes. A wide variety of home blood pressure monitors exist including automatic, manual, pediatric, and even talking blood pressure monitors.

You can lower high blood pressure naturally by making lifestyle changes. Naturally lowering your blood pressure isn't easy, but it can be done with care and attention. Click read more to learn how to lower your blood pressure naturally.

National Nurses Day, also called National RN Recognition Day is always celebrated on May 6th and opens National Nurses Week. National Nurses Week begins each year on May 6th and ends on May 12th, the birthday of Florence Nightingale. National Nurses Week is an important time to recognize the accomplishments and work of nurses across the nation. It's also an important time to remember there is actually a shortage of nurses.

Registered nurses, also called RNs, are professional nurses who often supervise the tasks performed by LPNs, orderlies, and nursing assistants. They provide direct care and make decisions regarding the care for healthy, ill, and injured people. They have a diploma, associate degree, bachelor's degree, or master's degree in nursing at entry level, and after passing state board examinations, are granted the title registered nurse. Regardless of degree, RNs have many hours of clinical experience before graduating.

RNs are the largest healthcare occupation in the United States, with an estimated 2.3 million people employed as registered nurses, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Spurred by various economic and demographic factors, demand for nurses is projected to increase for the foreseeable future (an increase of 23% between 2006 and 2016, according to the US Department of Labor).

QuickMedical supplies nurses with the medical equipment and supplies they need to do their jobs. Medical equipment and supplies for nursing applications is important. If you are a nurse and you need medical equipment and supplies click around QuickMedical and visit often for promotions. You're sure to find the medical equipment and supplies you need.

Click ahead to read the interesting statistical breakdown of nursing professions growth by percentage.

This month's Employee of the Month is Karl, the Administrative Manager Of Government Sales. QuickMedical's government sales division, QuickMedical GS is a major component of QuickMedical's continued success and Karl's sales and administrative skills are a major component of QuickMedical GS. A fellow employee writes, "He has a positive attitude, a smiling face, and is ALWAYS willing to help out...and he has a cute dog." Karl is great to work with and he's a pretty good actor, too! On behalf of the QuickMedical management and staff, we'd like to thank Karl for all his hard work and congratulate him as this month's Employee of the Month.