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Medical staff are not expected to explain care costs to a patient, this is the job of administrative staff. If this is part of your job, you should be aware that it is vital that a patient understands all costs involved and any alternatives that may be available to them.
No matter what a patient's individual status or why they are in hospital, their blood should always be handled as if it has the potential to cause infection. Exactly the same procedures must be followed when taking and handling blood from every patient.
When a patient's blood is clotting too quickly, which can cause DVT or pulmonary embolism, they may need an anticoagulant to slow this process. Common anticoagulants include Coumadin (aka Warfarin) and Heparin.
Electrical equipment cables are one of the major causes of workplace accidents. They should be regularly inspected to make sure there is no fraying of the outer casing, which could cause electrocution or fire, and careful attention must be paid to their routing: ideally all cables should travel through secure housing to ensure they cannot cause a trip risk.
The pulse is usually measured from the radial artery, on the side of the wrist nearest the thumb. However, if there are reasons preventing taking a reading from here (for example if the patient has both wrists in casts) there are other points from which the pulse may be taken.
When a patient clenches their fist the amount of blood flowing into the hand is temporarily decreased by the contraction and so blood builds up further up the arm, making veins more prominent and so easier to see.
Business letters should be laid out with the sender’s address at the top right, the recipient’s address below that on the left, any reference number below that, then the date, then the salutation. Obviously if using headed paper with an address on it there is no need to repeat this.
A license from the DEA is required for all persons prescribing controlled substances. The license lasts for three years (though it can be taken away at any time for malpractice) and costs $731.
Blood is the most likely way for a medical worker to become accidentally contaminated with HIV. Although HIV can be spread accidentally in other ways, it is very difficult to become infected through saliva and mucus.
Computer passwords are there to protect patient data so they should be as difficult to bypass as possible. Don’t use names, birthdays, favorite teams etc.: use a random string of numbers, symbols and letters. Try to memorize it rather than writing it down. Change your password as often as your systems administrator recommends.
However accurate a testing apparatus may be, it will not produce a correct result unless it has been calibrated properly prior to use. Always check apparatus is properly calibrated using manufacturer instructions, and regularly recheck calibration throughout testing.
All of these entities are entitled to patient medical records under certain circumstances and if all proper conditions have been fulfilled. The patient's physician is the only one of these who is entitled to immediate access.
When blood has been drawn from a patient, it is often put through a centrifuge before testing. This separates blood cells from the liquid (plasma) in which they are suspended, so they can be more easily counted and tested.
In most circumstances the right of the patient to confidentiality is paramount. That means his/her consent to confidential information being released must be obtained. However, in the case of gunshot wounds, information may be passed to law enforcement agencies even if the patient should not wish this to happen.
A normal healthy adult will take between 12 and 20 breaths per minute. Any more than this is defined as tachypnea and is a cause for concern that should be reported to a physician. However, you should take external factors into consideration, for example if the patient just climbed stairs to reach the examination, and be aware that newborn infants normally breathe at up to 44 breaths per minute.
A patient may cancel an appointment for many reasons and sometimes may forget to reschedule, which could result in them missing vital treatment. Always ask if they need to reschedule and if in doubt consult with the appropriate physician.
When a patient ignores medical advice, for example does not take prescribed drugs, and so makes his/her condition worse, that may be considered contributory negligence. This means some responsibility for the deterioration lies with the patient, and may count in favor of a medical practitioner in a lawsuit.
The normal range for the pulse rate of a healthy adult is between 60 – 100 beats per minute. Any pulse rate outside this range should be reported to a physician. However, you should be aware that a pulse rate outside this range can still be healthy, for example a very fit athlete may have a pulse rate as low as 40 BPM.
All of these elements are important, but when dealing with medical records confidentiality is paramount. Always make sure that records are not being disclosed to an unauthorized entity, and check with the office handbook and other staff when in doubt.
A number of simple tests fall under the provisions of the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments 1988; these are tests that are judged to be simple enough to be performed by staff with basic training or even at home. This does not mean that they are immune to error or that error could not have serious diagnostic consequences; the same amount of care should be taken with them as with any other testing procedure.
