ProMed New Year's Closing Notice

Professional Medical will be closed on Friday, December 30 and Monday, January 2 in honor of the New Year holiday. Orders that were placed after noon on Thursday, December 22 will be delivered on or after Tuesday, January 3. If you have any questions at all, please contact our Customer Care team at 800.648.5190.

Team ProMed wishes you a safe and happy New Year's celebration!

New Test Can Help ER Doctors Determine Heart Attack Odds

Emergency room doctors can now utilize a highly sensitive test to determine whether patients who come in with chest pains are likely to have heart attacks.

The test can detect troponin, a protein in muscle tissue. The higher the levels of troponin, the more likely it is that the person will have a heart attack. If troponin isn't present, the odds are much lower.

Researchers are reporting that the new test could also help physicians monitor patients who present with chest pains but no heart attack symptoms in the hours after being admitted to a hospital.

To learn more, click here.

CDC: Use New Latent TB Treatment

The CDC is recommending a new treatment for latent tuberculosis that is as effective as existing treatment procedures and much easier to carry out. It is estimated that roughly 11.2 Americans have latent tuberculosis infections.

The current standard treatment for latent tuberculosis, an asymptomatic version of the respiratory infection, involves nine months of daily doses of isoniazid, an antibiotic. Only 60 percent of patients complete the regimen. The new treatment would include 12 weekly doses of isoniazid paired with rifapentine, another antibiotic. This treatment has been shown to be equally effective under the supervision of a healthcare worker.

The CDC is targeting their TB prevention efforts toward high-risk populations, including the elderly, healthcare workers and people with diabetes.

ProMed Holiday Closure Reminder

Professional Medical will be closed on Friday, December 23 and Monday, December 26 in honor of the Christmas holiday. Product orders that were placed after noon on Friday, December 16 will be delivered on or after Tuesday, December 27. We wish you and yours a very merry Christmas!

A Salute to Christmas Firsts

Have you ever wondered when Christmas traditions made their way into popular culture? Perhaps the list below will give you the answers you seek!

1823: Clement C. Moore writes A Visit From St. Nicholas, which becomes known by its first line, "'Twas the night before Christmas." This poem is largely responsible for the modern image of Santa Claus in his red coat and pants trimmed with white as well as identifying the sleigh as his mode of transportation.

1841: The first "department store Santa" made his appearance at a Philadelphia dry goods store.

1843: A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens is published.

1856: Franklin Pierce becomes the first President of the United States to display a Christmas tree at the White House.

1857: "Jingle Bells" is copyrighted.

1870: Christmas is declared a federal holiday.

1875: Louis Prang introduces the Christmas card to Americans.

1890: Christmas tree lights begin to be mass produced.

1931: The first Rockefeller Center Christmas tree makes its debut. The famous Coca-Cola Santa Claus also begins appearing in magazine ads.

1955: The Campbell's Soup Company introduces green bean casserole, that love-it-or-hate-it staple of holiday dining.

1958: "The Chipmunk Song (Don't Be Late)" by David Seville and the Chipmunks becomes the first and only Christmas song (so far) to his the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 Pop Singles chart.

1965: A Charlie Brown Christmas is broadcast for the first time.

Nurses Ranked Tops in Gallup Trustworthiness Poll

A new Gallup poll reinforces what many of us already think - that nurses are highly trustworthy.

For 12 of the past 13 years, nursing has been voted the most trustworthy profession by survey respondents. Eight-four percent of those polled this year ranked nurses' trustworthiness as "very high" or "high."

Physicians and pharmacists also fared well in the poll. On the opposite end of the spectrum? Car salespeople, lobbyists and members of Congress.

To learn more, click here.

Using a Neti Pot? Make Sure Your Water is Sterile

The Louisiana Department of Health is warning residents to make sure they use only distilled, sterile or previously boiled water in their neti pots and to rinse and dry them after each use. The warning comes on the heels of two Louisianans exposing their brains to a deadly amoeba while performing nasal irrigation.

The amoeba, Naegleria fowleri, can be found in contaminated lukewarm tap water as well as lakes and ponds. If it becomes lodged in a person's nose, it can end up in the brain and cause an infection that is lethal in 95 percent of cases.

To learn more, click here.

CMS.gov Gets a Facelift!

If you haven't been on CMS.gov in a while, you're in for a pleasant surprise the next time you visit. The site has been updated to make it easier on the eyes, offer more in-depth information and include real-time updates. The search engine's functionality has also been greatly improved.

To learn more about the update, click here.

FDA Releases Drug Safety Labeling Changes

The FDA has released a list of 48 new drug safety labeling changes. This can include changes to boxed warnings, contraindications, warnings, precautions, adverse reactions or the patient package insert/medication guide.

To view the changes, click here.

Help Your Diabetic Residents Navigate Holiday Meals

With the holidays quickly approaching, many of your residents are likely making plans to spend time at home with their families. For residents with diabetes, this will bring the added challenge of navigating meals served at festivities. Family members who are unaccustomed to preparing food for diabetic loved ones might also be unsure of their specific nutritional needs.

Luckily, there are resources available to help ease worry over holiday meals. You might want to share the following strategies (courtesy of the CDC) for sticking to a healthy diabetic meal plan with your residents and their families:

• Eat a healthy snack before a party to avoid overeating.
• Choose smaller portions.
• Ask beforehand what food will be served so that you can see how it fits into your meal plan.
• Choose low-calorie drinks such as sparkling water, unsweetened tea and diet beverages.
• Alcohol should only be consumed with a meal and should be limited to one drink a day for women and two for men.
• Choose fresh fruit instead of pies, cakes and other fat- and sugar-laden desserts.
• Watch out for sauces such as gravy and sugar glazes that can add calories to otherwise healthy foods.

To learn more, click here.

Depression, Stress Common in Low-Wage-Earning Nursing Home Workers

A new study out of Harvard University found that depression is common among nursing home workers earning lower wages. This group also experiences higher levels of stress than other workers.

The researchers surveyed 452 workers, most of whom were women, to determine whether there was a link between depression and stress at home and work. The participants were specifically asked about stressors such as financial strain, lack of food and whether they found themselves worrying about work issues when they were at home. The researchers determined that these stressors were double the rate in nursing home workers than other professions.

Cassandra Okechukwu, a member of the research team, noted that these findings have implications for both the workers and their families as well as the quality of care that is delivered to nursing home residents.

To learn more about the study, click here.

In Memory of Harry Morgan, AKA Col. Potter

We were greatly saddened to learn of the death of Harry Morgan, perhaps best known for his role as Col. Potter on the smash hit TV show MASH. Many of us here enjoyed welcoming him into our homes each week (on the TV, at least) and have continued to relish his performance in reruns.

In honor of Morgan, please click here to enjoy MSNBC's compilation of seven great Col. Potter moments.

Congratulations to Nazareth Home, KAHCF Facility of the Year!

Team ProMed congratulates Nazareth Home of Louisville, Kentucky on being named the 2011-'12 Facility of the Year by the Kentucky Association of Health Care Facilities (KAHCF)! The facility was honored at KAHCF's annual meeting, which was held November 15-17 in Louisville. Nazareth Home's administrator, Mary Haynes, and her staff accepted the award.

Wanda Meade, KAHCF's Chairman of the Board, noted that "Nazareth Home is an excellent facility with a strong tradition and commitment to providing quality care for its residents and a leader in the community when it comes to addressing aging issues. Our long term care profession salutes Mary and the staff for their professionalism and dedication to delivering quality care."

Congratulations, Nazareth Home! We're proud to be your partner!

Nursing Homes Not Alone in C. diff Battle

Nursing homes aren't the only facilities battling C. diff, according to a new study out of Canada. The infection also lengthens hospital stays by an average of six days.

The researchers also noticed that the patients who contracted C. diff, which can cause severe diarrhea and other complications, were more likely to have other serious illnesses.

To learn more, click here.

Is There Flu Near You? Find Out!

Curious if the flu has infiltrated your neck of the woods? Now you can find out with just a few simple mouse clicks.

Flu Near You is a website that encourages people to register and report on a weekly basis whether they're experiencing any flu symptoms. The goal is to speed up flu monitoring and make it easier to predict when and where the flu will strike next.

Site users can enter their ZIP code, city state or province and see how prominent the flu is in their area. The site also provides a list of local pharmacies and other businesses where the flu shot is available.

To learn more, click here.

Feeling Forgetful? Blame Your Brain.

We've all done it - walked into a room and completely forgotten why we were there. Well, it turns out that you're not having a "senior moment." You have your brain to blame!

According to a study out of the University of Notre Dame, when you move from room to room, your brain identifies each room as a new event and sets a new "memory trace" to capture the new event. As far as your brain is concerned, the doorways between rooms are like chapter markers - ending older memories and beginning new ones. It's harder to remember what you were just doing in a different room because your brain has already filed that memory away!

To learn more, click here.

Are You Too Drowsy to Drive?

We've all heard about the dangers of driving drunk - but what about driving drowsy? According to the CDC, it's pretty darn dangerous as well. Driving drowsy was implicated in about 16 percent of fatal crashes and 13 percent of crashes that resulted in hospitalization. Additionally, 28 percent of respondents in one survey reported falling asleep behind the wheel in the past year.

The CDC recommends making it a priority to get the recommended amount of sleep (for adults, that's seven to nine hours) to avoid getting behind the wheel while drowsy.

To learn more, click here.

More Americans Living to 90 Than Ever Before

Hoping to live to a ripe old age? Your odds are getting better. According to new census figures, the 90-plus population has nearly tripled in size since 1980. By the middle of the century, it's estimated that this age group will reach 9 million, or 2 percent of the U.S. population.

A century ago, fewer than 100,000 people reached the age of 90.

To learn more, click here.

Lipitor Now Available as Generic

As of Wednesday, the world's biggest-selling drug, Lipitor, manufactured by Pfizer, is now available as a generic. At its peak, Lipitor generated sales of $13 billion a year.

Watson Pharmaceuticals will begin offering an "authorized" generic form of Lipitor that is also made by Pfizer. Indian drugmaker Ranbaxy Laboratories is also ready to sell its generic version of the drug.

Pfizer has reportedly secured deals with some health insurers and pharmacy benefit managers that will allow branded Lipitor to be offered at similar or even lower co-payments than the generic Lipitor. This also means that insurers working with Pfizer will pay no more for branded Lipitor than they do for the generics.

To learn more, click here.