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mirandamckenni1 · 10 months
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Liked on YouTube: How To Get Venom From The World's Deadliest Spider || https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bgNm9l_3qU || Go to our sponsor https://ift.tt/DpUEhvW to get matched with a professional therapist who will listen and help. ▀▀▀ Huge thanks to the Australian Reptile Park for having us over to film – special thanks to Jake Meney for showing us the spiders and Caitlin Vine for organizing the shoot. https://ift.tt/cuizntd Huge thanks to Dr Timothy Jackson with his help and answering our questions. Thanks to Seqirus Australia for providing B-roll footage of the antivenom production process. ▀▀▀ References: Pineda, S. S., Sollod, B. L., Wilson, D., Darling, A., Sunagar, K., Undheim, E. A., ... & King, G. F. (2014). Diversification of a single ancestral gene into a successful toxin superfamily in highly venomous Australian funnel-web spiders. BMC genomics, 15(1), 1-16 - https://ift.tt/pl8CtOh Isbister, G. K., Gray, M. R., Balit, C. R., Raven, R. J., Stokes, B. J., Porges, K., ... & Fisher, M. M. (2005). Funnel-web spider bite: a systematic review of recorded clinical cases. Medical journal of Australia, 182(8), 407-411 - https://ift.tt/bXzIRcJ Herzig, V., Sunagar, K., Wilson, D. T., Pineda, S. S., Israel, M. R., Dutertre, S., ... & Fry, B. G. (2020). Australian funnel-web spiders evolved human-lethal δ-hexatoxins for defense against vertebrate predators. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 117(40), 24920-24928 - https://ift.tt/NmGAZbK Nicholson, G. M., & Graudins, A. (2002). Spiders of medical importance in the Asia–Pacific: Atracotoxin, latrotoxin and related spider neurotoxins. Clinical and experimental pharmacology and physiology, 29(9), 785-794 - https://ift.tt/20EMeLU Fletcher, J. I., Chapman, B. E., Mackay, J. P., Howden, M. E., & King, G. F. (1997). The structure of versutoxin (δ-atracotoxin-Hv1) provides insights into the binding of site 3 neurotoxins to the voltage-gated sodium channel. Structure, 5(11), 1525-1535 - https://ift.tt/WfTOc8L Australian Reptile Park. (2022). Snake and Spider First Aid - https://ift.tt/vVLl7zC The Australian Museum. (20 ). Spider facts - https://ift.tt/pCMIsfv ▀▀▀ Special thanks to our Patreon supporters: Orlando Bassotto, Tj Steyn, meg noah, Bernard McGee, KeyWestr, Amadeo Bee, TTST, Balkrishna Heroor, John H. Austin, Jr., john kiehl, Anton Ragin, Benedikt Heinen, Diffbot, Gnare, Dave Kircher, Burt Humburg, Blake Byers, Evgeny Skvortsov, Meekay, Bill Linder, Paul Peijzel, Josh Hibschman, Mac Malkawi, Juan Benet, Ubiquity Ventures, Richard Sundvall, Lee Redden, Stephen Wilcox, Marinus Kuivenhoven, Michael Krugman, and Sam Lutfi ▀▀▀ Written by Katie Barnshaw & Derek Muller Edited by Trenton Oliver Filmed by Petr Lebedev, Derek Muller and Jason Tran Animation by Ivy Tello, Jakub Misiek and Fabio Albertelli Neuron animation by Reciprocal Space – https://ift.tt/HkPxWXr Additional video/photos supplied from Getty Images, Pond5 B-roll supplied by Seqirus Australia Music from Epidemic Sound Produced by Derek Muller, Petr Lebedev, Emily Zhang & Katie Barnshaw
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adamstewartrealtor · 10 months
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Discover Guelph's Top Public Tennis and Pickleball Courts!
Serve Up Fun and Ace Your Game: Discover Guelph's Public Tennis and Pickleball Courts!
Are you a tennis and pickle ball enthusiast in Guelph looking to unleash your inner Federer or Williams’ sister? Well, you're in luck! Guelph is home to several fantastic public tennis courts where you can indulge in your love for the sport. Whether you're a seasoned player or a beginner eager to learn, this blog post will guide you through the vibrant tennis scene in Guelph, ensuring you have a smashing time while serving up some fun! Plus, we have a special message for all the young tennis enthusiasts out there. So, grab your racket and let's dive into the exciting world of Guelph's public tennis and pickleball courts.
  1. Exhibition Park Tennis Club
If you're looking to join a vibrant tennis community, the Exhibition Park Tennis Club is your go-to destination. With its welcoming atmosphere and diverse membership, this club is perfect for players of all skill levels. The club offers both public and member-only courts, allowing you to choose the experience that suits you best. Whether you're seeking competitive matches or casual rallies, Exhibition Park Tennis Club has got you covered.
 2. St. George’s Park Tennis Courts
Conveniently located in the heart of Guelph, the Victoria Road Recreation Centre offers a range of recreational activities, including top-notch tennis facilities. The center features four well-maintained public tennis courts, making it an ideal spot for locals and visitors alike. The courts are well-lit, allowing you to enjoy a game even during evening hours. So, grab your racket after work and de-stress with an invigorating match at Victoria Road Recreation Centre.
3. South End Community Park
For those who enjoy the fast-paced action of pickleball and tennis, the South End Community Park offers indoor courts that will have you hooked. This facility welcomes players of all ages and provides a friendly and inclusive environment to enjoy the game. Whether you're a pickleball newbie or a seasoned pro, you're sure to have a smashing time here.
 4. University of Guelph Tennis Courts
Are you a student at the University of Guelph or simply looking for high-quality tennis courts? The University of Guelph boasts excellent facilities that are open to the public. Their outdoor tennis courts are well-kept and provide an excellent setting for practicing your strokes. Enjoy the collegiate atmosphere as you play a friendly game or participate in community events hosted by the university.
5. Guelph Royal City Tennis Club
If you're looking for a place that exudes a true tennis atmosphere, the Guelph Royal City Tennis Club is a must-visit. With its four well-maintained clay courts, you'll feel like a pro as you glide across the surface. The club offers lessons for beginners and clinics for advanced players, making it an ideal spot for players of all ages and abilities.
 Other Top Guelph Tennis & Pickleball Locations:
 Dovercliffe Park Tennis court
38 Dovercliffe Road, Guelph, ON, Canada
 Howden Crescent Park tennis court
35 Howden Crescent, Guelph, ON, Canada
 Jubilee Park tennis court
11 Sweeney Drive, Guelph, ON, Canada
 Margaret Greene Park Tennis Court
80 Westwood Road, Guelph, ON, Canada
 Mollison Park tennis court
85 Downey Road, Guelph, ON, Canada
 Skov Park tennis court
580 Eramosa Road, Guelph, ON, Canada
 W.E. Hamilton Park tennis court
565 Scottsdale Drive, Guelph, ON, Canada
 Message for Kids Learning to Play Tennis:
 Learning to play tennis is an exciting journey filled with countless opportunities for growth and fun. Public tennis courts provide the perfect space to develop your skills, make new friends, and foster a love for the game.
Remember, every great tennis player starts somewhere, so don't be discouraged by the occasional missed shot or challenging opponent. Embrace the process, stay determined, and never forget to have fun. Tennis is not just about winning; it's about the joy of playing, the friendships you forge, and the lessons you learn both on and off the court.
As you practice your forehand, backhand, and serve, keep these three tips in mind:
Persistence Pays Off: Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither is a formidable tennis game. Be patient with yourself and keep practicing. The more you play, the better you'll get!
Embrace the Power of Practice Partners: Find a buddy who shares your passion for tennis. Practice together, challenge each other, and celebrate your progress as a team. Having a practice partner will make your tennis journey even more enjoyable.
Sportsmanship Above All: Tennis is not just about hitting a ball back and forth. It's about respecting your opponents, following the rules, and embracing good sportsmanship. Win or lose, always remember to be gracious and kind on and off the court.
With Guelph's fantastic public tennis courts, your love for the sport will flourish. Whether you're aiming to improve your skills, make new friends, or simply enjoy a fun-filled game, Guelph has something for everyone. From the serene Riverside Park to the vibrant Exhibition Park Tennis Club, you're bound to find a court that suits your needs and enhances your tennis experience.
So, dust off your racket, gather your tennis buddies, and explore Guelph's public tennis courts today. With the perfect blend of friendly competition and a welcoming atmosphere, you'll have a smashing time in the company of fellow tennis enthusiasts. Get ready to serve up some fun and ace your game on Guelph's amazing public tennis courts!
And to all the budding tennis stars out there, keep swinging, never give up, and remember to enjoy the incredible journey that tennis brings. The courts are waiting for you to leave your mark. Game on!
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amirhkh1 · 2 years
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COVID-19 Booster Vaccine
https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/1001269/ontario-accelerating-booster-eligibility-to-adults-aged-50 HMC
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your-dietician · 3 years
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Phony Diagnoses Hide High Rates of Drugging at Nursing Homes
New Post has been published on https://depression-md.com/phony-diagnoses-hide-high-rates-of-drugging-at-nursing-homes/
Phony Diagnoses Hide High Rates of Drugging at Nursing Homes
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The handwritten doctor’s order was just eight words long, but it solved a problem for Dundee Manor, a nursing home in rural South Carolina struggling to handle a new resident with severe dementia.
David Blakeney, 63, was restless and agitated. The home’s doctor wanted him on an antipsychotic medication called Haldol, a powerful sedative.
“Add Dx of schizophrenia for use of Haldol,” read the doctor’s order, using the medical shorthand for “diagnosis.”
But there was no evidence that Mr. Blakeney actually had schizophrenia.
Antipsychotic drugs — which for decades have faced criticism as “chemical straitjackets” — are dangerous for older people with dementia, nearly doubling their chance of death from heart problems, infections, falls and other ailments. But understaffed nursing homes have often used the sedatives so they don’t have to hire more staff to handle residents.
The risks to patients treated with antipsychotics are so high that nursing homes must report to the government how many of their residents are on these potent medications. But there is an important caveat: The government doesn’t publicly divulge the use of antipsychotics given to residents with schizophrenia or two other conditions.
With the doctor’s new diagnosis, Mr. Blakeney’s antipsychotic prescription disappeared from Dundee Manor’s public record.
Eight months following his admission with a long list of ailments — and after round-the-clock sedation, devastating weight loss, pneumonia and severe bedsores that required one of his feet to be amputated — Mr. Blakeney was dead.
A New York Times investigation found a similar pattern of questionable diagnoses nationwide. The result: The government and the industry are obscuring the true rate of antipsychotic drug use on vulnerable residents.
The share of residents with a schizophrenia diagnosis has soared 70 percent since 2012, according to an analysis of Medicare data. That was the year the federal government, concerned with the overuse of antipsychotic drugs, began publicly disclosing such prescriptions by individual nursing homes.
Today, one in nine residents has received a schizophrenia diagnosis. In the general population, the disorder, which has strong genetic roots, afflicts roughly one in 150 people.
Schizophrenia, which often causes delusions, hallucinations and dampened emotions, is almost always diagnosed before the age of 40.
“People don’t just wake up with schizophrenia when they are elderly,” said Dr. Michael Wasserman, a geriatrician and former nursing home executive who has become a critic of the industry. “It’s used to skirt the rules.”
Some portion of the rise in schizophrenia diagnoses reflects the fact that nursing homes, like prisons, have become a refuge of last resort for people with the disorder, after large psychiatric hospitals closed decades ago.
But unfounded diagnoses are also driving the increase. In May, a report by a federal oversight agency said nearly one-third of long-term nursing home residents with schizophrenia diagnoses in 2018 had no Medicare record of being treated for the condition.
For nursing homes, money is on the line. High rates of antipsychotic drug use can hurt a home’s public image and the star rating it gets from the government. Medicare designed the ratings system to help patients and their families evaluate facilities using objective data; a low rating can have major financial consequences. Many facilities have found ways to hide serious problems — like inadequate staffing and haphazard care — from government audits and inspectors.
One result of the inaccurate diagnoses is that the government is understating how many of the country’s 1.1 million nursing home residents are on antipsychotic medications.
According to Medicare’s web page that tracks the effort to reduce the use of antipsychotics, fewer than 15 percent of nursing home residents are on such medications. But that figure excludes patients with schizophrenia diagnoses.
To determine the full number of residents being drugged nationally and at specific homes, The Times obtained unfiltered data that was posted on another, little-known Medicare web page, as well as facility-by-facility data that a patient advocacy group got from Medicare via an open records request and shared with The Times.
The figures showed that at least 21 percent of nursing home residents — about 225,000 people — are on antipsychotics.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which oversees nursing homes, is “concerned about this practice as a way to circumvent the protections these regulations afford,” said Catherine Howden, a spokeswoman for the agency, which is known as C.M.S.
“It is unacceptable for a facility to inappropriately classify a resident’s diagnosis to improve their performance measures,” she said. “We will continue to identify facilities which do so and hold them accountable.”
Representatives for nursing homes said doctors who diagnose patients and write the prescriptions to treat them are to blame, even though those doctors often work in partnership with the nursing homes.
“If physicians are improperly diagnosing individuals with serious mental health issues in order to continue an antipsychotic regimen, they should be reported and investigated,” Dr. David Gifford, the chief medical officer at the American Health Care Association, which represents for-profit nursing homes, said in a statement.
Medicare and industry groups also said they had made real progress toward reducing antipsychotic use in nursing homes, pointing to a significant drop since 2012 in the share of residents on the drugs.
But when residents with diagnoses like schizophrenia are included, the decline is less than half what the government and industry claim. And when the pandemic hit in 2020, the trend reversed and antipsychotic drug use increased.
A Doubled Risk of Death
For decades, nursing homes have been using drugs to control dementia patients. For nearly as long, there have been calls for reform.
In 1987, President Ronald Reagan signed a law banning the use of drugs that serve the interest of the nursing home or its staff, not the patient.
But the practice persisted. In the early 2000s, studies found that antipsychotic drugs like Seroquel, Zyprexa and Abilify made older people drowsy and more likely to fall. The drugs were also linked to heart problems in people with dementia. More than a dozen clinical trials concluded that the drugs nearly doubled the risk of death for older dementia patients.
In 2005, the Food and Drug Administration required manufacturers to put a label on the drugs warning that they increased the risk of death for patients with dementia.
Seven years later, with antipsychotics still widely used, nursing homes were required to report to Medicare how many residents were getting the drugs. That data is posted online and becomes part of a facility’s “quality of resident care” score, one of three major categories that contribute to a home’s star rating.
The only catch: Antipsychotic prescriptions for residents with any of three uncommon conditions — schizophrenia, Tourette’s syndrome and Huntington’s disease — would not be included in a facility’s public tally. The theory was that since the drugs were approved to treat patients with those conditions, nursing homes shouldn’t be penalized.
The loophole was opened. Since 2012, the share of residents classified as having schizophrenia has gone up to 11 percent from less than 7 percent, records show.
The diagnoses rose even as nursing homes reported a decline in behaviors associated with the disorder. The number of residents experiencing delusions, for example, fell to 4 percent from 6 percent.
A Substitute for Staff
Caring for dementia patients is time- and labor-intensive. Workers need to be trained to handle challenging behaviors like wandering and aggression. But many nursing homes are chronically understaffed and do not pay enough to retain employees, especially the nursing assistants who provide the bulk of residents’ daily care.
Studies have found that the worse a home’s staffing situation, the greater its use of antipsychotic drugs. That suggests that some homes are using the powerful drugs to subdue patients and avoid having to hire extra staff. (Homes with staffing shortages are also the most likely to understate the number of residents on antipsychotics, according to the Times’s analysis of Medicare data.)
The pandemic has battered the industry. Nursing home employment is down more than 200,000 since early last year and is at its lowest level since 1994.
As staffing dropped, the use of antipsychotics rose.
Even some of the country’s leading experts on elder care have been taken aback by the frequency of false diagnoses and the overuse of antipsychotics.
Barbara Coulter Edwards, a senior Medicaid official in the Obama administration, said she had discovered that her father was given an incorrect diagnosis of psychosis in the nursing home where he lived even though he had dementia.
“I just was shocked,” Ms. Edwards said. “And the first thing that flashed through my head was this covers a lot of ills for this nursing home if they want to give him drugs.”
Homes that violate the rules face few consequences.
In 2019 and 2021, Medicare said it planned to conduct targeted inspections to examine the issue of false schizophrenia diagnoses, but those plans were repeatedly put on hold because of the pandemic.
In an analysis of government inspection reports, The Times found about 5,600 instances of inspectors citing nursing homes for misusing antipsychotic medications. Nursing home officials told inspectors that they were dispensing the powerful drugs to frail patients for reasons that ranged from “health maintenance” to efforts to deal with residents who were “whining” or “asking for help.”
In more than 99 percent of the cases, inspectors concluded that the violations represented only “potential,” not “actual,” harm to patients. That means the findings are unlikely to hurt the homes’ ratings.
‘He Was So Little’
Mr. Blakeney’s wife of four decades and one of his adult daughters said in interviews that he had never exhibited any mental health problems. Then he developed dementia, and his behavior became difficult to manage. His wife, Yvonne Blakeney, found that she could no longer care for him.
Over the next several months, Mr. Blakeney was in and out of medical facilities, where he was treated for problems including a urinary tract infection. He became increasingly confused and upset.
In April 2016, he went to the Lancaster Convalescent Center, a nursing home in Lancaster, S.C., where a doctor labeled him with schizophrenia on a form that authorized the use of antipsychotic drugs. That diagnosis, however, did not appear on his subsequent hospital records.
Lancaster’s administrator declined to comment.
Six months later, Mr. Blakeney arrived at Dundee Manor, a 110-bed home in Bennettsville, S.C. At the time, it received only one out of five stars in Medicare’s rating system. The low score reflected poor marks from government inspectors who had visited the facility. It was also penalized for inadequate staffing.
When Mr. Blakeney was admitted, schizophrenia did not appear in his long list of ailments, which included high blood pressure, pneumonia and advanced dementia, according to medical records disclosed in a lawsuit that his widow later filed against the home.
Two weeks after his arrival, Dundee Manor’s medical director, Dr. Stephen L. Smith, instructed the home to add the schizophrenia diagnosis so that Mr. Blakeney could continue to receive Haldol. He was also prescribed Zyprexa, as well as the sleeping pill Ambien and trazodone, which is often given to help patients sleep.
Ms. Blakeney’s lawyer, Matthew Christian, said he had not seen any evidence that anyone conducted a psychiatric evaluation of Mr. Blakeney.
Mr. Blakeney, who had worked for decades as a farmhand, was once tall and muscular. But the drugs left him confined to his bed or wheelchair, exhausted. When his wife and sister visited, they couldn’t wake him, even when they brought his favorite meal of fried chicken. Over eight months, his weight dropped from 205 to 128 pounds.
“I cried because he was so little,” Ms. Blakeney said. “You could see his rib cage, just sticking out.”
Mr. Blakeney’s medical records show that several people warned that he was too sedated and receiving too many drugs.
Three weeks after he arrived at Dundee Manor, a physical therapist noted his extreme lethargy, even when she washed his hands and face. In mid-November, after Mr. Blakeney lost 12 pounds in a single week, a dietitian left a note for the doctor. “Consider medication adjustment,” she wrote, adding that he was “sleeping all day and through meals.”
That month, an outside pharmacist filled out a form recommending that Mr. Blakeney’s doses of Haldol and Zyprexa be reduced to comply with federal guidelines that require nursing homes to gradually reduce doses of antipsychotics.
On a form with Dr. Smith’s name and signature, a box labeled “disagree” was checked. “Staff feels need” for the continued doses, the form noted.
It was exactly the sort of decision — prescribing powerful drugs to help the nursing home and its staff, not the patient — that the 1987 law was supposed to ban.
Dr. Smith declined to comment. Dundee Manor didn’t respond to requests for comment.
According to Medicare’s public database of nursing home ratings, only 7 percent of Dundee Manor’s long-term residents were getting antipsychotic drugs in the third quarter of 2018. That put the nursing home in a good light; the national average was roughly double.
But Dundee Manor’s relatively low figure was a mirage created by the large number of residents who were diagnosed with conditions like schizophrenia. In reality, The Times found, 29 percent of Dundee Manor’s residents were on antipsychotics at the time, according to unpublished Medicare data obtained through public records requests by California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform.
Five-Star Problems
False schizophrenia diagnoses are not confined to low-rated homes. In May, the inspector general of the Department of Health and Human Services, for example, identified 52 nursing homes where at least 20 percent of all residents had an unsupported diagnosis. Medicare rated more than half of those homes with at least four of the maximum five stars. (The inspector general’s report didn’t identify the nursing homes. The Times obtained their identities through a public-records request.)
One was the Hialeah Shores Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Miami, a 106-bed home bordered by palm trees and a white painted fence. It is a five-star facility that, according to the official statistics, prescribed antipsychotics to about 10 percent of its long-term residents in 2018.
That was a severe understatement. In fact, 31 percent of Hialeah Shores residents were on antipsychotics, The Times found.
In 2018, a state inspector cited Hialeah Shores for giving a false schizophrenia diagnosis to a woman. She was so heavily dosed with antipsychotics that the inspector was unable to rouse her on three consecutive days.
There was no evidence that the woman had been experiencing the delusions common in people with schizophrenia, the inspector found. Instead, staff at the nursing home said she had been “resistive and noncooperative with care.”
Dr. Jonathan Evans, a medical director for nursing homes in Virginia who reviewed the inspector’s findings for The Times, described the woman’s fear and resistance as “classic dementia behavior.”
“This wasn’t five-star care,” said Dr. Evans, who previously was president of a group that represents medical staff in nursing homes. He said he was alarmed that the inspector had decided the violation caused only “minimal harm or potential for harm” to the patient, despite her heavy sedation. As a result, he said, “there’s nothing about this that would deter this facility from doing this again.”
Representatives of Hialeah Shores declined to comment.
Seven of the 52 homes on the inspector general’s list were owned by a large Texas company, Daybreak Venture. At four of those homes, the official rate of antipsychotic drug use for long-term residents was zero, while the actual rate was much higher, according to the Times analysis comparing official C.M.S. figures with unpublished data obtained by the California advocacy group.
More than 39 percent of residents at Daybreak’s Countryside Nursing and Rehabilitation, for example, were receiving an antipsychotic drug in 2018, even though the official figure was zero.
A lawyer for Daybreak, Charles A. Mallard, said the company could not comment because it had sold its homes and was shutting its business.
A Sprinkle of Depakote
As the U.S. government has tried to limit the use of antipsychotic drugs, nursing homes have turned to other chemical restraints.
Depakote, a medication to treat epilepsy and bipolar disorder, is one increasingly popular choice. The drug can make people drowsy and increases the risk of falls. Peer-reviewed studies have shown that it does not help with dementia, and the government has not approved it for that use.
But prescriptions of Depakote and similar anti-seizure drugs have accelerated since the government started publicly reporting nursing homes’ use of antipsychotics.
Between 2015 and 2018, the most recent data available, the use of anti-seizure drugs rose 15 percent in nursing home residents with dementia, according to an analysis of Medicare insurance claims that researchers at the University of Michigan prepared for The Times.
And while Depakote’s use rose, antipsychotic prescriptions fell 16 percent.
“The prescribing is far higher than you would expect based on the actual amount of epilepsy in the population,” said Dr. Donovan Maust, a geriatric psychiatrist at the University of Michigan who conducted the research.
About half the complaints that California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform receives about inappropriate drugging of residents involve Depakote, said Anthony Chicotel, the group’s top lawyer. It comes in a “sprinkle” form that makes it easy to slip into food undetected.
“It’s a drug that’s tailor-made to chemically restrain residents without anybody knowing,” he said.
In the early 2000s, Depakote’s manufacturer, Abbott Laboratories, began falsely pitching the drug to nursing homes as a way to sidestep the 1987 law prohibiting facilities from using drugs as “chemical restraints,” according to a federal whistle-blower lawsuit filed by a former Abbott saleswoman.
According to the lawsuit, Abbott’s representatives told pharmacists and nurses that Depakote would “fly under the radar screen” of federal regulations.
Abbott settled the lawsuit in 2012, agreeing to pay the government $1.5 billion to resolve allegations that it had improperly marketed the drugs, including to nursing homes.
Nursing homes are required to report to federal regulators how many of their patients take a wide variety of psychotropic drugs — not just antipsychotics but also anti-anxiety medications, antidepressants and sleeping pills. But homes do not have to report Depakote or similar drugs to the federal government.
“It is like an arrow pointing to that class of medications, like ‘Use us, use us!’” Dr. Maust said. “No one is keeping track of this.”
Lobbying for More
In 2019, the main lobbying group for for-profit nursing homes, the American Health Care Association, published a brochure titled “Nursing Homes: Times have changed.”
“Nursing homes have replaced restraints and antipsychotic medications with robust activity programs, religious services, social workers and resident councils so that residents can be mentally, physically and socially engaged,” the colorful two-page leaflet boasted.
Last year, though, the industry teamed up with drug companies and others to push Congress and federal regulators to broaden the list of conditions under which antipsychotics don’t need to be publicly disclosed.
“There is specific and compelling evidence that psychotropics are underutilized in treating dementia and it is time for C.M.S. to re-evaluate its regulations,” wrote Jim Scott, the chairman of the Alliance for Aging Research, which is coordinating the campaign.
The lobbying was financed by drug companies including Avanir Pharmaceuticals and Acadia Pharmaceuticals. Both have tried — and so far failed — to get their drugs approved for treating patients with dementia. (In 2019, Avanir agreed to pay $108 million to settle charges that it had inappropriately marketed its drug for use in dementia patients in nursing homes.)
‘Hold His Haldol’
Ms. Blakeney said that only after hiring a lawyer to sue Dundee Manor for her husband’s death did she learn he had been on Haldol and other powerful drugs. (Dundee Manor has denied Ms. Blakeney’s claims in court filings.)
During her visits, though, Ms. Blakeney noticed that many residents were sleeping most of the time. A pair of women, in particular, always caught her attention. “There were two of them, laying in the same room, like they were dead,” she said.
In his first few months at Dundee Manor, Mr. Blakeney was in and out of the hospital, for bedsores, pneumonia and dehydration. During one hospital visit in December, a doctor noted that Mr. Blakeney was unable to communicate and could no longer walk.
“Hold the patient’s Ambien, trazodone and Zyprexa because of his mental status changes,” the doctor wrote. “Hold his Haldol.”
Mr. Blakeney continued to be prescribed the drugs after he returned to Dundee Manor. By April 2017, the bedsore on his right heel — a result, in part, of his rarely getting out of bed or his wheelchair — required the foot to be amputated.
In June, after weeks of fruitless searching for another nursing home, Ms. Blakeney found one and transferred him there. Later that month, he died.
“I tried to get him out — I tried and tried and tried,” his wife said. “But when I did get him out, it was too late.”
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leanpick · 3 years
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Sharks sign off in Toyko with 15-7 win
Sharks sign off in Toyko with 15-7 win
Australia have closed their Tokyo Olympics men’s water polo campaign with a clinical 15-7 victory over Kazakhstan. Rhys Howden and Richie Campbell, both taking part in their fourth Olympics, scored a combined seven goals in the rout. The Sharks entered the pool knowing their hopes of reaching the quarter-finals – and pursuing the side’s first Olympic medal – were already over. Australia played…
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crazyflyingspip · 4 years
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Homeowners turn an old cupboard into a brilliant DIY home bar – cheers to that idea!
There are home transformations that deserve a round of applause, and then then are those that deserve a round of drinks to celebrate! And this ingenious DIY home bar idea is one of the latter!
The fabulous transformation popped up in our Ideal Home Room Clinic. Member Liz Smith shared with the group how to make a home bar out of an old cupboard!
More from our members: Grey spray-painted kitchen cabinets totally transform this family kitchen
The cupboard before transformation
Image credit: Liz Smith/ Ideal Home Room Clinic
Liz explains what the space is an existing extension, previously a granny annexe room. With the cupboard ‘ deep filled with toys and grannies slippers and dressing gown!’
After her eldest two children moved out the room was no longer needed, so they decided to move the granny annexe upstairs.
Telling Ideal Home, ’we found ourselves with yet another unused room. The obvious choice a home bar easy to get to the hot tub, without dripping through the dining room and kitchen.’
Yes that is correct, This room leads via French doors out onto the garden where is also a hot tub…this house is made for parties. Anyone else fancy moving in? We do!
Image credit: Liz Smith/ Ideal Home Room Clinic
‘We fitted the bar ourselves over a weekend, ‘Liz tells us. ‘The wood panels on the back were sooooo heavy to cut and lift into place! The gorgeous distressed wood floor tiles, were part of the kitchen dining room makeover. They are called Shimmy timber from Tile Choice.’
A DIY home bar worth toasting…
Image credit: Liz Smith/ Ideal Home Room Clinic
Raise a glass to the job completed! Who else is off to empty the cupboard in prep?
The transformation was met with a cheer in the Facebook group…
‘Looks brilliant! Well done ’ says one supportively. ‘Wow! Great job! Love it’ exclaims another.
Image credit: Liz Smith/ Ideal Home Room Clinic
Liz estimates the costs for her DIY home bar transformation at £1550, including all the extras. With the highest priced items being the drinks fridge from Amazon costing £300; wood-effect worktops and splashback costing £300 and cupboards from Howdens costing £150.
The couple furnished the finished bar in an eclectic style, to add even further character. Such as the quirky aeroplane shelf that takes centre stage and the statement pendant light made of wine glasses.
Buy now: Floating Industrial Retro Aeroplane Wall Shelf, £49.99, House of Oscar
The remaining accessories are from a mix of affordable high street solutions, such as Next and Dunelm.
Related: Bar ideas for the home – raise a glass to these divine drinks stations
Do you have a fabulous room makeover? Or a nifty home hack? We’d love you to share them with us over in the Ideal Home Room Clinic.
The post Homeowners turn an old cupboard into a brilliant DIY home bar – cheers to that idea! appeared first on Ideal Home.
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evoldir · 4 years
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Fwd: Postdoc: UManchester.PDF_2PhD.ComputionalBiol
Begin forwarded message: > From: [email protected] > Subject: Postdoc: UManchester.PDF_2PhD.ComputionalBiol > Date: 15 January 2020 at 06:52:03 GMT > To: [email protected] > > > > Postdoc position: > Title: Manchester, evolution, microbiology, synthetic biology > > Unravelling genotype-phenotype mapping in promoters and > transcription factors that drive the evolution of resistance > to multiple antibiotics. Specific focus of the project is on > implementing synthetic/molecular biology in order to develop > predictive understanding of multi-drug resistance evolution. We > are looking for a wet lab scientist, with a keen interest > in developing their own ideas, collaborating with theoretical > biologists, and working independently. More information can be found > at:https://ift.tt/381Sufo > > The funding for this position isnotdependent on the outcomes of Brexit, > and as such UKขs decision to leave the EU will not directly impact > any of these positions. > > For any interest or queries, please do not hesitate to contact me > ([email protected]) > > PhD position 1: > title: Manchester, computational biology > PhD position in Predictive Genotype-Phenotype-Fitness mapping in E.coli- > this collaborative project will combine several modelling approaches > in order to develop a comprehensive genotype-phenotype-fitness map > of metabolic networks in E.coli,capable of predicting the effects > of individual single point mutations. Achieving such a mapping > (which, in simple terms, means understanding what mutations do) > would provide critical novel insights into bacterial evolution. The > project is largely based around modelling, but will also involve > getting yourกhands wetข in the lab. It is an ideal opportunity > to cross the barrier between more formal sciences and biology, > and as such we area ideally looking for people with background and > experience in computer science, physics, mathematics, bioinformatics > or a related discipline. More information can be found at: > https://ift.tt/2tZ9V1C > > The PhD position is available only to candidates from the UK/EU, due > to funder restrictions. The funding for this position isnotdependent on > the outcomes of Brexit, and as such UKขs decision to leave the EU will > not directly impact any of these positions. > > For any interest or queries, please do not hesitate to contact me > ([email protected]) > > PhD position 2: > Title: Manchester, antibiotic resistance evolution PhD position in > Evolution of resistance to RNA Polymerase-targeting antibiotics - > antibiotic resistance is becoming one of the largest problems for > global health. The goal of this project is to improve our ability to > predict antibiotic resistance evolution to a major class of drugs > (those that target RNA polymerase), by linking mutations in RNA > polymerase to their effect on 3D structure, and then understanding > how those changes in the 3D structure impact the ability to evolve > resistance to other antibiotics.  The project will involve working with > clinical samples of antibiotic resistant strains, and experimentally > evolving resistance in them. The project is a collaboration with > Prof. Benjamin Howden at the University of Melbourne, and will > involve some time in Australia. More information can be found at: > https://ift.tt/2Tt7U8r > > The PhD position is available only to candidates from the UK/EU, due > to funder restrictions. The funding for this position isnotdependent on > the outcomes of Brexit, and as such UKขs decision to leave the EU will > not directly impact any of these positions. > > For any interest or queries, please do not hesitate to contact me > ([email protected]) > > Mato Lagator > via IFTTT
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Superbug strains resistant to all known antibiotics discovered by Melbourne researchers
New Post has been published on https://cialiscom.org/superbug-strains-resistant-to-all-known-antibiotics-discovered-by-melbourne-researchers.html
Superbug strains resistant to all known antibiotics discovered by Melbourne researchers
Posted September 04, 2018 09:55:46
A new superbug that is resistant to all identified antibiotics has been learned by Australian researchers, prompting renewed phone calls for hospitals to do additional to avoid the rise of untreatable bacterial infections.
Key details:
The superbug is uncovered all-around the world and some strains are resistant to antibiotics
The germs is particularly threatening to persons with low immune units or submit-surgical procedure
The inappropriate use of antibiotics has contributed to the increase of drug-resistant bacteria, according to authorities
The bug, Staphylococcus epidermidis, is a type of microorganisms typically located on human skin, but researchers a short while ago identified various strains across the globe that experienced mutated in hospitals to be resistant to just about all antibiotics.
The totally resistant strains were uncovered in Europe.
“Often it just colonises the skin,” Doherty Institute researcher Ben Howden, who was associated in the discovery, stated.
“It isn’t going to necessarily lead to infection. But in a smaller amount of men and women it can direct to a critical, invasive an infection requiring advanced therapy.”
The superbug was specially threatening to these in clinic with a weakened immune process, recovering from surgical procedure or who experienced implanted health care products.
Scientists identified the superbug right after studying examples from 78 institutions in 10 nations close to the globe, like Victorian hospitals.
“The discovery is seriously that there is this microorganisms that’s been spreading in hospitals about the world to some degree unrecognised for a selection of yrs,” Professor Howden explained.
The inappropriate prescription of antibiotics is a contributing factor to the rise of superbugs.
A person in 4 antimicrobial medicine had been inappropriately recommended in Australian hospitals and half the prescriptions given in nursing houses ended up inappropriate, in accordance to latest research by the Australian Authorities.
Professor Howden claimed hospitals necessary to do far more to keep track of and protect against the spread of the superbug.
“This is just another example of the use of antibiotics driving micro organism to turn out to be much more and additional resistant,” he said.
“We just have to be alert to the threat of these forms of superbugs and discover means to avert and treat them when they occur.”
The conclusions have been released in the journal Character Microbiology.
Subject areas:
health and fitness,
illnesses-and-conditions,
infectious-ailments-other,
health-related-research,
melbourne-3000,
vic
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GI Bleed
Intro
A Gi Bleed is the bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract, from the mouth to the rectum. When there is significant blood loss over a short time.
Diagnosis
Upper gastrointestinal bleeding is from somewhere between the pharynx and the ligament of Treitz. An upper source is known if the patient is vomiting up blood and has a tarry stool containing old blood. Many cases are due to peptic ulcer disease (gastric ulcers) and Esophageal inflammation and erosive disease are also common. People with liver cirrhosis are more susceptible to esophageal bleeds. Medications such as NSAIDs, COX-2, SSRIs, corticosteroids, and anticoagulants may also increase the risk of GI bleeds.
Lower gastrointestinal bleeding is from the colon, rectum or anus. Causes of lower gastrointestinal bleeding include hemorrhoids, cancer, angiodysplasia, ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, and aortoenteric fistula. It may be indicated by fresh red blood in stool, Isolated melena may originate from anywhere between the stomach and the proximal colon.
Prevention
People with varices or cirrhosis β-blockers reduce the risk of future bleeding. Endoscopic band ligation (EBL) is also effective. Either B-blockers or EBL are recommended as initial preventative measures. In those who have had a previous bleed both treatments are recommended. With isosorbide mononitrate. Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunting (TIPS) may be used to prevent bleeding in people who re-bleed despite other measures.
Treatment
Peptic ulcers
Crystalloid and colloids are used for peptic ulcer bleeding. Proton pump inhibitors (PPI) reduce mortality in those who are at the risk of re-bleeding and that need for surgery. Oral and intravenous formulations may also be used; however, the evidence to support this is not optimal. In those with less severe disease and where endoscopy is rapidly available, There tranexamic acid which inhibits clot breakdown. Somatostatin and octreotide, for varicial bleeding. After treatment of a high risk bleeding ulcer endoscopically giving a PPI once or a day is less expensive.
Variceal bleeding
Colloids or albumin is preferred in people with cirrhosis. Medications typically include octreotide, vasopressin, nitroglycerin to reduce portal venous pressures. This is in addition to endoscopic banding or sclerotherapy for the varices. If this is sufficient then beta blockers and nitrates may be used for the prevention of re-bleeding. If bleeding continues, balloon tamponade with a Sengstaken-Blakemore tube or Minnesota tube may be used in an attempt to mechanically compress the varices. This may then be followed by a transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt. In patients with cirrhosis, antibiotics decrease the chance of bleeding again, shorten the length of time spent in hospital, and decrease mortality. Octreotide reduces the need for blood transfusions and may decrease mortality.
Procedures
The Blakemore oesophagal balloon used for stopping esophageal bleeds if other measures have failed
Endoscopy within 24 hours is recommended, A number of endoscopic treatments may be used, including: epinephrine injection, band ligation, sclerotherapy, and fibrin glue. Prokinetic agents such as erythromycin before endocopy can decrease the amount of blood in the stomach. They also decrease the amount of blood transfusions required. Early endoscopy decreases the amount of blood transfusions needed. A second endoscopy within a day is sometimes needed. If other measures fail or are not available, esophageal balloon tamponade may be attempted.
Colonoscopy is useful for the diagnosis and treatment of lower GI bleeding. Surgery, is still commonly used to manage lower GI bleeds by cutting out the part of the intestines that is causing the problem. Angiographic embolization may be used for both upper and lower GI bleeds. Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunting (TIPS) may also be considered.
References
“Bleeding in the Digestive Tract”. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. September 17, 2014. Retrieved 6 March 2015.
Kim, BS; Li, BT; Engel, A; Samra, JS; Clarke, S; Norton, ID; Li, AE (15 November 2014). “Diagnosis of gastrointestinal bleeding: A practical guide for clinicians.”. World journal of gastrointestinal pathophysiology. 5 (4): 467–78.
Westhoff, John (March 2004). “Gastrointestinal Bleeding: An Evidence-Based ED Approach To Risk Stratification”. Emergency Medicine Practice. 6 (3).
Jairath, V; Barkun, AN (October 2011). “The overall approach to the management of upper gastrointestinal bleeding”. Gastrointestinal endoscopy clinics of North America. 21 (4): 657–70.
Cat, TB; Liu-DeRyke, X (September 2010). “Medical management of variceal hemorrhage”. Critical care nursing clinics of North America. 22 (3): 381–93. van Leerdam, ME (2008). “Epidemiology of acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding.”. Best practice & research. Clinical gastroenterology. 22 (2):
Palmer, K; Nairn, M; Guideline Development, Group (2008-10-10). “Management of acute gastrointestinal blood loss: summary of SIGN guidelines” (PDF). BMJ (Clinical research ed.).
Li, L; Yu, C; Li, Y (March 2011). “Endoscopic band ligation versus pharmacological therapy for variceal bleeding in cirrhosis: a meta-analysis”. Canadian journal of gastroenterology = Journal canadien de
Tsoi, KK; Hirai, HW; Sung, JJ (Aug 5, 2013). “Meta-analysis: comparison of oral vs. intravenous proton pump inhibitors in patients with peptic ulcer bleeding.”. Alimentary pharmacology & therapeutics. 38 (7): 721–8.
Sreedharan, A; Martin, J; Leontiadis, GI; Dorward, S; Howden, CW; Forman, D; Moayyedi, P (2010-07-07). Sreedharan, Aravamuthan, ed. “Proton pump inhibitor treatment initiated prior to endoscopic diagnosis in upper gastrointestinal bleeding”. Cochrane database of systematic reviews (Online) (7):
Bennett, C; Klingenberg, SL; Langholz, E; Gluud, LL (21 November 2014). “Tranexamic acid for upper gastrointestinal bleeding.”. The Cochrane database of systematic reviews. 11:
Sachar, H; Vaidya, K; Laine, L (November 2014). “Intermittent vs continuous proton pump inhibitor therapy for high-risk bleeding ulcers: a systematic review and meta-analysis.”. JAMA internal medicine. 174 (11): 1755–62.
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ukhypnod · 7 years
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Howden Hypnotherapy Clinics
Hypnosis is a technique that has been used in medicine for over 200 years. Franz Mesmer stumbled across a process he called Mesmerism in the 1780s. This was the precursor to the modern hypnosis in Holme Upon Spalding Moor you are interested in. What Is Hypnosis The definition of hypnosis is; the induction of a […]
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amirhkh1 · 3 years
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Vaccines for COVID-19
https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/coronavirus-disease-covid-19/vaccines.html?utm_source=sfmc&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=OMA+News+August+13+2021&utm_term=https%3a%2f%2fwww.canada.ca%2fen%2fpublic-health%2fservices%2fdiseases%2fcoronavirus-disease-covid-19%2fvaccines.html&utm_id=145621&sfmc_id=7580034 HMC
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kitchenmaker-blog · 7 years
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Good kitchen design
Featuring an oven and hob, the mini kitchen is just like a grown-up kitchen and comes with two pots and pans, utensils and a tea towel. Wooden worktops can be designed to accommodate features such as Belfast sinks, edge profiling, cut-outs for hobs, drainer grooves and shaped ends. We're having our kitchen re-modelled at the moment.
Typically Kitchens, without the right treatment, can be cold and clinical spaces, but the warmth of the beautiful oak in this Kitchen counteracts this. Price Kitchens offer a range of Wood Kitchens designed to suit all property types, with professional advice provided on the best kitchen for your needs. Specifically, wood in the kitchen is wood at work: Here it is subject to far greater use and more extreme cycles of expansion and contraction that happen with washing, and it's also often in direct contact with the very food that we eat.
Creative play is the order of the day with the Plum Cabin Kitchen - kids can have hours of imaginative fun running their very own kitchens! Howdens offers a range of solid granite worktops from stock, making it easier to achieve a premium look in your kitchen. It is also beneficial to apply as many coats as possible to the end-grain of the worktops as this is the area which will absorb the most moisture.
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amirhkh1 · 3 years
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How to book a COVID-19 vaccine appointment
How to book a COVID-19 vaccine appointment
https://covid-19.ontario.ca/book-vaccine/ HMC
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amirhkh1 · 3 years
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Clarification on WHO statement about COVID-19 vaccine interchangeability
The media has recently reported that a physician associated with the World Health Organization (WHO) suggested that the mixing of vaccines was a ‘dangerous trend’. This was not an official statement by the World Health Organization. The statement was made at a session unrelated to vaccine mixing and was taken out of context by news agencies. This quote was in relation to a question about the need…
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amirhkh1 · 3 years
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Receiving the COVID-19 Vaccine after CPVID-19 infection
Receiving the COVID-19 Vaccine after CPVID-19 infection
Peel Public Health has confirmed with the Ministry of Health Emergency Operations centre that individuals with a previous COVID-19 infection may receive their COVID-19 vaccination at any time after they have recovered as long as they have completed self-isolation and have been symptom-free for at least 24 hours. HMC
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amirhkh1 · 3 years
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COVID-19 and Maintaining Mental Health Hygiene
COVID-19 and Maintaining Mental Health Hygiene
Please look at the link added to our website to increase your resilience during tough time of COVID-19 pandemic. https://howdenmedicalclinic.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Maintaining-Mental-Health-Hygiene-1.pd HMC
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