New drugs….new hope!!

Several new treatment options for chronic illnesses have received FDA approval in the last few months. Among them are two biologic agents administered intravenously for chronic refractory gout in adults (September 2010)  and the other is for Lupus, a serious autoimmune disorder (March 2011). Krystexxa (pegloticase) has been approved by the FDA  for patients with…

Terms of Confusion..

Over the years, I’ve noticed certain terms often misused and misunderstood by nurses which can lead to false assumptions, misinterpretations and yes, confusion.  Here’s some of those terms: Standards of Care Standards of Practice Policies and Procedures Practice Guidelines Protocols Often I hear these terms used interchangeably. To help clear up the confusion, let’s define…

“Older…but not Wiser! “

As a little girl, I often heard my mother say … “You’ll be wiser when you’re older”. At that time, I thought older adults were totally cool folks. They were wise, acted, talked and behaved like they knew it all!! I couldn’t wait to become like them.  As an RN, I had the same thoughts…

FDA Alerts/Recall: Several infusion related products

In the past weeks, there have several FDA alerts and recall notices related to products used in infusion therapy. Here are some of the products. Class I Recall: CareFusion Corporation, Alaris PC Units (Model 8015) Reason for Recall: Under certain wireless network conditions, a communication error can occur, which freezes the PC Unit screen. This…