From the ANA Smartbrief--Interesting Articles

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Chocolate is linked to lower heart disease risk, study shows
An analysis in the British Medical Journal of seven studies that included 100,000 people found the highest levels of chocolate consumption were tied to a 37% lower risk of cardiovascular disease and a 29% lower risk of stroke compared with the lowest levels of consumption. However, the data did not differentiate between dark or milk chocolate, and any benefits could be outweighed by the high fat and sugar content of the candy, the researchers said at the European Society of Cardiology meeting. Reuters (8/29)


ANA formally recognizes emergency nursing scope, standards
The ANA has formally recognized emergency nursing as a specialty and has accepted the field's scope and standards of practice, as defined by the Emergency Nurses Association. "The criteria for attaining specialty status are rigorous, so the recognition of emergency nursing as a specialty is a significant achievement," said ANA President Karen Daley. Nurse.com (8/23)


Calif. hospitals reduce HAIs, saving an estimated 800 lives
Midway through a three-year initiative to reduce hospital-acquired infections at 160 California hospitals, officials say ventilator-associated pneumonia cases are down 41%, catheter-related urinary tract infections fell 24% last year and blood poisoning dropped 11%, saving $11 million overall. Some 800 lives have been saved because of the program, and hospital leaders say the strategy for success is simply adhering to basic staff and patient hygiene protocols, eliminating unnecessary procedures, using safety checklists, and documenting each step. Los Angeles Times (8/23)


T3 program keeps chronically ill homeless out of ED
The Sacramento clinic called the Effort partnered with Sutter Medical Center to create the T3 program - standing for triage, transport and treatment - which gives homeless people with nonemergency or chronic disease a place to stay and receive treatment so they do not end up in a hospital emergency department. By helping patients like Steven Macko, who has Crohn's disease, manage their illnesses, the T3 program has reduced ED visits at Sutter by 65% and saved $2.3 million in costs, becoming a model for other health care facilities to follow. HealthyCal.org (8/23)


Study finds few emergencies in requests for follow-up care at ED
A study of 6,675 trauma patients treated at the Johns Hopkins Hospital found that almost 90% of those who returned for follow-up care at the emergency department didn't qualify for readmission, suggesting their needs could have been addressed at outpatient clinics. Reporting in the Annals of Emergency Medicine, researchers said the odds of unnecessary visits to EDs were 60% higher among Medicaid- or Medicare-insured and uninsured patients compared with privately insured patients. HealthDay News (8/29)