Headlines in Health

If you've ever seen a child with pertussis, you won't forget it in a hurry! The child coughs violently, rapidly and repeatedly, over and over, until breathless. When the child is forced to inhale again, there is a loud "whooping" sound that accompanies the intake of air and gives the disease its nickname of Whooping Cough. After inspiration, the coughing may begin again. These severe coughing spells can go on for weeks. The child might turn blue from lack of air, or vomit after a coughing spell (American Academy of Pediatrics [AAP], 2010).

Pain is a complex phenomenon, encompassing physical sensations as well as emotional, spiritual and cognitive dimensions. The nurse’s role in pain management includes pain assessment, intervention, evaluation and documentation.

As healthcare professionals, we have long understood the need to report an "adverse incident" or "sentinel event" in the healthcare setting. A sentinel event, as defined by the Joint Commission is: "an unexpected occurrence, invovling death or serious physical or psychological injury, or risk thereof (Joint Commission, 2010).

Cancer of the skin is by far the most common of all cancers. Melanoma accounts for less than 5 percent of skin cancer cases but causes a large majority of skin cancer deaths, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS). Advanced melanoma can be a deadly disease. The ACS estimates that about 68,720 new melanomas were diagnosed in the United States during 2009.