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Alternative to allergy shots is in the works
A new alternative to allergy shots, studied by doctors at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh, could become available soon to allergy sufferers. Patients can take under-the-tongue tablets at home as they would with any kind of medication, eliminating the need for months of weekly visits to the doctor's office for injections. It's an exciting development because allergies affect so many people, Dr. David Skoner told WTAE-TV. A Phase III clinical trial, the results of which were presented at the recent 2013 meeting of the American Academy of Asthma, Allergy and Immunology, found that drops are safe and effective for people suffering from ragweed allergies. Approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is the next step.
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CGH receives American Heart Association's Get With The Guidelines-Heart Failure Silver Plus Quality Achievement Award
Monday, November 12th, 2012
Canonsburg, Pa., (November 12, 2012) – Canonsburg General Hospital (CGH) has received the Get With The Guidelines®–Heart Failure Silver Plus Quality Achievement Award from the American Heart Association. The recognition signifies that CGH has reached an exceptional goal of treating heart failure patients according to the guidelines of care recommended by the American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology.
Get With The Guidelines–Heart Failure helps CGH’s staff develop and implement acute and secondary prevention guideline processes to improve patient care and outcomes. The program provides hospitals with a web-based patient management tool, best practice discharge protocols and standing orders, along with a robust registry and real-time benchmarking capabilities to track performance.
The quick and efficient use of guideline procedures can improve the quality of care for heart failure patients, save lives and ultimately, reduce healthcare costs by lowering the recurrence of heart attacks.
“Recent studies show that patients treated in hospitals participating in the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines-Heart Failure program receive a higher quality of care and may experience better outcomes,” said Lee H. Schwamm, M.D., chair of the Get With The Guidelines National Steering Committee and director of the TeleStroke and Acute Stroke Services at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, Mass. “Canonsburg General Hospital’s team is to be commended for their commitment to improving the care of their patients.”
Following Get With The Guidelines–Heart Failure treatment guidelines, heart failure patients are started on aggressive risk-reduction therapies if needed, including cholesterol-lowering drugs, beta-blockers, ACE inhibitors, aspirin, diuretics and anticoagulants while in the hospital. Before discharge, they also receive education on managing their heart failure and overall health, including lifestyle modifications and follow-up care. Hospitals must adhere to these measures at a set level for a designated period of time to be eligible for the achievement awards.
“Canonsburg General Hospital is dedicated to making our care for heart failure patients among the best in the country. The American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines–Heart Failure program helps us to accomplish this goal,” said president and CEO Terry Wiltrout. “This recognition demonstrates that we are on the right track and we’re very proud of our team.”
According to the American Heart Association, about 5.7 million people suffer from heart failure. Statistics also show that, each year, 670,000 new cases are diagnosed and more than 277,000 people will die of heart failure. However, many heart failure patients can lead a full, enjoyable life when their condition is managed with proper medications and devices and with healthy lifestyle changes.
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About Get With The Guidelines
Get With The Guidelines® is the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s hospital-based quality improvement program that empowers healthcare teams to save lives and reduce healthcare costs by helping hospitals follow evidence-based guidelines and recommendations. For more information, visit heart.org/quality.
