Catherine Knox, Sue Lane, and Kim Pearson join Lorry for this last news roundup of 2015.

News Items

Hepatitis C Screening of Prison Inmates Would Benefit Wider Community, Be Cost-Effective

Our first story is about Hepatitis C Screening of inmates. There is much in the news about treating Hepatitis C now that some effective agents have hit the market. This item suggests that universal HCV screening of our patient population would be of benefit not only to the patient but to the general community. This is another reminder that correctional health is public health. The article notes that HCV is the leading cause of liver cancer and the most common reason for the need for a liver transplant. While 1% of the general population is infected with HCV, 17% of the prison population has the infection. Panelists discuss the challenges of implementing HCV treatment in correctional settings.

Chicken Pox Outbreak at Federal Prison in Philadelphia

This next news item is a short notation on Philly.com about a chicken pox outbreak at the federal prison in Philadelphia. The highly infection varicella virus can cause a lot of havoc in our contained environment. Panelists discuss the need to have a plan in place and everyone aware of their role in infection containment and treatment. Of particular concern is dealing with panic and anxiety during the outbreak.

FDA Approves Narcan Nasal Spray to Treat Opioid Overdose

This month the FDA approved a nasal spray delivery method for Narcan to treat opioid overdose. There has been a movement to provide first responders with the ability to administer Narcan to reverse the effects of opiate overdose but prior to this, the only approved delivery method was by injection. Panelists discuss the use of Narcan by non-health care personnel and the possibilities of officer use.

Career Regret Stronger Among Nurses Than Physicians

The Medscape Nurse Salary Survey that also asked questions about career satisfaction and found that only 48% of practicing nurses were satisfied with their career choice and less than a third would choice their practice setting again. ANA president Pamela Cipriano is quoted in the article as says we need to find ways to make nursing professionally rewarding and personally satisfying. Panelists discuss the survey and disagree with the comparison with physician responses to a similar survey.

What are your thoughts on these news items? Let us know in the comments section of this post.