Nursing supervisors continue to lead climb up the ladder

Modern Healthcare's third annual survey shows that raises for nursing supervisors continued to outpace raises for staff positions last year. However, those raises varied by region, presumably reflecting regional differences in the severity of the recession and local personnel shortages. The survey also showed that many hospitals have added salary levels, called clinical ladders, to compensate experienced bedside nurses.

Staff cross-training caught in cross fire

Saying the healthcare industry no longer can afford turf battles over which professionals will perform which patient-care duties--such as a recent skirmish in California concerning the role of perfusionists--a growing number of hospital executives are moving away from specialized staff and are cross-training workers in multiple skills. Advocates say it will relieve persistent labor shortages and save money, but foes say cross-training will only harm quality and increase costs.

The effects on anterior pituitary hormone secretion of salmon calcitonin in healthy volunteers

The reports of the effect of calcitonin on pituitary function are confusing and often refer to uncontrolled studies. We have now carried out a double-blind placebo-controlled trial of intravenous and subcutaneous salmon calcitonin on anterior pituitary function in 17 healthy volunteers. Visual analogue scores for the nausea and vomiting seen after salmon calcitonin correlated with the rise in ACTH and, secondarily, cortisol. Calcitonin had no effect on growth hormone, prolactin, thyrotrophin, luteinizing hormone or follicle stimulating hormone. It is concluded that the stimulation of ACTH secretion following a single dose of salmon calcitonin is probably the result of the stress of nausea rather than a direct effect on the pituitary.

Hospital groups turning to advertorial campaigns to improve public image

The hospital industry is taking an unusual approach to improving a public image tarnished by such issues as certificate-of-need battles and calls to justify not-for-profit tax-exempt status. The advertorial campaigns seek to express the hospital industry's views on health issues and to educate the public about hospitals' community contributions.

Development of hypoparathyroidism after excision of laryngeal rhabdomyosarcoma in a dog

An uncommon neoplasm of the larynx, rhabdomyosarcoma, was diagnosed in a 6-year-old 14-kg neutered female Spitz. In addition to the progressive onset of expected clinical signs of the tumor (exercise intolerance, respiratory stridor, inability to bark), the dog experienced hyperthermic crisis. Laryngectomy was successful in eradicating the local neoplastic tissue; however, unusual postoperative complications developed and included acute complications of pharyngotracheal fistula and hypoparathyroidism, and long-term complications of periodic collapse of the tracheal stoma and intolerance to heat. Probable causes and successful management of these complications are described. At 22 months after laryngectomy, the dog was admitted for a solitary hepatic metastasis. While hospitalized, the dog died of apparent asphyxiation attributable to stoma collapse.