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Neurosurgeons to present techniques and discuss surgical approaches at AANS meeting

Neurosurgeons from NYU Langone Medical Center will present techniques and discuss surgical approaches and applications of technology at the annual meeting of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, held April 9-13, 2011 at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver.

11 Apr 2011

Immunization does not increase emergency room visit in children with inherited disorders

Children with inborn errors of metabolism received vaccines on the same immunization schedule as did healthy infants, according to Kaiser Permanente Vaccine Study Center scientists who examined the Kaiser Permanente Northern California population. In addition, immunization was not associated with significant increases in emergency room visits or hospitalizations during the month following vaccination, according to Nicola Klein, MD, PhD, lead author of the study and co-director of the Kaiser Permanente Vaccine Study Center.

11 Apr 2011

Childhood cancer survivors' cognitive problems linked to poor sleep and fatigue

A new analysis has found that childhood cancer survivors often suffer from sleep problems and fatigue, which negatively impact their attention and memory. Published early online in Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the study indicates that addressing sleep hygiene among survivors of childhood cancer may help to improve their cognitive health.

11 Apr 2011

New point-of-care trial can reduce cost and length of studies

Doctors at the Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System are testing a new kind of clinical trial that's not only less costly but guides doctors to switch to the best treatment even before the trial is completed.

11 Apr 2011

Merck announces interim analysis from V710 Phase II/III trial in S. aureus infection

Merck, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, and Intercell AG today announced that following a pre-specified interim analysis from the Phase II/III clinical trial evaluating V710, an investigational vaccine for the prevention of Staphylococcus aureus infection, the independent Data Monitoring Committee recommended suspension of enrollment.

11 Apr 2011

Alcohol misuse in pregnancy linked to high risk of premature birth

Drinking alcohol during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of miscarriage, premature birth, and low birth weight. But there are conflicting reports about how much alcohol, if any, it is safe for a pregnant woman to drink. New research published in Biomed Central's open access journal BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth looked at the amounts of alcohol women drank during their early pregnancy and showed the effect this had on their babies.

11 Apr 2011

Louisville Chief of Cardiovascular Medicine earns APS' Walter B. Cannon Award

Heart failure affects roughly six million Americans, yet treatment consists of either a heart transplant or the insertion of mechanical devices that assist the heart. This is unacceptable to Roberto Bolli, MD, Chief of the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine at the University of Louisville in Louisville, Ky., which is why he is on a mission to make cardiac stem cell treatment an option for all who must cope with the limitations of a failing heart.

11 Apr 2011

CRONA, Stanford and Packard Children's Hospital sign new contracts for nursing programs

Stanford Hospital & Clinics and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital announced today that they have reached new contract agreements with the Committee for Recognition of Nursing Achievement, the union which represents 2,700 of the hospitals' nurses.

11 Apr 2011

Transitional care can improve health outcomes, reduce hospital readmissions

Currently, one in five elderly patients discharged from a hospital is readmitted within a month. Seeking to address the human and substantial financial burden of revolving door hospital readmissions, the Affordable Care Act proposes a number of initiatives to improve care and health outcomes and reduce costs for the growing population of chronically ill people in the U.S. While transitional care is a central theme in these provisions, there is little information available to guide those responsible for implementing these important opportunities.

11 Apr 2011

NCI, ASH, AMEH join to improve care for patients with AML

A workshop being held today will serve as the launch of a unique project that unites the American Society of Hematology, the Agrupaci-n Mexicana para el Estudio de la Hematolog-a, and the National Cancer Institute in pursuit of a common goal: improving the care of patients with acute myeloid leukemia.

11 Apr 2011

VIGILAIR air cleaning technology greatly reduces HAI in NICU: Study

VIGILAIR Systems, an industry leader in Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation technology was instrumental in a newly published, and first of its kind hospital study that demonstrated a dramatic reduction in patient Hospital Acquired Infections with the application of VIGILAIR® air cleaning technology in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

11 Apr 2011

Doctors, nurse and midwives bear brunt of NHS cuts

The Royal College of Nursing has also warned that hospital wards are becoming unsafe as there are just not enough frontline workers to look after patients or prevent the spread of infection. There are also fears that nurses are so overworked they are unable to carry out their most basic duties of care such attending to the needs of the vulnerable elderly.

10 Apr 2011

Increased levels of plasma renin activity protein may predict major cardiovascular event in high-risk patients

Increased levels of a protein that helps regulate the body's blood pressure may also predict a major cardiovascular event in high-risk patients, according to a study led by St. Michael's Hospital's cardiovascular surgeon Subodh Verma. Measuring the amount of the protein, known as plasma renin activity (PRA), in the blood stream may give doctors another tool to assess a patient's risk and help prevent a heart attack or stroke.

8 Apr 2011

Reduction in alcohol prices increases alcohol-related mortality

Does a reduction in the price of alcohol result in an increase in deaths due to alcohol? This was the subject of a study following a significant reduction in taxes in Finland in 2004 (30% for spirits, 3% for wine).The abolition of import quotas by the EU in 2004 also made it possible to import from other member countries and this led to an increase of approximately 10% in alcohol consumption in Finland.

8 Apr 2011

McKinley Infocapital to distribute Biofield Breast Diagnostic System in Korea

Biofield Corp. announced today that its 51% owned subsidiary, Sky Unicorn Holdings Ltd., has engaged McKinley Infocapital as its exclusive distributor in Korea for its flagship product, the Biofield Breast Diagnostic System (BDS). McKinley Infocapital, an international business consulting and investment management firm, has formed MacKay Life Sciences Korea to market and promote the BDS in Korea.

8 Apr 2011

Hospital-owned practices winning over physicians

[Many doctors] are giving up ownership of their practices to become part of hospital-owned practices or larger groups with multiple specialties. ... Young doctors in particular are choosing to work for larger organizations rather than starting their own practices, they say.

8 Apr 2011

Is the U.S. prepared for a nuclear emergency?

A blunt assessment circulating among American officials says "Current capabilities can only handle a few radiation injuries at any one time." That assessment [was] prepared by the Department of Homeland Security in 2010 ...

8 Apr 2011

Research Roundup: The cost of medical errors; 'Unreasonable rate increases'

Health Affairs: The $17.1 Billion Problem: The Annual Cost Of Measurable Medical Errors - "The estimated total cost of measurable medical errors in the United States was $17.1 billion in 2008, which was 0.72 percent of the $2.391 trillion spent on health care," write the authors of this study that used an "an actuarial approach to measure the frequency and costs of measurable U.S. medical errors, identified through medical claims data."

8 Apr 2011

Despite economic challenges, Henry Ford Health System made $60 million last year

The Henry Ford Health System — the largest provider of hospital care in the region — made $60 million last calendar year in spite of a stubborn economy and increasing costs to care for poor and uninsured people, officials announced Thursday. The system's continued success — its eighth consecutive year of financial growth — has made it the largest system in southeast Michigan in revenue and in-patient volume, said Robert Riney, president and chief operating officer for the system.

8 Apr 2011

Unity receives first order for new BD Italian Tablet press

Unity Management Group, Inc. is a Health Resource Company specializing in Physician, and Hospital Practice Management, Business Services, Billing Software and Technologies, along with Pharmacy Instrumentation, Calibration, Data Acquisition, and Equipment Distribution.

8 Apr 2011