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AACN Practice Alert outlines evidence-based protocols related to bathing adult patients

The long-held tradition of using a basin, soap and water to bathe bed-bound hospitalized patients is no longer the recommended standard of practice, according to the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses.

19 Apr 2013

Excess glutamate drives schizophrenia in high-risk individuals

An excess of the brain neurotransmitter glutamate may cause a transition to psychosis in people who are at risk for schizophrenia, reports a study from investigators at Columbia University Medical Center published in the current issue of Neuron.

19 Apr 2013

Parents tend to share more bacteria with their dogs than their children

As much as dog owners love their children, they tend to share more of themselves, at least in terms of bacteria, with their canine cohorts rather than their kids.

18 Apr 2013

Low bowel cancer survival in the UK likely to be due to differences in staging and treatment

Incomplete diagnostic investigation and failure to get the best treatment are the most likely reasons why survival for bowel cancer patients is lower in the UK than in other comparable countries, according to new research published in the journal Acta Oncologica.

17 Apr 2013

Survival rate for bowel cancer patients lower in UK, new research finds

17 Apr 2013

Viewpoints: 9 'brilliant legal minds' wrestle with tough biological questions in gene case; Drug overdoses take surprising toll in Calif.; VA case raises privacy questions

When the Supreme Court took up the question Monday of whether genes could be patented, the justices were clearly concerned about preserving innovation in medicine and biotechnology. But the issue presented by Myriad Genetics' patents on the BRCA genes cuts both ways, leading to a potential split among the justices (Jon Healey, 4/15).

17 Apr 2013

Global commitment needed for polio eradication

"I have spent my career seeking to understand and tackling deadly viruses, from ebola to HIV. But polio stands out because, unlike these diseases, we already hold the key to its eradication: effective vaccines," Peter Piot, director and professor of global health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, writes in The Guardian's "Poverty Matters" blog.

15 Apr 2013

Blog features guest posts discussing Rally for Medical Research

The Global Health Technologies Coalition's "Breakthroughs" blog this week featured three guest posts addressing this week's Rally for Medical Research in Washington, D.C.

15 Apr 2013

Experts launch new strategy to eradicate polio by 2018

Hundreds of scientists, doctors and other experts from around the world launched the Scientific Declaration on Polio Eradication today, declaring that an end to the paralyzing disease is achievable and endorsing a comprehensive new strategy to secure a lasting polio-free world by 2018.

12 Apr 2013

Study reveals new method to restore grip function in people with tetraplegia

A new method in which a number of operations are performed simultaneously can provide people with tetraplegia with a better grip function and the ability to open their hand. This method also shortens the patient's rehabilitation period by at least three months, reveals a doctoral thesis from the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

11 Apr 2013

APIC develops infection prevention guidelines for EMS providers

In an effort to keep Emergency Medical Services system responders—and the patients they care for—safe and healthy, the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology has developed a free, downloadable Guide to Infection Prevention in Emergency Medical Services.

11 Apr 2013

Older people satisfied with healthcare, new research finds

New research on patients' experiences of health services and how these relate to their expectations and satisfaction, published by the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, reveals that older people have higher expectations of their care and that they believe that their expectations are being met.

9 Apr 2013

Increasing number of hours of sleep may reduce prevalence of adolescent obesity

Increasing the number of hours of sleep adolescents get each night may reduce the prevalence of adolescent obesity, according to a new study by researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

9 Apr 2013

Being overweight in young adulthood may increase risks of kidney disease in older age

Being overweight starting in young adulthood may significantly increase individuals' risks of developing kidney disease by the time they become seniors, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.

5 Apr 2013

Schizophrenia patients experiencing relapse are more likely to develop UTIs

Schizophrenia patients experiencing relapse are 29 times more likely than healthy individuals to have a urinary tract infection, researchers report.

4 Apr 2013

Study: Two-thirds of asthmatics also have allergy

Asthma is becoming an epidemic in the United States. The number of Americans diagnosed with asthma grows annually, with 26 million currently affected. And according to a new study, nearly two-thirds or more of all asthmatics also have an allergy, which can make this spring season particularly bothersome.

2 Apr 2013

Post-disinfection clips retain aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, says study

Researchers at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine and the Forsyth Institute published a study today that found that a significant proportion of dental bib clips harbored bacteria from the patient, dental clinician and the environment even after the clips had undergone standard disinfection procedures in a hygiene clinic.

2 Apr 2013

New research discovery in mosquitoes could lead to possible tools for controlling malaria

A surprising research discovery in mosquitoes could affect future prospects for malaria control. A team of scientists from West Africa, the United States and the United Kingdom found that the mosquito, Anopheles gambiae, which was thought to be splitting into two completely new species, may actually have a more complex range of forms due to frequent inter-mating.

2 Apr 2013

Blog reports on Annual World Water Day Congressional Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill

"On March 20, 2013, the Global Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases participated in the 4th Annual World Water Day Congressional Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.," the organization's "End the Neglect" blog reports.

28 Mar 2013

Rethinking sanitation systems on World Water Day

"In 1993 the United Nations General Assembly declared 22 March as World Day for Water, and people have embraced the entire week in an attempt to shine the spotlight on the global water issues," Carl Hensman, a program officer in the water, sanitation, and hygiene program at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, writes in the foundation's "Impatient Optimists" blog.

26 Mar 2013