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Methylphenidate drug may induce arousal from general anesthesia

Administration of the commonly used stimulant drug methylphenidate (Ritalin) was able to speed recovery from general anesthesia in an animal study conducted at Massachusetts General Hospital.

22 Sep 2011

OptiScan's new bedside glucose monitoring system receives European CE Mark

OptiScan Biomedical Corporation, a developer of innovative continuous glucose monitoring systems for use in intensive care units (ICU), today announced that the company's OptiScanner Automatic Bedside Glucose Monitoring System has received CE Mark certification for use in the European Union.

19 Sep 2011

Estrogen therapy can reverse progression of pulmonary hypertension

UCLA researchers have found that the hormone estrogen may help reverse advanced pulmonary hypertension, a rare and serious condition that affects 2 to 3 million individuals in the U.S., mostly women, and can lead to heart failure.

16 Sep 2011

New Johns Hopkins building with healing environment can improve patients' state of mind

Most HGTV fans will agree that good design can improve one's state of mind. Designers at The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore also believe it can help patients heal, which is why its new 1.6 million square-foot patient care building, scheduled to open in April 2012, features an elegant design with peace and quiet for patients as a priority.

15 Sep 2011

Consensus panel calls for specialized nutrition therapy to manage obesity

A newly published consensus report prepared by a panel of clinical experts, with sponsorship from Nestle Health Science, reveals that there are opportunities to do more to manage the impact of obesity on the delivery of critical care, particularly in the area of nutrition therapy.

15 Sep 2011

Scientist granted over $138,000 to explore Vitamin C therapy in sepsis

Sepsis kills more people than breast, colorectal, pancreatic, and prostate cancers combined. Outside of coronary care units, it is the leading cause of mortality in intensive care units. Every year 18 million people worldwide develop this potentially fatal disease. Thanks to a generous grant of $138,238.65 from the Jesse and Julie Rasch Foundation, Lawson Health Research Institute's Dr. Michael Sharpe is exploring a new sepsis therapy using Vitamin C.

15 Sep 2011

More pediatric subspecialists entering private practice could mean fewer at academic centers

An increasing number of pediatric subspecialists are entering private practice, a trend that could mean a smaller proportion working at academic centers, conducting research, teaching or advancing specialty care, a University of Michigan study finds.

13 Sep 2011

Study identifies genes never before linked to antibiotic resistance in enterococci

An analysis of the genome of a superbug has yielded crucial, novel information that could aid efforts to counteract the bacterium's resistance to an antibiotic of last resort.

9 Sep 2011

ATS issues guidelines on use of FENO in different clinical settings

The American Thoracic Society has issued the first-ever guidelines on the use of fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FENO) that address when to use FENO and how to interpret FENO levels in different clinical settings.

3 Sep 2011

ConversePoint plans to develop, commercialize next generation clinician communications

ConversePoint, a privately owned company based in Chicago, has announced its plans to develop and commercialize a communications platform for the healthcare industry that will significantly save clinicians time, hospitals millions in productivity costs and improve accountability measurements for critical events per the Joint Commission's National Patient Safety Goals along with the license of key Qualcomm technology.

29 Aug 2011

Azithromycin can help reduce wheezing, other acute symptoms of COPD

A common antibiotic can help reduce the severe wheezing and other acute symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, according to a large, multicenter clinical trial sponsored by the National Institutes of Health and conducted at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).

29 Aug 2011

Babies, toddlers with congenital heart disease more likely to have harmful toxins after surgery

Babies and toddlers with congenital heart disease are at an increased risk of having harmful toxins in their blood, particularly following surgery, according to research by a team at Imperial College London.

26 Aug 2011

Study: Temporary ER staff more likely to be involved in medication errors

Temporary staff members working in a hospital's fast-paced emergency department are twice as likely as permanent employees to be involved in medication errors that harm patients, new Johns Hopkins research suggests.

26 Aug 2011

Longer looks: Who is influencing health care?; Planned Parenthood's battle in the states; Oregon's new experiment

Right-wing radio host Rush Limbaugh once vowed to flee to Costa Rica if President Barack Obama's health care reforms took effect. Limbaugh might have overlooked a couple of critical details: Costa Rica's respected universal healthcare system is highly socialized. It's also on the verge of going broke. ... Costa Rica's broad coverage ranked better than most of the Americas, including the United States, in a 2000 World Health Organization index.

26 Aug 2011

Saudi Arabian medical products distributor enters agreement with NMI

Nano Mask, Inc. (NMI), a healthcare product development and distribution company focused on emergency and critical care as well as infection control markets, has announced that it has entered into a distribution agreement with a Saudi Arabia-based medical products distributor which will represent NMI's product line on an exclusive basis to: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Egypt, Morocco, Oman, Algeria, Qatar, Jordan, Bahrain, Sudan, Yemen Lebanon, Yemen and Tunisia.

26 Aug 2011

Temporary ER staff poses increased safety risk to patients

Temporary staff members working in a hospital’s fast-paced emergency department are twice as likely as permanent employees to be involved in medication errors that harm patients, new Johns Hopkins research suggests.

25 Aug 2011

New benchmarks may highlight opportunities for care improvement in the ICUs

New nationwide benchmarks representing current critical care practices for ICUs may highlight opportunities for care improvement.

25 Aug 2011

Azithromycin can effectively reduce acute COPD exacerbations

A common antibiotic added to the usual treatment plan for some patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease can reduce acute exacerbations — sudden onsets of worsened cough, wheezing and labored breathing — and improve quality of life, according to findings from the COPD Clinical Research Network reported in the Aug. 25, 2011, issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

25 Aug 2011

IARS launches $750,000 anesthesia research grant

The International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS) launched a $750,000 research grant today - the largest single grant offered by the Society in its 90 year history. The Frontiers in Anesthesia Research Award, created in 1995, has traditionally been a $500,000 grant.

24 Aug 2011

Quality improvement program for preventing infections helps hospitals save lives and money

A quality improvement program that saves lives by dramatically reducing potentially lethal bloodstream infections in hospital intensive-care units across the state of Michigan also saves those hospitals an average of $1.1 million a year, new Johns Hopkins research suggests.

24 Aug 2011