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Intensive insulin therapy may be harmful to the critically ill

Doubt has been cast over the current practice of administering intensive insulin therapy to all critically ill patients, according to a study published this week in the open access journal Critical Care. In certain groups of patients it could even be harmful.

1 Mar 2008

Genetic factors in smoking also increase risk of chronic bronchitis

Smoking is a known risk factor for respiratory diseases like chronic bronchitis, but genes also play a significant role in its development, according to researchers in Sweden, who studied more than 40,000 Swedish twins to determine the extent to which behavior, environment and genes each play a role ion the development of chronic bronchitis.

1 Mar 2008

Vitamin supplements for lung cancer

Vitamin supplements do not protect against lung cancer, according to a study of more than 77,000 vitamin users.

1 Mar 2008

Potential target to treat deadly bloodstream infections

Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago have discovered a possible target to treat bloodstream bacterial infections.

28 Feb 2008

URMC cardiac team celebrates 100th heart transplant

The Program in Heart Failure and Transplantation at the University of Rochester Medical Center has reached a milestone, performing its 100th cardiac transplant surgery.

27 Feb 2008

ICU nurses require training to spot delirium

ICU nurses are poor at spotting delirious patients in their care according to previous research, but a simple educational programme could soon remedy this serious failing.

21 Feb 2008

Using HEPA filters may improve cardiovascular health

One day doctors may recommend using high efficiency particle air (HEPA) filters along with weight loss, smoking cessation, and exercise to improve cardiovascular health, according to researchers in Denmark.

18 Feb 2008

New blood test six times more effective for tuberculosis control

In a landmark study electronically published today in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, a blood test for detecting TB infection, QuantiFERON(R)-TB Gold (QFT), has been shown to be six times more accurate than the conventional tuberculin skin test (TST) at predicting which tuberculosis (TB)-exposed individuals will go on to develop TB disease.

18 Feb 2008

Additional similarities found between nicotine and opiate addiction

"That was good!" "Do it again."This is what the brain says when people use tobacco, as well as 'hard drugs' such as heroin.

14 Feb 2008

Warning about deaths and serious reactions linked to blood thinning drug heparin

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States says the production of a popular blood thinning drug has been halted temporarily after more than 300 reports of health problems associated with the drug.

13 Feb 2008

New findings show additional similarity between opiate and nicotine addiction

"That was good!" "Do it again." This is what the brain says when people use tobacco, as well as ‘hard drugs' such as heroin.

13 Feb 2008

$1-year results of bronchial thermoplasty in refractory asthma$

1-year results of bronchial thermoplasty in refractory asthma

Asthmatx, Inc. has announced the publication of data from the Research in Severe Asthma (RISA) Trial of bronchial thermoplasty in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine (AJRCCM, 2007; 176:1185-1191).

12 Feb 2008

Staging mock cardiac and respiratory arrests expose weaknesses in hospital emergency response for children

Staging mock cardiac and respiratory arrests - "code" situations in hospital parlance - easily expose common failures in rapid response with CPR and other life-saving care for children and also set up powerful incentives to sharpen emergency skills and move fast to use them, suggests a study from the Johns Hopkins Children's Center.

11 Feb 2008