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Physical therapy in ICU can reduce hospital stays

The results of the first study to show the effectiveness of early physical therapy in a medical intensive care unit (ICU) were presented by a researcher from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center at the national meeting of the American College of Chest Physicians in Chicago.

24 Oct 2007

Pulse cooximeters help doctors determine patients' smoking status

Pulse cooximeters have long been used to identify and measure the levels of carbon monoxide (CO) in the blood of patients or firefighters.

22 Oct 2007

Study looks at sepsis and purpura in children

While survival rates for sepsis have increased over the past two decades, children under four and those in adolescence remain highly susceptible to the condition.

18 Oct 2007

Study looks at inhaled corticosteroid use post 9/11 in NYC firefighters

Inhaled corticosteroids (ICS), anti-inflammatory treatments often prescribed for asthma, may be beneficial in preventing respiratory illness, according to a new study.

18 Oct 2007

Infrared imaging for sleep apnea diagnosis shows promise

Sleep apnea is commonly diagnosed by way of measuring airflow by nasal pressure, temperature, and/or carbon dioxide, through sensors placed in the nose.

18 Oct 2007

Counting during anesthetic injection lessens pain

Patients who counted aloud during the injection of an intravenous anesthetic experienced and recalled less pain, according to new research by anesthesiologists in Japan.

16 Oct 2007

Statins appear to preserve lung function

Statins are known to be good for lowering cholesterol and maybe even fighting dementia, and now they have another reported benefit: they appear to slow decline in lung function in the elderly - even in those who smoke.

15 Oct 2007

COPD more common place in China that originally thought

In China, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in people over the age of 40 is much more prevalent than previously thought, according to researchers in Guangdong.

15 Oct 2007

Household spray cleaners bad for the health

A new study has found that some sprays which are used to clean the home are bad for the health and may cause asthma in some people.

15 Oct 2007

Default options for medicine, healthcare

Anyone who has ever tried to set up an internet account or wants to make a purchase on a company's website, has experienced the ‘default option,' an event or condition that will be set in place if no alternative is actively chosen.

3 Oct 2007

Hearts are experts at self-preservation

Bristol researchers have identified a heart protection mechanism in mice that surgeons and cardiologists may be able to exploit to improve treatments for patients in future.

1 Oct 2007

Ostructive sleep apnea and continuous positive airway pressure

Researchers in Brazil have found that treating patients who suffer from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) dramatically reduces early indications of atherosclerosis in just months, linking OSA directly to the hardening or narrowing of the arteries.

29 Sep 2007

Bad neighborhoods and lack of family support may worsen asthma in children and adolescents

A lack of family support and problems in one's neighborhood are associated with greater asthma symptoms in children and adolescents, according to researchers in Vancouver, Canada.

29 Sep 2007

Acute lung injury patients one-third less likely to die in 'closed' model ICUs

Patients with acute lung injury (ALI) are nearly one-third less likely to die if they are treated at ICUs that require board-certified critical care physicians to oversee patient care, as compared to patients treated at ICUs that allow any attending physician to oversee admission and case management.

29 Sep 2007

New guidelines for cardiac testing and treatments

People with heart disease should take special precautions before undergoing any kind of surgery, even noncardiac surgery, to reduce their risk of a cardiac event, according to new joint guidelines from the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association.

27 Sep 2007