Intensive Care News and Research

RSS

'Iceman' influences autonomic nervous system and immune response

At the Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, professor of experimental intensive care medicine dr. Peter Pickkers and his team have performed research on "Iceman" Wim Hof. Hof claims that he can influence his autonomic nervous system and immune response through concentration and meditation.

22 Apr 2011

Ratcliff expands John Muir Medical Center to deliver high-quality patient care

Ratcliff, the San Francisco Bay Area-based architecture, planning and interiors firm, announces the completion of The Tom and Billie Long Patient Care Tower, centerpiece of a $612 million expansion of John Muir Medical Center, Walnut Creek, California.

22 Apr 2011

Survey: Fewer U.S. seniors dying in hospitals

Meanwhile, The Seattle Times reports on an effort in Washington state to "clamp down" on unregulated elder-care referral businesses that promise to help families make arrangements for long-term care for aging relatives.

21 Apr 2011

NEJM features pulse oximetry training video

A pulse oximetry training video produced by Rafael Ortega, MD, the vice-chair of academic affairs for the department of anesthesiology at Boston Medical Center (BMC) and professor of anesthesiology at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM), and his colleagues is featured in this week's New England Journal of Medicine.

21 Apr 2011

KCMC uses Toshiba's diagnostic imaging systems to treat pediatric patients

As one of the leading pediatric centers in the United States, Kosair Children's Medical Center (KCMC) treats pediatric patients with conditions ranging from congenital heart disease to abdominal pain, to emergency trauma to juvenile diabetes and pediatric cancer.

20 Apr 2011

Cognitive behavior therapy eases depressive symptoms, improves cardiovascular health in diabetics

Frequently, depression and diabetes go hand in hand. And depression can be a major obstacle for people living with diabetes, making it less likely they'll stick to a medicine schedule or exercise regimen.

20 Apr 2011

Commonly used strategy has no effect in reducing MRSA, VRE in hospital ICUs

A new research study of the effect of a commonly used strategy to reduce the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in hospital intensive care units shows that the strategy had no significant effect. That's the surprising finding of a multisite study led by Mayo Clinic investigators.

19 Apr 2011

New biomarker-based test more effective for early acute kidney injury detection

A new biomarker-based diagnostic test is more effective than the current best practice for early detection of adverse outcomes after acute kidney injury, which can be fatal for an estimated 50 percent of the critically ill patients who get the condition.

19 Apr 2011

Forehead scanning comparable to under arm temperature readings in newborns

Measuring the body temperatures of newborns with temporal artery thermometry (forehead scanning) provides readings comparable to results obtained by axillary (under arm) thermometry, the clinically recommended method for this patient population, but causes less discomfort, according to a new study reported in Advances in Neonatal Care.

18 Apr 2011

New in vitro study results show that wound dressing with ionic silver kills strains of highly-resistant bacteria

ConvaTec, a world-leading developer and marketer of innovative medical technologies for community and hospital care, today announced new in vitro study results showing that a wound dressing containing ionic silver is able to kill several strains of highly-resistant bacteria, commonly referred to as 'superbugs.'

16 Apr 2011

Hospital patients with AUDs are at increased risk of developing HAIs: Study

Hospital patients with alcohol use disorders are at an increased risk of developing healthcare-associated infections, which affect 1.7 million patients annually in the United States. HAIs are infections that patients acquire during their hospitalization and that were not present at the time of admission to the hospital.

16 Apr 2011

Mandatory single embryo transfers for IVF may decrease risk and cost

The number of couples struggling with infertility is on the rise, and these couples often use assisted reproductive technologies, like in vitro fertilization (IVF), to get pregnant. Although IVF can be successful, it can also increase the risk of multiple pregnancies, which are often caused by transferring more than one embryo. Twins and triplets are likely to be born prematurely, and, as a result, many have medical complications.

15 Apr 2011

Study finds difference in intensive care services in the U.K. and U.S.

Patients who receive intensive care services are very different in the United States than in the United Kingdom, according to a new study that compared admission and mortality statistics from ICUs in each country.

15 Apr 2011

High rates of induction, C-section do not improve infant outcomes in low-risk women

In low-risk pregnant women, high induction and first-cesarean delivery rates do not lead to improved outcomes for newborns, according to new research published in the April issue of The Journal of Maternal-Fetal and Neonatal Medicine.

15 Apr 2011

Scientists develop new test for premature babies

Scientists at Queen's University Belfast have pioneered a new needle-free test to take the sting out of medicine testing in premature babies. The research will not only lead to greater accuracy in prescribing, but will also significantly reduce the trauma of such tests for newborn infants and their families.

15 Apr 2011

Klotho hormone can protect kidney from renal fibrosis

A natural hormone known to inhibit aging can also protect kidneys against renal fibrosis, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have demonstrated.

15 Apr 2011

Study shows neutralizing antibodies to C5a protein may prevent heart failure

New research published online in The FASEB Journal details research in rats and mice that offers hope for stopping the devastating, and often fatal, effects of sepsis in humans. In the study, University of Michigan researchers show how neutralizing the effects of a key protein fragment, called C5a, used by the immune system to attract white blood cells may ultimately prevent heart failure.

12 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

Survivors of severe critical illness requiring intensive care do not regain physical or psychological health

A unique and richly detailed long-term study of survivors of severe critical illness requiring intensive care found that even those who were previously healthy, young and working did not regain the physical or psychological health they had before their illness.

8 Apr 2011

Current 'metrics' don't paint clear picture of health care quality

With a push to make hospitals and doctors more accountable for health care quality, more attention must be paid to the accuracy and reliability of measures used to evaluate caregivers, says a prominent Johns Hopkins patient safety expert.

8 Apr 2011