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IV ibuprofen effective in reducing fever in hospitalized patients

Cumberland Pharmaceuticals Inc. today announced the publication of data affirming the safety and efficacy of Caldolor (ibuprofen) Injection in treating fever in critically ill and non-critically ill adults. Published in the peer-reviewed journal Critical Care, the study showed that IV ibuprofen was significantly more effective at reducing fever in hospitalized patients than placebo.

8 Oct 2010

VAP bundle helps eliminate hospital-acquired infection

Critically ill patients on a breathing tube are at risk not only from their injuries or diseases, but also from infections they can contract in the hospital. One of the most common infections is pneumonia from breathing tubes. A study of a new multidisciplinary protocol that has all but eliminated such infections at one hospital was reported on today at the 2010 Annual Clinical Congress of the American College of Surgeons.

7 Oct 2010

NIH grants $3.7 million to develop more accurate algorithms for tracking fetal development

Fetal growth is used as a marker of health and well-being in unborn babies as well as children. But, the tools that are currently available to differentiate between a small, healthy fetus and a fetus that is small due to pathologic causes have significant limitations. What if they were improved. Would it save the health care system resources spent monitoring women who might need medical intervention because their fetuses might just be small and healthy. Would it help some women avoid the anxiety such intervention brings.

7 Oct 2010

CASMED presents abstracts of FORE-SIGHT Absolute Oximeter technology at American Academy of Pediatrics

CAS Medical Systems, Inc. today announced that three scientific abstracts demonstrating the use of the Company's FORE-SIGHT Absolute Oximeter were presented at the annual conference of the American Academy of Pediatrics in San Francisco, CA, October 2-5, 2010.

6 Oct 2010

UCLA-led consortium receives $9.9M to compare wireless and telephone management after hospitalizations

A UCLA-led consortium of five University of California medical schools, plus Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, has received $9.9 million from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to research the use of wireless and telephone care management to reduce hospital readmissions for heart failure patients.

6 Oct 2010

Toxic free radical responsible for lung damage due to oxygen therapy

The most toxic free radical appears responsible for much of the lung damage that can result from oxygen therapy in the critically ill or injured, Medical College of Georgia researchers report.

6 Oct 2010

Study finds usage of advanced radiology in emergency department increases

From 1998 to 2007, the use of CT or MRI scans in emergency departments for injury-related conditions increased about 3-fold without a similar increase in the prevalence of the diagnosis of certain life-threatening trauma-related conditions, according to a study in the October 6 issue of JAMA.

6 Oct 2010

Covidien to showcase innovative surgical products at 96th ACS Clinical Congress

Covidien, a leading global provider of healthcare products, will preview new devices and showcase some of the Company's most innovative products at the 96th Annual Clinical Congress of the American College of Surgeons.

5 Oct 2010

Intervention program prevents smoking relapse, increases breastfeeding duration

New mothers who smoke are less likely to breastfeed. But those who quit smoking during or just prior to becoming pregnant were significantly more likely to remain smoke free and continue breastfeeding if they received support and encouragement during the first eight weeks following child birth, according to a study presented Monday, Oct. 4, at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) National Conference and Exhibition in San Francisco.

5 Oct 2010

Research on T cell may lead to new treatment options for type 1 diabetes

A research team from the University of British Columbia and the Child & Family Research Institute (CFRI) at BC Children's Hospital has identified the role of a type of T cell in type 1 diabetes that may lead to new treatment options for young patients.

5 Oct 2010

Study finds 50% increase in ATV-related brain and spinal injuries

Brain and spinal cord injuries related to all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) appear to be increasing, reports a study in the October issue of Neurosurgery, official journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading provider of information and business intelligence for students, professionals, and institutions in medicine, nursing, allied health, and pharmacy.

5 Oct 2010

Depressed pregnant women at increased risk of delivering preterm birth and low-birth weight infants

Clinical depression puts pregnant women at increased risk of delivering prematurely and of giving birth to below-normal weight infants, according to a report published Oct. 4 in the Archives of General Psychiatry.

5 Oct 2010

American Anesthesiology acquires Southeast Anesthesiology Consultants

American Anesthesiology, a subsidiary of MEDNAX, Inc., today announced the acquisition of Southeast Anesthesiology Consultants, P.A., a physician group practice that provides anesthesia care and pain management services at nine hospitals, 12 ambulatory surgery centers and 10 pain management centers principally located in the Charlotte, NC, metropolitan area.

5 Oct 2010

CT scans guidelines improve overall care for injured children

Following simple guidelines to determine when to perform follow-up CT scans on children admitted to the hospital with head injuries can lower risks, get kids home sooner, improve patient and family satisfaction and lower costs.

4 Oct 2010

Research Roundups: Racial Disparities at end of life; stopping medicine mistakes; Grand Junction, Colorado's Cost Lessons

Racial Disparities In The Outcomes Of Communication On Medical Care Received Near Death Black patients receive more life prolonging measures and less comfort-directed care at the end of life (EOL) than white patients, such as increased rates of resuscitation, intensive care unit hospitalization, and feeding tube use at the EOL, write the authors of this study that examined whether differences in patient-physician communication contribute to these differences.

4 Oct 2010

GSA urges treatment of sepsis as a medical emergency

The Global Sepsis Alliance (GSA) is urging healthcare providers, patients and policymakers worldwide to treat sepsis as a medical emergency. "Tens of millions of people die from sepsis each year, making it the likely leading cause of death worldwide. Sepsis kills regardless of age, ethnicity, location and access to care," said Konrad Reinhart, M.D., Chairman of the GSA and director of the Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, University Hospital of the Friedrich Schiller, University of Jena, Germany.

1 Oct 2010

New legislation introduced to assess critical care services in the U.S.

Yesterday, House Energy and Commerce Committee Member Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) introduced legislation to assess and critical care health services in the United States.

1 Oct 2010

Candidates who have strong religious connection have better post-transplant survival

Italian researchers report that liver transplant candidates who have a strong religious connection have better post-transplant survival. This study also finds that religiosity—regardless of cause of death—prolongs the life span of individuals who underwent liver transplantation.

1 Oct 2010

Feeding infants before examination for retinopathy of prematurity reduces stress

Premature infants are often examined for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). This exam can be quite stressful for the neonate, causing changes in heart rate, blood pressure and oxygen saturation, and increased crying. In a recent study published in the Journal of AAPOS, the Official Publication of the American Association of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus, researchers found that feeding infants one hour before the examination unexpectedly reduced stress but did not increase vomiting or gastric aspirates.

30 Sep 2010

Precautionary guidelines on flu vaccine safety for allergic children

With the flu season looming and health officials calling for across-the-board immunization, some parents may wonder just how safe the egg-based flu vaccine is for children with allergies. Pretty safe, say pediatricians from Johns Hopkins Children's Center: Even though the flu vaccine contains egg protein, most children with egg and other food allergies can be immunized safely with a few basic precautions.

30 Sep 2010