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Effect of hydrocortisone treatment modality on glycemic control in patients with septic shock

Changing how critically ill patients are treated with hydrocortisone could reduce hyperglycemia.

18 Feb 2007

Serious proliferation of multiresistant Staphylococcus in intensive care units

Multiresistant bacteria are a severe problem that costs lives at hospitals the world over. A new doctoral thesis from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden shows that the spread of disease between seriously ill patients in intensive care units is surprisingly rife.

15 Feb 2007

New hospital gowns to combat MRSA

The fight against the MRSA bug will take a step forward this week when a new-style hospital gown goes on trial at a London hospital.

11 Feb 2007

All babies in England to be screened for Medium Chain Acyl CoA Dehydrogenase Deficiency

All babies in England are to be screened for an inherited metabolic disease called Medium Chain Acyl CoA Dehydrogenase Deficiency (MCADD), within two weeks of birth, announced Health Minister, Ivan Lewis today.

7 Feb 2007

New understanding of blood pressure gene could lead to new treatments

Research by scientists at UCL (University College London) has clearly demonstrated for the first time the structure and function of a gene crucial to the regulation of blood pressure. The discovery could be important in the search for new treatments for illnesses such as heart disease, the UK's biggest killer.

5 Feb 2007

New drug to treat kidney failure during septic shock

Research from Melbourne's Howard Florey Institute and the Austin Hospital has resulted in a drug to treat kidney failure during septic shock, which will be trialled at the Austin Hospital from mid-2007.

29 Jan 2007

Early feeding could help reduce liver dysfunction in critically ill patients

Changing the way that critically ill patients suffering from sepsis or multiple organ failure are fed could reduce liver dysfunction.

25 Jan 2007

76th H5N1 case confirmed in Indonesia

The Ministry of Health in Indonesia has confirmed an additional two cases of human infection with the H5N1 avian influenza virus.

9 Jan 2007

Common-sense measures to stop ICU infections

Hospitals will quickly slash the rate of common, costly and potentially lethal catheter-related bloodstream infections in their intensive care units (ICUs) by using cheap, low-tech, common-sense measures like hand washing, timely removal of unneeded catheters, and use of sites other than the groin to place lines when possible, according to a report from safety experts at Johns Hopkins in the New England Journal of Medicine.

2 Jan 2007

New technology tracks down intensive care cots for babies

Doctors in Britain will soon be able to use new technology to quickly find intensive care cots for premature or sick babies.

29 Nov 2006

Hospitals taking steps to limit ED patient 'boarding'

The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday examined how a "growing number of hospitals are taking steps" to limit the practice of "boarding," in which hospitals admit emergency department patients when no rooms are available and leave them in hallways for extended periods of time.

19 Oct 2006

Abuse of caffeine pills can land you in intensive care

The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) says many young Americans are ending up in hospital because of an abuse of caffeine medications.

17 Oct 2006

Incidence of kidney damage associated with coronary artery bypass surgery has increased significantly

The incidence of kidney damage associated with coronary artery bypass surgery has increased significantly over the past 16 years in the United States, but the rate of death from such damage has decreased significantly during the period, according to a new analysis.

16 Oct 2006

Thai temple providing HIV/AIDS services becomes overcrowded as people live longer with disease

A temple in Thailand that offers medical care and shelter for HIV-positive people is becoming "overcrowded by the living," as antiretroviral drugs provided by the government are enabling people to live longer with the disease, the International Herald Tribune reports.

16 Oct 2006

Dangers of drinking raw milk

Four children in California have found out that drinking milk may not always be such a healthy option.

25 Sep 2006

Low birth weights lower quality of life

Babies with very low birth weights tend to have a much lower quality of life when they are three or four years old, according to a study published in the latest issue of the UK-based Journal of Advanced Nursing.

21 Sep 2006

Unpleasant memories from intensive care

"Being cared for in an intensive care unit (ICU) can never be an especially positive experience. But at any rate it should not mean that the care improves the patient's physical condition only to leave him or her with severe mental problems!"

20 Sep 2006

Mexico's health system reforms working

Julio Frenk, Minister of Health of Mexico, outlines the results of the country's 6-year project of health system reform in a Public Health article in this week's issue of The Lancet.

7 Sep 2006

Another set of conjoined twins undergo lengthy separation surgery

In what is expected to be a long and lengthy operation, four-month-old conjoined twin boys have embarked on separation surgery in a hospital in Washington.

6 Sep 2006

Endovascular repair of thoracic and abdominal aortic diseases as an alternative to open surgery in patients at high surgical risk

World Congress of Cardiology Report - Acute aortic syndromes, such as large thoracic and abdominal aortic aneurysms with impending rupture, complicated acute type B dissections, traumatic rupture of thoracic aorta, still represent life-threatening conditions.

5 Sep 2006