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Early administration of corticosteroids reduces ED stay for children with asthma

Children with moderate or severe asthma attacks who are treated with systemic corticosteroids during the first 75 minutes of triage in the Emergency Department (ED) were 16% less likely to be admitted to hospital.

5 Apr 2012

Rise in child asthma deaths concerning

Parents and carers of children with asthma are being urged to take the condition more seriously as new data reveals asthma-related deaths among under 15 year olds have more than doubled since 2006.

5 Apr 2012

No cancer risk with metal on metal hip replacements: Study

Cancer risk was just one of the fears linked to the implants. Regulators have already called for them to be monitored closely following reports of high failure rates. Tiny metal ions made up of cobalt and chromium are thought to break off from the implants and leak into the blood, with fears that this leads to muscle and bone damage, and neurological issues.

4 Apr 2012

New initiative aims to strengthen regulatory capacity, systems for delivery of medicines in Africa

"The need to ensure that people in Africa have access to essential, high quality, safe and affordable medicines has just received a major boost with the launch of the East African Community (EAC) Medicines Registration Harmonization Project in Arusha, Tanzania, on 30 March 2011," UNAIDS reports in a feature story on its website.

4 Apr 2012

Causes of traumatic brain injury in older population

As the population ages in western countries, traumatic brain injury (TBI) resulting mainly from falls is on the rise among the elderly, introducing new complications and treatment challenges, according to an article in Journal of Neurotrauma, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.

4 Apr 2012

IOM releases summary of workshop on country-level decision making for controlling chronic diseases

The Institute of Medicine of the National Academies (IOM) on Monday released a summary of a workshop, titled "Country-Level Decision Making for Control of Chronic Diseases."

4 Apr 2012

Novel method creates 3-D clusters of pancreatic beta-cells

Three-dimensional clusters of pancreatic beta-cells that live much longer and secrete more insulin than single cells grown in the laboratory are valuable new tools for studying pancreatic diseases such as diabetes and for testing novel therapies.

4 Apr 2012

Genetic counseling does not help parents in disclosing their breast cancer information to children

When a mother undergoes genetic testing to determine whether she carries a gene for hereditary breast cancer, the parents must then decide whether and how to share this risk information with their children.

3 Apr 2012

New drive to prevent youngsters from inhaling second-hand smoke at home

There has a rise in the number of smokers despite the fewer public places at which to light up and one of the world's highest cigarette prices. Sales have hit a four-year high in 2009: 2.44 billion cigarettes, or 6.7 million a day. This was a 12-per-cent rise over 2008's figure of 2.17 billion sold; in 2005, it was 2.09 billion.

1 Apr 2012

Oral arguments inspire RNC ad

The Republican National Committee uses audio from Supreme Court oral arguments to craft a campaign ad criticizing President Barack Obama and the health law. Meanwhile, the Obama campaign has had a health law strategy of its own in place.

31 Mar 2012

HHS Secretary announces six winners in HHSinnovates program

Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced six winners in the HHSinnovates program today in a ceremony at HHS headquarters, saying all the entries "show a vibrant culture of innovation" within the department.

31 Mar 2012

Revitalized Stop Bullying website

Building on the momentum the Obama administration started more than a year ago to stop bullying in schools and communities, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Education Secretary Arne Duncan today unveiled a revitalized Stop Bullying website- www.stopbullying.gov - to encourage children, parents, educators, and communities to take action to stop and prevent bullying.

31 Mar 2012

Intronix launches Myoguide Needle EMG Guided Injection System

Great things come in small packages, or at least that's what leading neurologists, physiatrists and clinicians are now discovering with the revolutionary Myoguide Needle EMG Guided Injection System. The breakthrough technology, which has just received 510(k) clearance from the United States Food and Drug Administration, gives practitioners a superior way to deliver targeted injections for musculoskeletal pain, spasticity, fibromyalgia, and even cosmetics.

31 Mar 2012

First Edition: March 30, 2012

Today's health policy headlines include reports that the House yesterday approved the $3.5 trillion budget plan proposed by Paul Ryan -- which includes deep cuts in entitlements and will likely trigger the election-year fiscal debate.

30 Mar 2012

NABJ convenes first day of annual Media Institute on Health conference

Today, the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) convened the first day of its annual Media Institute on Health: Health Policy and Health Inequities, March 29-31, at the Kaiser Family Foundation's Barbara Jordan Conference Center.

30 Mar 2012

Consumer should be centre of care when offering alternative medicine brands

NPS is reminding pharmacists to place patient care first and avoid multiple switching of medicine brands for patients who may be at higher risk of confusion from switching, as price disclosure arrangements come into effect this weekend.

29 Mar 2012

Broad Institute, Novartis develop cancer cell line encyclopedia

Novartis and the Broad Institute have developed a cancer cell line encyclopedia that catalogues the genetic and molecular profiles of almost 1,000 human cancer cell lines used in drug research and development. Results of the collaboration, published in the journal Nature and released in advance online today, may allow scientists around the world to use this information to improve cancer clinical trial design and further cancer research.

29 Mar 2012

Roche announces increase in offer price for outstanding Illumina shares

Roche announced today that it has increased its offer price for all outstanding publicly-held shares of Illumina, Inc. to US$ 51.00 per share in cash.

From Illumina, Inc. 29 Mar 2012

Many medical implants never tested for safety

A new investigation by Consumer Reports reveals that while tens of millions of American consumers live with medical devices implanted in their bodies, many of these implants have never been tested for safety and manufacturers are often required to do nothing more than file paperwork and pay a user fee before bringing their products to market.

29 Mar 2012

Smiths Medical initiates voluntary market withdrawal of CoZmonitor Blood Glucose Monitoring Systems

Smiths Medical, a leading global medical device manufacturer, announced today that it is initiating a U.S. and Canada, voluntary market withdrawal of CoZmonitor Blood Glucose Monitoring Systems. The FDA has been apprised of this action.

29 Mar 2012