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Combination of CT scans effective in diagnosing coronary artery disease

Heart imaging specialists at Johns Hopkins have shown that a combination of CT scans that measure how much blood is flowing through the heart and the amount of plaque in surrounding arteries are just as good as tests that are less safe, more complex and more time-consuming to detect coronary artery disease and its severity.

17 Nov 2010

Study reveals true effects of malaria on African generations

Almost a third of cerebral malaria survivors developed epilepsy or other behavioral disorders in the most comprehensive study to date of the disease in African children, solidifying the link between malaria and neuropsychiatric disorders that affect hundreds of thousands of children.

17 Nov 2010

Noninvasive method to determine estrogen levels in infants through diapers

With the help of babies and more than 5,000 of their diapers, Emory University researchers have developed an accurate, noninvasive method to determine estrogen levels in infants.

17 Nov 2010

John Muir Health opens The Hofmann Family Patient Care Tower

Today, John Muir Health opened the doors of The Hofmann Family Patient Care Tower at John Muir Medical Center, Concord, which includes 120 new private rooms (61 open with 59 shelled for future use), a new Cardiovascular Institute and a new Emergency Department. The 172,000 square foot facility, which took three years and $212 million to complete, also features state-of-the-art technology and a patient-focused, healing environment.

17 Nov 2010

St. Jude Medical and ZONARE enter partnership in ultrasound imaging

St. Jude Medical, Inc., a global medical device company and ZONARE Medical Systems, a leading provider of premium ultrasound systems, today announced they have entered into a development and marketing agreement. Under this agreement, the companies will combine the St. Jude Medical intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) catheter and the ZONARE z.one Convertible Ultrasound system technology, and co-market an ultrasound system for intracardiac (inside the heart) imaging.

17 Nov 2010

One in seven Medicare patients harmed by problems in hospital, HHS report finds

The New York Times: "One of every seven Medicare beneficiaries who is hospitalized is harmed as a result of problems with the medical care there, according to a new study [.pdf] from the Office of Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services. The study said unexpected adverse events added at least $4.4 billion a year to government health costs and contributed to the deaths of about 180,000 patients a year."

17 Nov 2010

Study suggests cross-infection with P aeruginosa occurs between CF centers in the UK and Canada

A common transmissible strain of the bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa has been identified among cystic fibrosis (CF) patients in Canada, suggesting that cross-infection has occurred widely between CF centers in the United Kingdom and Canada, according to a study in the November 17 issue of JAMA. Infection with this strain among Canadian CF patients has been associated with an increased risk of death or lung transplantation.

17 Nov 2010

Maine has most improved health care quality; Kansas needs more dentists

Maine Public Broadcasting Network News: "Nationwide, Maine is most improved when it comes to health care quality, according to 2009 statistics from the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. In one year, Maine jumped from 12th place to fourth best in categories ranging from cancer to patient safety, from maternal and child health to long-term care.

17 Nov 2010

MedAssets acquires The Broadlane Group

MedAssets, Inc. today announced that it has completed its acquisition of The Broadlane Group. The combination of MedAssets and Broadlane creates the industry's leading, end-to-end financial improvement partner that has saved billions for its healthcare provider customers, including more than $2.8 billion in documented and guaranteed supply chain savings.

17 Nov 2010

Medicare roundup: Payment cuts irk healthcare industry; officials mull new prostate-cancer treatment

Doctors across the United States are taking a wait-and-see approach while Congress decides whether or not to allow a scheduled 23% cut in Medicare reimbursement rates to take effect on Dec. 1.

17 Nov 2010

Neurologic complications remain an important cause of morbidity and mortality after heart surgeries

Strokes, seizures and other neurological complications related to heart surgery account for "considerable morbidity and mortality," Loyola University Health System neurologists report in the November issue of the journal Hospital Practice.

16 Nov 2010

Optivia, UCSF receive SBIR grant to develop transporter-based assay system

Optivia Biotechnology Inc., a leading provider of in vitro transporter assay services, today announced that the company and the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), have received a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to develop an innovative system for characterizing the role transporter proteins play in the disposition of drugs by the liver.

16 Nov 2010

AEDs do not improve rate of survival for in-hospital cardiac arrests

While automated external defibrillators improve survival for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, an analysis of data indicates their use for cardiac arrest in a hospital does not result in an improved rate of survival, according to a study in the November 17 issue of JAMA. The study is being released early online because it will be presented at the American Heart Association's annual meeting.

16 Nov 2010

Tengion permits second patient enrollment in Neo-Urinary Conduit for bladder cancer

Tengion, Inc., a leader in regenerative medicine, announced today that the scheduled one-month, post-operative clinical assessment of the first implanted bladder cancer patient in its ongoing clinical trial has been completed as expected and has permitted the second patient to be enrolled without delay.

16 Nov 2010

Nevada AG files antitrust lawsuit against health care merger

The Associated Press/KLAS-TV in Las Vegas: "The Nevada attorney general's office has filed a federal antitrust lawsuit against a $3.1 billion health care merger it says would reduce competition for psychiatric care in Las Vegas. ... The lawsuit is aimed at a proposed merger between Universal Health Services Inc. and Psychiatric Solutions Inc."

16 Nov 2010

Stem cells for stroke: Clinical trial commences

Researchers have started the world’s first clinical trial of stem cells to treat stroke victims in Glasgow. The trial is undertaken by ReNeuron, a Guildford-based biotech company and started this weekend with an elderly man receiving an injection of 2 million stem cells into his brain. It received final approval to go ahead this year.

16 Nov 2010

First leg transplant: Spain looking for donors

The Health Minister of Spain Leire Pajin revealed that doctors there are looking for a suitable match from a dead donor to carry out the world’s first leg transplant. The announcement was made at an international conference on organ transplants in Madrid.

16 Nov 2010

Hospital upgrades: Promises to keep

The Victorian Coalition has announced hospital upgrades around the state and softened its opposition of the national health agreement.

16 Nov 2010

Study finds IgE antibody levels double with increasing age

In the first such study since the 1970s, researchers observed a highly statistically significant increase of IgE, a type of antibody associated with allergic reactions.

16 Nov 2010

BUSM professor wins 2010 Maurice Wood Award for Lifetime Contribution to Primary Care Research

Larry Culpepper, MD, MPH, chair and professor of family medicine at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and chief of family medicine at Boston Medical Center (BMC), is the recipient of the 2010 Maurice Wood Award for Lifetime Contribution to Primary Care Research.

16 Nov 2010