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New tool for use in addressing lead poisoning

Lead in goat blood might not be on the top of your shopping list, but for U.S. medical personnel who each year perform more than 2 million human blood measurements, Standard Reference Material (SRM) 955c from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) can't be beat.

6 Aug 2007

First confirmed human case of West Nile virus in Pennsylvania

State Health Secretary Dr. Calvin B. Johnson has reported this year's first confirmed human case of West Nile virus in Pennsylvania. The individual, a 56-year-old Clearfield County man, is recovering and has been discharged from the hospital.

3 Aug 2007

The brain predicts our perception of the outside world

The human brain anticipates our perception of the outside world. For example, it is capable of predicting if we are going to perceive tactile stimulation of weak intensity or, on the contrary, if a more intense stimulation will be perceived more or less painfully.

9 Jul 2007

Deaths from insulin overdose at Chicago hospital raise suspicion

The deaths of two elderly patients in Chicago hospital have prompted a police investigation.

4 Jul 2007

Canadians warned about tainted and fake toothpaste

Canadians are being warned about a counterfeit toothpaste on sale in stores which contains harmful ingredients.

2 Jul 2007

Hypnosis reduces pain perception

Hypnosis can offer significant reduction in pain awareness without any effect on non-painful aspects of the subject's perception.

20 Jun 2007

High rate of misdiagnosis in patients in an acute vegetative state

New studies underline the importance of extreme caution in any decision to limit the life chances of patients during the acute phase of a vegetative state.

20 Jun 2007

Once-fatal metabolic disorders treatable

People with a class of rare genetic disorders that often lead to brain damage, coma and death can be successfully treated with drugs, says a researcher at the Stanford University School of Medicine and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital.

1 Jun 2007

Treatment for urea cycle disorders proves its worth 25 years later

The simple notion of copying the body's own natural "waste disposal" chemistry to mop up potentially toxic nitrogen has saved an estimated 80 percent of patients with urea cycle disorders --- most of them children, according to a report in the New England Journal of Medicine summarizing a quarter century of experience with the treatment.

1 Jun 2007

Reversal of coma with an injection of glue

Neurosurgeons and neuroradiologists at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center injected a biosynthetic “glue” to seal off a spinal fluid leak and restore a comatose patient to consciousness.

28 May 2007

Large trial to identify the long-term health effects of West Nile virus infection

UT Southwestern Medical Center has joined a national clinical trial to identify the long-term health effects of West Nile virus infection and to learn more about the disease's progression, symptoms and mortality.

18 May 2007

A major factor has been overlooked in the way bleeding stroke patients' survival is calculated

Each year, tens of thousands of people receive a dreaded diagnosis: intracerebral hemorrhage, or a "bleeding stroke."

15 May 2007

Study on cerebral malaria in children living in an endemic region

Scientists at CNRS and the Pasteur Institute, collaborating with physicians in Gabon, have just undertaken a study on cerebral malaria in children living in an endemic region.

4 May 2007

Rabies kills three despite proven experimental treatment

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States an experimental rabies treatment that saved the life of a Wisconsin teenager in 2004 has failed to help other children infected with the deadly virus.

23 Apr 2007

Stress affects levels of serum cytokines across pregnancy

A new study shows that women who report high levels of stress and low social support during pregnancy are more likely to have increased immune system activity, which can trigger inflammatory responses and put them at risk for premature labor and preeclampsia.

7 Apr 2007

Research shows potential for treatment of diabetics in hypoglycemic coma

Brain damage that was thought to be caused by hypoglycemic coma actually occurs when glucose is administered to treat the coma, according to a study in rodents led by researchers at the San Francisco VA Medical Center.

5 Apr 2007

New findings on hypoglycemic neuronal death

Treatment with insulin revolutionized the life of individuals with diabetes. However, because insulin acts to lower blood glucose levels, it can cause hypoglycemia (low levels of glucose in the blood), which, if prolonged, can lead to brain injury and coma.

4 Apr 2007