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Analysis of safety syringe market

One of the biggest challenges facing manufacturers of safety syringes in Europe is the lack of legislation on the use of these products in health care settings.

2 Nov 2004

Program triples hepatitis B vaccination rates in targeted regions of rural China

The Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation and the China Foundation for Hepatitis Prevention and Control (CFHPC) announced the results of a collaborative grassroots education and vaccination program designed to fight the spread of one of China's most pressing health problems -- hepatitis B.

1 Nov 2004

No evidence that Glatiramer acetate slows multiple sclerosis progression

In this week's issue of the Lancet Neurology, glatiramer acetate, known as Copaxone(R), was subjected to an independent review. The systematic review, called a Cochrane Review, performed by Dr. Luca Munari and colleagues, challenges the claims of benefit from previous industry- based publications.

1 Nov 2004

Researcher finds no long-term benefit of using glucosamine for knee joint pain

A popular food supplement used to treat osteoarthritis pain in knee joints has been shown to have no long-term beneficial effect, according to a national study conducted by a University of British Columbia post-doctoral fellow working at the Arthritis Research Centre of Canada

1 Nov 2004

Grant to develop high speed DNA sequence reader

Sequencing of the human genome is one of the major scientific advances of our time. But with 3 billion base pairs, initial sequencing of the human genome took 11 years and cost $1 billion to complete in 2002. Today, it costs up to $50 million to sequence 3 billion base pairs.

1 Nov 2004

More to MRSA infection than just exposure to antibiotics

Johns Hopkins researchers report potentially life-threatening hospital infections with bacteria resistant to the antibiotic methicillin can occur even if patients havent been treated with that drug.

1 Nov 2004

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services has announced progress toward expanding the nation's supply of vaccines for flu season

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has identified about 5 million doses of influenza vaccine from foreign manufacturers; HHS has been able to recoup an additional 300,000 doses of the injectable vaccine originally bought for federal employees and the military; and a major pneumonia vaccine manufacturer plans to triple its production.

29 Oct 2004

Hispanic children are less likely to be diagnosed with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder

Hispanic children are less likely to be diagnosed with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder during primary care visits than white or black children are, according to a new study that looks at children's physician visits nationwide.

29 Oct 2004

Drug report raises hospital monitoring issues

The impact of increasing amphetamine use challenged the existing organisation of health care services and demonstrated a clear need for the monitoring of emergency department presentations at Queensland’s hospitals.

26 Oct 2004

Arizona will receive 22,500 additional doses of flu vaccine

Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano announced today that Arizona will receive 22,500 additional doses of flu vaccine as early as Wednesday, and will distribute the vaccine to local health departments in the next week.

25 Oct 2004

Many patients with sleep apnea or insomnia also have attention deficit disorder

People who have difficulty sleeping at night or staying awake during the day may suffer from more than just a sleep disorder.

25 Oct 2004

Obese patients have higher health care costs

Compared to nonobese persons, obese patients had higher average health care costs over a one-year period, according to an article in the October 25 issue of The Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

25 Oct 2004

Scientists are testing the effectiveness of a new type of flu vaccine

The experimental vaccine instead relies on a cell line drawn from insects known as silk moths, which are better known for their role as pests attacking crops such as corn, cotton, barley and alfalfa.

25 Oct 2004

Injured motor vehicle occupants cumulatively lost 60.8 million days of work

More than 6.3 million adults were involved in police-reported motor vehicle crashes in 2001, resulting in more than 3 million injuries and health-care visits.

25 Oct 2004

New imaging technology gathers valuable information about the brains of people with schizophrenia

Researchers at the Boston Veterans Affairs Health Care System – Brockton Division, Harvard Medical School, and the University of Massachusetts-Boston are using new imaging technology to gather valuable information about the brains of people with schizophrenia.

24 Oct 2004

MedImmune bumps up production of FluMist vaccine

MedImmune has announced that it is increasing its planned delivery of FluMist (Influenza Virus Vaccine Live, Intranasal) up to a total of three million doses. Originally the company had completed production of 1.1 million doses.

22 Oct 2004

Genes affect how asthma patients respond to albuterol

While a few weeks of regular use of albuterol improved overall asthma control in individuals with one form of the gene, stopping all use of albuterol eventually improved asthma control in those with another form of the gene. Albuterol is the most commonly used drug for relief of acute asthma symptoms, or “attacks.”

22 Oct 2004

A new general medical journal launched this week with a non-traditional publishing model

A new general medical journal launched this week with a non-traditional publishing model is the latest top-tier venue for publishing important, peer-reviewed biomedical research, and is being called the first major, international journal to be introduced in more than 70 years.

22 Oct 2004

First public healthcare and HIV/AIDS programme in Kibera, Kenya

On October 21, in collaboration with the Kenyan Ministry of Health, the international humanitarian organization Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) opened a health centre providing public healthcare, including treatment for HIV/AIDS, for the residents of Kibera slum in Nairobi.

22 Oct 2004

206 million patient visits will have been made to physician assistants (PAs) in 2004

Approximately 206 million patient visits will have been made to physician assistants (PAs) in 2004, according to the newly released report by the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA).

21 Oct 2004