Hospital News and Research

RSS

Lobbyists continue pressing their cases on health reform

Pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, advocacy groups and others with a stake in health reform continue to lobby in hopes of winning concessions in the overhaul, or at least surviving the changes unscathed.

30 Jul 2009

Blood transfusions associated with infection

A study of almost 25,000 coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) patients has shown that receiving blood from another person is associated with a two-fold increase in post-operative infection rates. The research, published in the open access journal BMC Medicine, also found considerable hospital variation in transfusion practices.

30 Jul 2009

Machine designed to reduce infections and cut back on expensive "disposables"

Johns Hopkins experts in applied physics, computer engineering, infectious diseases, emergency medicine, microbiology, pathology and surgery have unveiled a 7-foot-tall, $10,000 shower-cubicle-shaped device that automatically sanitizes in 30 minutes all sorts of hard-to-clean equipment in the highly trafficked hospital emergency department.

30 Jul 2009

Short-term complications after bariatric surgery for extreme obesity low

Short-term complications and death rates were low following bariatric surgery to limit the amount of food that can enter the stomach, decrease absorption of food or both, according to the Longitudinal Assessment of Bariatric Surgery (LABS-1). The study was funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), part of the National Institutes of Health. Results are reported in the July 30 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

30 Jul 2009

Depression missed and misidentified

A meta-analysis of more than 50,000 patients has shown that general practitioners (GPs) have great difficulty separating those with and without depression, with substantial numbers of missed and misidentified.

30 Jul 2009

Hospital dramatically increases transplant donations by integrating bereavement and donor services

A UK hospital that combined its bereavement and donation services saw a forty-fold increase in tissue donations, such as corneas, in just five years, according to research in the August issue of Anaesthesia.

30 Jul 2009

Epigenetic signature changes in low oxygen levels may contribute to prostate cancer development

UCD Conway researchers have characterised epigenetic signature changes in prostate cells under conditions of low oxygen levels that may lead to tumour development.

30 Jul 2009

Coming to a doctor's office near you: photo ID check

Elena Castro was finishing the paperwork to buy her first home when the bank called to warn her of a problem-- nearly $10,000 in unpaid hospital bills on her credit report. The charges were for several ear, nose and throat procedures done at hospitals in her region.

30 Jul 2009

Obama defends reform to seniors worried about Medicare cuts

On Tuesday, President Obama pitched Democrats' health reform plans to senior citizens and assured them that Medicare benefits would not be cut to pay for covering the uninsured, the New York Times reports. Meanwhile, members of Congress said they were "deluged" with constituent calls expressing concern over the future of their Medicare coverage.

30 Jul 2009

Anti-smoking initiative targets China's medical professionals

China Daily explores how a new anti-smoking initiative in China targets the country's medical professionals. According to the newspaper, "China is the world's largest tobacco producer and consumer," with "350 million smokers, plus 450 million people exposed to second-hand smoke." Annually, 1 million deaths are smoking-related, according to China's Ministry of Health.

29 Jul 2009

Three organizations form alliance to address global malnutrition

"Three internationally known organizations based in St. Louis - the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, the Washington University School of Medicine and St. Louis Children's Hospital" - have entered into a partnership, known as the Global Harvest Alliance (GHA), which aims to "create inexpensive, nutritionally complete food to help the world's hungry and undernourished," the AP/Google.com reports.

29 Jul 2009

New drug promises to reduce damage from a heart attack

Research into a new drug by Australian heart experts has found that it can dramatically reduce heart muscle damage after a heart attack.

28 Jul 2009

In a flu pandemic 1 in 6 health workers will not report for work

With hospitals around Australia struggling to cope with the added burden of swine flu cases researchers say 1 in 6 health workers will not report in for work in a flu pandemic.

28 Jul 2009

Children needed for Australian swine flu vaccine trial

The child vaccine is similar to the adult one and two types of dose strengths and amounts will be tested in order to determine the correct dosage and the safety of the vaccine - it will be tested on children aged between six months and eight years in Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Sydney and Brisbane.

28 Jul 2009

Study of pulmonary hypertension treatment in sickle cell patients stopped by NHLBI

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health has stopped a clinical trial testing a drug treatment for pulmonary hypertension in adults with sickle cell disease nearly one year early due to safety concerns.

28 Jul 2009

AMA backs health reform plan, but not all doctors are on board

Even as Democratic leaders in Congress and President Obama tout the American Medical Association's support for the House health care overhaul proposal, eleven other medical societies are vocally rejecting the plan, American Medical News reports.

28 Jul 2009

Democrats to push unscored benefits to counter latest CBO analysis

Democrats are planning to push the point this week that health care reform, with a price tag of up to $1.6 trillion, has benefits and cost savings that aren't scored by the Congressional Budget Office, The Hill reports.

28 Jul 2009

Obama health reform proposals and alliances scrutinized

Roll Call reports that the Administration's alliances with major health organizations may not be as strong as previously thought. "An analysis of these groups' positions suggests few are completely on board and several may oppose the president in the end.

28 Jul 2009

Health lobbying means cash infusion for candidates, TV stations

"Health care groups working feverishly to shape -- or kill -- an industry-wide reform bill are lavishing campaign cash on the politicians at the center of the debate," The Salt Lake (Utah) Tribune reports.

28 Jul 2009

Oregon hospital building boom slows down

"Oregon's hospital spending boom is winding to a close," as hospitals cut back on projects, Portland Business Journal reports. "Portland-area hospitals have opened, started construction on, or announced expansions costing at least $1.3 billion in the past 18 months. Projects include cancer treatment centers, cardiac units and pediatric care facilities.

28 Jul 2009