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Community MRSA is re-emergence of 1950's pandemic

This "re-equipping and re-emergence" of a clone that caused a pandemic 40-50 years ago could mean that community acquired MRSA will spread faster and be more widespread than previously expected, warns an international team of researchers who have been studying the bacteria.

3 Apr 2005

Political point-scoring over policies to control MRSA confuses real issue

Political point-scoring over policies to control MRSA (meticillin-resistant Staphlococcus aureus) confuses cleanliness with the real failure in UK hospitals - poor hand hygiene and inadequate use of gloves, states an editorial in this week’s issue of The Lancet.

3 Apr 2005

Novel protein marker for early diagnosis of kidney failure

Researchers have found a novel protein marker that can give a rapid and early diagnosis of kidney failure in children undergoing heart surgery, reporting their results in this week’s issue of The Lancet.

3 Apr 2005

Not enough evidence that multivitamins prevent infections in the elderly

Role of multivitamins and mineral supplements in preventing infections in elderly people: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials BMJ Online First.

3 Apr 2005

British hospitals need clinical ethicists

"We need to introduce clinical ethicists in hospitals in the United Kingdom," says a researcher in medical ethics in this week's BMJ.

3 Apr 2005

Late developers more at risk from sexually transmitted disease

Researchers at the Academic Unit of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, St Mary's Hospital, Manchester, UK, have found that late developers may run a higher risk of infection than sexually mature younger teens.

From The University of Manchester 3 Apr 2005

Winning triggers violence in sport

Research reported in Injury Prevention on rugby in the Welsh capital city Cardiff, have found that it is winning, not losing, that triggers violence at sports events. Their findings are based on the numbers of people requiring emergency medical treatment for assault at the time of international rugby and football matches in one capital city.

3 Apr 2005

Mesoblast moves towards adult stem cell human trials

Exciting Australian adult stem cell company, Mesoblast Limited, today announced that it is set to begin the first human clinical trials using its specialist adult stem cells for orthopaedic and cardiovascular diseases.

30 Mar 2005

CDC experts sent to Angola to help with Marburg epidemic

In an effort to control the Marburg virus outbreak in Angola, Health officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta will assist the World Health Organization by going to Angola to help with outbreak investigation, infection control and laboratory diagnosis of the disease.

30 Mar 2005

Primary health care providers should incorporate HIV testing into routine patient care for all sexually active individuals

Primary health care providers should incorporate human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing into routine patient care for all sexually active individuals, regardless of risk factors, say a group of physician/researchers at Emory University School of Medicine, Brown Medical School, and the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.

30 Mar 2005

HIV patients who delay seeking care are much sicker when they begin care

Patients recently diagnosed with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are significantly more likely to seek medical treatment if they are followed even briefly by a case manager, according to findings of the national Antiretroviral Treatment Access Study (ARTAS).

30 Mar 2005

First North American trial to evaluate the role of an aromatase inhibitor in the prevention of breast cancer

Today, a new clinical trial evaluating a novel approach to breast cancer prevention launched in the United States and Canada. Called the ExCel research study, this is the first North American clinical trial to evaluate the role of an aromatase inhibitor in the prevention of breast cancer.

30 Mar 2005

Conventional wisdom could be wrong in primary care

A study by Mark Hall, J.D., professor of law and public health sciences at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Centre, is suggesting that conventional wisdom could be wrong in that primary care doctors who coordinate the care of their patients by specialists may actually have lower liability risk than primary care doctors who do not attempt care coordination.

29 Mar 2005

Vets need to take more precautions over MRSA

The British Veterinary Association (BVA) has warned that vets should take hospital-style precautions to avoid passing the MRSA "superbug" to animals, and should use sterile gloves, scrub suits and masks during operations to protect the animals.

29 Mar 2005

Important link between kidney damage and cardiac problems

Scientists have identified an important link between kidney damage and cardiac problems, creating new possibilities for treating the primary cause of death in kidney disease patients.

29 Mar 2005

Democratic Republic of Congo on alert for Marburg epidemic

Health officials in Angola are saying the outbreak of the Ebola-like Marburg virus has claimed a record toll of 126, but the government said the number of dead was lower.

29 Mar 2005

Study links colic, maternal depression to family problems

Some families with new babies face excessive infant crying, or colic. And some new mothers go through maternal post-partum depression (PPD) following childbirth. Neither situation is considered healthy, but a recent study published in the Infant Mental Health Journal has found that the combined impact of colic and PPD can have a highly toxic outcome. Researchers have linked colicky babies and maternal depression to decrease in overall family functioning.

29 Mar 2005

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) can successfully identify the characteristics of coronary plaques

A catheter-based imaging technology called optical coherence tomography (OCT) can successfully identify the characteristics of coronary plaques in patients with various cardiac symptoms. The report from researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) will appear in the journal Circulation.

29 Mar 2005

Protecting children from industrial chemicals in the environment

American children are likely to face serious health consequences from new and existing industrial chemicals in the environment, argue a group of researchers in a report in this month's premier open-access global health journal PLoS Medicine.

29 Mar 2005

Live laparoscopic banding surgery to be broadcast over the World Wide Web

The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) will broadcast its first real-time live surgery over the World Wide Web on April 5, 2005 at 12:00pm (CDT) 1:00pm (EDT). The surgery, called laparoscopic banding, is a relatively new treatment for obesity. The Webcast is part of UAB's continuing effort to familiarize doctors with the latest surgical techniques, and allows the public a real-time look at medical advances.

29 Mar 2005