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One of the world’s most sophisticated systems for keeping electronic health records

The system, called VistA-Office Electronic Health Record, was developed by VA. A version of VistA is used at more than 1,300 VA facilities throughout the United States to maintain records on 5 million veterans who receive their health care from VA.

23 Jul 2004

BMA response to Government NHS workforce figures

"The BMA welcomes the increase in hospital doctor numbers in England, announced today. We are also pleased to hear that the Government is confident that it will meet its target of 7,500* extra consultants by the end of the year.

23 Jul 2004

Computerised treatment for teaching obese teenagers how to eat healthily

Researchers from the University of Bristol have embarked upon a trial to test an innovative computerised treatment for teaching obese teenagers how to eat healthily.

23 Jul 2004

Left atrium neasurements may predict future for heart attack patients

Ultrasound measurements of the volume of the left atrium taken soon after a heart attack can help physicians predict a patient’s five-year mortality rate, according to a new study in the July 21, 2004 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

22 Jul 2004

Effects of Huntington's disease mutation more complex than originally thought

Competing theories about why brain cells die in Huntington's disease may not be competitors after all, according to a report published July 21, 2004, in the online edition of the Annals of Neurology.

22 Jul 2004

Several key findings from clinical trial of an investigational Alzheimer's disease treatment

Elan Corporation and Wyeth Pharmaceuticals have announced several key findings from their Phase IIa clinical trial of an investigational Alzheimer's disease (AD) treatment, AN-1792, which were presented in Philadelphia at the 9th International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders.

22 Jul 2004

New remote home care monitoring system

People who suffer from chronic diseases, including high blood pressure, diabetes, asthma and heart problems should benefit from a new remote, home care monitoring system that could also bring an end to overcrowded waiting rooms.

22 Jul 2004

Call for measures to counter under-diagnosis of angina

There is a glaring need for better objective guidance for GPs in the diagnosis and management of chest pain, according to a multi-disciplinary working group of the Angina Forum. The group agreed that a worrying over-dependence on subjective judgment by GPs in identifying suspected angina patients means that many cases may go undiagnosed.

22 Jul 2004

Trial sparks debate over treatment of diabetic hypertensives

A major new international study published in the Journal of Hypertension has challenged traditional thinking by revealing that the thiazide-like diuretic indapamide SR (Natrilix SR) has equivalent efficacy to enalapril in reducing microalbuminuria (MA) in patients with type 2 diabetes.

22 Jul 2004

Natural organohalogens have potent anticancer and antibacterial activity

Human made chemical compounds called organohalogens get loads of attention as they are best known for their often harmful effect on the environment - substances like the CFCs (the ozone-damaging chemicals), dioxin (found in the herbicide Agent Orange), PCBs (industrial fluids) and several pesticides.

22 Jul 2004

Erbitux (cetuximab) combined with irinotecan offers another option for patients who have colorectal cancer

Erbitux (cetuximab), offers another option for patients who have colorectal cancer that resists standard chemotherapy treatment, according to an article written by two Mayo Clinic cancer researchers published in the current edition of the New England Journal of Medicine.

21 Jul 2004

Bladder-sparing treatment shows promise against cancer

For patients with invasive bladder cancer, treatment has typically meant an operation to remove the bladder and nearby organs. This requires up to a week in the hospital and leaves patients with a reconstructed bladder or urostomy bag.

21 Jul 2004

Unique dual laparoscopic surgical procedure

The skill and teamwork of two physicians at Scripps Clinic, combined with the expertise of the surgical staff at Scripps Green Hospital, recently led to a unique surgery that changed the life of a local woman.

21 Jul 2004

European funding to study how yeasts such as Candida cause infections among hospital patients

Dr Fritz Mühlschlegel, Reader in Medical Microbiology in the Biosciences Department at Kent and Consultant Medical Microbiologist in the East Kent NHS Trust, and Dr Daniel Poullain from Lille’s Medical School have been awarded 315,106 euros under the EU’s Interreg Programme to study the mechanisms by which fungal pathogens cause disease.

21 Jul 2004

Fine tuning your loss of body fluids may be more problematic now that researchers find receptors have an active role in our sweat rate

For most of us, hot weather leads to elevated internal and skin temperatures, which increase sweat rates and skin blood flow. How much we sweat can also depend on nonthermal factors such as exercise, baroreceptor loading status, and body fluid status.

21 Jul 2004

We know they need caffeine, but how it works on the newborn is the subject of a new study

Every morning, millions of adults consume voluminous cups of coffee, seeking the jolting effect of caffeine. As these adults consume their coffee, they do so unaware that some of the youngest Americans are also getting a treatment of caffeine - not to stay awake, but to assist in treating a major sleep disorder found in some neonates.

21 Jul 2004