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ECMO life-support therapy can increase odds of survival for critically-ill COVID-19 patients

COVID-19 has caused more than 2 million deaths worldwide since the World Health Organization declared it a pandemic in March 2020.

2 Feb 2021

Study finds link between lack of ICU beds and patient mortality during COVID-19 pandemic

A new study by Yale researchers found a significant association between the availability of hospital resources -- particularly ICU beds -- and patient mortality during the early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic.

2 Feb 2021

MIT engineers design origami-inspired medical patch for minimally invasive tissue sealing

Many surgeries today are performed via minimally invasive procedures, in which a small incision is made and miniature cameras and surgical tools are threaded through the body to remove tumors and repair damaged tissues and organs.

2 Feb 2021

Study finds increased opioid consumption two years after intensive care

Nearly 11 percent of people admitted to an intensive care unit in Sweden between 2010 and 2018 received opioid prescriptions on a regular basis for at least six months and up to two years after discharge.

2 Feb 2021

Study shows safety and effectiveness of two recommended ICU sedatives

Sedative medications used in intensive care are associated with increased delirium, which is in turn connected with higher medical costs and greater risk of death and ICU-related dementia.

2 Feb 2021

Groundbreaking therapy may provide a new treatment modality for biofilm infections in foot ulcers

A new £1.7m project to explore using plasma jets and antimicrobial dressings to treat debilitating - and potentially deadly - wound infections launches today.

1 Feb 2021

Nurses play crucial role in helping reduce stress for families of ICU patients

Nurses play a crucial role in helping to reduce the stress experienced by family members of critically ill patients, according to an article in Critical Care Nurse (CCN).

1 Feb 2021

Simulation can be a viable way to refine new medical guidelines for COVID-19

Simulation can be a viable way to quickly evaluate and refine new medical guidelines and educate hospital staff in new procedures, a recent study from UT Southwestern's Department of Pediatrics shows.

28 Jan 2021

New model could help clinicians to safely allow two patients to share a single ventilator

As Covid-19 continues to put pressure on healthcare providers around the world, engineers at the University of Bath have published a mathematical model that could help clinicians to safely allow two people to share a single ventilator.

27 Jan 2021

California’s top hospital lobbyist cements influence in covid crisis

As intensive care units filled and coronavirus cases surged over the holidays, Carmela Coyle invoked a World War II-era quote attributed to British Prime Minister Winston Churchill to rally her own troops: "If you're going through hell, keep going."

26 Jan 2021

Cancer patients more likely to die following surgery in lower-income countries

Research by an international team of medical experts has found cancer patients could be up to four times more likely to die following cancer surgery in low to lower-middle income countries than in high-income countries.

25 Jan 2021

California is overriding its limits on nurse workloads as covid surges

California’s telemetry nurses, who specialize in the electronic monitoring of critically ill patients, normally take care of four patients at once. But ever since the state relaxed California’s mandatory nurse-to-patient ratios in mid-December, Nerissa Black has had to keep track of six.

20 Jan 2021

New DNA test quickly identifies secondary infections in COVID-19 patients

Researchers have developed a DNA test to quickly identify secondary infections in COVID-19 patients, who have double the risk of developing pneumonia while on ventilation than non-COVID-19 patients.

15 Jan 2021

Study reveals cardiac protein as a new target for different types of heart disease

Like a failing fuel pump that causes a loss of engine power in a car, a diseased heart can take a serious toll on the body's performance. For some patients, tasks like walking up a flight of stairs or walking across a room eventually turn into exhausting endeavors.

13 Jan 2021

Hospitals’ rocky rollout of covid vaccine sparks questions of fairness

Last week, after finishing inoculations of some front-line hospital staff, Jupiter Medical Center was left with 40 doses of precious covid vaccine. So, officials offered shots to the South Florida hospital’s board of directors and their spouses over age 65.

13 Jan 2021

Researchers use urine test to identify and verify a patient's type of asthma

In a new study, researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have used a urine test to identify and verify a patient's type of asthma.

13 Jan 2021

Bleeding disorder linked to poor clinical outcomes in COVID-19 patients

The novel coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is the pathogen responsible for the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Approximately 20-55% of hospitalized COVID-19 patients are reported to have deranged hemostatic laboratory parameters, which suggests coagulopathy.

12 Jan 2021

Health workers unions see surge in interest amid covid

The nurses at Mission Hospital in Asheville, North Carolina, declared on March 6 — by filing the official paperwork — that they were ready to vote on the prospect of joining a national union. At the time, they were motivated by the desire for more nurses and support staff, and to have a voice in hospital decisions.

12 Jan 2021

Boosting a natural cellular process could lower ventilator-related lung damage

An unfortunate truth about the use of mechanical ventilation to save the lives of patients in respiratory distress is that the pressure used to inflate the lungs is likely to cause further lung damage.

12 Jan 2021

Study shows COVID-19 pneumonia is different from typical pneumonia

Bacteria or viruses like influenza that cause pneumonia can spread across large regions of the lung over the course of hours. In the modern intensive care unit, these bacteria or viruses are usually controlled either by antibiotics or by the body's immune system within the first few days of the illness.

12 Jan 2021