Epidemiology News and Research

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Hospira introduces enhanced TheraDoc clinical surveillance system

Hospira, a leading provider of clinical information and medication delivery technologies, today announced the launch of its enhanced TheraDoc™ clinical surveillance system, used by hospitals to help improve patient safety and prevent adverse events such as healthcare-associated infections (HAIs).

2 Apr 2011

FDA approves Medtronic's InterStim Therapy to improve bowel control

Medtronic, Inc. today announced U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of InterStim Therapy for Bowel Control. InterStim Therapy, previously available to treat the symptoms of overactive bladder and non-obstructive urinary retention, is now also approved for the treatment of chronic fecal incontinence in patients who have failed or are not candidates for more conservative treatments.

1 Apr 2011

New guidelines to eliminate bloodstream infections in patients with intravenous catheters

New guidelines, released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee outline steps to eliminate bloodstream infections in patients with intravenous catheters, which are among the most deadly and costly healthcare-associated infections.

1 Apr 2011

Analysis of non-tumor tissue may be an effective option for diagnosis of prostate cancer

Researchers have found that it may not be necessary to look for tumors directly in patients with prostate cancer - analyzing non-tumor tissue may be an effective option, according to study results published in Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

1 Apr 2011

Soy isoflavones can improve radiotherapy for lung cancer cells

A component in soybeans increases radiation's ability to kill lung cancer cells, according to a study published in the April issue of the Journal of Thoracic Oncology, the official monthly journal of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer.

1 Apr 2011

EPIDEMICS³ International Conference on Infectious Disease Dynamics to take place in Boston, in Nov 2011

Following the inaugural Epidemics¹ Conference in Asilomar, USA in 2008, and the second conference Epidemics² in Athens, Greece in 2009, both highly successful meetings with both more than 230 participants, the organizers are pleased to announce that the Third International Conference on Infectious Disease Dynamics - EPIDEMICS³ - will take place in Boston, USA, in November 2011.

1 Apr 2011

TNM 7 system can predict lung cancer recurrence after surgery

The new TNM 7 lung cancer staging system seems to be a better predictor of local or regional recurrence of lung cancer following surgery, according to a study published in the April issue of the Journal of Thoracic Oncology.

1 Apr 2011

Study: Electronic faucets more likely to become contaminated with bacteria

Researchers at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine have determined that electronic faucets are more likely to become contaminated with unacceptably high levels of bacteria, including Legionella spp., compared with traditional manually operated faucets.

1 Apr 2011

Hands-free electronic water faucets more likely to be contaminated with hazardous bacteria

A study of newly installed, hands-free faucets at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, all equipped with the latest electronic-eye sensors to automatically detect hands and dispense preset amounts of water, shows they were more likely to be contaminated with one of the most common and hazardous bacteria in hospitals compared to old-style fixtures with separate handles for hot and cold water.

1 Apr 2011

Catheter-related bloodstream infections in children

Hospitals can reduce the risk of life-threatening bloodstream infections in children with peripherally inserted central venous catheters by assessing daily the patient’s progress and removing the device as early as possible, according to a new Johns Hopkins Children’s Center study published online March 31 in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases.

31 Mar 2011

Important updates on spondyloarthritis highlighted at 2010 SPARTAN meeting

Spondyloarthritis is a group of inflammatory conditions causing spine and joint pain and deformity, mostly in young men. Important updates on the epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment of SpA are presented in the April issue of The American Journal of the Medical Sciences, official journal of the Southern Society for Clinical Investigation.

31 Mar 2011

Study finds continued smoking after cancer diagnosis among patients, family caregivers

Nicotine is so addictive for many people that even a cancer diagnosis doesn't help them - or their family members and caregivers - throw the cigarettes away.

31 Mar 2011

Study links genes with alcohol consumption among Asians

In a study of 1,721 Korean male drinkers aged 40󈞱 y in an urban population-based cohort, and another sample of 1,113 male drinkers from an independent rural cohort, information on average daily alcohol consumption was collected and DNA samples were collected for genotyping.

31 Mar 2011

California's aging LGB more likely to suffer from certain chronic conditions

Members of California's aging lesbian, gay and bisexual population are more likely to suffer from certain chronic conditions, even as they wrestle with the challenges of living alone in far higher numbers than the heterosexual population, according to new policy brief from the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research.

30 Mar 2011

Insect Shield Repellent Apparel can protect against tick bites

A pilot study shows clothes treated with long-lasting insect repellant appear to offer outdoor workers significant protection against tick bites.

30 Mar 2011

Mary Ann Liebert to launch new 'Shingles and PHN' open access journal

Shingles and PHN, a new, bimonthly open access peer-reviewed journal, will be launched in fall 2011 by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers.

30 Mar 2011

Drugs' cost deters patients from taking heart medicine

For more than 5 million Americans with heart failure, a critical step to better health is taking the medications they're prescribed. But many patients fail to do so, putting themselves at greater risk of hospitalization and even death. To date, studies have not fully answered why patients fall short when it comes to taking heart medicine. In a study appearing in the April issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings, Mayo Clinic researchers found the drugs' cost is one of the biggest deterrents.

30 Mar 2011

Natural disasters can produce major lung problems

A comprehensive new review published in the journal Respirology indicates that lung problems are major causes of morbidity and mortality following natural disasters.

29 Mar 2011

Study links specific cardiovascular risk factors to AF episodes

Reducing cardiovascular risk factors like high blood pressure, smoking, diabetes and being overweight could potentially reduce more than half of all cases of atrial fibrillation, according to research reported in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

29 Mar 2011

IDF: Obese people with type 2 diabetes can benefit from bariatric surgery

Bariatric surgery should be considered earlier in the treatment of eligible patients to help stem the serious complications that can result from diabetes, according to an International Diabetes Federation position statement presented by leading experts at the 2nd World Congress on Interventional Therapies for Type 2 Diabetes in New York.

29 Mar 2011