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Magnet hospitals reduce rates of patient death

Patients treated in magnet hospitals (specially designated for their nursing excellence) had 14 percent lower odds of death than those in non-magnet hospitals in a four-state study of 564 hospitals led by the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing.

23 Oct 2012

Combining distal protection devices with nicardipine improves post-PCI outcomes

Researchers at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital have shown that combining distal protection devices with the prophylactic use of the drug nicardipine is more effective at preventing life-threatening complications following a percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) (angioplasty, stenting) on patients who have undergone previous bypass surgery than distal protection devices alone.

23 Oct 2012

Protective association between statin use and esophageal cancer

Statins, a cholesterol lowering drug may lower the risk of esophageal cancer, especially in patients with Barrett's esophagus, Mayo Clinic researchers report in a study being presented at the American College of Gastroenterology annual meeting.

23 Oct 2012

First Edition: October 23, 2012

Today's headlines include various reports from the campaign trail as well as the latest news about current meningitis outbreak.

23 Oct 2012

Car commuting contributes to weight gain

Car commuting contributes to weight gain, research to be presented at Australia’s paramount sports medicine, sports science, sports injury prevention and physical activity promotion conference, beactive2012 will show (October 31- November 3, Sydney).

23 Oct 2012

Primary care physicians miss hepatitis vaccine targets

Primary care physicians are failing to meet guidelines for hepatitis A virus and hepatitis B virus vaccination in patients with chronic hepatitis C infection, according to US research.

22 Oct 2012

Multivitamin use may protect men from cancer

Men who take a daily multivitamin supplement have a modest reduction in their risk for developing cancer, suggest results from the Physicians’ Health Study II.

22 Oct 2012

'Fresher' blood transfusion does not mean better outcomes

Blood that has been stored for 2 weeks or more before being used in transfusions for critically ill patients does not appear to cause adverse effects, report US researchers.

22 Oct 2012

Elderly female cancer survivors reap benefits of following prevention advice

Elderly female cancer survivors who adhere stringently to national and international recommendations for cancer prevention have a reduced risk for all-cause mortality compared with their peers who are less adherent, show US study results.

22 Oct 2012

Tricuspidization preferred for unicuspid aortic valve repair

Unicuspid aortic valves may be reconstructed with tricuspidization using glutaraldehyde-treated autologous pericardium, with excellent early results and no mortality or major morbidity, the results of a preliminary study suggest.

22 Oct 2012

Mother–baby intensive care admission carries high mortality risk

Mothers and newborns who are both admitted to an intensive care unit are significantly more likely to die than mother–baby pairs who are not, a study suggests.

22 Oct 2012

Potential biomarker diagnostic test for pre-eclampsia

Collaborators at Cottage Health System and University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) have identified biomarkers that may yield a revolutionary diagnostic test for pre-eclampsia, a complex and potentially life-threatening hypertensive condition affecting 5% of pregnancies worldwide.

22 Oct 2012

Researchers discover Hyalomma ticks in migratory birds

A type of haemorrhagic fever (Crimean-Congo) that is prevalent in Africa, Asia, and the Balkans has begun to spread to new areas in southern Europe. Now Swedish researchers have shown that migratory birds carrying ticks are the possible source of contagion.

22 Oct 2012

Obese patients may have advantages in certain health situations

Although obesity is linked to a variety of health risks, new research indicates that obese patients may have an advantage over nonobese patients in certain health situations, including septic shock and acute asthma exacerbation.

22 Oct 2012

Implementation of 24-h intensivist staffing model reduces mortality rates, length of stay

The implementation of a 24-h ICU in-house staff intensivist coverage was associated with improved mortality rates and reduced length of stay, along with quicker decision-making and a positive trend in quality of end-of-life care.

22 Oct 2012

VTE care improvements may be linked to implementation of treatment guidelines

The quality of care of patients hospitalized with venous thromboembolism (VTE) significantly improved between 2005 and 2009, and researchers suggest these improvements may be due to the implementation of VTE treatment guidelines.

22 Oct 2012

Intensive glycemic control does not reduce mortality in neurocritical care patients

A new study in BioMed Central's open access journal Critical Care suggests that intensive glycemic control does not reduce mortality in neurocritical care patients and could, in fact, lead to more neurological damage. Complicating the picture, poor glucose control also leads to worse recovery and should be avoided.

22 Oct 2012

Referring cancer patients to hospitals with better track records for surgery could save lives: Study

Researchers at Rice University report that referring cancer patients to hospitals with better track records for surgery could save lives and not raise the cost to patients.

20 Oct 2012

New study uncovers strong connection between mortality of child, mother

The death of a child is a tragic event for a family, bringing with it feelings of numbness, anger, guilt and denial. And, unfortunately, for many families, the loss becomes too much to bear.

20 Oct 2012

Common misconceptions about breast cancer risks

From the food we eat to the products we use, there are a lot of misconceptions about what may increase the risk of developing breast cancer. There are known factors, like genetics, that are well documented. But what about lifestyle issues like having a nightly cocktail or using deodorant? So, what is fact and what is fiction? Wendy Chen, MD, MPH, a breast cancer expert at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston says an overabundance of information can be confusing, and it often is incorrect to some degree.

20 Oct 2012