Doctor News and Research

RSS

Nearly one out of two visits to a doctor's office for help with a sleep disorder result in the prescription of potentially addictive medications

The drugs, called benzodiazepines, are often a cheaper alternative to some newer types of medicines that don't have the same potentially addictive side effects, said Rajesh Balkrishnan, the study's lead author and the Merrell Dow professor of pharmacy at Ohio State University.

1 Jun 2005

Indonesia vaccinates millions against polio

In an attempt to eradicate an outbreak of polio, Health officials in Indonesia will vaccinate millions of children this week. The vaccination programme is a massive response by the government to try to stamp Indonesia's first outbreak of polio in a decade.

31 May 2005

West Nile virus more of a threat than previously thought

West Nile has traditionally only been considered a serious problem for the elderly and frail, and more of a nuisance illness for everyone else. But a surprising number of patients show the virus is more threatening than widely believed.

31 May 2005

Doctor sold Surgery Board exam answers on eBay

The American Board of Surgery is being forced to rewrite its certifying exam and change its examination rules after 86 answers to the test turned up for auction on eBay in August, 2004.

31 May 2005

A sudden increase in the number of British cases of Lyme disease

Lyme disease, an infection carried by ticks causes a rash and stiffness in the joints and, if left unchecked, it can affect the central nervous system, causing tingling in hands and feet, or facial palsy. In the worst cases the disease can also affect the heart, liver and spleen and even lead to encephalitis, which can kill.

29 May 2005

Everyone is entitled to a good doctor

Everyone is entitled to a good doctor and the public will no longer tolerate substandard practice, says Donald Irvine, former president of the General Medical Council in this week's BMJ.

26 May 2005

Increase in heart surgery mortality from SSRIs or depression?

Duke University Medical Center researchers have found that patients who were using a class of anti-depression drugs known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) prior to undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery have significantly higher death and rehospitalization rates up to five years after the procedure than patients who were not on SSRIs.

26 May 2005

Everything may shrink as you get older but your bladder says the same

Many people find as they get older that they need to go to the toilet more frequently, and University of Pittsburgh researchers say this has nothing to do with a shrinking bladder but it is more likely due to an underlying medical condition.

25 May 2005

What should you do - if anything - to treat an enlarged prostate gland?

Called benign prostatic hyperplasia or hypertrophy (BPH), the condition affects most men as they age. About half of men with an enlarged prostate seek medical treatment because of bothersome urinary tract symptoms. These symptoms may include poor urine flow, straining to urinate, frequent urination and urinary urgency.

25 May 2005

Bladder capacity rarely changes as you age

The idea that your bladder shrinks as you get older may be nothing more than an old wives' tale according to a University of Pittsburgh study. The feeling may, however, signal a treatable underlying condition.

25 May 2005

A diet rich in milk does not increase the risk of heart disease and stroke

The research team asked a representative sample of 764 men to weigh and record every item of food and drink they consumed for seven consecutive days. Just under 90% of the sample (665) produced complete and detailed diaries.

24 May 2005

Virus from rodents kills three transplant recipients

Three transplant patients have died as a result of receiving an organ from a donor who had unknowingly been infected with a common rodent virus. A fourth patient who received a kidney from the organ donor is recovering.

24 May 2005

British surgeons remove part of a woman's brain to cure her epilepsy

Helen Hollis, 41, from Teversal, near Mansfield, Nottingham, a former nurse and the mother of two, had her first seizure aged 19, but had to wait years before her condition was diagnosed.

23 May 2005

Researchers have isolated two biomarkers for interstitial cystitis (IC)

The discovery of these biomarkers could lead to a definitive test for IC and have the potential to lead to new therapies. Results of two studies are being presented today at the annual meeting of the American Urological Association (AUA) in San Antonio, and are published in abstracts 69 and 80 of the AUA proceedings.

22 May 2005

Revalidation must have public confidence, says BMA

Whatever system of revalidation is chosen for doctors, the British Medical Association (BMA) believes it must have the confidence of the public, best achieved through a transparent professionally-led process. To succeed, says the BMA, revalidation must be seen to promote high standards, detect poor practice and have strategies for improving a doctor's performance where this is needed.

20 May 2005

Cystatin-C, a new blood test for kidney function, is a better predictor of death and cardiovascular risk among the elderly

Investigators for NHLBI's Cardiovascular Health Study compared the two measures of kidney function, cystatin-C and the standard test creatinine, as predictors of death from all causes, death from cardiovascular causes, and incidence of heart attack and stroke among 4,637 elderly participants in the study.

20 May 2005

Right-to-life case doctors backed by British Government

The British Government has directly intervened in a right-to-life case being heard at the Court of Appeal with a message to judges that giving patients the right to demand life-prolonging treatment would have "very serious implications" for the National Health Service (NHS).

18 May 2005

Cameras and MP3 players are fun, but the next wave of add-ons for cell phones and laptops may help users keep track of their health

A University of Florida engineer has built a working prototype for a small, portable system that can monitor a person’s breathing and heart rate automatically via wireless signal, with no need for cords or plugs. The goal is to make it easy for people to check their own vital signs, and then transmit them in real time to medical personnel through a cell phone or Internet connection, all with little more than a press of a button.

18 May 2005

Don’t skip chest CT in the ER just because X-ray checks out okay, warns study

Chest X-rays may miss 40% of clinically significant thoracic injuries in multiple trauma patients that can be caught by chest CT, say researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

18 May 2005

Medical robots to cover ward rounds

Remote Presence (RP6) Robots allow a medical expert to visually examine and communicate with a patient from anywhere in the world, via the machine, using wireless technology. The robots (nicknamed by staff Sister Mary and Dr Robbie) can also be used for surgical teaching and even videoconferencing.

18 May 2005