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Inadequate monitoring places post-operative patients at risk for opioid-induced respiratory depression

Nearly 75 percent of hospitalized patients receiving opioids for pain management are not monitored according to hospital guidelines.

28 May 2016

Children treated at stand-alone Level I PTC have better outcomes following motor vehicle accident

Children and adolescents injured in motor vehicle accidents have better outcomes when treated at a stand-alone Level I pediatric trauma center (PTC) than at general adult trauma centers (ATC) or adult trauma centers with added Level I pediatric qualifications (ATC+PTC), according to a new study to be published in the Journal of Pediatric Surgery by researchers from Children's Minnesota.

20 May 2016

SUSTAIN study to test effect of high-dose selenium on recovery of cardiac surgery patients

Queen's University researcher Daren Heyland is leading a study that aims to reduce the risk of complications and improves recovery of cardiac surgery patients.

19 May 2016

American Thoracic Society and Sunovion release landmark survey of pulmonologists’ attitudes and practices with inhalation devices for COPD

The American Thoracic Society (ATS) and Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Sunovion) today announced the results of a survey of pulmonologists and pulmonology fellows to determine physicians’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) management, with particular attention to the use of hand-held small volume nebulizers. A small volume nebulizer is a device powered by air that aerosolizes medications for delivery to patients.

16 May 2016

Estrogen-inhibiting drug may suppress dangerous brain seizures

A class of drug that inhibits estrogen production and is used to treat breast cancer has been found to quickly and effectively suppress dangerous brain seizures, according to a new Northwestern University study.

13 May 2016

New molecule has potential to prolong life of cystic fibrosis patients

Scientists at Queen's University Belfast have discovered a new molecule which has the potential to prolong the life of individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF).

12 May 2016

New Canadian study highlights need to consider mental health of caregivers in post-ICU care

A new Canadian study focusing on caregiver outcomes of critically ill patients reveals that caregivers of intensive care unit (ICU) survivors, who have received mechanical ventilation for a minimum of seven days, are at a high risk of developing clinical depression persisting up to one year after discharge.

12 May 2016

Repeat, low-dose ketamine infusions may quickly reduce suicidal thoughts in depressed outpatients

Repeat intravenous treatment with low doses of the anesthetic drug ketamine quickly reduced suicidal thoughts in a small group of patients with treatment-resistant depression.

11 May 2016

Physicians come together for single-payer national health insurance reform

In a dramatic show of physician support for deeper health reform - and for making a decisive break with the private insurance model of financing medical care - 2,231 physicians called today [Thursday, May 5] for the creation of a publicly financed, single-payer national health program that would cover all Americans for all medically necessary care.

6 May 2016

Researchers monitor ICP and PRx to characterize temporal evolution in severe TBI patients

Winner of the Best International Abstract Award, Hadie Adams, presented his research, Characterizing the Temporal Evolution of ICP and Cerebrovascular Reactivity after Severe Traumatic Brain Injury, during the 2016 American Association of Neurological Surgeons Annual Scientific Meeting.

5 May 2016

Michigan researchers use 'kidney on a chip' device to measure effect of drug doses on kidney cells

University of Michigan researchers have used a "kidney on a chip" device to mimic the flow of medication through human kidneys and measure its effect on kidney cells.

5 May 2016

High prevalence of depression alongside COPD can impact overall health, treatment effectiveness

Although there have been discussions about chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a condition impacting 24 million Americans, and depression, there has been little research showing the impact depression has on patients with COPD. Two studies published in the April issue of the journal CHEST found one in four patients with COPD suffer from depressive symptoms, and if not treated, those symptoms can have a negative effect on their overall health and treatment effectiveness.

4 May 2016

Safety tips to prevent slips and falls among seniors

May is National Trauma Awareness Month, and this year the American Trauma Society is raising awareness about senior safety and falls with "Safe Steps for Seniors." The Stony Brook Trauma Center is taking steps to shed light on the matter to help prevent serious injuries from occurring.

29 Apr 2016

Bacterial invasion of lungs can lead to inflammation in COPD

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common smoking-related lung illness and the third leading cause of death in the United States. Scientists have long believed that inhaling toxic gases and particles from tobacco smoke causes inflammation of the small airways in the lungs, leading to the development of COPD. However, the theory doesn't explain why airway inflammation and disease progression continue even after the patient stops smoking.

28 Apr 2016

Children living closer to major roadways have increased risk of lower lung function, study finds

According to new research led by Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center pulmonologist and critical care physician Mary B. Rice, MD, MPH, improved air quality in U.S. cities since the 1990s may not be enough to ensure normal lung function in children. The findings were recently published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care, a journal of the American Thoracic Society.

26 Apr 2016

Cancer survivors at risk of death after organ transplant

People who had cancer before receiving an organ transplant were more likely to die of any cause, die of cancer or develop a new cancer than organ recipients who did not previously have cancer, a new paper has found. However, the increased risk is less than that reported in some previous studies.

22 Apr 2016

Patients who survived life-threatening illness in ICU at increased risk for psychiatric symptoms

Results of a multi-institutional national study of nearly 700 people who survived life-threatening illness with a stay in an intensive care unit (ICU) suggest that a substantial majority of them are at high risk for persistent depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder — especially if they are female, young and unemployed.

21 Apr 2016

St. Franziskus Stiftung to deploy, maintain iMDsoft's MetaVision throughout multiple hospitals

iMDsoft announced that St. Franziskus Stiftung in Germany will be implementing MetaVision in the ICUs, IMCs and ORs of four hospitals, in an additional 132 beds.

18 Apr 2016

New study links high-volume lung transplant centers with lower costs, readmissions

High-volume lung transplant centers have lower transplantation costs and their patients are less likely to be readmitted within 30 days of leaving the hospital following surgery, according to a new study of more than 3,000 Medicare patients who received lung transplants.

16 Apr 2016

Quality improvement intervention in ICUs does not reduce in-hospital mortality, study reveals

Implementation of a multifaceted quality improvement intervention with daily checklists, goal setting, and clinician prompting did not reduce in-hospital mortality compared with routine care among critically ill patients treated in intensive care units (ICUs) in Brazil, according to a study appearing in the April 12 issue of JAMA.

13 Apr 2016