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Specific immune system cells linked to susceptibility of younger people to variant CJD

Specific cells within the immune system could help explain why younger people are more susceptible to variant CJD, scientists believe.

15 Oct 2009

Shortage of general surgeons may be linked to higher rate of perforated appendix in rural areas

People who live in rural areas may run a greater risk of having perforated appendix than those in suburban and urban areas, according to a new study out of Dartmouth Medical School, Lebanon, NH. Not having enough general surgeons in rural regions may explain the disparity, according to researchers who presented their findings at the 95th annual Clinical Congress of the American College of Surgeons.

15 Oct 2009

ACPM launches a web page on lifestyle medicine

The American College of Preventive Medicine (ACPM) has launched a web page featuring an extensive literature review on lifestyle medicine -the practice of changing health behaviors to promote health and prevent and treat disease.

27 Aug 2009

Symptomless blood disorder MGUS not a precursor of serious diseases

A symptomless blood disorder, monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance, known as MGUS, is not linked to as many serious diseases as previously thought. This finding may save patients from undergoing unnecessary workup and treatment according to a study published in the August 2009 issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

26 Aug 2009

Duke University Medical Center highlights importance of the appendix in human body

The lowly appendix, long-regarded as a useless evolutionary artifact, won newfound respect two years ago when researchers at Duke University Medical Center proposed that it actually serves a critical function. The appendix, they said, is a safe haven where good bacteria could hang out until they were needed to repopulate the gut after a nasty case of diarrhea, for example.

21 Aug 2009

Biomarker in urine for appendicitis

Appendicitis is the most common childhood surgical emergency, but the diagnosis can be challenging, especially in children, often leading to either unnecessary surgery in children without appendicitis, or a ruptured appendix and serious complications when the condition is missed.

23 Jun 2009

Prevalence of vCJD agent in Britain remains uncertain

First results from a large tissue survey in Britain of the agent that causes variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) are unable so far to establish that the prevalence is lower than that given by previous estimates, concludes a study published on bmj.com.

22 May 2009

Magnetic resonance imaging technique of choice to exam pregnant patients with possible appendicitis

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) gives physicians a safe and accurate tool for the diagnosis of appendicitis in pregnant patients without the increased risks of radiation to the patient and fetus, according to a study performed at the University of Virginia, in Charlottesville, VA.

23 Apr 2009

Removal of gallbladder through vagina offers minimally invasive alternative

Physicians at Northwestern Memorial Hospital successfully removed a patient's gallbladder through the vagina, making them the first in the Midwest and the third in the country to perform the innovative procedure.

25 Feb 2009

Treating appendicitis by laparoscopic surgery may not be worth the cost

New research published in the February issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons suggests that a traditional, "open" appendectomy may be preferable to a less-invasive laparoscopic appendectomy for the majority of patients with acute appendicitis, contrary to recent trends.

3 Feb 2009

World's first pediatric robotic bladder reconstruction performed

A 10-year-old Chicago girl born with an abnormally small bladder that made her incontinent has become the first patient to benefit from a new robotic-assisted bladder-reconstruction method developed by surgeons at the University of Chicago Medical Center.

20 Nov 2008

Burst appendix or stomach flu?

A young child arrives at the emergency room after several days of abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea and is sent home with a diagnosis of viral gastritis and treatment for the symptoms. The child seems better for a while, only to return to the ER with worse symptoms and a ruptured appendix, a life-threatening complication of appendicitis.

6 Oct 2008

Shocking deaths of six people with learning disabilities details unnecessary suffering at the hands of the NHS

An inquiry into the deaths of six patients with learning disabilities while being treated by the National Health Service (NHS) has revealed shocking details.

30 Jul 2008

New molecular mechanism for colorectal cancer

Scientists in Portugal just found a new molecular mechanism behind colorectal cancer in which a mutated and a normal, but over-expressed, gene cooperate and are both needed to create the disease.

4 Jun 2008

Starpharma reports positive VivaGel clinical study results

Starpharma Holdings Limited today announced positive results of a clinical trial that achieved all its objectives demonstrating that 3% SPL7013 Gel (VivaGel) was safe and well-tolerated in sexually abstinent women when administered vaginally, twice daily for 14 days.

11 May 2008

Appendix removed through a patient's vagina

On March 26, 2008, surgeons at UC San Diego Medical Center removed an inflamed appendix through a patient's vagina, a first in the United States.

From Evident Corporation - Life Sciences 31 Mar 2008

Researchers study new drug and indications for heated chemotherapy treatment

Studies have shown that surgery combined with Intraperitoneal Hyperthermic Chemotherapy (IPHC) can improve survival rates for select patients with peritoneal carcinoma (cancer of the lining of the abdominal cavity) that has spread from colorectal or appendix cancer.

17 Mar 2008