Disability News and Research

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Expert available to discuss Lancet’s retraction of paper on autism study

Rae Sonnenmeier, clinical associate professor of communication sciences and disorders at the University of New Hampshire and staff member at UNH's Institute on Disability, is available to discuss the announcement yesterday (Feb. 2, 2010) by the medical journal The Lancet regarding the retraction of a paper that caused a 12-year international battle over the links between the three-in-one childhood vaccine MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) and autism.

4 Feb 2010

GTRI researchers design arthritis simulation gloves to meet the needs of consumers with functional limitations

As the U.S. population ages, manufacturers of consumer goods are realizing that many customers may not be as nimble-fingered or sharp-sighted as they once were.

4 Feb 2010

Guns in homes can increase risk of death and firearm-related violence

Having a gun at home not only increases the risk of harm to one's self and family, but also carries high costs to society, concludes an article in the February Southern Medical Journal, official journal of the Southern Medical Association.

4 Feb 2010

Recent clinical trials in patients with ALBP show that SOMA 250 mg reduces disability

A recent analysis of two pivotal clinical trials in patients with acute low back pain (ALBP) who were treated with SOMA® (carisoprodol) 250 mg showed significantly improved functionality and reduced disability after three days of treatment, as measured by the Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ).

4 Feb 2010

FDA approves Labopharm's OLEPTRO antidepressant for MDD

Labopharm Inc. today announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved OLEPTRO(TM) (trazodone hydrochloride) Extended Release Tablets, a novel once-daily formulation of the antidepressant trazodone, for the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD) in adults. OLEPTRO(TM) utilizes CONTRAMID(R), Labopharm's clinically validated technology that controls the release of active substances within oral medications.

3 Feb 2010

Persons with impaired hearing should be encouraged by family members to seek appropriate treatment

Recent data arising out of the Better Hearing Institute's "MarkeTrak" national study demonstrates that hearing loss is prevalent, serious, and often denied by the sufferer. The information revealed suggests that family members of the hearing impaired should actively encourage their loved ones to address their hearing problem, an effort which will greatly benefit both the hard of hearing and their kin.

2 Feb 2010

Infection rates for 25 Dallas/Fort Worth area hospitals: Consumer Reports

Hospitals in the Dallas/Fort Worth area vary dramatically in terms of how well their intensive care units (ICUs) prevent central-line bloodstream infections, a cause of death, disability, and expense in our nations' hospitals that is largely preventable. On February 2, www.ConsumerReportsHealth.org will post hospital infection rates for 25 Dallas/Fort Worth area hospitals along with other critical patient safety and satisfaction information for consumers.

2 Feb 2010

Consumer Reports to post hospital infection rates for 10 Tampa/St. Petersburg area hospitals

Hospitals in the Tampa/St. Petersburg area vary dramatically in terms of how well their intensive care units (ICUs) prevent central-line bloodstream infections, a cause of death, disability, and expense in our nations' hospitals that is largely preventable.

2 Feb 2010

Atlanta Hamilton Medical Center reports zero central line infection

Hospitals in the Atlanta area vary in terms of how well their intensive care units (ICUs) prevent central-line bloodstream infections, a cause of death, disability, and expense in our nations' hospitals that is largely preventable. On February 2, www.ConsumerReportsHealth.org will post hospital infection rates for 12 Atlanta area hospitals that voluntarily reported their infection rates.

2 Feb 2010

Central-line bloodstream infections rate vary in San Francisco hospitals

Hospitals in San Francisco vary dramatically in terms of how well their intensive care units (ICUs) prevent central-line bloodstream infections, a cause of death, disability, and expense in our nations' hospitals that is largely preventable.

2 Feb 2010

No Chicago hospital reports zero central line infections

Hospitals in the Chicago area vary dramatically in terms of how well their intensive care units (ICUs) prevent central-line bloodstream infections, a cause of death, disability, and expense in our nations' hospitals that is largely preventable. On February 2, www.ConsumerReportsHealth.org will post hospital infection rates for 15 Chicago hospitals along with other critical patient safety and satisfaction information for consumers.

2 Feb 2010

Infection rates in Boston hospitals vary substantially, says Consumer Reports Health

Hospitals in the Boston area vary dramatically in terms of how well their intensive care units (ICUs) prevent central-line bloodstream infections, a cause of death, disability, and expense in our nations' hospitals that is largely preventable.

2 Feb 2010

Hospitals in Houston area vary in terms of how well their ICUs prevent bloodstream infections

Hospitals in the Houston area vary in terms of how well their intensive care units (ICUs) prevent central-line bloodstream infections, a cause of death, disability, and expense in our nations' hospitals that is largely preventable.

2 Feb 2010

Four Detroit area hospitals announce worse than average infection rates

Hospitals in the Detroit area vary dramatically in terms of how well their intensive care units (ICUs) prevent central-line bloodstream infections, a cause of death, disability, and expense in our nations' hospitals that is largely preventable. On February 2, www.ConsumerReportsHealth.org will post hospital infection rates for 25 Detroit area hospitals, along with other critical patient safety and satisfaction information for consumers.

2 Feb 2010

Four Los Angeles area hospitals report zero central line infections

Hospitals in Los Angeles vary dramatically in terms of how well their intensive care units (ICUs) prevent central-line bloodstream infections, a cause of death, disability, and expense in our nations' hospitals that is largely preventable. On February 2, www.ConsumerReportsHealth.org will post hospital infection rates for 41 Los Angeles area hospitals, along with other critical patient safety and satisfaction information for consumers.

2 Feb 2010

Gene mutation can trigger preterm births, says study

Mutation of a gene that helps protect the body from genetic instability leads to cellular and molecular changes in the pregnant uterus that trigger premature birth, according to a study appearing online Feb. 1 in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

2 Feb 2010

President's fiscal year 2011 budget: FDA requests $4.03 billion for promoting and protecting public health

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is requesting $4.03 billion to promote and protect public health as part of the President's fiscal year 2011 budget - a 23 percent increase over the agency's current $3.28 billion budget.

2 Feb 2010

Memory loss or decline in thinking abilities may indicate higher risk of stroke

People who experience memory loss or a decline in their thinking abilities may be at higher risk of stroke, regardless of whether they have been diagnosed with dementia, according to a new study published in the February 2, 2010, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

2 Feb 2010

MCADD screening is expensive but offers immense health benefits

Newborn screening for a metabolic disorder could lead to false positives -- adding stress to parents, costing money and possibly subjecting a baby to unnecessary follow-up treatment and dietary restrictions.

2 Feb 2010

Evidence suggests antidepressants may improve post-stroke recovery

Patients who received the antidepressant escitalopram following a stroke appeared to recover more of their thinking, learning and memory skills than those taking placebo or participating in problem-solving therapy, according to a report in the February issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

2 Feb 2010