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Pressure-reduction mattresses could help hospitals reduce health care costs

Hospitals could reduce health care costs arising from pressure ulcers, commonly known as bedsores, by investing in pressure-reduction mattresses for elderly patients in emergency departments, according to new research from the University of Toronto.

18 Aug 2011

Vanderbilt's Handle with Care initiative aims to reduce violence in emergency department

With violence toward health care workers from patients and visitors on the rise inside emergency departments, personnel with Vanderbilt's Adult Emergency Department are learning a new set of skills to keep them - and those they care for - safe. A training program called Handle with Care is the latest initiative in Vanderbilt's ongoing effort to reduce violence in the emergency department and protect staff, patients and guests.

17 Aug 2011

Study finds sharp increase in CT scan use in ED between 1996-2007

A review of national data from 1996 through 2007 reveals a sharp uptick in the use of computed tomography, or CT, scans to diagnose illnesses in emergency departments, a University of Michigan Health System study finds.

11 Aug 2011

Study: Expanded insurance coverage alone may not mean better access to care

A shortage in the number and availability of primary care physicians may continue to mean rising numbers of emergency department visits, despite the expanded health insurance coverage required by the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

10 Aug 2011

Primary care shortage may lead to ever-increasing rates of emergency department visits

A shortage of primary care may lead to ever-increasing rates of emergency department use, even for people who have health insurance, according to a new study released today by the Archives of Internal Medicine.

9 Aug 2011

Dyax initiates ecallantide Phase 2 trial for ACE inhibitor-induced angioedema

Dyax Corp. announced today treatment of the first patient in a Phase 2 trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of ecallantide, a potent, selective, reversible inhibitor of plasma kallikrein, for acute treatment of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor-induced angioedema.

4 Aug 2011

BARDA awards contracts for development of drugs for radiation injury to the GI tract

The first two contracts for advanced development of drugs to treat gastrointestinal (GI) tract injuries associated with acute radiation syndrome were awarded today by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA).

2 Aug 2011

Hospitals miss opportunities to diagnose patients infected with HIV in EDs: UC research

New University of Cincinnati research on HIV testing at local emergency departments shows that hospitals miss opportunities to diagnose patients who do not know they are infected with HIV, even when a regular testing program is in place.

30 Jul 2011

Social media may improve public health system's ability to prepare, recover from disasters

Social media tools like Facebook, Twitter and Foursquare may be an important key to improving the public health system's ability to prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters, according to a New England Journal of Medicine "Perspective" article from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania to be published this week.

28 Jul 2011

Roundup: Ore. cuts insurer's rate increase; Ga.'s effort to curb TB struggles; psychiatric care hard to get in Boston

The Oregon Insurance Division will allow the state's largest health insurer to raise rates on individual premiums an average 12.8 percent, far lower than the 22.1 percent the company had requested.

22 Jul 2011

Study: Access to outpatient psychiatric care in Boston is severely limited

A new study by Harvard Medical School researchers published today in the Annals of Emergency Medicine finds that access to outpatient psychiatric care in the greater Boston area is severely limited, even for people with reputedly excellent private health insurance.

21 Jul 2011

Six UC institutions to improve hospital care

A key component of health care reform involves the improvement of quality, access and value when delivering health services, particularly for patients admitted to a hospital. To help meet these needs, the University of California established the Center for Health Quality and Innovation, which provides financial support for health quality initiatives across the UC health system.

16 Jul 2011

Progesterone could fight against neuroblastoma

High doses of the hormone progesterone can kill neuroblastoma cells while leaving healthy cells unscathed, scientists at Emory University School of Medicine have found in laboratory research.

14 Jul 2011

Tips for avoiding heat stroke

As a major heat wave sweeps over the country, the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital has already treated one patient for heat stroke and is gearing up for more.

13 Jul 2011

Checklist to stay healthy and active in summer

The summer is a great season for getting in shape. Whether by playing a sport, doing an aerobic exercise routine, or just returning to that familiar running path -- this is the time for activity.

2 Jul 2011

Genetic variation associated with increased risk of sudden cardiac arrest

A study by a global consortium of physician-scientists has identified a genetic variation that may predispose people to double the risk of having a sudden cardiac arrest, a disorder that gives little warning and is fatal in about 95 percent of cases.

1 Jul 2011

Time reduction in pauses between CPR and electronic defibrillator shocks boosts survival

Reducing the intervals between giving cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and an electronic defibrillator shock after cardiac arrest significantly improves survival, according to UT Southwestern Medical Center emergency medicine doctors involved in an international study.

30 Jun 2011

Cardiac arrest represents tremendous problem for hospitals in the U.S.

More than 200,000 people are treated for cardiac arrest in United States hospitals each year, a rate that may be on the rise. The findings are reported online this week in Critical Care Medicine in a University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine-led study.

27 Jun 2011

Low-risk patients with pulmonary embolism can benefit from outpatient care

Outpatient care for certain low-risk patients with pulmonary embolism (PE) can be safely and effectively used in place of inpatient care, according to a randomized, multi-center study in 19 emergency departments.

24 Jun 2011

Tips to protect children from falling

Placing a crib, changing table or even a chair next to a window might offer your child a nice view outside or access to fresh air, but be careful - window falls can happen quickly and in some cases, be deadly.

23 Jun 2011