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Study: Spanish-speaking Hispanic women less likely to use neuraxial analgesia during labor

Why do Hispanic women have reduced rates of epidural or spinal (neuraxial) analgesia during labor? Language barriers may be a key factor, according to a study in Anesthesia & Analgesia.

11 Dec 2015

XARELTO reduces rates of major bleeding, recurrent blood clots in people with deep vein thrombosis

Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and its development partner, Bayer HealthCare, today announced the results from their real-world study XALIA showing that, in people with deep vein thrombosis (DVT), the rates of major bleeding and recurrent blood clots for XARELTO (rivaroxaban) in routine clinical practice were generally consistent with those observed in Phase 3 research.

7 Dec 2015

Magnesium sulfate has protective effect on maternal fever during labor

Women who received magnesium sulfate during labor were less likely to develop maternal fever, a condition that can lead to a variety of complications in newborns including difficulty breathing, seizures, cerebral palsy and a condition known as "floppy baby syndrome," characterized by inadequate muscle tone, according to a retrospective study presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY 2015 annual meeting in San Diego.

26 Oct 2015

ASA: Epidural or spinal anesthesia preferred for most cesarean deliveries

New research could ease the minds of expectant mothers who may be nervous about epidurals or spinal anesthesia for childbirth. A study of New York state hospitals, published in the Online First edition of Anesthesiology, the official medical journal of the American Society of Anesthesiologists, found the rate of anesthesia-related complications in women who received epidural or spinal anesthesia for cesarean delivery decreased 25 percent over the past decade.

9 Oct 2015

Use of chest CT scans for hospital emergency-room patients with blunt trauma can be reduced: Study

Use of computed tomography (CT) scans of the chest for hospital emergency-room patients with blunt trauma could be reduced by more than one-third without compromising detection of major injury, concludes a new study led by a UC San Francisco physician.

7 Oct 2015

New research examines complications related to labor anesthesia in women with thrombocytopenia

Can women with low platelet counts safely undergo epidural/spinal anesthesia during labor? Available evidence suggests a low rate of complications related to abnormal blood clotting for this large group of patients, reports a study in Anesthesia & Analgesia.

24 Sep 2015

Janssen, Bayer HealthCare announce results from landmark studies evaluating safety profile of XARELTO in NVAF patients

Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and its development partner, Bayer HealthCare, today announced results from PMSS (Post-Marketing Safety Surveillance) and XANTUS (XARELTO for Prevention of Stroke in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation), their landmark real-world studies evaluating the safety of XARELTO in people with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF).

1 Sep 2015

Medical case report of woman with Channelopathy-associated Insensitivity to Pain Syndrome

The report, published on F1000Research and titled Neuropathic pain in a patient with congenital insensitivity to pain has just passed peer review. It concerns a unique case of a woman with Channelopathy-associated Insensitivity to Pain (CIP) Syndrome, who developed features of neuropathic pain after sustaining pelvic fractures and an epidural hematoma that impinged on the right fifth lumbar (L5) nerve root. These injuries were sustained during a painless labour, which culminated in a Caesarean section.

25 Aug 2015

New non-invasive spinal cord stimulation helps paralyzed men voluntarily move their legs

Five men with complete motor paralysis were able to voluntarily generate step-like movements thanks to a new strategy that non-invasively delivers electrical stimulation to their spinal cords, according to a new study funded in part by the National Institutes of Health. The strategy, called transcutaneous stimulation, delivers electrical current to the spinal cord by way of electrodes strategically placed on the skin of the lower back.

31 Jul 2015

Scientists propose new spinal cord stimulation strategy to activate motor neurons

Patients, doctors and researchers look with great expectations to epidural electrostimulation, a medical technique that could alleviate the condition of subjects affected by paralysis due to spinal cord injury. Although still relatively rudimentary, the technique is constantly being improved thanks to research.

15 Jul 2015

Mild head injury patients having lower serum S100B levels unlikely to have intracranial hemorrhage

Researchers conducted a prospective observational study in elderly patients and adult patients receiving antiplatelet therapy who presented with mild head injury at two trauma hospitals in Vienna: the Trauma Hospital Meidling and the Donauspital.

7 Jul 2015

Simple steps help accelerate recovery, reduce cost of care in people undergoing colorectal surgery

Simple steps that include the consistent use of experienced medical teams for a single type of surgery, preemptive antibiotics before the procedure, less reliance on potent opioids during recovery and urging patients to get out of bed and move around sooner can not only prevent infections, blood clots and other serious complications in people undergoing colorectal operations, but can also accelerate recovery and reduce cost of care, according to results of an ongoing program at The Johns Hopkins Hospital.

10 Jun 2015

Neurosurgeon performs first endoscopic removal of spinal tumor at Rhode Island Hospital

The spinal tumor grew back. Even though the 16-year old patient endured surgery a year earlier to remove and diagnose the lesion, it was back and its cause unknown. Determined to identify the tumor tissue and set the patient on an appropriate treatment regimen, Albert Telfeian, M.D., a neurosurgeon at Rhode Island Hospital and Hasbro Children's Hospital, performed the first reported case of extracting the tumor endoscopically while the patient was awake and under a local anesthetic.

29 May 2015

Janssen, Bayer HealthCare initiate CALLISTO program to study rivaroxaban in patients with active cancer

Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and its development partner, Bayer HealthCare, today announced the initiation of CALLISTO, a new comprehensive clinical research program for their novel oral anticoagulant, rivaroxaban, in patients with active cancer. The studies are evaluating the medicine for the prevention and treatment of life-threatening blood clots in patients with a wide range of cancer types.

28 May 2015

Short course of oral steroids unlikely to provide much benefit for patients with acute sciatica

Among patients with acute sciatica caused by a herniated lumbar disk (a condition also known as "acute radiculopathy"), a short course of oral steroids resulted in only modest improvement in function and no significant improvement in pain, according to a study published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

19 May 2015

National study comparing minimally invasive lumbar decompression (mild) with epidural steroid injections (ESIs) reaches full enrollment

Lumbar spinal stenosis is primarily a degenerative, age-related narrowing of the lower spinal canal resulting in compression of the nerve roots. MILD treats this compression by removing small portions of lamina and hypertrophic ligamentum flavum in a minimally invasive, outpatient procedure through an opening about the size of a baby aspirin...

9 Apr 2015

IV cosyntropin therapy matches EBP in relieving pain from post-dural puncture headache

Intravenous (IV) cosyntropin therapy was equivalent to epidural blood patch (EBP) in relieving pain from post-dural puncture headache (PDPH) with potential for fewer complications and lower costs, data from a randomized, controlled trial showed.

25 Mar 2015

Wings for Life World Run to fund breakthrough clinical study on spinal cord injury

It all started with a single toe. Even today, Dr. Susan Harkema recalls the words spoken by one of the research participants: "Look Susie, I can move my toe." The patient's name was Rob Summers and he was completely paralyzed from the neck down. After a car accident he was told he would never be able to walk again.

6 Mar 2015

Experts provide suggestions to prevent neurological injuries associated with epidural steroid injections

Epidural steroid injections are commonly used to treat pain; however, they can in rare situations produce life-threatening neurological injuries such as stroke and paralysis. In the Online First edition of February's Anesthesiology, the official medical journal of the American Society of Anesthesiologists, a panel of experts representing 13 national medical organizations provided 17 suggestions aimed at preventing such injuries and improving patient safety.

16 Feb 2015

Peanut-shaped exercise ball promotes positive labor outcomes, reduces duration of delivery process

According to a new study by nurse researchers at Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center, a Phoenix hospital part of Banner Health, a peanut-shaped exercise ball can be a highly effective tool to accelerate the labor process for women with an epidural. The research shows women utilizing the peanut ball were half as likely to undergo a cesarean surgery and delivered babies faster than those who did not use the ball.

12 Feb 2015