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ICU patients with MRSA infection may face 50% increased risk of death

Does the Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, MRSA, cause more deaths in hospitals than the bacteria that are sensitive to common antibiotics? Opinions have been varied, but now a worldwide study at, among others, Linköping University in Sweden, indicates that the mortality rate can be 50 % higher for intensive care patients infected with MRSA.

25 Aug 2011

Amniotic fluid-derived stem cells show promise against lung disease

Two papers published in the current issue of Cell Transplantation, highlight the rich source of stem cells in human amniotic fluid that can be isolated and transplanted for therapeutic purposes.

25 Aug 2011

Creighton University to study hereditary factors of prostate cancer among African Americans

Creighton University's Hereditary Cancer Center, has received a three-year, $731,278 grant from the U.S. Department of Defense to study the role heredity plays in prostate cancer among African Americans.

24 Aug 2011

Trophos awarded US patent covering use of novel cardioprotective compound

Trophos SA a clinical stage pharmaceutical company developing innovative therapeutics from discovery to clinical validation for indications with under-served needs in neurology and cardiology, announced today that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has granted a patent for the use of their novel mitochondrial pore modulator, TRO40303, for cytoprotection. The patent provides coverage for the use of Trophos’ TRO40303 to reduce the cardiac reperfusion injury that contributes significantly to the morbidity and mortality seen after a heart attack (myocardial infarction - MI).

23 Aug 2011

Fewer children falling from windows thanks to safety measures

According to a new study in the journal Pediatrics, pediatric injury rates in the United States where children fall off from windows has steadily decreased during a 19-year period, but these declines could be more substantial if comprehensive prevention programs similar to those launched in New York City and Boston were adopted nationwide.

23 Aug 2011

KU professor to create patient-friendly lung cancer treatment

A Kansas State University professor is trying to create a patient-friendly treatment to help the more than 220,000 people who are diagnosed with lung cancer each year.

23 Aug 2011

Survival for patients with HCC increases with radioembolization

Analysis revealed survival for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is achievable using 90Y-resin microsphere radioembolization. The analysis conducted at multiple centers across Europe showed that the procedure is likely to provide survival benefit across different tumor stages, including patients with advanced liver cancer and with limited treatment options.

23 Aug 2011

Should we be screening blood for hepatisi G?

Hepatitis G virus was identified in 1995. Some little research was carried out on the virus and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) declared it a non-harmful virus in 1997. Researchers in Saudi Arabia, writing in the International Journal of Immunological Studies present evidence to suggest that this may have been the wrong decision.

22 Aug 2011

Saffron promotes apoptosis and inhibits growth of cancerous cells

New research suggests that saffron provides a significant chemopreventive effect against liver cancer in animal models. When saffron was administered to rats with diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-induced liver cancer an inhibition of cell proliferation and stimulation of apoptosis was observed. Full findings appear in the September issue of Hepatology, a journal published by Wiley Blackwell on behalf of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.

22 Aug 2011

Medical examiners and appointed coroners less likely to underreport suicides

Medical examiners and appointed coroners are less likely to underreport suicides than are elected coroners, that's according to a new study from Temple University.

22 Aug 2011

Coronary stent implantation safe, feasible for infants or toddlers with ACS

Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is not a generally accepted option for infants or toddlers with acute coronary syndrome. However, a new report published in the August issue of Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions, a journal of The Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI), found coronary stent implantation to be a feasible and safe palliative option for children fifteen months and younger.

22 Aug 2011

Radiolabeled protein reveals presence of S. aureus endocarditis in mouse model

A novel imaging probe developed by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) investigators may make it possible to diagnose accurately a dangerous infection of the heart valves.

22 Aug 2011

Violence and displacement in Yemen exacerbate child malnutrition

UNICEF has warned that "continuing fighting in various parts of Yemen, which has recently displaced thousands of people especially in Abyan Governorate and the Arhab District of Sana'a, could compromise the nutritional status of those affected … potentially increaseing morbidity and mortality rates, especially among children under five," IRIN reports.

20 Aug 2011

Wistar Institute, Graham Cancer Center enter research collaboration

Christiana Care Health System's Helen F. Graham Cancer Center and The Wistar Institute, an international leader in biomedical research, have entered into an historic partnership to collaborate on translational cancer research with the aim of bringing the latest discoveries in cancer research to cancer patients in the community.

20 Aug 2011

Research roundup: Majority of Docs face malpractice claims; colonoscopies in older adults; 'overwhelming' Medicare advantage choices

The authors "analyzed malpractice data from 1991 through 2005 for all physicians who were covered by a large professional liability insurer with a nationwide client base" and found that "by the age of 65 years, 75% of physicians in low-risk specialties had faced a malpractice claim, as compared with 99% of physicians in high-risk specialties." Most of those claims did not result in a pyament.

20 Aug 2011

Flu immunization targets fall short for health workers and pregnant women

According to a new survey despite recent improvements in influenza vaccination rates among U.S. health care personnel, their rates for the 2010-2011 flu season still fell short of national health objectives.

18 Aug 2011

Making sense of maternal mortality statistics

Referring to a Maternal Health Task Force infographic depicting maternal mortality worldwide, Jen Quraishi, editorial coordinator for Mother Jones, writes in a post on Mother Jones' "Blue Marble" blog that "there are lots of ways to juggle maternal mortality numbers, and ultimately I find the death rate per capita more useful than the total number of deaths … Charts like these obscure the point that the relative wealth and size of a country do have an effect on its maternal mortality, but they're not everything."

18 Aug 2011

UNHCR reports 10 children dying daily and women facing risk of rape in Ethiopian refugee camps

"Ten Somali children under the age of five are dying every day of hunger-related causes in a refugee camp in Ethiopia, according to the U.N. refugee agency," the Guardian reports.

18 Aug 2011

Inherited genetic links to prostate cancer discovered

Researchers from the U.S. and Sweden have linked five inherited genetic mutations to the development of a particularly aggressive and deadly form of prostate cancer. They suggest that these findings could someday lead to development of an easy-to-administer blood test to screen for such mutations to help physicians assess the long-term risk faced by newly diagnosed prostate cancer patients.

17 Aug 2011

Just 15 minutes of exercise per day prolongs life

Taiwanese researchers reported Monday in the journal The Lancet that exercising for just 15 minutes most days of the week appears to provide health benefits by prolonging life.

17 Aug 2011