Healthcare News and Research

Latest Healthcare News and Research

423,000 people in Pakistan need urgent health care

Some 423,000 people in Pakistan need urgent health care after being affected by recent conflict and flooding. WHO and partners are requesting US$ 9.76 million to undertake life-saving health responses to this humanitarian crisis.

9 Sep 2008

Top ANZ medical body says trainee doctors need more clinical training places

The top organisation which represents university medical schools in Australia and New Zealand has issued a stark warning regarding healthcare in Australia.

9 Sep 2008

World's first hand-held ultrasound imaging device

Siemens Canada Limited has partnered with Vancouver General Hospital (VGH) to implement the new ACUSON P10 ultrasound system - the world's first hand-held ultrasound imaging device - replacing the existing technology.

8 Sep 2008

New CDC push to teach parents how to protect children from MRSA

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today launched a national campaign to teach parents how to keep their children safe from skin infections caused by the potentially dangerous bacteria Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

8 Sep 2008

New coating for urinary catheters reduce infection risk

A new coating for urinary catheters could reduce the risk of infection, according to research presented at the British Pharmaceutical Conference (BPC) in Manchester.

8 Sep 2008

Cervical cancer vaccine Gardasil can cause an allergic reaction

According to Australian researchers, the cervical cancer vaccine Gardasil can cause an allergic reaction in some girls.

8 Sep 2008

60% of women use herbal products during pregnancy

Almost 60% of women use at least one herbal product during pregnancy, research launched at the British Pharmaceutical Conference (BPC) in Manchester has revealed.

7 Sep 2008

Simple hardness test detects fake medicines

The fight against fake medicines could soon be aided by a small, portable device that quickly measures the hardness of a tablet, revealing whether it is counterfeit, according to research presented at the British Pharmaceutical Conference (BPC) in Manchester.

7 Sep 2008

Myalgic encephalomyelitis sufferers rely on aternative medicines

More than a third of patients with long-term fatigue conditions like Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) believe complementary and alternative medicines (CAMs) are more effective than traditional medicine in treating their illness, research launched at the British Pharmaceutical Conference (BPC) in Manchester reveals.

7 Sep 2008

Should nurses replace GPs as frontline providers of primary care?

Should nurses be the frontline providers of primary care, taking the place of general practitioners as the first point of patient contact? Two experts debate the issue on bmj.com.

7 Sep 2008

Computerized reminder system drove up colon cancer screening rates

A computerized reminder system used in community-based primary care doctors' offices increased colorectal cancer screening rates by an average of 9 percent, according to a new study from the University of Michigan Health System.

7 Sep 2008

Mike Huckabee says GOP should focus more on health care in Presidential election

Former Republican presidential candidate and Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee on Tuesday during a forum about obesity expressed disappointment that the party has not focused more on health care in the presidential election, The Hill reports.

4 Sep 2008

Hurricane Katrina increased mental and physical health problems in New Orleans by up to three times

Half the residents of New Orleans were suffering from poor mental and physical health more than a year after their homes and community were devastated by Hurricane Katrina in August 2005, according to research published in the September issue of the UK-based Journal of Clinical Nursing.

3 Sep 2008

The BEAUTIFUL study: Ivabradine and the reduction of cardiovascular events

The results of the much awaited BEAUTIFUL (morBidity-mortality EvAlUaTion of the If inhibitor ivabradine in patients with CAD and left ventricULar dysfunction) trial have shown that coronary artery disease (CAD) patients with left ventricular dysfunction (LVD) and a heart rate more than 70 bpm have a significantly higher risk of cardiovascular death and other cardiovascular events and in these patients (heart rate above 70 bpm) treatment with ivabradine further reduces the risk of the most important coronary events such as fatal and non-fatal myocardial infarction and coronary revascularisation by one third, even when these patients are already receiving optimal therapy.

31 Aug 2008

Shots are nothing to shy away from with the right approach

"Getting shots may seem burdensome and even downright scary to some children, but they protect children against dangerous and deadly diseases."

28 Aug 2008

Number, percentage of uninsured U.S. residents decreased in 2007, according to U.S. Census Bureau

The number and percentage of uninsured U.S. residents declined in 2007 to 45.7 million people, or 15.3% of the population, according to an annual U.S. Census Bureau report released Tuesday, USA Today reports (Cauchon/Appleby, USA Today, 8/27).

28 Aug 2008

Australian to lead the world in cancer fight

Professor David Hill, Director of The Cancer Council Victoria, will commence in his role as President of the International Union Against Cancer (UICC) on 27 August 2008 at the World Cancer Congress in Geneva.

27 Aug 2008

Chronic stress alters our genetic immune response

Most people would agree that stress increases your risk for illness and this is particularly true for severe long-term stresses, such as caring for a family member with a chronic medical illness. However, we still have a relatively limited understanding of exactly how stress contributes to the risk for illness. In the August 15th issue of Biological Psychiatry, researchers shed new light on one link between stress and illness by describing a mechanism through which stress alters immune function.

27 Aug 2008

Potential new targets for antidepressants

The news about antidepressant medications over the past several years has been mixed. The bad news from large multicenter studies such as STAR*D is that current antidepressant medications are effective, but not as effective as one might hope. Thus, there is a significant need for new treatment mechanisms for depression. On that front, there has been mixed news as well.

27 Aug 2008