Pain News and Research

Latest Pain News and Research

Improving static balance key to preventing falls in older adults

Being able to stay in their homes and remain independent is a daily struggle for many older adults. As we age we tend to lose our flexibility, our connective tissue tightens and we have prolonged reaction times. Problems with vision, including depth perception, all increase the likelihood of falling. When a child falls it may result in a few bumps and bruises.

7 Apr 2010

Hospital charges for uninsured inpatient care grows by 88%

The amount that hospitals charge the uninsured for inpatient care grew by 88 percent between 1998 and 2007, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The average charge for an uninsured hospital stay grew from $11,400 in 1998 to $21,400 in 2007 after adjusting for inflation.

7 Apr 2010

Rome Foundation develops Diagnostic Algorithms to diagnose GI symptoms

New clinical algorithms will give physicians a practical, efficient and cost-effective aid to diagnose the frequent gastrointestinal symptoms that patients commonly bring to their primary care doctors and gastroenterologists--symptoms of functional GI disorders that are often difficult to diagnose.

7 Apr 2010

Patients with sickle cell disease require acute care: Study

Patients with sickle cell disease average about 2.5 hospital visits per year, with 18- to 30-year old patients more likely to require acute care or rehospitalization, according to a study in the April 7 issue of JAMA.

7 Apr 2010

Adventist Medical Center expands emergency department

Adventist Medical Center (AMC), a southeast Portland, Ore., hospital serving the greater Portland and Vancouver, Wash., metropolitan area, has completed its third and final phase of its emergency department expansion. With this expansion, the hospital now has 32 beds in its emergency department, making it one of the largest in Portland. AMC is also one of the busiest emergency departments in the Portland metro area, serving more than 46,000 patients a year.

7 Apr 2010

Research shows direct link between dental health and general health

Research has shown a direct link between the health of our mouths and our general health. Periodontal (gum) disease may increase adult risk of diseases such as heart, stroke, diabetes and respiratory diseases. Tooth and gum disease and is one of the most common dental problems of older adults.

7 Apr 2010

SANUWAVE Health announces completion of patient enrollment in dermaPACE Phase III clinical trial

SANUWAVE Health, Inc., an emerging medical technology company focused on the development and commercialization of non-invasive, biological response activating devices in the regenerative medicine area, today announced that patient enrollment was completed in March in its dermaPACE™ Phase III pivotal, randomized, double-blinded, sham controlled, multicenter clinical trial comparing its Pulsed Acoustic Cellular Expression technology, utilizing the dermaPACE™ tissue regeneration device, to sham control for the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers.

6 Apr 2010

Nanoparticle-core polymer holds promise as weight-bearing replacement for traditional graft materials

Orthopedic surgeons are often hamstrung by less-than-ideal grafting material when performing surgeries for complex bone injuries resulting from trauma, aging or cancer. Conventional synthetic bone grafts are typically made of stiff polymers or brittle ceramics, and cannot readily conform to the complex and irregular shapes that often result from injury; in addition, they often require metallic fixation devices that require open surgeries to insert and remove.

6 Apr 2010

Dry-mouth and dry-eye symptoms often misdiagnosed by healthcare professionals

Results from a recent survey of 400 Sjogren's syndrome patients showed that half of those surveyed experienced common symptoms such as dry mouth or dry eyes for three or more years before receiving an accurate diagnosis from a healthcare professional.

6 Apr 2010

BioAlliance Pharma SA signs partnership agreement with Therabel Group

BioAlliance Pharma SA, a company dedicated to the treatment and supportive care of cancer and AIDS patients, announces today an exclusive partnership agreement with Therabel Group for the European commercialization rights of Loramyc® and Setofilm® including France and the associated French commercial structure to a newly established entity, Therabel Hôpital Pharma.

6 Apr 2010

Qutenza 8% patch now available for pain associated with PHN: NeurogesX

NeurogesX, Inc. announced today that Qutenza® (capsaicin) 8% patch, the first and only product containing prescription-strength capsaicin, is now available. Clinical studies have shown that a single one-hour Qutenza application can provide three months relief from pain associated with postherpetic neuralgia, the nerve pain that can occur after shingles.

6 Apr 2010

New formulation of controlled-release drug OxyContin approved

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved a new formulation of the controlled-release drug OxyContin that has been designed to help discourage misuse and abuse of the medication.

6 Apr 2010

Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota announces opening of new Cardiovascular Center

Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota is opening a new world-class Cardiovascular Center—the only one of its kind in the Upper Midwest—that integrates all pediatric cardiac services in one location. The new Cardiovascular Center reflects Children's dedication to family-centered care with all private patient rooms with the latest in technology for both the patient and care team, a state-of-the-art hybrid operating room, and 24/7 access to specially trained cardiac intensivists to ensure the best possible care for patients.

5 Apr 2010

Are Australians popping too many pills?

These reports have emerged from a Daily Telegraph investigation. Australian Medical Association vice president, GP and former Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee member Dr Steve Hambleton said the resons for these trends may include the increasing population of the aged, newer medicines as well as a rise in chronic lifestyle ailments like diabetes and high blood pressure.

5 Apr 2010

Clinical utility and pharmacological action of MN-166 in treatment of MS

MediciNova, Inc, a biopharmaceutical company publicly traded on the Nasdaq Global Market and the Hercules Market of the Osaka Securities Exchange, today reported that this week's issue of Neurology includes two articles related to the potential clinical utility and unique pharmacological action of MN-166 in treating multiple sclerosis (MS).

3 Apr 2010

HCM: Questions to ask

While a jury awarded Tony and Angela Key, $1.6 million following a malpractice trial in the death of their 22-year-old son, Antwoine, a basketball player for Eastern Connecticut State University who collapsed and died during a game in 2005, it is a small measure of solace when a young life is cut short, particularly when the cause - hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) - could have been treated, had it been properly diagnosed.

3 Apr 2010

Detroit cancer center to conduct free oral, head and neck cancer screenings

On Friday, April 16, from 2 - 5 p.m., the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Center in Detroit will be conducting free oral, head and neck cancer screenings in conjunction with National Oral Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Week (April 12 – 18.) Some of the symptoms of oral cancer go unnoticed. A simple 10-minute screening exam can determine if there are problems and can help diagnose this disease in its early stage.

3 Apr 2010

Study: Trial vaccine eliminates residual cancer cells in CML patients

Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center researchers say preliminary studies show that a vaccine made with leukemia cells may be able to reduce or eliminate the last remaining cancer cells in some chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients taking the drug Imatinib mesylate (Gleevec).

3 Apr 2010

TJUH physician first recipient of Emergency Department Director of the Year award

Rex G. Mathew, M.D., F.A.C.E.P., vice president of Emergency Medicine Clinical Operations at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital (TJUH) has been named the Emergency Department Director of the Year by the Emergency Medicine Foundation and Blue Jay Consulting. Dr. Mathew will receive his award at the American College of Emergency Physicians Emergency Department Director's Academy on April 26th.

3 Apr 2010

Growing problem of prescription drug abuse

Prescription painkiller abuse is a rapidly growing and widespread problem, recently coming into full view due to high profile stories and tragic celebrity deaths.

3 Apr 2010