Medical News

RSS

Obese patients may have advantages in certain health situations

Although obesity is linked to a variety of health risks, new research indicates that obese patients may have an advantage over nonobese patients in certain health situations, including septic shock and acute asthma exacerbation.

22 Oct 2012

Insight into calcium pumps in cells

When animals and plants are exposed to influences such as bacterial attack, odour and cold, calcium ions flow into the cells. The calcium provides the cells with a signal about what is going on outside, but as high concentrations of calcium are toxic to the cells, it must be quickly pumped out again.

22 Oct 2012

Implementation of 24-h intensivist staffing model reduces mortality rates, length of stay

The implementation of a 24-h ICU in-house staff intensivist coverage was associated with improved mortality rates and reduced length of stay, along with quicker decision-making and a positive trend in quality of end-of-life care.

22 Oct 2012

Chinese herbs may show significant benefits for patients with NSCLC, IPF and influenza

Chinese herbs, including JHQG, BFXL, and BFHX, may show significant benefits for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), and influenza.

22 Oct 2012

Ambulatory surgery centers and physician offices less costly than hospitals

More and more outpatient surgical procedures are being done at nonhospital-based facilities such as freestanding ambulatory surgical centers and physician offices, instead of at hospital-based outpatient departments.

22 Oct 2012

Patients with AF experience more GI bleeding with rivaroxaban use

Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) experienced more major and non-major clinically relevant GI bleeding when taking rivaroxaban than patients taking warfarin.

22 Oct 2012

VTE care improvements may be linked to implementation of treatment guidelines

The quality of care of patients hospitalized with venous thromboembolism (VTE) significantly improved between 2005 and 2009, and researchers suggest these improvements may be due to the implementation of VTE treatment guidelines.

22 Oct 2012

Cough, difficulty breathing and chest pain key symptoms of pulmonary embolism

Difficulty breathing, chest pain, and cough may sound like symptoms of a heart attack; however, new research shows that these are the key symptoms for pulmonary embolism (PE), a potentially fatal blockage in the lung.

22 Oct 2012

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center honored with national consumer award

For the 17th year in a row, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center has been honored with a national consumer award for having the best overall healthcare quality, doctors and nurses in the Los Angeles area based on an independent survey of households.

22 Oct 2012

Cobinamide may help reverse effects of cyanide toxicity

Smoke inhalation is the major cause of death in fire victims due to cyanide poisoning. However, new research presented at CHEST 2012, the annual meeting of the American College of Chest Physicians, shows that a new antidote, cobinamide, may help reverse the effects of cyanide toxicity.

22 Oct 2012

VEGF produced by NPCs plays a strong role in influencing microglial behavior

The brain's key "breeder" cells, it turns out, do more than that. They secrete substances that boost the numbers and strength of critical brain-based immune cells believed to play a vital role in brain health. This finding adds a new dimension to our understanding of how resident stem cells and stem cell transplants may improve brain function.

22 Oct 2012

Simple 10-minute Tension Tamer could help relieve stress and decrease fatigue

A simple, 10-minute stress reduction technique could help to relieve stress, improve sleep quality, and decrease fatigue.

22 Oct 2012

Intensive glycemic control does not reduce mortality in neurocritical care patients

A new study in BioMed Central's open access journal Critical Care suggests that intensive glycemic control does not reduce mortality in neurocritical care patients and could, in fact, lead to more neurological damage. Complicating the picture, poor glucose control also leads to worse recovery and should be avoided.

22 Oct 2012

U.S. boys experience early onset of puberty

A study conducted by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has documented that boys in the U.S. are experiencing the onset of puberty six months to two years earlier than reported in previous research.

22 Oct 2012

PAC program improves children’s dental care, may serve as invaluable tool for dental students

A partnership between a New York City dental school and a local foster care agency has provided consistent dental care to more than 650 children, and may serve as a model for other dental school program curriculums. The success of Partners Against Caries (PAC), both for the participating foster children and dental school students, was outlined Oct. 21 at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) National Conference and Exhibition in New Orleans.

22 Oct 2012

High school students experience excessive daytime sleepiness: Study

New research shows that high school students experience excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), with most students sleeping fewer than 7 hours per night.

22 Oct 2012

Soft chest band therapy safe and effective for patients with persistent dry cough

A soft, extendible band fitted around the chest may help to relieve cough in patients with persistent dry cough. Over the course of 1 year, Japanese researchers evaluated the antitussive effect of the chest band worn for 8 hours a day in 56 patients with chronic cough due to a variety of conditions.

22 Oct 2012

Critical care ultrasound training program could help improve knowledge and skills of physician trainees

A dedicated critical care ultrasound (CCUS) training program could help improve physician trainees' knowledge and skills at the bedside.

22 Oct 2012

Bayer announces data from riociguat Phase III pulmonary arterial hypertension trial

Bayer HealthCare today announced data from the Phase III PATENT-1 pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) trial evaluating its investigational drug riociguat in both treatment-naive patients and those pre-treated with an endothelin receptor antagonist or an oral, inhaled or subcutaneous prostanoid.

22 Oct 2012

Alcohol consumption, college education may increase risk of COPD

College education and alcohol consumption may be linked to risk for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Researchers from Kaiser Permanente Medical Group in Oakland, California, followed 126,019 people who supplied baseline data from 1978 - 1985 through 2008 with analyses of hospitalizations attributed to COPD (emphysema, chronic bronchitis, or chronic airway obstruction).

22 Oct 2012