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Roundup: Calif. mental hospitals released from fed oversight; Kansas hospitals cooperate to recruit rural docs; Va. abortion law questions

A U.S. District Court judge Monday released the state's mental hospitals from federal oversight on all but one issue -- a significant step in ending a costly six-year reform effort. The extensive court-supervised changes were imposed on four hospitals in 2006 as part of a settlement to a lawsuit by the U.S. Department of Justice. The department alleged that the state was violating patients' civil rights by heavily drugging and improperly restraining them and failing to provide appropriate treatment.

26 Sep 2012

Warfarin therapy should not be stopped completely after GI bleeding

The decision to not resume warfarin therapy following a gastrointestinal bleeding event is linked to an increased risk for thrombosis and mortality, researchers suggest.

25 Sep 2012

Three-factor tool could be all you need to assess surgery risk

A simple tool involving less than six variables to measure surgical outcomes could be all that is needed to predict inpatient mortality, show US study results.

25 Sep 2012

Success rates affect patient preferences for one or two root canal visits

The potential success rate of root canal treatment affects whether patients would prefer to complete it in one or two visits to the dentist, indicate study results.

25 Sep 2012

Cochlear implant an option for unhappy stapes patients

Cochlear implantation is a safe and effective treatment option for patients with far advanced otosclerosis who have not benefitted from stapedectomy, report US researchers.

25 Sep 2012

Armband labeling could prevent DNR confusion

Implementation of an electronic ordering and armband labeling process for patients with Do Not Resuscitate orders improved correct documentation of their wishes as well as physicians’ ability to recognize and act on them during a cardiac arrest scenario, report US researchers.

25 Sep 2012

Daytime oxygen link to poor sleep in COPD

Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease experience poorer sleep quality than those without the disease, say the authors of an Irish study.

25 Sep 2012

Maternal obstetric problems linked to schizophrenia risk

Certain maternal pregnancy complications are associated with an increased risk for schizophrenia spectrum psychoses among individuals at high genetic risk for the condition, Finnish research shows.

25 Sep 2012

Suicide attempts common in bipolar disorder inpatients

Results from a Norwegian study show that the prevalence of attempted suicide is high among inpatients with bipolar disorder, with nearly half of patients having attempted to take their own lives at least once.

25 Sep 2012

$Ultrasound effective for visualizing fractures in children$

Ultrasound effective for visualizing fractures in children

Ultrasound is a safe and accurate alternative to X-ray for detecting metaphyseal forearm fractures in children, say researchers.

25 Sep 2012

Yoghurt may lower hypertension risk

The addition of yoghurt to the diet without increasing calorie intake may lower the risk for high blood pressure, say US researchers.

25 Sep 2012

Low blood sugar danger for critically ill

Further analysis of the NICE-SUGAR trial shows a dose‑response relationship between the degree of hypoglycemia and the risk for death in critically ill patients.

25 Sep 2012

Persistence pays out exercise benefits in heart failure

Health benefits derived from regular exercise accumulate over the long term, shows a 10-year study in patients with heart failure.

25 Sep 2012

Osteopathic manipulation improves spine mobility in obese

Osteopathic manipulative therapy, when combined with specific exercises, has an added benefit of improving kinematics of the thoracic spine in obese patients with chronic low back pain, Italian study findings show.

25 Sep 2012

Prevalence of OCD in children ‘high’

Results from a Spanish study suggest that the prevalence of obsessive‑compulsive disorder and associated symptoms among children is higher than previously thought.

25 Sep 2012

‘Video game’ teaches blind people to navigate buildings

Blind people can learn the spatial layout of an unfamiliar building using a novel “video game” virtual reality environment that employs only audio-based cues, thus enabling them to learn skills that may improve functional independence, say US and Chilean scientists.

25 Sep 2012

AAPC announces results from 2012 health care salary survey

AAPC, the leader in enabling the business side of medicine, announced the results from the 2012 AAPC Health Care Salary Survey. The survey is open to all members of the health care community, including medical billers and coders, practice managers, auditors, and physicians. This year nearly 20,000 health care professionals responded to the survey.

25 Sep 2012

NeuroSigma to launch Monarch eTNS system at 10th European Congress on Epileptology

NeuroSigma, Inc., a Los Angeles-based medical device company, announced today that its Monarch eTNS system for the adjunctive treatment of epilepsy and depression will make its debut at the 10th European Congress on Epileptology, which takes place in London, England from September 30 to October 4, 2012.

25 Sep 2012

Positive results from Antares Pharma’s VIBEX MTX clinical study on rheumatoid arthritis

Antares Pharma, Inc. today announced positive results from an Actual Human Use (AHU) study for VIBEX Methotrexate (MTX).

25 Sep 2012

Microcirculation secrets could shed new light on risks of heart disease and diabetes

Researchers at the University of Southampton together with colleagues at King's College London have embarked on a unique study that will shed new light on the risk of heart disease and diabetes in later life.

25 Sep 2012