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Governors worry about major Medicaid expansion

The GOP fears the burden of a health care overhaul on states, Roll Call reports: "Senate Republicans joined with GOP governors on Thursday and harshly criticized Finance Chairman Max Baucus' (D-Mont.) health care plan, charging the bill would expand Medicaid while forcing a massive unfunded mandate on cash-strapped states. Republicans have criticized the bill for using the Medicaid system, which is partially funded by states and partially by the federal government, as a way to ensure greater health care coverage for Americans" (Stanton, 9/17).

21 Sep 2009

Identification of nitric oxide using lasers and sensors

Nitric oxide, a gas well known to scientists for its myriad functions, has proven challenging to measure accurately outside the laboratory. A team of Princeton and Rice University researchers has demonstrated a new method of identifying the gas using lasers and sensors that are inexpensive, compact and highly sensitive. Such a portable device, suitable for large-scale deployment, could be of great value to atmospheric science, pollution control, biology and medicine.

21 Sep 2009

RAM Technologies' health care suite helps health plans to reduce expenses

Today's economic conditions coupled with the anticipated impacts of health insurance reform are forcing health plans to find ways to reduce expenses. RAM Technologies, Inc., a leading developer of software applications for health care payers, enables health plans to reduce expenses with the cost saving features of their health care administrative solution suite HEALTHsuite(R) and eHealthsuite(TM).

21 Sep 2009

AFib ablated using visually-guided laser balloon catheter

Physicians at The Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York became the first in the U.S. to ablate atrial fibrillation using a visually-guided laser balloon catheter.

21 Sep 2009

Sound off: some lawmakers talking up Baucus Bill, Grassley 'resents' President's remarks

Some lawmakers are touting the Baucus bill's potential and bickering among themselves and the White House about how reform plans are taking shape.

21 Sep 2009

Kenya to launch measles vaccine campaign

The Kenya Ministry of Public Health on Saturday will launch a $1.8 million measles vaccination campaign targeting "1.3 million children who have not been vaccinated against the disease since July 2006," Business Daily Africa reports.

21 Sep 2009

Obama blankets airwaves to push for health reform

President Barack Obama's blitz across the Sunday talk shows to advocate for health overhaul legislation dominates news coverage today.

21 Sep 2009

Praxair China installs NCOOL system at Shanghai Pharmaceutical

Praxair China has installed its NCOOL™ cryogenic heat exchanger system at Shanghai The First Biochemical & Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., an affiliate of Shanghai Pharmaceutical (Group) Ltd. This is the first liquid nitrogen supply contract that Praxair China has signed that employs Praxair’s patented NCOOL cryogenic heat exchanger system in a pharmaceutical freeze dryer.

21 Sep 2009

Home-help staff may break rules for their patients

A new thesis from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, reveals that out of loyalty to the people for whom they provide care, groups of home-help staff sometimes break the rules dictating how their work should be performed.

21 Sep 2009

Iodinated, Gadolinium based contrast agents do not negatively affect patients

Iodinated and Gadolinium based contrast agents, frequently used during computed tomography (CT) and MRI scans to aid in the imaging process, are associated with a very low rate of adverse effects, according to a large cohort study published in the October issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology (AJR).

21 Sep 2009

Health policy experts urge Congress to abandon ideological differences on overhaul

Kaiser Health News reports that a group of "leading economists, analysts and health care administrators" are urging lawmakers to set aside ideological differences and take "action to create broad based changes in the nation's health care system."

21 Sep 2009

CT-guided tube pericardiostomy, an effective treatment for pericardial effusion

Pericardial effusion, the collection of fluid around the heart, typically occurs in patients following heart surgery and is usually treated using an invasive surgical drainage technique. However researchers have discovered that a minimally invasive procedure called CT-guided tube pericardiostomy is just as effective - requiring no recovery time, fewer resources, and provides an 89 percent cost savings over the surgical drainage technique, according to a study published in the October issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology (AJR).

21 Sep 2009

Bioniche Life Sciences' revenue increases by 21% for the fiscal year 2009

Bioniche Life Sciences Inc. (TSX: BNC), a research-based, technology-driven Canadian biopharmaceutical company, today announced financial results for its 2009 fiscal year ended June 30, 2009.

21 Sep 2009

Despite signs of economic growth, world's poorest 'still not out of the woods,' U.N. Secretary-General says

During a news conference Thursday, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon highlighted the need to focus on the poorest people in the world even as "economists in developed nations are cautiously pointing to the first signs of renewed economic growth," the New York Times reports (MacFarquhar, 9/17).

21 Sep 2009

Influenza vaccination low among healthcare workers

Less than one third of healthcare workers have themselves vaccinated against classic influenza. This reluctance is astounding, firstly because vaccination against influenza viruses is considered safe and effective and secondly because it has been proved to prevent nosocomial transmission of disease to patients-provided at least 50% of employees have been vaccinated.

21 Sep 2009

Postmenopausal women benefit as much from exercise as younger women

In two papers based on the experiments and published in recent months, UC Berkeley researchers report that postmenopausal women can achieve the same health benefits from regular, vigorous exercise as younger women do.

21 Sep 2009

Type 2 diabetes more prevalent in women with large abdominal fat cells

Middle-aged women with large abdominal fat cells have a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life compared to women with smaller fat cells. Waist circumference divided by body height can also be used to determine which women are at risk. This is shown in a new study from the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

21 Sep 2009

Study reveals that allergies are a major health issue in Sweden

Asthma, nasal symptoms and eczema is a major public health problem in Sweden, not least among young people. Half of all teenagers are affected in Västra Götaland County in West Sweden.

21 Sep 2009

IPS examines maternal mortality in Mozambique

Inter Press Service examines efforts to curb maternal mortality in Mozambique. The article profiles the work of English medical doctor Peg Cumberland and her team, who have trained "around 400 local people in remote health care" since she came to the country more than 13 years ago.

21 Sep 2009