Medical News

RSS

Scientists identify a novel cellular source of atrial fibrillation

While studying how the heart is formed, scientists at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine serendipitously found a novel cellular source of atrial fibrillation (AF), the most common type of abnormal heart beat.

5 Nov 2009

Surgical groups oppose Senate’s health care reform bill

Twenty surgical organizations, led by the American College of Surgeons, sent a letter to the U.S. Senate today stating they are prepared to oppose the Senate's health care reform bill because it will threaten patient access and harm quality.

5 Nov 2009

Scientists differentiate human embryonic stem cells into lung epithelial tissue using air-liquid interface

Scientists in Belgium have successfully differentiated human embryonic stem cells (hESC) into major cell types of lung epithelial tissue using a convenient air-liquid interface.

5 Nov 2009

Japanese data suggests a protocol for schools to follow during H1N! pandemic

As flu season approaches, parents around the country are starting to face school closures. But how bad should an influenza outbreak be for a school to shut down? A study led by epidemiologists John Brownstein, PhD, and Anne Gatewood Hoen, PhD of the Children's Hospital Boston Informatics Program, in collaboration Asami Sasaki of the University of Niigata Prefecture (Niigata, Japan), tapped a detailed set of Japanese data to help guide decision making by schools and government agencies.

5 Nov 2009

FDA announces new initiative program to reduce risks from inappropriate medication use

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today announced the Safe Use Initiative, a program aimed at reducing the likelihood of preventable harm from medication use.

5 Nov 2009

SafetyTies and SafetyScarves of SafeSmart help reduce the spread of H1N1

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), H1N1 - better known as the swine flu - was widespread in 48 states as of Oct. 18-24. The CDC's website offers guidelines, from cough etiquette to keeping sick workers at home, for healthcare professionals and the public on how to minimize spread of the H1N1 influenza.

5 Nov 2009

Evidence continues to grow about green tea's cancer prevention properties

Although scientists are reluctant to officially endorse green tea as a cancer prevention method, evidence continues to grow about its protective effects, including results of a new study published in Cancer Prevention Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, which suggests some reduction in oral cancer.

5 Nov 2009

Educational video induces girls diagnosed with PID to ensure partner treatment

A study at Johns Hopkins Children's Center found that girls diagnosed with pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) who watched a short educational video were three times more likely to discuss their condition with their partners and to ensure partner treatment than girls diagnosed and treated without seeing the film.

5 Nov 2009

Appropriate initial antimicrobial therapy reduces mortality in patients with septic shock

Patients experiencing septic shock who receive inappropriate therapy may have a fivefold reduction in survival, shows a new study. Researchers from the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada, retrospectively reviewed the cases of 5,715 patients with septic shock to determine the appropriateness of initial antimicrobial therapy, clinical infection site, and relevant pathogens.

5 Nov 2009

Patients with post-traumatic stress disorder can benefit from synthetic marijuana

Use of cannabinoids (marijuana) could assist in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder patients. This is exposed in a recent study carried out at the Learning and Memory Lab in the University of Haifa's Department of Psychology.

5 Nov 2009

Literary Arabic is expressed in the brain of an Arabic speaker as a second language, says researcher

Literary Arabic is expressed in the brain of an Arabic speaker as a second language and not as a native language. This has been shown in a new study by Dr. Raphiq Ibrahim of the Edmond J. Safra Brain Research Center for the Study of Learning Disabilities at the University of Haifa's Department of Learning Disabilities. "The cognitive disparity between the two languages is similar to the difference between a native and a second language.

5 Nov 2009

CHANTIX/CHAMPIX raises hope for quitting smoking

New study results showed that 42.3 percent of smokers with mild-to-moderate chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who took CHANTIX/CHAMPIX® (varenicline) were able to quit smoking and remain abstinent during the last four weeks of treatment (weeks 9-12) compared with 8.8 percent of those given placebo (p<0.0001). These findings were presented by investigators at CHEST 2009, the 75th annual international scientific assembly of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP).

5 Nov 2009

Short, intensive radiation therapy offers similar results as conventional therapy for early stage-breast cancers

According to a study presented November 4, 2009, at the 51st Annual Meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO), a shortened, more intensive course of radiation given to the whole breast, along with an extra dose of radiation given to the surgical bed of the tumor (concomitant boost), has been shown to result in excellent local control at a median follow up of two years after treatment with no significant sides effects.

5 Nov 2009

Two innovative child welfare toolkits now available to public and private CPS workers

Two innovative child welfare toolkits -- A Social Worker's Tool Kit for Working With Immigrant Families -- A Child Welfare Flowchart (August 2009) and A Social Worker's Tool Kit for Working with Immigrant Families -- Immigration Status and Relief Options (June 2009) -- are now available to public and private child protection services (CPS) workers, attorneys, immigration workers and legal aides who assist with child welfare-related cases.

5 Nov 2009

Merge Healthcare announces its settlement with SEC

Merge Healthcare (NASDAQ: MRGE), a health IT solutions provider, today announced its settlement with the SEC of the multi-year investigation into the conduct of two former company executives, and the circumstances which led to a restatement in 2006 of the company’s 2002 through 2005 financial statements. This investigation ran concurrent with two shareholder lawsuits, which were resolved in 2008.

5 Nov 2009

False Claims Act lawsuit filed against Virginia Medicaid providers

The United States and the Commonwealth of Virginia have intervened in a False Claims Act suit in the Western District of Virginia against the Medicaid providers Universal Health Services Inc., Keystone Marion LLC and Keystone Education and Youth Services LLC, the Justice Department announced today.

5 Nov 2009

Bursting common myths about psoriasis

Psoriasis is a real disability that affects approximately one million Canadians. A recent Canadian survey found that the causes and effects of this chronic, recurrent skin disorder are often misunderstood - and the result of these misperceptions can leave a lasting negative impact on those who suffer from this debilitating immune system disease.

5 Nov 2009

Commonly used pain reliever may be associated with asthma in children and adults

New research shows that the widely used pain reliever acetaminophen may be associated with an increased risk of asthma and wheezing in both children and adults exposed to the drug. Researchers from the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada, conducted a systematic review and metaanalysis of 19 clinical studies (total>The analysis showed that the pooled odds ratio (odds ratio for all studies combined) for asthma among users of acetaminophen was 1.63.

5 Nov 2009

Metropolitan Medical acquired by Sarnova

Sarnova, Inc., the nation's leading specialty distributor of health care products in the emergency medical services (EMS) and respiratory markets, announced today that it has acquired Metropolitan Medical, Inc. Metropolitan Medical is a medical products supplier serving the mid-Atlantic region. Sarnova plans to merge Metropolitan Medical with its Tri-anim Health Services brand, which specializes in respiratory and anesthesia products for the acute care market.

5 Nov 2009

USC: Heavy traffic corridors responsible for preventable childhood asthma

Heavy traffic corridors in the cities of Long Beach and Riverside are responsible for a significant proportion of preventable childhood asthma, and the true impact of air pollution and ship emissions on the disease has likely been underestimated, according to researchers at the University of Southern California (USC).

5 Nov 2009

Medical News

Scientists identify a novel cellular source of atrial fibrillation

Surgical groups oppose Senate’s health care reform bill

Scientists differentiate human embryonic stem cells into lung epithelial tissue using air-liquid interface

Japanese data suggests a protocol for schools to follow during H1N! pandemic

FDA announces new initiative program to reduce risks from inappropriate medication use

SafetyTies and SafetyScarves of SafeSmart help reduce the spread of H1N1

Evidence continues to grow about green tea's cancer prevention properties

Educational video induces girls diagnosed with PID to ensure partner treatment

Appropriate initial antimicrobial therapy reduces mortality in patients with septic shock

Patients with post-traumatic stress disorder can benefit from synthetic marijuana

Literary Arabic is expressed in the brain of an Arabic speaker as a second language, says researcher

CHANTIX/CHAMPIX raises hope for quitting smoking

Short, intensive radiation therapy offers similar results as conventional therapy for early stage-breast cancers

Two innovative child welfare toolkits now available to public and private CPS workers

Merge Healthcare announces its settlement with SEC

False Claims Act lawsuit filed against Virginia Medicaid providers

Bursting common myths about psoriasis

Commonly used pain reliever may be associated with asthma in children and adults

Metropolitan Medical acquired by Sarnova

USC: Heavy traffic corridors responsible for preventable childhood asthma

Synthetic Biology and the Pursuit of Living Diagnostics

Modular, Scalable, Intelligent: How n6 Is Rethinking NGS Library Prep

Evolving spectrophotometry for modern biopharma workflows

Latest News