Health News

Study Suggests Cost-Effectiveness Of Resident-Performed Cataract Surgery For Uninsured Patients

Date: May-30-2013
A study at a Seattle hospital suggests that supervised, resident-performed cataract surgery is successful and cost-effective in an underserved patient population, according to a report published Online First by JAMA Ophthalmology, a JAMA Network publication. The literature regarding resident physician influence on patient cost and surgical outcomes is inconclusive, Daniel B. Moore, M.D., and Mark A. Slabaugh, M.D., of the University of Washington, Seattle, write in the study background...

Medical Professionals On Board Help With In-Flight Emergencies

Date: May-30-2013
Medical emergencies during commercial airline flights can be a scary occurrence, but most cases are well taken care of by other passengers and flight attendants, in accordance with consulting doctors on the ground. The study, conducted by the University of Pittsburgh and published in The New England Journal of Medicine, revealed that doctors, nurses and other medical professionals on planes help treat sick passengers in three-fourths of the emergencies observed...

Two GSK Skin Cancer Drugs Approved By FDA

Date: May-30-2013
Two new GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) drugs, Tafinlar (dabrafenib) and Mekinist (trametinib), have been approved for the treatment of patients with advanced melanoma by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Melanoma is the most dangerous form of skin cancer and the number one cause of death from skin disease. According to the National Cancer Institute, about 76,690 people will be diagnosed with melanoma in the U.S. in 2013, and about 9,480 will die from the disease...

ADHD Medications Don't Lead To Drug Or Alcohol Abuse

Date: May-30-2013
Children who are on attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medications are not at an increased risk of drug addiction or abuse later on, says a new study published in JAMA Psychiatry. For a while now, researchers haven not been sure whether medications such as Ritalin or Adderall can increase the risk of children becoming addicted to substances such as alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, tobacco, etc...

Painkillers Linked To Higher Risk Of Heart Attack

Date: May-30-2013
High doses of some of the most common painkillers, including ibuprofen and diclofenac, can increase the risk of heart problems by nearly thirty percent, according to a new study published in The Lancet. The researchers conducted a meta-analysis of clinical trials to analyze the risks associated with taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) -including selective COX-2 inhibitors (coxibs) and traditional non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (tNSAIDs). NSAIDs are medications with analgesic (pain reducing) and antipyretic (fever reducing) properties...

HIV Shell Structure Cracked With Help Of Supercomputer

Date: May-30-2013
A new study that features on the cover of Nature this week describes how researchers in the US have for the first time cracked the chemical structure of the capsid or protein shell of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The breakthrough, which likely opens the way to powerful new drugs against the virus that causes AIDS, was made possible with the help of a new "petascale" supercomputer. Scientists have been trying for some time to crack the precise chemical structure of HIV's cone-shaped capsid, a protein shell that protects the virus's genetic material...

Stroke Patients Likely Safe To Continue Blood Thinners Before Minor Surgery

Date: May-30-2013
A new guideline from the American Academy of Neurology advises that it is likely safe for patients to continue taking blood thinners like aspirin or warfarin before minor procedures such as a cataract operation, minor dental surgery or dermatological procedure. Developed with financial support from the American Academy of Neurology, the guideline appears in the 28 May issue of Neurology, the Academy's official journal...

Possible Alternative To CT Lung Cancer Screening - Digital Chest Tomosynthesis

Date: May-30-2013
Most lung cancers are detected when patients become symptomatic and have late-stage disease. However, recently, computed tomography (CT) screening for lung cancer has been reported to reduce lung cancer mortality. Since the National Lung Screening Trial's results showed a 20 percent reduction in lung cancer-specific deaths in those patients who had screening performed with chest CT, the use of CT screening for lung cancer has been gaining favor. However, CT is associated with the disadvantages of high radiation dosage and cost...

Synthesis Of Small Molecule Could Have Big Impact On Prostate Cancer

Date: May-30-2013
Dr. Jung-Mo Ahn, associate professor of chemistry at The University of Texas at Dallas, has designed and synthesized a novel small molecule that might become a large weapon in the fight against prostate cancer. In a study published online in the journal Nature Communications, Ahn and his colleagues at UT Southwestern Medical Center describe the rational design of the molecule, as well as laboratory tests that show its effectiveness at blocking the cancer-promoting function of proteins called androgen receptors...

Electronic Hand Hygiene Compliance Study To Be Presented At APIC Conference

Date: May-30-2013
GOJO Industries, a leader in hand hygiene and skin health and inventors of PURELL® Hand Sanitizer, will present its scientific research study, "Impact of Electronic Monitoring and a Hand Hygiene Improvement Program on Compliance Rates" at the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) Conference, June 8-10, 2013. Sarah Edmonds, M.S., senior clinical scientist at GOJO lead the study. The research was conducted on two units of an acute care facility in Fort Worth, Texas from June - October 2012 using GOJO SMARTLINKTM Activity Monitoring System...