MedWorm: Hospitals

Brainstem Infarction and Panuveitis due to Sarcoidosis Successfully Treated with Steroid Pulse Therapy

Advances in Pharmacological Sciences — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:37:00 +0100

A 36-year-old man visited our hospital because of blurred vision and redness of the conjunctiva. Slit-lamp examination showed panuveitis. Two days later, he suddenly experienced dizziness, speech disturbance, paralysis of his right extremities, and gait disturbances. Neurological examinations suggested that his symptoms were caused by a left lateral medullary lesion. He also had erythema mainly on his trunk. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of his brain demonstrated a small infarct on the left side of the medulla oblongata. Clinical presentation and MRI findings were consistent with the diagnosis of a Wallenberg’s syndrome. He also had bilateral hilar lymphadenopathy. A skin biopsy showed granulomatous nodular dermatitis compatible with sarcoidosis. He was treated with steroid pulse ther...

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Economic Analysis of a Pediatric Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia Prevention Initiative in Nicaragua

Advances in Pharmacological Sciences — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:37:00 +0100

We performed an economic analysis of an intervention to decrease ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) prevalence in pediatric intensive care units (PICUs) at two Nicaraguan hospitals to determine the cost of the intervention and how effective it needs to be in order to be cost-neutral. A matched cohort study determined differences in costs and outcomes among ventilated patients. VAP cases were matched by sex and age for children older than 28 days and by weight for infants under 28 days old to controls without VAP. Intervention costs were determined from accounting and PICU staff records. The intervention cost was approximately $7,000 for one year. If VAP prevalence decreased by 0.5%, hospitals would save $7,000 and the strategy would be cost-neutral. The finding that the intervention req...

Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstructions - Steep Learning Curve For Surgeons

Health News from Medical News Today — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:00:00 +0100

An investigation by researchers at Hospital for Special Surgery reveals that individuals who undergo anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction are approximately 4 to 5 times more likely to undergo further ACL reconstruction, if the initial operation was performed by a surgeon who has carried out less than 60 operations. Furthermore, the researchers found that taking part in subspecialty orthopedic fellowship-training program did not enhance the learning curve of young surgeons carrying out ACL reconstructions... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Montgomery County wellness calendar, Feb. 9-16

Wash Post Health — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:01:33 +0100

“Better Bones” classes For seniors, reduce bone loss and improve balance and flexibility. Thursdays and Mondays at 2 p.m., Margaret Schweinhaut Senior Center, 1000 Forest Glen Rd., Silver Spring. 301-754-8800 (Holy Cross Hospital). Free; registration required. Read full article >> (Source: Wash Post Health)

Suicidal woman 'failed' by trust

BBC News | Health | UK Edition — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:21:50 +0100

A Stockport couple whose depressed daughter hanged herself after being allowed home from hospital win a six-year court battle. (Source: BBC News | Health | UK Edition)

Bug found in more hospital taps

BBC News | Health | UK Edition — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:53:56 +0100

Pseudomonas is detected in water outlets in the neonatal units at three more hospitals in Northern Ireland. (Source: BBC News | Health | UK Edition)

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Hospital C. Diff Transmission Routes Queried (CME/CE)

MedPage Today State Required CME — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:30:00 +0100

(MedPage Today) -- No more than 25% of cases of Clostridium difficile in hospitals are actually acquired in the hospital, a three-hospital study suggested. (Source: MedPage Today State Required CME)

HealthOne parent HCA posts $1.9B Q4 profit

bizjournals.com Health Care:Physician Practices headlines — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 11:31:06 +0100

HCA Holdings Inc. -- parent of the Denver area's HealthOne hospitals -- saw earnings jump to $1.9 billion in the fourth quarter, thanks largely to a pretax gain of $1.5 billion stemming from its October purchase of the Colorado Health Foundation’s interest in the HealthOne system. Nashville-based HCA (NYSE: HCA) posted earnings of $4.25 per share on revenue of $7.8 billion. Excluding one-time items, earnings were 94 cents per share. Analysts, on average, had anticipated earnings of 76 cents per share on revenue of 8... (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Physician Practices headlines)

Vessel-Forming Stem Cells Derived From Amniotic Fluid To Help Fix Infant Hearts

Health News from Medical News Today — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 09:00:00 +0100

Researchers at Rice University and Texas Children's Hospital have turned stem cells from amniotic fluid into cells that form blood vessels. Their success offers hope that such stem cells may be used to grow tissue patches to repair infant hearts. "We want to come up with technology to replace defective tissue with beating heart tissue made from stem cells sloughed off by the infant into the amniotic fluid," said Rice bioengineer Jeffrey Jacot, who led the study. "Our findings serve as proof of principle that stem cells from amniotic fluid have the potential to be used for such purposes... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

In Hospitals, Transmission Of Clostridium Difficile May Not Be Through Contact With Infected Patients

Health News from Medical News Today — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 09:00:00 +0100

Contrary to current convention by which infection with the organism Clostridium difficile is regarded as an infection that is acquired by contact with symptomatic patients known to be infected with C. difficile, these may account for only a minority of new cases of the infection. These findings are important as they indicate that C. difficile infection, which can be fatal especially in older people, may not be effectively controlled by current hospital infection strategies... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Study Examines Misconceptions Of Who Picks Up Tab When Patients Walk Out

Health News from Medical News Today — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 08:00:00 +0100

There are ways in which patients who leave the hospital against medical advice wind up paying for that decision. Being saddled with the full cost of their hospital stay, however, is not one of them. Insurance companies know this. Patients who walk out may know this. But many physicians, according to a study published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, do not... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

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Severe Asthma Attacks Reduced By Combined Asthma Medication Therapy

Health News from Medical News Today — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 08:00:00 +0100

A Henry Ford Hospital study has found that using two types of common asthma medications in combination reduces severe asthma attacks. Researchers say using long-acting beta-agonists (LABAs) in fixed-dose combination with inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) appear to reduce asthma attacks as well as or better than corticosteroids alone... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Soaring cost of NHS interpreters

BBC News | Health | UK Edition — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 06:25:49 +0100

Bill rises for interpreters in Yorkshire's hospitals (Source: BBC News | Health | UK Edition)

NHS directors seek Lords backing

BBC News | Health | UK Edition — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:06:01 +0100

Peers are urged to support a move to let hospitals do more private sector work as plans to overhaul the NHS in England return to the Lords. (Source: BBC News | Health | UK Edition)

New procedure bests standard of care for fixing damaged cartilage

EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(Hospital for Special Surgery) A new study has demonstrated that a procedure wherein healthy cartilage is transplanted to fix an area of damaged cartilage (osteoarticular cartilage transplantation or OATS procedure) is superior to the standard of care for repairing cartilage defects, helping to prevent the onset of osteoarthritis. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)

Archive of failed joint replacements provides tips to building a better hip replacement

EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(Hospital for Special Surgery) A study by Hospital for Special Surgery researchers has provided the first comprehensive look at just how metal-on-metal total hip replacements are failing in patients around the country. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)

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Anxiety trait linked to postoperative pain in men following total knee replacement

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) In new research, men with anxiety traits were more likely to report post-operative pain ratings following total knee replacement (TKR) resulting in longer hospital stays, and women generally reported higher post-operative pain levels than men and were less satisfied with pain control. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

Moffitt, Sanford-Burnham and Florida Hospital create Personalized Medicine Partnership of Florida

EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute) Moffitt Cancer Center, Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute and Florida Hospital have announced they will collaborate on the creation of a Personalized Medicine Partnership of Florida. The partnership will conduct collaborative research to accelerate discovery and develop new treatments in the areas of cancer and metabolic diseases, including obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)

Anxiety trait linked to post-operative pain in men following total knee replacement

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

NHS Evidence Update: Reducing the risk of VTE

NeLM - News — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Source: NHS Evidence Area: News This latest update identifies new evidence relevant AND SUBSEQUENT TO to NICE clinical guideline 92 'Reducing the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients admitted to hospital' (published 2010) that might generate future change to the practice laid out in the guidance. Key messages pertaining to newly published evidence include the following: . Evidence appears to confirm that thalidomide in patients with multiple myeloma (MM) may increase the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE), and evidence now also suggests an elevated risk with lenalidomide in this population. . The most effective thromboprophylaxis in patients receiving thalidomide or lenalidomide for MM does not yet appear to have been established by curr...

Cameras, feedback up hospital handwashing

Health News - UPI.com — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 04:08:33 +0100

MANHASSET, N.Y., Feb. 7 (UPI) -- U.S. researchers said cameras with views of every sink and sanitizer dispenser to record hand hygiene of healthcare workers changed handwashing behavior. (Source: Health News - UPI.com)

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White House defends contraception rules as criticism mounts

Reuters: Health — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 01:50:55 +0100

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration is willing to work with Catholic universities, hospitals and other church-affiliated employers to implement a new policy that requires health insurers to offer birth control coverage, a top adviser to the president's re-election campaign said on Tuesday. (Source: Reuters: Health)

Diffuse pulmonary uptake on FDG-PET with normal CT diagnosed as intravascular large B-cell lymphoma: a case report and a discussion of the causes of diffuse FDG uptake in the lungs.

Cancer Imaging — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:30:02 +0100

Authors: Wagner T, Brechemier D, Dugert E, Le Guellec S, Julian A, Hitzel A, Beyne-Rauzy O Abstract A 71-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with asthenia, weight loss, fever, cognitive impairment and shortness of breath. Physical examination showed hemiparesis and cerebellar ataxia. There was no superficial lymphadenopathy. Blood tests showed raised levels of C-reactive protein and lactate dehydrogenase. Bone marrow aspiration and biopsy were negative. [(18)F]fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) showed intense uptake within a right apical nodule and intense and diffuse uptake of FDG in the lungs without corresponding structural CT abnormality. Lung biopsy showed intravascular large B-cell lymphoma (IVLBCL). FDG-PET findings i...

White House defends contraception rules as criticisms mount

Reuters: Health — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 22:49:42 +0100

HCA to break ground on Poinciana hospital

bizjournals.com Health Care:Physician Practices headlines — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 22:38:06 +0100

Osceola Regional Medical Center will break ground Feb. 7 on a $65 million hospital project in Poinciana. The project will start with a 12-bed, one-story, 11,000-square-foot freestanding emergency department with a helicopter pad, laboratory, pharmacy and imaging. The second phase includes a $33.7 million, 30-bed, two-story, 94,000-square-foot hospital. Phase 3 is a medical office building. Once completed, the complex is expected to have 200 full-time employees. Click here to read about the state agreeing to scale down the project... (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Physician Practices headlines)

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CT/CTA a Practical Way to Assess Recurrent Stroke RiskCT/CTA a Practical Way to Assess Recurrent Stroke Risk

Medscape Today Headlines — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 20:24:49 +0100

For hospitals that lack ready access to MRI, using CT/CT angiography to assess intra- and extracranial vasculature is a good way to predict risk of recurrent stroke. Medscape Medical News (Source: Medscape Today Headlines)

White House says open to compromise over contraception

Reuters: Health — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 19:30:16 +0100

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration is willing to work with Catholic universities and hospitals in implementing new rules that require health insurance to cover birth control, a top adviser to the president's re-election campaign said on Tuesday. (Source: Reuters: Health)

House and Senate at Impasse on Medicare

NYT — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 18:36:22 +0100

Lawmakers in both parties say they want to give doctors a small increase in Medicare payments, but they cannot agree on how to pay for it. (Source: NYT)

Spanking Undermines A Child's Long-Term Development

Health News from Medical News Today — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 18:00:00 +0100

Spanking children may harm their long-term development, making them more aggressive towards their peers, siblings, parents, as well as spouses later in life, researchers from the University of Manitoba and Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, report in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal). Their study tracked children for two decades. Physical punishment refers to any type, regardless of its motive, be it out of frustration, desperation or love, the researchers explained... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Navigating Treatment Decisions

Kidney Cancer Association — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 17:54:52 +0100

This article focuses on treatment for clear cell disease, but some of these treatments are also appropriate for patients with non-clear cell disease. Some patients may have only a single metastatic tumor that can be removed by surgery. But most patients with metastatic disease have tumors in many parts of the body. In order to treat all of these tumors, patients are given systemic therapies, which are drugs that travel through the bloodstream and can directly reach cells throughout the body. Immunotherapy is a type of treatment that gives a boost to the immune system. The goal of immunotherapy is to help the patient’s immune system attack the cancer cells. Immunotherapy treatments have been available for decades and have generated renewed interest for treating metastatic RCC ...

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White House open to compromise over contraception: adviser

Reuters: Health — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:22:46 +0100

Malignant intraductal oncocytic papillary neoplasm of the common bile duct.

International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Pathology — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 13:36:02 +0100

Authors: Terada T Abstract Recently, several cases of intraductal oncocytic papillary neoplasm (IOPN) of the liver and hepatic bile ducts have been reported. The author herein reports the first case of IOPN of the common bile duct (CBD). A 78-year-old man was admitted to our hospital because of jaundice. Imaging modalities including US, CT, MRI revealed an intraductal tumor of the middle CBD and biliary dilation distal to the tumor. A partial resection of the CBD was performed. Grossly, a papillary tumor measuring 20 × 15 mm was found within the CBD. Mucus is absent. Histologically, the papillary tumor was composed of atypical oncocytes. The atypia was enough to be diagnosed as adenocarcinoma. No invasive features were noted. Immunohistochemically, the tumor cells were positive fo...

Pathologic observations of the duodenum in 615 consecutive duodenal specimens in a single Japanese hospital: II. malignant lesions.

International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Pathology — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 13:36:02 +0100

Authors: Terada T Abstract The author investigated histopathology of 615 consecutive duodenal specimens in our pathology laboratory in Japan. A computer review of the duodenal specimens was done. In cases of malignancy, histological slides were reviewed. The duodenal specimens were composed of 567 benign lesions (92%) and 48 malignant lesions (8%). The 48 malignant lesions were composed of 20 cases (42%) of primary adenocarcinoma, 10 cases (21%) of primary adenocarcinoma of ampulla Vater, 4 cases (8%) of primary squamous cell carcinoma, 1 (2%) cases of primary spindle cell carcinoma, 4 (8%) cases of carcinoid tumors, 1 (2%) case of malignant lymphoma, and 8 cases (17%) of secondary carcinoma from the pancreatic carcinoma or bile duct carcinoma. The primary adenocarcinoma (n=20) was...

Emergency Department Crowding: Time for Interventions and Policy Evaluations

Computational Intelligence and Neuroscience — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 11:42:45 +0100

This paper summarises the consequences of emergency department crowding. It provides a comparison of the scales used to measure emergency department crowding. We discuss the multiple causes of crowding and present an up-to-date literature review of the interventions that reduce the adverse consequences of crowding. We consider interventions at the level of an individual hospital and a policy level. (Source: Computational Intelligence and Neuroscience)

Potential Biomarker Identified For Osteoarthritis

Health News from Medical News Today — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 09:00:00 +0100

Henry Ford Hospital researchers have identified for the first time two molecules that hold promise as a biomarker for measuring cartilage damage associated with osteoarthritis. Researchers say the concentration of two molecules called non-coding RNAs in blood were associated with mild cartilage damage in 30 patients who were one year removed from reconstruction surgery to repair an anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, injury... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

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Clues To Common Birth Defect Found In Gene Expression Data

Health News from Medical News Today — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 09:00:00 +0100

Researchers at MassGeneral Hospital for Children (MGHfC), The Jackson Laboratory and other institutes have uncovered 27 new candidate genes for congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH), a common and often deadly birth defect. Their sophisticated data-filtering strategy, which uses gene expression during normal development as a starting point, offers a new, efficient and potentially game-changing approach to gene discovery... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Capitol Business: GOP serious about blocking regulations (even one of their own)

bizjournals.com Health Care:Hospitals headlines — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 07:13:04 +0100

Colorado House Republicans vowed to help businesses create jobs by cutting regulation this legislative session. And on Monday, they proved their commitment to that tenet by killing a professional licensing bill that was brought by one of the members of their own caucus. The House Agriculture, Livestock and Natural Resources Committee voted 7-5 against House Bill 1060, which would have created a voluntary licensing program for dietitians. The vote, which was largely along party lines, came as proponents and opponents gave differing views on what the measure would mean for jobs... (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Hospitals headlines)

Blood pressure measurement - an overview.

Swiss Medical Weekly — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 05:36:02 +0100

This article provides an overview of current methods and trends in the field of non-invasive blood pressure measurement, an update on current clinical guidelines and an overview of blood pressure measurement in special populations. PMID: 22287317 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Swiss Medical Weekly)

Study identifies steep learning curve for surgeons who perform ACL reconstructions

EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(Hospital for Special Surgery) Patients who have their anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstructed by surgeons who have performed less than 60 surgeries are roughly four to five times more likely to undergo a subsequent ACL reconstruction, according to a study by researchers at Hospital for Special Surgery. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)

Computer order entry systems reduce preventable adverse drug events

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(Brigham and Women's Hospital) New research from Brigham and Women's Hospital examined the impact of a vendor-developed CPOE in five community hospitals in Massachusetts and found that these CPOE systems are effective at reducing drug-related injury and harm. This research is published online in the Journal of General Internal Medicine. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

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BWH Center for LAM Research and Clinical Care awarded $1 million grant from Department of Defense

EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(Brigham and Women's Hospital) The Center for LAM Research and Clinical Care at Brigham and Women's Hospital has been awarded a $1 million plus, four-year grant from the US Department of Defense. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)

House and Senate at Impasse on Medicare

NYT Health — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 02:43:09 +0100

Lawmakers in both parties say they want to give doctors a small increase in Medicare payments, but they cannot agree on how to pay for it. (Source: NYT Health)

Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen: most generous living donor

bizjournals.com Health Care:Hospitals headlines — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 02:09:52 +0100

The Chronicle of Philanthropy reported Monday that Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen was the third most generous donor in America last year, and the most generous one still alive. This is Allen’s 10th year on the list. Only two donors have made the list more times: software billionaire Larry Ellison, and Eli and Edythe L. Broad, whose background is in finance and real estate. Last year, Allen committed $372.6 million to a variety of foundations, including $295 million to his own Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, which supports the arts, culture, education and social service programs... (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Hospitals headlines)

House and Senate at Impasse on Medicare Payments to Doctors

NYT Health — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 01:37:18 +0100

Lawmakers in both parties say they want to give doctors a small increase in Medicare payments, but they cannot agree on how to pay for it. (Source: NYT Health)

Top Congressional stock picks: Microsoft beats Apple

bizjournals.com Health Care:Hospitals headlines — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 01:14:20 +0100

Microsoft ranks No. 4 on a list of the top stocks owned by members of Congress, according to a report by The Center for Responsive Politics. Stock ownership by members of Congress has been an issue recently after several media reports that were critical of what some viewed as politicians capitalizing on inside information about the financial crisis, including a featured report on CBS news program "60 Minutes." On Thursday the U.S. Senate approved a bill that prohibits legislators and their family members, as well as staffers, from trading stocks if they have non-public information... (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Hospitals headlines)

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Genomic Health's Randy Scott to lead new genetics subsidiary

bizjournals.com Health Care:Hospitals headlines — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 22:57:34 +0100

Longtime Genomic Health Inc. executive Randy Scott is leaving the company — sort of. Scott, most recently executive chairman of Genomic Health (NASDAQ: GHDX), will become CEO of a wholly-owned Genomic Health subsidiary that will focus on medical applications of the human genome. He will continue to serve on the board of the Redwood City-based cancer diagnostic test developer. Genomic Health initially will fund the company with $20 million over two years. The company will be established March 1 and provide its first commercial service in 2013, according to a Genomic Health press release... (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Hospitals headlines)

UCSF study: Boosting cigarette tax could bolster California economy by $2 billion

bizjournals.com Health Care:Hospitals headlines — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 22:51:45 +0100

A June 5 ballot initiative designed to boost the tax on cigarettes by $1 a pack could create 12,000 new permanent jobs right away and add nearly $2 billion in economic activity in the Golden State annually, according to a new study by UC San Francisco. The positive impacts would come, UCSF says, because “Californians would smoke less and spend their money in other ways.” Roughly 4 dollars in every 5 spent on cigarettes goes to out-of-state manufacturers and farmers, since no tobacco is grown here and no cigarettes are made here... (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Hospitals headlines)

Coventry renews contract with CEO Allen Wise

bizjournals.com Health Care:Hospitals headlines — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 22:22:39 +0100

Coventry Health Care Inc. has extended CEO Allen Wise's contract for two years, securing his services through Dec. 31, 2013, and boosting his compensation to new heights. Effective Jan. 1, Wise earns $900,000 in base salary annually and will be eligible for up to $1.8 million in bonuses each year, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing made public Monday. Furthermore, Wise will receive $7.6 million worth of stock awards in both 2012 and 2013 that would become payable upon the the health insurer's reaching earnings-per-share and revenue targets... (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Hospitals headlines)

Five Prime Therapeutics Inc. makes interim CEO official

bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 22:21:06 +0100

Five Prime Therapeutics Inc. made Lewis Williams, M.D., president and CEO, thus confirming him in a job he’s held temporarily since August. Williams, who started Five Prime, worked in the past at Chiron Corp. and at the University of California, San Francisco. He was also on the faculty at Harvard Medical School and was a staff cardiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital. He’s been temporary CEO of Five Prime since Julia Gregory quit as CEO last summer. Gregory herself had replaced CEO Gail Maderis in 2009... (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines)

Lincare income drops despite revenue gain

bizjournals.com Health Care:Hospitals headlines — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 21:58:50 +0100

Lincare Holdings Inc. reported net income for 2011 of $177.3 million, or $1.93 a share, compared to net income of $181.6 million, or $1.87 a share, in 2010. Although profit dropped, earnings per share increased in 2011 because Lincare had about 10.2 million fewer shares outstanding as of Dec. 31. Revenue for 2011 was $1.85 billion, a 10.7 percent increase over revenue of $1.7 billion in 2010, a statement from the company said. For the fourth quarter of 2011, Lincare reported net income of $44... (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Hospitals headlines)

Cardica loses $3.2 million in Q2, borrows $2 million

bizjournals.com Health Care:Hospitals headlines — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 21:52:48 +0100

Cardica Inc., which makes surgical devices, lost $3.2 million in the December quarter, its second, and borrowed $2 million from Century Medical Inc. on Dec. 27. Redwood City-based Cardica (NASDAQ: CRDC) had an earlier secured debt deal with Japan’s Century Medical, an arrangement with $2 million left on it. Cardica made a distribution deal with Century Medical in September, and had already borrowed $2 million on the $4 million total allowed in the debt agreement. In the second quarter, Cardica lost $3... (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Hospitals headlines)

Parkland: Monitor's report 'humbling'

bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 21:41:45 +0100

Parkland Memorial Hospital's board released a statement today calling the results of an outside safety monitor's report "humbling" but refused to release the findings. "While Parkland can be proud of our many accomplishments, the report makes it clear that we have not consistently delivered on our commitment to safety and accountability," said a statement read by Dr. Lauren McDonald, chairwoman of the Parkland Board of Managers. "We must change. We have begun, and we will continue." The statement said the board weighed the duty to be open with the public against the duty to protect the rights of patients and Parkland as an institution and decided not to release the report... (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines)

HCA's Profit Soars on Acquisition Gain

WSJ.com: Health — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 21:18:46 +0100

HCA's earnings soared behind a big acquisition-related gain, plus help from continued growth in patient volumes and the hospital operator's cost-cutting efforts. (Source: WSJ.com: Health)

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Examination of Factors Affecting Adverse Reactions and Dosage Reduction in UGT1A1 Genotyped Patients: A Retrospective Survey of Irinotecan.

Yakugaku Zasshi : Journal of the Pharmaceutical Society of Japan — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 21:06:03 +0100

Authors: Okazaki K, Watanabe T, Saito I, Murayama J Abstract Our aim was to clarify the side effects of irinotecan which occurred in patients admitted to Showa University Hospital to investigate whether the UGT1A1 genetic polymorphism status was reflected in the discontinuation or dose reduction of irinotecan. We retrospectively investigated UGT1A1 genetic polymorphisms, irinotecan dosage, dose discontinuance or reduction, and laboratory results from May 1 2009 to April 30 2010. The analysis of UGT1A1 genetic polymorphisms in 23 patients showed that frequencies of the UGT1A1*6 and UGT1A1*28 polymorphisms were 35% (eight patients) and 22% (five patients), respectively, and 17% (three patients) were UGT1A1*6/UGT1A1*28 compound heterozygotes. Of all patients who received irinotecan, d...

Vital Signs: When Watched and Cheered On, I.C.U. Workers Wash Hands More

NYT Health — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 20:56:38 +0100

After the installation of cameras and boards announcing compliance rates, hand washing at an I.C.U. soared, a study shows. (Source: NYT Health)

Central-Line Infections to be Disclosed NationwideCentral-Line Infections to be Disclosed Nationwide

Medscape Today Headlines — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 19:36:22 +0100

The Department of Health and Human Services has reported the incidence of hospital-associated infections for the first time. Medscape Medical News (Source: Medscape Today Headlines)

Child Abuse - 4,569 Hospitalizations And 300 Deaths In One Year, USA

Health News from Medical News Today — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 19:00:00 +0100

Child abuse injuries resulted in 4,500 hospitalizations and 300 fatalities in just one year in the USA, researchers from Yale School of Medicine reported in the journal Pediatrics. This is the first study that has quantified abuse severity and how many children ended up in hospital, the authors added. Child Protective Services had only tracked occurrence of child abuse at a national level. Dr. John M. Leventhal and team set out to find out what the incidence of hospitalizations due to child abuse among children under 18 years of age might be... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

"Malaria cure" claim sparks Vienna probe

Reuters: Health — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 18:08:28 +0100

VIENNA (Reuters) - A Vienna hospital is searching for long-retired staff who might hold clues to a man's claim that he was deliberately infected with malaria when he was a psychiatric patient nearly half a century ago. (Source: Reuters: Health)

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Egypt: Interior Ministry Promises to Send Mubarak to Torah

AllAfrica News: Health and Medicine — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:57:59 +0100

[Aswat Masriya] Minister of Interior, Mohamed Ibrahim, has promised to transfer former President Hosni Mubarak to Torah prison hospital, which is currently being medically prepped, as soon as a court order is issued. (Source: AllAfrica News: Health and Medicine)

Egypt: Parliament Speaker - Proposal to Transfer Mubarak Accepted

AllAfrica News: Health and Medicine — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:57:57 +0100

[Aswat Masriya] The Ministry of Interior has accepted the proposal to transfer former President, Mohamed Hosni Mubarak, to Torah prison hospital, said Mohamed Saad Al-Katatni, speaker of the newly-elected People's Assembly. (Source: AllAfrica News: Health and Medicine)

Kenya: NHIF Now Targets Informal Sector

AllAfrica News: Health and Medicine — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:16:53 +0100

[Capital FM] Nairobi, Kenya - The National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) will by the end of this month roll out yet another comprehensive health scheme, this time targeting the informal sector. (Source: AllAfrica News: Health and Medicine)

GAO: Implantable industry may be taking providers, payors for a ride on pricing

Cardiovascular Business News — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:06:56 +0100

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has found that sellers of implantable medical devices are negotiating widely varying prices from different hospitals for the same devices and keeping their pricing strategies a secret. The lack of transparency may have major ramifications for Medicare, as hospitals with less purchasing power pass their costs along. (Source: Cardiovascular Business News)

Did your surgeons miss something? New system to prevent retained surgical items

ScienceDaily Headlines — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 14:25:25 +0100

It may sound like something from a TV medical drama, but the incidence of surgeons leaving something behind in the body is very real at hospitals across the country. But researchers have now created a new system using state-of-the-art technologies to insure that no foreign objects are left behind during surgery. (Source: ScienceDaily Headlines)

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Surgical Treatment of Persistent Fetal Vasculature and Visual Rehabilitation: One-Year Followup

Advances in Urology — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 12:46:42 +0100

We present the management and postoperative course of a persistent fetal vasculature (PFV) case. A four-year-old girl visited the Eye Department of Hippokration, General Hospital of Thessaloniki due to reduced visual acuity of her left eye. She was diagnosed with PFV and underwent surgery (lensectomy, capsulorhexis of the posterior capsule, insertion of an intraocular lens in the posterior chamber, and posterior vitrectomy) in order to dissect the PFV. Along with the postoperative medical care, she underwent intensive treatment for amblyopia. The postoperative course was uncomplicated, and the visual acuity of her left eye improved from hand movement to 20/25 with proper correction. Patients with unilateral PFV and gradually deteriorating visual acuity could be good candidates for a combin...

Bronchoscopy in Rural Areas?

Advances in Urology — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 12:46:42 +0100

Quality of bronchoscopy performed by one single pulmonologist in a scarcely populated subarctic area was compared to the guidelines provided by the British Thoracic Society (BTS). 103 patients underwent bronchoscopy. Diagnostic yield was increased to 76.6% when the first bronchoscopy was supplemented by bronchial washing fluid and brush cytology and to 86.7% (BTS guidelines >80%) after a second bronchoscopy. Median time from referral to bronchoscopy was 10 days and 8 days from positive bronchoscopy to operative referral to another hospital. 1% of patients that underwent transbronchial lung biopsy had minor complications. One pulmonologist had rate of correct diagnosis based on visible endobronchial tumors that was comparable to the rates of numerous pulmonologists at larger center...

Upper extremity injuries due to threshing machine. - Işık D, Ceylan MF, Tekin H, Karadaş S, Güner S, Canbaz Y.

SafetyLit: All (Unduplicated) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 11:54:53 +0100

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to report the patients who were admitted to our hospital with upper extremity injuries due to threshing machine, to determine the most appropriate classification, to estimate the treatment modalities, and to discuss th... (Source: SafetyLit: All (Unduplicated))

Dual-task complexity affects gait in people with mild cognitive impairment: the interplay between gait variability, dual tasking, and risk of falls. - Montero-Odasso M, Muir SW, Speechley M.

SafetyLit: All (Unduplicated) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 11:54:53 +0100

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of 2 different dual tasks on gait variability in people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) compared with control subjects. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Memory clinic at a university hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Ol... (Source: SafetyLit: All (Unduplicated))

Evidence-based exercise prescription for balance and falls prevention: a current review of the literature. - Shubert TE.

SafetyLit: All (Unduplicated) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 11:54:53 +0100

Falls are the leading cause of emergency department visits, hospital admissions, and unintentional death for older adults. Balance and strength impairments are common falls risk factors for community-dwelling older adults. Though physical therapists common... (Source: SafetyLit: All (Unduplicated))

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'I Was Just Screeching!': Comparing Child and Parent Derived Measures of Distress. - Peterson C, Noel M.

SafetyLit: All (Unduplicated) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 11:54:53 +0100

Two studies explored relationships between children's (2-13 years old) descriptions of how much they had cried and two other ways of assessing children's distress during injuries and subsequent hospital treatment, one parent-generated and the other child... (Source: SafetyLit: All (Unduplicated))

Epidemiology of severe burn injuries in a Tertiary Burn Centre in Tehran, Iran. - Mohammadi-Barzelighi H, Alaghehbandan R, Motevallian A, Alinejad F, Soleimanzadeh-Moghadam S, Sattari M, Lari AR.

SafetyLit: All (Unduplicated) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 11:54:53 +0100

The aim of the study was to examine the epidemiological characteristics of hospitalized burn patients in a tertiary burn centre in Tehran, Iran. A hospital-based cross-sectional study of all hospitalized patients with burn injuries was conducted in Motahar... (Source: SafetyLit: All (Unduplicated))

Epidemiologic data of the patients with spinal cord injury: Seven years experience of a single center. - Tuğcu I, Tok F, Yılmaz B, Göktepe AS, Alaca R, Yazicioğlu K, Möhür H.

SafetyLit: All (Unduplicated) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 11:54:53 +0100

BACKGROUND: We aimed to present the demographic and epidemiologic data on spinal cord injury (SCI) patients who were rehabilitated at our hospital, to identify high-risk groups and etiological factors, and to evaluate the factors that affect the duration o... (Source: SafetyLit: All (Unduplicated))

Outcome of road traffic injuries received in the emergency room of a teaching hospital, Southeast Nigeria. - Omoke NI, Chukwu CO, Madubueze CC, Oyakhiolme OP.

SafetyLit: All (Unduplicated) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 11:54:53 +0100

This study was aimed at assessing the early outcome of RTIs received in our hospital emergency room. Understanding this will help to achieve optimum injury out... (Source: SafetyLit: All (Unduplicated))

Mum gives birth outside hospital

BBC News | Health | UK Edition — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 11:37:19 +0100

A woman gives birth on the pavement outside a Fife hospital after she was unable to get inside the building. (Source: BBC News | Health | UK Edition)

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Physical Child Abuse Sends Thousands to Hospitals (CME/CE)

MedPage Today State Required CME — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 10:13:11 +0100

(MedPage Today) -- Nearly 4,600 children were admitted to a U.S. hospital in 2006 as a result of physical abuse and 300 died because of the abuse, researchers reported. (Source: MedPage Today State Required CME)

Under 10s have eating disorders

BBC News | Health | UK Edition — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 09:13:37 +0100

A number of children under 10 are treated in hospitals in Northern Ireland for eating disorders, the Department of Health says. (Source: BBC News | Health | UK Edition)

Geriatric Patients At High Risk Of Vitamin D Deficiency

Health News from Medical News Today — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 09:00:00 +0100

The great majority of geriatric patients in a German rehabilitation hospital were found to have vitamin D deficiency. Stefan Schilling presents his study results in Deutsches Arzteblatt International (Dtsch Arztebl Int 2012; 109[3]: 33-8). In order to establish the vitamin D status in geriatric patients in Germany, the researchers measured 25-OH vitamin D in 1578 patients in the geriatric rehabilitation hospital in Trier after they had been examined on admission. Insufficiently high concentrations were found in 89% of patients, and 67% had severe vitamin D deficiency... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Doctors 2.0 & You - May 23-24 2012 - The HealthCare Social Media And Web 2.0 Conference!

Health News from Medical News Today — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 08:00:00 +0100

Over a full two day programme, including a Cocktail SoirÃ©e in a private, historical venue, Doctors 2.0 & You will highlight: how doctors and other healthcare professionals, patients, hospitals, government, pharma, and payers use Social Media, mobile apps, and Web 2.0 tools to connect and the best practices that emerge for each. Ask our prestigious Advisory Board! Below are 4 reasons why you should not miss Doctors 2.0 & You in 2012. Doctors 2.0 & You attracts top thought-leaders and best examples from around the world, sharing their success stories and knowledge on health 2... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Vet Cooperative Will Improve Independent Animal Hospital Sales,...

PRWeb: Medical Pharmaceuticals — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 06:00:14 +0100

Animal Hospitals have a purchasing disadvantage compared to online and local drugstores, as well as the big chain pet stores. This leads to lower profits for the veterinarian and high prices for...(PRWeb February 04, 2012)Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/tvc/02-03-12/prweb9165801.htm (Source: PRWeb: Medical Pharmaceuticals)

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Questions Emerge About Whether War Savings Can Pay for 'Doc Fix'

News stories via the Rural Assistance Center — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 06:00:00 +0100

Kaiser Health News brings together a variety of articles discussing how hospitals, physicians and some members of Congress want to use war savings as a way to get rid of Medicare's sustainable growth rate formula, but congressional rules could complicate things. (Source: News stories via the Rural Assistance Center)

Hospital pharmacist sentenced for stealing morphine and other prescription painkiller drugs

NaturalNews.com — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 06:00:00 +0100

Daniel Hamm, a former pharmacist at Miriam Hospital in Providence, Rhode Island, could have faced 10 years in prison for pilfering (watering down) morphine with saline solution and stealing prescription painkillers, but instead gets 5 years of probation and some community... (Source: NaturalNews.com)

Super Mover: Dr. Robert L. Saylors III

Arkansas Business - Health Care — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 06:00:00 +0100

Dr. Robert L. Saylors III, an oncologist at Arkansas Children's Hospital in Little Rock, recently was installed in the Jaxon C. Lee-Dr. Robert L. Saylors III Endowed Chair in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology. (Source: Arkansas Business - Health Care)

Hospitals, healthcare facilities urged to require staffs to get flu shots

Drug Topics - Pharmacy News — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Hospitals and healthcare facilities should require all employees to get an annual flu shot, a group representing many of the nation?s largest employers emphasized again at a press conference Wednesday in Washington, D.C. (Source: Drug Topics - Pharmacy News)

Government bailout likely for seven trusts hit by PFI debt

OnMedica Latest News — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Hospital trusts in line for £1.5 million cash boost in bid to keep goingRelated items from OnMedicaNHS faces 'most severe financial challenge' ever'Ditch' private management consultants from the NHSIndependent sector overpaid by £927 million NHS finances in dire straits warn health leadersCutting NHS IT could compromise safety (Source: OnMedica Latest News)

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Optimization of oxygen delivery during high-risk surgery: keep the concept but refining goals for inotrope infusion?

Critical Care — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

We read with great interest the recent study by Lobo and colleagues stating that fluid restriction during optimization of oxygen delivery (DO2) using dobutamine improves patient outcome after major surgery. Previous studies have shown that haemodynamic optimization using either an individualized goal-directed fluid substitution or inotrope to maximize DO2 reduces postoperative morbidity and hospital length of stay. Although the study brings important new insights, we believe however that some limits should be pointed. (Source: Critical Care)

Combined asthma medication therapy shown to reduce attacks

EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(Henry Ford Health System) A Henry Ford Hospital study has found that using two types of common asthma medications in combination reduces severe asthma attacks.Researchers say using long-acting beta-agonists in fixed-dose combination with inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) appear to reduce asthma attacks as well as or better than corticosteroids alone. Patient groups who had in greatest benefits were patients 18 and older, African-American patients, male patients, and patients with moderate to severe asthma. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)

Scientists make strides toward fixing infant hearts

EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(Rice University) Researchers at Rice University and Texas Children's Hospital have turned stem cells from amniotic fluid into cells that form blood vessels. Their success offers hope that such stem cells may be used to grow tissue patches to repair infant hearts. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)

Do patients pay when they leave against medical advice?

EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(University of Chicago Medical Center) There are ways in which patients who leave the hospital against medical advice wind up paying for that decision. Being saddled with the full cost of their hospital stay, however, is not one of them. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)

Virulence Strategies of the Dominant USA300 Lineage of Community Associated Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA‐MRSA)

FEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

AbstractMethicillin‐Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) poses a serious threat to worldwide health. Historically, MRSA clones have strictly been associated with hospital settings and most hospital‐associated MRSA (HA‐MRSA) disease resulted from a limited number of virulent clones. Recently, MRSA has spread into the community causing disease in otherwise healthy people with no discernible contact with healthcare environments. These community‐associated (CA‐MRSA) are phylogenetically distinct from traditional HA‐MRSA clones and CA‐MRSA strains seem to exhibit hyper virulence and more efficient host:host transmission. Consequently, CA‐MRSA clones belonging to the USA300 lineage have become dominant sources of MRSA infections in North America. The rise of this successful USA...

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Coronary artery bypass grafting associated to aortic valve replacement in the elderly: survival and quality of life

Journal of Cardiothoracic Surgery — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Myocardial ischemia is often associated to aortic valve stenosis in the elderly. Aim of this study was to evaluate the impact on survival and quality of life of CABG associated to aortic valve replacement in the septuagenarians and octogenarians.Between January 1991 and January 2010, 520 patients ageing >70 years underwent aortic valve replacement with a mechanical prosthesis in two Institutions. They were divided into 2 groups: Group A included 406 patients undergoing isolated aortic valve replacement; Group B 114 patients receiving aortic valve replacement and CABG. A comparative analysis of long-term survival and quality of life (SF-36 test) was performed.Mean age was 74.2+/-3.6 years (74.3+/-3.6 in Group A, 74+/-3.3 in Group B; p=0.33). Hospital mortality was 9.5% (46 patients). Twenty...

A team of CRCHUM researchers paves the way for improving treatment for Type 2 diabetes

EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal) In a study published last week in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a team led by Dr. Vincent Poitout of the University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre has made an important step forward in understanding how insulin secretion is regulated in the body. This discovery has important implications for drugs currently in development to treat Type 2 diabetes, a disease which is diagnosed every 10 seconds somewhere throughout the world. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)

Study: Child Abuse Affects More U.S. Kids than SIDS

RWJF News Digest - Public Health — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

The rate of hospital admissions related to SIDS is actually lower than the rate of child abuse — 50 per 100,000 children under age 1 for SIDS, compared with 58.2 per 100,000 births, according to research published Monday in the journal Pediatrics. (Source: RWJF News Digest - Public Health)

From coronary care unit to acute cardiac care unit: the evolving role of specialist cardiac care

Heart — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

The development of primary angioplasty (PPCI) programmes for acute ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) following Roger Boyle's report ‘Mending hearts and brains’ in 20061 has led to a marked shift in the role of the coronary care unit (CCU) in the UK. Some units no longer admit STEMI patients, while in PPCI centres the concentrated influx of patients previously treated across a network of hospitals has placed CCU beds and staff under considerable pressure. However, there are other factors changing and increasing the workload of acute cardiology, and the development of PPCI cannot be considered in isolation. In particular, the changing demographics of the population has led to an increasing proportion of elderly patients presenting to hospital with non-ST elevation myocar...

Cardiovascular highlights from non-cardiology journals

Heart — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Early diagnosis of mi using serial troponin measurements The recent introduction of high sensitivity troponin assays (hsT) has improved the sensitivity of this assay for the detection of myocardial infarction, while simultaneously decreasing specificity. To overcome this problem, the use of troponin kinetics—to identify acute myocardial damage—has been proposed, either alone or in combination with other diagnostic markers of cardiovascular disease. One thousand eight hundred and eighteen patients with suspected acute coronary syndromes were recruited from three German hospitals between 2007 and 2008. Each patient had blood drawn for the detection of 12 biomarkers, including both normal (cTnI) and high sensitivity (hsTnI) troponin, on admission and at 3 and 6 h. The main ou...

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Hospital Incident Command System (HICS) performance in Iran; Decision making during disasters

Scandinavian Journal of Trauma, Resuscitation and Emergency Medicine — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Background: Hospitals are cornerstones for health care in a community and must continue to function in the face of a disaster. The Hospital Incident Command System (HICS) is a method by which the hospital operates when an emergency is declared. Hospitals are often ill equipped to evaluate the strengths and vulnerabilities of their own management systems before the occurrence of an actual disaster. The main objective of this study was to measure the decision making performance according to HICS job actions sheets using tabletop exercises. Methods: This observational study was conducted between May 1st 2008 and August 31st 2009. Twenty three Iranian hospitals were included. A tabletop exercise was developed for each hospital which in turn was based on the highest probable risk. The job actio...

Comparison of central and intraesophageal factors between gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) patients and those with GERD‐related noncardiac chest pain

Diseases of the Esophagus — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

SUMMARYGastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) causes a wide range of symptoms. Some patients present with typical symptoms such as heartburn and regurgitation and others with atypical symptoms such as chest pain. The mechanism responsible for the varying clinical presentation of GERD is still not fully elucidated. The aim of this study was to prospectively evaluate differences in central and local intraesophageal factors between patients with typical GERD symptoms and those with noncardiac chest pain (NCCP). Patients presenting with typical and atypical symptoms suspicious of GERD underwent upper endoscopy and 24‐hour pH monitoring with four sensors, each positioned at a different esophageal level. All patients completed GERD symptom, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and Symptom St...

HRET Selects Maureen Bisognano as 2012 TRUST Award Recipient

NurseZone.com Nursing News — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 02:36:44 +0100

February 2, 2012 - The Health Research & Educational Trust (HRET), an affiliate of the American Hospital Association (AHA), has selected Maureen Bisognano, president and chief executive officer of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), as the recipient of the 2012 TRUST Award. (Source: NurseZone.com Nursing News)

Dynamic variations of P-wave duration in a patient with acute decompensated congestive heart failure.

Cardiology Journal — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 00:36:02 +0100

We report the case of a patient with acute decompensated severe congestive heart failure, that at hospital admission showed a prolonged P-wave, which reverted after diuretic therapy. The dynamic change of the atrial P-wave correlates with clinical evolution and serum level modification of B-type natriuretic peptide. (Cardiol J 2012; 19, 1: 95-97). PMID: 22298177 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Cardiology Journal)

What Are the Major Diseases Involving Copper Metabolism?

PediatricEducation.org — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 00:08:49 +0100

Discussion Nutritional problems can occur in all parts of the world and in all socioeconomic strata. Caloric and/or protein inadequacy unfortunately plagues too many people because of inadequate supplies or availability. Supplemental food programs around the world attempt to provide appropriate nutrition, but can be stymied because of war, political instability, economic instability and many other social factors. The most common specific nutrient deficiencies are iron and Vitamin D deficiencies. Minerals important for essential nutrition include copper, iodine, selenium and zinc. A typical mixed diet usually provides enough minerals. In the United States, mineral deficiencies are usually uncommon unless there is an underlying disease process or abnormal food restrictions or diet. Vegan an...

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Sarasota Memorial Hospital deploys new PD diagnosis technology

Hospital Management — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0100

Sarasota Memorial Hospital in the US state of Florida has deployed what it claims to be the first and only FDA-approved test to diagnose Parkinson's disease (PD). (Source: Hospital Management)

Swedish Medical Center deploys new interactive patient care solution

Hospital Management — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0100

US-based Swedish Medical Center has deployed Aceso UpCare technology at its newly opened Issaquah campus. (Source: Hospital Management)

Baby Boomers Getting More Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Health News from Medical News Today — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 19:00:00 +0100

Baby boomers in the leading three English-speaking economies, the USA, UK and Canada, are being diagnosed at progressively higher rates of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), according to a report written by researchers from King's College London, and Thomas' Hospital London, in the Student British Medical Journal. The authors Dr. Ranjababu Kulasegaram, and final year medical student Rachel von Simson, explain that a significant number of older adults appear not to be practicing safe sex... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Smiling At Strangers

Psychology Today Relationships Center — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 18:56:33 +0100

When I was s first-year medical student, my classmates and I used to go down to the hospital cafeteria between lectures to buy snacks. The women from whom we bought them at the check-out counters were all young and sullen, rarely even glancing up at their customers as they rang up purchases.read more (Source: Psychology Today Relationships Center)

iPads and health care – health IT managers slow down physicians’ clinical adoption

ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 17:50:22 +0100

Source: Jane Sarasohn-Kahn, Health Populi Content: “Doctors are using iPads in huge numbers for personal life project management. 80% of doctors are excited about using them in clinical practice. But when it comes to clinical applications, don’t confuse physicians’ desire for mobility with their current use of iPads in everyday practice. What’s surprising is the “why” [...] (Source: ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics)

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St. Vincent, Heart Clinic Arkansas Pushed Out of Saline Memorial

Arkansas Business - Health Care — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 11:44:36 +0100

St. Vincent Health System of Little Rock and Heart Clinic Arkansas started the cardiac program for Saline Memorial Hospital in 2008 and unwillingly left the hospital in December. (Source: Arkansas Business - Health Care)

Hospitals, healthcare facilities urged to require staffs to get flu shots

Drug Topics - Top News — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Hinchingbrooke: a private solution for a hospital in intensive care

Telegraph Health — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 19:00:16 +0100

There is nothing wrong, in principle, with handing control of an NHS hospital to a private company, argues Alasdair Palmer. (Source: Telegraph Health)

Brain Blood Flow And Oxygen Monitored By First-Of-Its-Kind Head Patch

Health News from Medical News Today — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 08:00:00 +0100

A research team led by investigators at Mayo Clinic in Florida has found that a small device worn on a patient's brow can be useful in monitoring stroke patients in the hospital. The device measures blood oxygen, similar to a pulse oximeter, which is clipped onto a finger. Their study, published in Neurosurgical Focus, suggests this tool, known as frontal near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), could offer hospital physicians a safe and cost-effective way to monitor patients who are being treated for a stroke, in real time... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Erratic Heart Rhythm May Account For Some Unexplained Strokes

Health News from Medical News Today — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 08:00:00 +0100

Occasional erratic heart rhythms appear to cause about one-fifth of strokes for which a cause is not readily established, according to research presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2012. About one-third of survivors leave the hospital with the cause of their stroke still undetermined. "Identifying and treating these patients for irregular rhythm could reduce the recurrence of stroke by 40 percent compared to reducing the risk by treating them with aspirin," said Daniel J. Miller, M.D... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

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Study Looks At Reasons For Lack Of Improvement In Outcomes For Treatment Of Unruptured Brain Aneurysms

Health News from Medical News Today — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 08:00:00 +0100

Despite advances in the diagnosis and treatment of unruptured brain aneurysms, outcomes have remained stagnant over the last 10 years. This can be explained by the dramatic proliferation of minimally invasive endoscopic coiling procedures at lower-volume community hospitals, where outcomes are inferior. These findings are reported in a study by neurologists, neurosurgeons and neuro-anesthesiologists at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center and published in the journal Stroke... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Slide show: Top 10 regional conventions and trade shows in Seattle

bizjournals.com Health Care:Hospitals headlines — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 07:43:05 +0100

Conventions and trade shows impact the Puget Sound area economy to the tune of millions of dollars — and they attract millions of enthusiastic attendees from the region, nation and the world. Some of the more colorful events include the Northwest Flower & Garden Show and two conventions that welcome legions of costume-clad comics fans: Emerald City ComiCon and Sakura-Con. Other exhibitions cater to prospective college students, motorcycle lovers, and engaged couples planning weddings. The Puget Sound Business Journal has compiled a list of the top 24 regional conventions and trade shows staged at the Washington State Convention Center in 2011... (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Hospitals headlines)

All bath salts are not mephedrone

The Poison Review — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 05:56:41 +0100

2.5 out of 5 stars “Bath Salt” Ingestion Leading to Severe Intoxication Delirium: Two Cases and a Brief Review of the Emergence of Mephedrone Use. Kasick DP et al. Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse 2012 Jan 5 [Epub ahead of print] Abstract This paper from the Ohio State Department of Psychiatry is worth reading for vivid descriptions of acute toxic delirium in two patients after they used a product sold as “bath salts”: Patient A presented after ingesting “bath salts” sold under the label “Arctic Blast”. He was tachycardic (heart rate = 144.min), anxious and paranoid, and suffering visual hallucinations of snakes. For some bizarre reason he was given 2 mg naloxone in the field. At the hospital, he slowly improved after treatment with fluids, lorazep...

Henry Ford Hospital researchers identity potential biomarker for osteoarthritis

EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(Henry Ford Health System) Henry Ford Hospital researchers have identified for the first time two molecules that hold promise as a biomarker for measuring cartilage damage associated with osteoarthritis.Researchers say the concentration of two molecules called non-coding RNAs in blood were associated with mild cartilage damage in 30 patients who were one year removed from reconstruction surgery to repair an anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, injury. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)

[World Report] Cuts in Portugal's NHS could compromise care

LANCET — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Portugal's debt crisis is forcing hospital closures and hasty reform of the National Health Service, causing some observers to raise concerns about patient care. Gonçalo Figueiredo Augusto reports. (Source: LANCET)

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[Perspectives] Charles Dickens, The Lancet, and Oliver Twist

LANCET — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

The place that for many years served London's Middlesex Hospital as its Outpatient Department is not a beautiful building. Yet it's the oldest element of that great London hospital still standing on Cleveland Street, diagonally across from the vast field the institution used to fill, now sadly strewn with dust and broken bricks. This building has recently been the subject of a very public tussle: the owner intent on its replacement by a huge apartment block; locals and others (myself among them) equally determined to preserve it. (Source: LANCET)

[Correspondence] Call for a World Dengue Day

LANCET — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne disease caused by dengue viruses—members of the family Flaviviridae. Severe forms of dengue infection can be fatal and are a leading cause of hospital admission in many parts of the world, placing tremendous pressure on medical resources and having a heavy economic and societal effect. There has been a 30-fold increase in the number of dengue cases over the past 50 years. Recent studies estimate 50–100 million infections each year, although, owing to under-reporting, this figure could be even higher. (Source: LANCET)

[Correspondence] The growing threat to medical independence in conflict zones

LANCET — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Your Editorial “Torture in Syria's hospitals” (Nov 5, p 1606) relays the allegation of Amnesty International's report that patients in state-run hospitals were being targeted and tortured by authorities to “quell dissent”. The undermining of the independence and work of medical personnel has unfortunately been a theme of recent conflicts. (Source: LANCET)

How High Can Your Support Payments Go?How High Can Your Support Payments Go?

Medscape Business of Medicine Headlines — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 04:00:00 +0100

Hospitals have realized that hospitalist practices are a valuable asset and have created a system of ever-increasing subsidies to HM groups. How long can this financial support last? The Hospitalist (Source: Medscape Business of Medicine Headlines)

Norovirus causes most hospital outbreaks

Health News - UPI.com — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 02:23:29 +0100

WASHINGTON, Feb. 3 (UPI) -- Norovirus, a pathogen that often causes food poisoning and gastroenteritis, is the leading cause of infectious outbreaks in U.S. hospitals, researchers said. (Source: Health News - UPI.com)

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Norovirus Sends Hundreds To Hospitals In Boston Area

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 01:15:33 +0100

BOSTON (CBS) – It’s been a rough cold and flu season so far and now hospitals are being flooded with patients suffering a severe stomach bug. In the MetroWest area, hundreds have visited emergency rooms over the past few weeks. Doctors say the norovirus, a highly contagious stomach flu is to blame. Health officials say once it starts, it’s very difficult to contain. WBZ-TV’s Ken MacLeod reports var videoCanvas = new WNVideoWidget("WNVideoCanvas", "wnVideo_6706243");videoCanvas.SetWidth(320);videoCanvas.SetHeight(240);videoCanvas.SetVariable("clipId", "6706243");videoCanvas.SetReportingKeywords("CBS.BOSTON");videoCanvas.SetAdvertisingZone("CBS.BOSTON/worldnowplayer");videoCanvas.SetVariable("offFaceColor", "afaeae");videoCanvas.SetVariable("overFaceColor", "ffffff");...

Abercrombie to sign organ transplant funding bill into law

bizjournals.com Health Care:Hospitals headlines — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 00:50:56 +0100

Hawaii lawmakers on Friday passed legislation for about $1.8 million in emergency funds for kidney and liver transplants in the state. Gov. Neil Abercrombie plans to sign House Bill 608 into law on Saturday at The Queen's Medical Center. The law will appropriate emergency funds, subject to private matching funds, for the transplants, as well as to support a chronic kidney disease management program. Hawaii was left without an organ transplant center after the closure last month of Hawaii Medical Center East, which ran the state's only organ transplant program before it stopped taking patients in December... (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Hospitals headlines)

Shropshire hospital trust appoints director of nursing

Nursing Times Breaking News — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 00:01:00 +0100

Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has appointed Jayne Downey as its director of nursing and governance. (Source: Nursing Times Breaking News)

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DIY science: should you try this at home?

Guardian Unlimited Science — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 22:59:00 +0100

When Richard Handl was arrested for attempting to split the atom on his stove, he joined a growing band of home experimenters cooking up all kinds of trouble behind the kitchen doorÄngelholm is a pretty southern Swedish town, famed for its clay cuckoo manufacturing, a clay cuckoo being a kind of ocarina, which is a kind of flute. The crime rate here is practically zero. Except one of its residents was last year arrested for trying to split the atom in his kitchen. His name is Richard Handl and he buzzes me into his first-floor flat.I wanted to meet Richard because I keep seeing reports of home science experimenters clashing with the authorities. There's been a spate of them this past year or two.I glance into Richard's kitchen and recognise his cooker from the news. It was horrendously, a...

Response Genetics raises $7.8 million in stock sale

bizjournals.com Health Care:Hospitals headlines — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 21:52:34 +0100

Response Genetics Inc. said it has raised more than $7.8 million through the private placement of 5.3 million in newly issued stock. The Los Angeles-based company, which makes molecular diagnostic tests for cancer, said it sold the shares to undisclosed investors for $1.50 a share, a premium of 27 percent above its closing stock price of $1.18 a share on Wednesday. New investors accounted for the majority of the financing, while existing investors, as well as board members and senior management, made up the remainder, Response Genetics said... (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Hospitals headlines)

Relevant Quality Measures for Critical Access Hospitals

Rural publications via the Rural Assistance Center — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 21:42:05 +0100

Policy brief describes quality measures relevant to Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) and identifies policy implications. -- Flex Monitoring Team (Source: Rural publications via the Rural Assistance Center)

Cempra enjoys modest gain on trading

bizjournals.com Health Care:Hospitals headlines — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 21:28:05 +0100

Shares of Chapel Hill drug developer Cempra (Nasdaq: CEMP) opened at $6.20 on its first day of trading as a public company, up 3.3 percent from the IPO price of $6. A total of 8.4 million shares at a price well below the expected $11 to $13. For more, go here. Cempra is headed by CEO Prabha Fernandes. (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Hospitals headlines)

Alabama lawmakers file bills to legalize medical marijuana

bizjournals.com Health Care:Hospitals headlines — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 21:02:59 +0100

Two Alabama House members from opposing parties have filed similar bills seeking to legalize the medical use of marijuana. With the 2012 session to begin Tuesday, Rep. Patricia Todd, D-Birmingham, is again carrying a bill that would allow qualifying patients to possess up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana if prescribed by a physician. Meanwhile, Rep. K.L. Brown, R-Jacksonville, a funeral home owner who says his sister used marijuana to control pain before her death from breast cancer 25 years ago, has filed a similar bill... (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Hospitals headlines)

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President, CFO leave HealthSpring following Cigna deal

bizjournals.com Health Care:Hospitals headlines — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 20:56:19 +0100

Two executives have left HealthSpring following the company's merger with Cigna, which closed earlier this week. Karey Witty, executive vice president and chief financial officer of HealthSpring, and Michael Mirt, president of the company, are no longer with the company, as of Jan. 31, the day Cigna’s $3.8 billion acquisition of Franklin-based HealthSpring was finalized. Mirt's duties will split between two HealthSpring executive vice presidents, Shawn Morris and Scott Huebner. Morris will be president of operations, and Huebner president of development and innovations... (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Hospitals headlines)

Stanley Black & Decker, Adventist cutting 242 jobs in Baltimore area

bizjournals.com Health Care:Hospitals headlines — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 20:52:21 +0100

Stanley Black & Decker is closing a West Baltimore facility and cutting 142 jobs, according to a notice with the state’s labor department. Meanwhile, Adventist Behavioral Health is closing a Crownsville facility and laying off 100 people, a separate filing with the state said. Stanley Black & Decker plans to close its Baltimore Protection Net Center on Sisson Street, the filing said. The layoffs will take place in waves, starting April 1-14, and ending with a Oct. 23-Nov. 6 wave. Adventist is closing a treatment facility and school in Crownsville on March 31... (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Hospitals headlines)

Austin-based Hanger revamps its brand

bizjournals.com Health Care:Hospitals headlines — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 20:44:49 +0100

Hanger Orthopedic Group Inc., a manufacturer and provider of prosthetics, orthotics and related services, has unveiled a new name, logo and strategy. The Austin-based company plans to shorten its name to Hanger (NYSE: HGR), and change its clinic business, now called Hanger Prosthetics & Orthotics, to Hanger Clinic. The company’s shareholders are expected to approve the name changes at the annual shareholder meeting in May. The company has developed a new logo to compliment the name changes called Empower Mark, that “symbolizes a beacon of hope for Hanger’s clients,” company officials said... (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Hospitals headlines)

Talon leukemia drug gets date with FDA advisory panel

bizjournals.com Health Care:Hospitals headlines — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 20:10:41 +0100

Talon Therapeutics Inc. must hurdle a Food and Drug Administration advisory panel March 21 before its experimental leukemia drug can be approved. San Mateo-based Talon (OTCBB: TLON) said Friday that its drug Marqibo will be assessed by the FDA’s oncology drugs advisory committee for treating adult Philadelphia chromosome-negative acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a rare blood cancer. “We believe Marqibo has the potential to help a near end-stage leukemia population of patients without good treatment options,” Talon President and CEO Dr... (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Hospitals headlines)

Susan G. Komen reverses Planned Parenthood funding move

bizjournals.com Health Care:Hospitals headlines — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 20:04:26 +0100

The Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation on Friday said it has reversed its decision about funding grants for Planned Parenthood. The organization, which has Cincinnati affiliate, said earlier this week that it would not fund grant applications to groups under federal investigation, which includes Planned Parenthood. Culture Map reports that after the initial Komen announcement, Planned Parenthood received more than $400,000 in donations in 24 hours. A Friday statement from Nancy Brinker, the founder of the foundation, apologized for upsetting its supporters and partners with the funding removal, and said the foundation will “ensure that politics has no place in our grant process... (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Hospitals headlines)

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Partial Mastectomies Often Result In Further Surgeries

Health News from Medical News Today — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 19:00:00 +0100

According to an investigation in the February 1 issue of JAMA, surgery to remove additional tissue (reexcision) is required in almost 1 in 4 women who undergo a partial mastectomy for breast cancer treatment. In addition, there is considerable surgeon and institutional difference in the rate of reexcisions that have nothing to do with patients' characteristics. In the U.S., the current environment of health care reform requests transparency of health care outcomes and increasing hospital and physician accountability... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Bradford surgeon becomes Yorks and Humber postgraduate dean

HSJ — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:37:00 +0100

WORKFORCE: Bradford Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust consultant vascular surgeon David Wilkinson has been appointed postgraduate dean at the Yorkshire and the Humber Deanery. (Source: HSJ)

Six-Organ Transplant Girl Goes Home Today

Health News from Medical News Today — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:00:00 +0100

After 100 days in hospital and undergoing a complicated 6-organ transplant, 9-year-old Alannah Shevenell, from Maine, leaves Boston Children's Hospital today and goes home. Alannah has been treated for a rare form of cancer; an inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor continued to grow after all possible treatments failed, and was compromising her internal organs. A team of surgeons, led by Dr. Heung Bae Kim, the hospital's Pediatric Transplant Center director, performed the transplant procedure of Alannah's liver, spleen, pancreas, stomach, small intestine and esophagus... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Norovirus Top Cause of Hospital Infection Outbreaks, Says Study

The Doctors Lounge - Infections — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:00:00 +0100

Gastrointestinal bug causes vomiting, stomach cramps and diarrhea (Source: The Doctors Lounge - Infections)

Tumors invading the cavernous sinus that cause internal carotid artery compression are rarely pituitary adenomas

Pituitary — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:52:53 +0100

Abstract There is a clinical impression that when tumors invade the cavernous sinus, compression of the internal carotid artery is rare with pituitary adenomas and more common with other types of lesions but there are no actual data to support this impression. To confirm the impression that the finding of internal carotid artery compression by tumors invading the cavernous sinus is inconsistent with a diagnosis of a pituitary adenoma, we performed a retrospective analysis of MRI scans performed between 2000 and July 2009. An initial search of the radiology database was performed using the terms “invasive mass cavernous MRI” and subsequent refinement narrowed the evaluation to 141 patients with cavernous sinus invasion by sellar/parasellar tumors for whom there were cli...

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Recommendations for the aesthetic evaluation of breast cancer conservative treatment

Breast Cancer Research and Treatment — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:52:07 +0100

Abstract During the Turning Subjective Into Objective seminar held in Lisbon in May 2011, experts in the topic gathered to discuss the unsolved problems of aesthetic evaluation of breast-conserving treatment (BCT). The purpose of this study is to review the main methodological issues related to the aesthetic evaluation of BCT, to discuss currently used methods of evaluation and the lack of a gold standard, and to write a set of recommendations that can be used as guidance for the aesthetic evaluation of BCT. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory ReviewPages 1-9DOI 10.1007/s10549-012-1978-8Authors Maria João Cardoso, Breast Unit, Champalimaud Cancer Centre, Lisbon, PortugalJaime Santos Cardoso, INESC Porto Breast Research Group, Faculdade de Engenharia, Universidade do...

Efficacy of zoledronic acid in postmenopausal Japanese women with early breast cancer receiving adjuvant letrozole: 12-month results

Breast Cancer Research and Treatment — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:52:05 +0100

Abstract Aromatase inhibitor-associated bone loss has not been proved in the Japanese or Asian women. The aim of this study was to evaluate an upfront or delayed strategy of bone protection therapy with zoledronic acid administered at 4 mg every 6 months in postmenopausal Japanese women with early breast cancer to compare with results of the Z-FAST and ZO-FAST studies in western countries. Postmenopausal women with hormone receptor positive early breast cancer receiving adjuvant letrozole were randomly assigned to receive either upfront or delayed-start zoledronic acid (4 mg intravenously every 6 months). The delayed group received zoledronic acid when lumbar spine (L2–L4) bone mineral density (BMD) decreased to less than young adult mean −2.0SD or w...

Portal Venous Gas: A Clinical Finding in Obstructed Infracardiac Total Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Connection

Pediatric Cardiology — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:51:35 +0100

We report a case of obstructive total anomalous pulmonary venous connection (TAPVC) which presented in a way that has not previously been described. An infant with mixed type obstructive TAPVC was found to have pulmonary interstitial emphysema and portal venous gas on a scout radiograph obtained prior to computed tomography scan. The presence of portal venous gas indicated a connection between the pulmonary venous system and the portal venous system infradiaphragmatically. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Images in Pediatric CardiologyPages 1-3DOI 10.1007/s00246-012-0195-xAuthors Hoyoung Chung, Pediatric Residency Program, Phoenix Children’s Hospital, Phoenix, AZ 85016, USALawrence D. Lilien, Division of Neonatology, St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center, Neonatology A...

The Role of Shox2 in SAN Development and Function

Pediatric Cardiology — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:51:33 +0100

Abstract Embryonic development is a tightly regulated process, and many families of genes functions to provide a regulatory genetic network to achieve such a program. The homeobox genes are an extensive family that encodes transcription factors with a characteristic 60-amino acid homeodomain. Mutations in these genes or in the encoded proteins might result in structural malformations, physiological defects, and even embryonic death. Mutations in the short-stature homeobox gene (SHOX) is associated with idiopathic short stature in humans, as observed in patients with Turner syndrome and/or Leri-Weill dyschondrosteosis. A closely related human homolog, SHOX2, has not been linked to any syndrome or defect so far. In mice, a SHOX ortholog gene is not present in the genome; howev...

Highest-ever levels of multi-drug-resistant TB revealed | Sarah Boseley

Guardian Unlimited Science — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:50:00 +0100

This study ought to give further impetus to the drive to find them.TB is an area that I know the IHME will be addressing before long, as part of its project, which has taken five years of work so far, to get the best possible handle on global mortality rates from all causes. They have tackled maternal mortality – their study showed it was lower than thought at a third of a million rather than half a million a year – and given us the first global data on breast and cervical cancer. Since their director Christopher Murray has been studying TB for 30 years, expect some interesting data from that quarter at some point.The WHO report is not (necessarily) about deaths, but they are up against the same problems as IHME – the absence of good data or, in some countries, any data.But a lot of ...

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Robots Invade Telemedicine

ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:32:27 +0100

Source: Ken Congdon, Healthcare Technology Online Content: “As consumers in the age of infomercials, many of you have probably seen television spots for the Roomba — a robotic vacuum cleaner that automatically sweeps the floor without the aid of a human operator. Who would have thought that the next big market opportunity for iRobot Corporation [...] (Source: ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics)

Are intravenous injections of contrast media really less nephrotoxic than intra-arterial injections?

European Radiology — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:11:57 +0100

Abstract We oppose the opinion that the intra-arterial administration of iodine-based contrast media (CM) appears to pose a greater risk of contrast medium-induced nephropathy (CIN) than intravenous administration since 1) in intra-arterial coronary procedures and most other intra-arterial angiographic examinations, CM injections are also intravenous relative to the kidneys, 2) there is a lack of comparative trials studying the risk of CIN between intra-arterial and intravenous procedures with matched risk factors and CM doses, 3) a bias selection of patients with fewer risk factors may explain the seemingly lower rate of CIN after CT in comparison with coronary interventions, 4) the rate of CIN following intra-arterial coronary procedures may also be exaggerated owing to ...

Single dose NTBC-treatment of hereditary tyrosinemia type I

Journal of Inherited Metabolic Disease — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:11:55 +0100

Abstract NTBC (2-(2-nitro-4-trifluoromethylbenzoyl)-1,3cyclohexanedione) is the mainstay of treatment in tyrosinemia type 1 (HT 1). The current recommendation is to divide the total daily dose of NTBC into two doses. We monitored the plasma NTBC concentrations in a series of seven patients who were changed from multiple divided doses to a single daily dose of NTBC. Two additional patients were started on a single daily dose of NTBC after the diagnosis of HT 1 was established. In three patients, NTBC kinetics were performed over 6 and 24 hours, respectively. The use of multiple divided doses or a single daily dose did not significantly affect plasma NTBC concentrations or the mean daily dose needed to attain therapeutic plasma NTBC concentrations. Moreover, kinetic studies ...

Clinical and molecular analysis of a Chinese family with autosomal dominant neurohypophyseal diabetes insipidus associated with a novel missense mutation in the vasopressin–neurophysin II gene

Endocrine — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:11:41 +0100

The objective of this study is to identify the genetic defects in a Chinese family with autosomal dominant familial neurohypophyseal diabetes insipidus. Complete physical examination, fluid deprivation, and DDAVP tests were performed in three affected and three healthy members of the family. Genomic DNA was extracted from leukocytes of venous blood of these individuals for polymerase chain reaction amplification and direct sequencing of all three coding exons of arginine vasopressin–neurophysin II (AVP–NPII) gene. Seven members of this family were suspected to have symptomatic vasopressin-deficient diabetes insipidus. The water deprivation test in all the patients confirmed the diagnosis of vasopressin-deficient diabetes insipidus, with the pedigree demonstrating an autosomal domi...

MedWorm: Hospitals

Brainstem Infarction and Panuveitis due to Sarcoidosis Successfully Treated with Steroid Pulse Therapy

Economic Analysis of a Pediatric Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia Prevention Initiative in Nicaragua

Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstructions - Steep Learning Curve For Surgeons

Montgomery County wellness calendar, Feb. 9-16

Suicidal woman 'failed' by trust

Bug found in more hospital taps

Hospital C. Diff Transmission Routes Queried (CME/CE)

HealthOne parent HCA posts $1.9B Q4 profit

Vessel-Forming Stem Cells Derived From Amniotic Fluid To Help Fix Infant Hearts

In Hospitals, Transmission Of Clostridium Difficile May Not Be Through Contact With Infected Patients

Study Examines Misconceptions Of Who Picks Up Tab When Patients Walk Out

Severe Asthma Attacks Reduced By Combined Asthma Medication Therapy

Soaring cost of NHS interpreters

NHS directors seek Lords backing

New procedure bests standard of care for fixing damaged cartilage

Archive of failed joint replacements provides tips to building a better hip replacement

Anxiety trait linked to postoperative pain in men following total knee replacement

Moffitt, Sanford-Burnham and Florida Hospital create Personalized Medicine Partnership of Florida

Anxiety trait linked to post-operative pain in men following total knee replacement

NHS Evidence Update: Reducing the risk of VTE

Cameras, feedback up hospital handwashing

White House defends contraception rules as criticism mounts

Diffuse pulmonary uptake on FDG-PET with normal CT diagnosed as intravascular large B-cell lymphoma: a case report and a discussion of the causes of diffuse FDG uptake in the lungs.

White House defends contraception rules as criticisms mount

HCA to break ground on Poinciana hospital

CT/CTA a Practical Way to Assess Recurrent Stroke RiskCT/CTA a Practical Way to Assess Recurrent Stroke Risk

White House says open to compromise over contraception

House and Senate at Impasse on Medicare

Spanking Undermines A Child's Long-Term Development

Navigating Treatment Decisions

White House open to compromise over contraception: adviser

Malignant intraductal oncocytic papillary neoplasm of the common bile duct.

Pathologic observations of the duodenum in 615 consecutive duodenal specimens in a single Japanese hospital: II. malignant lesions.

Emergency Department Crowding: Time for Interventions and Policy Evaluations

Potential Biomarker Identified For Osteoarthritis

Clues To Common Birth Defect Found In Gene Expression Data

Capitol Business: GOP serious about blocking regulations (even one of their own)

Blood pressure measurement - an overview.

Study identifies steep learning curve for surgeons who perform ACL reconstructions

Computer order entry systems reduce preventable adverse drug events

BWH Center for LAM Research and Clinical Care awarded $1 million grant from Department of Defense

House and Senate at Impasse on Medicare

Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen: most generous living donor

House and Senate at Impasse on Medicare Payments to Doctors

Top Congressional stock picks: Microsoft beats Apple

Genomic Health's Randy Scott to lead new genetics subsidiary

UCSF study: Boosting cigarette tax could bolster California economy by $2 billion

Coventry renews contract with CEO Allen Wise

Five Prime Therapeutics Inc. makes interim CEO official

Lincare income drops despite revenue gain

Cardica loses $3.2 million in Q2, borrows $2 million

Parkland: Monitor's report 'humbling'

HCA's Profit Soars on Acquisition Gain

Examination of Factors Affecting Adverse Reactions and Dosage Reduction in UGT1A1 Genotyped Patients: A Retrospective Survey of Irinotecan.

Vital Signs: When Watched and Cheered On, I.C.U. Workers Wash Hands More

Central-Line Infections to be Disclosed NationwideCentral-Line Infections to be Disclosed Nationwide

Child Abuse - 4,569 Hospitalizations And 300 Deaths In One Year, USA

"Malaria cure" claim sparks Vienna probe

Egypt: Interior Ministry Promises to Send Mubarak to Torah

Egypt: Parliament Speaker - Proposal to Transfer Mubarak Accepted

Kenya: NHIF Now Targets Informal Sector

GAO: Implantable industry may be taking providers, payors for a ride on pricing

Did your surgeons miss something? New system to prevent retained surgical items

Surgical Treatment of Persistent Fetal Vasculature and Visual Rehabilitation: One-Year Followup

Bronchoscopy in Rural Areas?

Upper extremity injuries due to threshing machine. - Işık D, Ceylan MF, Tekin H, Karadaş S, Güner S, Canbaz Y.

Dual-task complexity affects gait in people with mild cognitive impairment: the interplay between gait variability, dual tasking, and risk of falls. - Montero-Odasso M, Muir SW, Speechley M.

Evidence-based exercise prescription for balance and falls prevention: a current review of the literature. - Shubert TE.

'I Was Just Screeching!': Comparing Child and Parent Derived Measures of Distress. - Peterson C, Noel M.

Epidemiology of severe burn injuries in a Tertiary Burn Centre in Tehran, Iran. - Mohammadi-Barzelighi H, Alaghehbandan R, Motevallian A, Alinejad F, Soleimanzadeh-Moghadam S, Sattari M, Lari AR.

Epidemiologic data of the patients with spinal cord injury: Seven years experience of a single center. - Tuğcu I, Tok F, Yılmaz B, Göktepe AS, Alaca R, Yazicioğlu K, Möhür H.

Outcome of road traffic injuries received in the emergency room of a teaching hospital, Southeast Nigeria. - Omoke NI, Chukwu CO, Madubueze CC, Oyakhiolme OP.

Mum gives birth outside hospital

Physical Child Abuse Sends Thousands to Hospitals (CME/CE)

Under 10s have eating disorders

Geriatric Patients At High Risk Of Vitamin D Deficiency

Doctors 2.0 & You - May 23-24 2012 - The HealthCare Social Media And Web 2.0 Conference!

Vet Cooperative Will Improve Independent Animal Hospital Sales,...

Questions Emerge About Whether War Savings Can Pay for 'Doc Fix'

Epidemiologic data of the patients with spinal cord injury: Seven years experience of a single center. - Tuğcu I, Tok F, Yılmaz B, Göktepe AS, Alaca R, Yazicioğlu K, Möhür H.