News
AT&T Takes A $1 Billion Hit On New Health Care
March 29, 2010 6:55 am | CommentsBarbara Ortutay, AP AT&T, Inc. will take a $1 billion non-cash accounting charge in the first quarter because of the health care overhaul, and may cut benefits it offers to current and retired workers. The charge is the largest disclosed so far. Earlier this week, AK Steel, Caterpillar, Deere & Co.
Overhaul To Strain Doctor Shortage
March 29, 2010 6:44 am | CommentsLauran Neergaard, AP Better beat the crowd and find a doctor. Primary care physicians already are in short supply and the landmark health overhaul that will bring millions more newly insured patients in the next few years promises extra strain. The new law goes beyond offering coverage to the uninsured, with steps to improve the quality of care for the average person and help keep us well instead of today's seek-care-after-you're-sick culture.
New Minimally Invasive Technique For Pigeon Chest
March 29, 2010 6:29 am | CommentsA new minimally invasive surgery to correct a chest wall deformity, often known as pigeon chest, was recently demonstrated. Technically known as pectus carinatum, the condition causes the chest wall to protrude outward, giving the patient's chest the appearance of the breast of a bird. In years past, the only surgery to correct severe cases was extremely invasive and involved cutting open the chest to remove excess cartilage.
Compulsive Eating Has Same Addictive Mechanism As Cocaine, Heroin
March 29, 2010 6:07 am | CommentsIn a newly published study, scientists from The Scripps Research Institute have shown for the first time that the same molecular mechanisms that drive people into drug addiction are behind the compulsion to overeat. The new study, conducted by Scripps Research Associate Professor Paul J. Kenny and graduate student Paul M.
Diabetes Raises Risk Of Death In Cancer Surgery Patients
March 29, 2010 5:43 am | CommentsThe study, to be published in the April issue of Diabetes Care , finds that newly diagnosed cancer patients — particularly those with colorectal or esophageal tumors — who also have Type 2 diabetes have a 50 percent greater risk of death following surgery. Roughly 20 million Americans are believed to have diabetes, and the numbers continue to grow.
Most Kidney Transplant Candidates Will Accept Risk Of Infection
March 26, 2010 6:13 am | CommentsThe majority of patients would accept a kidney from a donor at increased risk of viral infection. March 26, 2010 Most kidney transplant candidates are willing to receive a kidney from a donor at increased risk of viral infection, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology ( CJASN ).
MedShare Ships Emergency Medical Relief Aid To Chile
March 26, 2010 6:12 am | CommentsOver 12,000 pounds of requested medical supplies are shipped to treat earthquake victims March 26, 2010 MedShare has recently shipped over 12,000 pounds of requested medical supplies in efforts to assist and treat victims of the February earthquake in Chile. This is MedShare’s first shipment to Chile and was sponsored by Kimberly-Clark Corporation.
Busy Hospitals Have Lower Death Rates
March 26, 2010 6:12 am | Comments(Reuters) Want to survive a heart attack, heart failure or pneumonia? Go to a busy hospital. Researchers reported on Wednesday that patients suffering from the three common health problems were less likely to die when treated in hospitals that frequently handle those illnesses. Pneumonia patients treated at larger-volume hospitals were 5 percent less likely to die in the first month than patients treated at hospitals that handled few cases.
Boy With 31 Fingers, Toes Has Extra Digits Removed
March 26, 2010 6:11 am | CommentsA 6-year-old boy from China, who was born with 5 extra fingers and 6 extra toes, has undergone an operation to remove his extra digits, the Daily Mail reported. If you do the math – that’s 31 fingers and toes. The unnamed child suffered from a condition known as polydactyly, in which a person has more than five fingers per hand and five toes per foot.
Patient's Bowel Was Sticking Out
March 26, 2010 6:11 am | CommentsGiving evidence on the fourth day of Dr Patel's trial in Brisbane Supreme Court, Dr Emma Igras said patient Mervyn Morris was found to be suffering from the dangerous complication seven days after a colectomy performed by the Indian-born doctor. Referring to her notes made on Mr Morris' chart on May 30, 2003, Dr Igras, who had been training as a surgeon under Dr Patel at the time, said medical staff discovered the wound had burst.
Multi-Year Program Aims For More Support For Young Scientists
March 24, 2010 8:21 am | CommentsIn its new multi-year program, the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) aims to make scientific careers in Switzerland more attractive to young scientists. It also wishes to strengthen the competitiveness of Swiss researchers and secure Switzerland’s opportunities for formative action in cross-border research activities.
Patients At Risk For Complications After Coronary Artery Fistula Closure
March 24, 2010 8:20 am | CommentsLong-term complications after procedures to close coronary artery fistulas are particularly prevalent among those whose abnormal connections to the heart result in drainage into the coronary sinus, according to a study published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Interventions, a journal of the American Heart Association.
Mind The Gap: Gown Protects UK Patients' Privacy
March 24, 2010 8:20 am | CommentsJill Lawless, Associated Press Writer LONDON (AP) — Some good news for hospital patients: a gown that won't let you down. Stylish hospital gowns that snap down the side were unveiled in Britain on Tuesday, intended to replace those shapeless cloth sacks with useless ties that flash open at the worst possible moments.
US Law To Make Calorie Counts Hard To Ignore
March 24, 2010 8:19 am | CommentsMary Clare Jalonick, Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — A requirement tucked into the massive U.S health care bill will make calorie counts impossible for thousands of restaurants to hide and difficult for consumers to ignore. More than 200,000 fast food and other chain restaurants will have to include calorie counts on menus, menu boards and even drive-throughs.
Stent For Wide-Necked Intracranial Aneurysms Approved In Japan
March 24, 2010 8:19 am | CommentsA new Vascular Reconstruction Device and Delivery System (VRD) is a self-expanding stent used to treat wide-necked intracranial aneurysms. March 24, 2010 Codman & Shurtleff, Inc. (Codman), a global neuroscience and neurovascular company, announces that Johnson & Johnson K.
