News
Restrictions On Female Plasma May Not Be Warranted
February 12, 2010 10:33 am | CommentsThree years after the U.S. blood banking industry issued recommendations that discourage transfusing plasma from female donors because of a potential antibody reaction, Duke University Medical Center researchers discovered that female plasma actually may have advantages. The Duke team conducted a retrospective study of Red Cross donor and hospital data from a period when female plasma wasn't restricted.
New Grants For Healthcare Technology, Job Training
February 12, 2010 10:21 am | Comments(Reuters) Members of President Barack Obama's Cabinet announced nearly $1 billion in grants on Friday to increase the use of health information technology, pushing a key component of his healthcare overhaul and job creation plans. The money will be used to help make healthcare information technology available to over 100,000 hospitals and primary care physicians by 2014, and train thousands of people for careers in healthcare and information technology.
28 Charges Dropped Against Surgical Tech
February 12, 2010 10:12 am | CommentsA federal judge has dismissed 28 charges against a surgery technician as part of an agreement with prosecutors where the woman admitted to tampering with medications that resulted in three dozen people contracting hepatitis C. Kristen Diane Parker was to be sentenced to 20 years in prison last month in a plea deal with prosecutors, but a judge said it was not enough time.
Thigh Lift Malpractice Sees $60 Million Judgement
February 12, 2010 9:50 am | CommentsA $60 million dollar verdict was awarded to Allison Hugh against Ferdinand A. Ofodile, M.D., a Queens County, NY plastic surgeon. Hugh went to Dr. Ofodile for a thigh lift procedure, and sustained a deformity to the labia of her vagina that is permanent and cannot be surgically corrected. It was ruled that Dr.
Good Samaritan Statutes: When Are You Protected?
February 12, 2010 6:56 am | by by William Sullivan, DO, JD | CommentsScenario #1: Providing Emergency Treatment at an MVA “I was driving on a stormy New England afternoon when I came upon a car on its roof in a ditch, the driver’s body lying half in and half out of his window. I called 9-1-1 then went to see if I could help. The man was trapped under the dash with an obvious head injury, a GCS that I had calculated to be 5 with a blown pupil on the left.
Studies Unclear On Role Of Pre-Surgery Beta Blockers
February 12, 2010 6:56 am | CommentsHeart specialists at the University of Michigan Health System make a plea for clarity on the best approach for prescribing beta blockers before surgery. February 12, 2010 In a commentary appearing in this week's Journal of the American Medical Association , heart specialists at the University of Michigan Health System make a plea for clarity on the best approach for prescribing beta blockers before surgery.
Feeding Tubes May Be Overused In Demented Patients
February 12, 2010 6:55 am | CommentsDr. Joan M. Teno of Brown University and her colleagues found that hundreds of patients who had specified, in writing, that they did not want a feeding tube received one anyhow. Reuters Health February 12, 2010 Whether or not a person with advanced dementia winds up with a feeding tube inserted down their throat may have more to do with economic concerns than his or her wishes, suggests a new study out in JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association).
Telemedicine Technology Now Includes Smart Pills
February 12, 2010 5:07 am | Comments(Reuters) Drugmakers are starting to get into bed with information technology companies as they struggle to prove the value of their medicines to governments and insurers. By using smart gadgets to monitor patients in real time, pharmaceutical companies believe they can improve clinical outcomes and establish the cost-effectiveness of treatments.
Common Sense Prevails As Nurse Acquitted
February 12, 2010 4:53 am | CommentsAnne Mitchell, a nurse at Winkler County Memorial Hospital in the small West Texas town of Kermit, was acquitted after authorities had charged her with “misuse of official information” following her filling a complaint with the Texas Medical Board regarding what she felt were unsafe practices by Dr.
Vaccine Needle Size Matters For Obese Patients
February 10, 2010 6:51 am | CommentsA new study finds that using a standard 1-inch needle to immunize obese adolescents against hepatitis B virus produced a much weaker effect than using a longer needle . Frederik Joelving, Reuters Health February 10, 2010 Our ever-expanding waistlines may have outgrown the doctor's needle, researchers say, in what could be another casualty of the obesity epidemic.
Study: Medicare Rewards MDs For Overuse
February 10, 2010 6:50 am | CommentsJulie Steenhuysen, Reuters Medicare's move in 2005 to pay doctors to do bladder cancer surgery in their offices rather than in hospitals dramatically raised the number of procedures and overall health costs, U.S. researchers say. The findings reflect the complexity of cutting health costs in the United States, showing how in some cases Medicare—the insurance program for the elderly and disabled—gives doctors incentives to provide too much care, the researchers say.
New Safeguards Planned For Medical Imaging Tests
February 10, 2010 6:49 am | CommentsReuters U.S. health officials want manufacturers of CT machines and certain other medical imaging devices to incorporate new safeguards to help reduce patient exposure to radiation. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Tuesday it planned to issue requirements for manufacturers to use when designing their equipment and would hold a public meeting on the matter March 30-31.
Acupuncture Insufficient Treatment For Fibromyalgia
February 10, 2010 6:48 am | CommentsLaura Buchholz, Reuters Health Acupuncture may provide some temporary pain relief for people with fibromyalgia, but does not help with fatigue, sleep problems, or physical function, reveals a new research review. However, the results are too inconsistent to recommend acupuncture as a treatment fibromyalgia, the reviewers conclude.
Questions Remain On Bariatric Surgery For Adolescents
February 10, 2010 6:47 am | CommentsLaparoscopic adjustable gastric banding surgery can effectively treat obesity in adolescents and seems to offer a better alternative than gastric bypass surgery, but further study is needed to determine whether it's better than nonsurgical options, a UT Southwestern Medical Center surgeon writes in an editorial in the Feb.
Source: Surgical Error May Be To Blame For Murtha’s Death
February 9, 2010 6:35 am | CommentsA Pennsylvania congressman and longtime friend of the late Rep. John Murtha says the congressman's large intestine was damaged during gallbladder surgery and an infection developed. February 9, 2010 The sudden death Monday of Rep. John Murtha could be attributed to a surgical error, according to a source close to a congressman.
