News
Drugs Could Help Lessen Tumor Removal Risks
February 19, 2010 4:10 am | CommentsMore than 57,000 Americans face a diagnosis of kidney cancer each year, but now patients with soon have another treatment option. A pilot study at UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center found that therapy before surgery with the drug Sorafenib can reduce the size of large tumors and could be safely administered without adding significantly to the risks of surgery.
Canada Targets Shorter Surgical Waiting Lists
February 19, 2010 3:51 am | CommentsAlberta Health Services will spend $8 million over the next six weeks to reduce surgical waiting times, especially those on hold for urgent cancer surgeries and hip and knee replacements. Although health services also announced plans to increase the number of surgeries, MRIs, CT scans and cataract procedures by 10 percent over the next year, health critics said the plan is a short-term fix that moves the province towards more private delivery of health care.
Fetal Surgery Continues to Advance
February 17, 2010 5:14 am | CommentsRepairing birth defects in the womb. Inserting a tiny laser into the mother's uterus to seal off an abnormal blood flow and save fetal twins. Advancing the science that may allow doctors to deliver cells or DNA to treat sickle cell anemia and other genetic diseases before birth. These are examples of the still-emerging field of fetal surgery.
Building A Heart Care Partnership
February 17, 2010 4:59 am | CommentsRetailer Lowe’s will offer its employees heart surgery at the Cleveland Clinic, under an alliance between the hospital and the home improvement chain. Mooresville, N.C.-based Lowe’s says the new benefit will provide full-time workers and their covered dependents with the “best of the best&rdquo in cardiac care, with lower out-of-pocket expenses than at other facilities.
Simple Test For Athletic Concussions
February 17, 2010 4:46 am | Comments(Reuters) A simple, inexpensive test of reaction time may help determine on the sidelines whether an athlete has suffered a concussion, according to research from the American Academy of Neurology. Research has shown that reaction time is slower after a concussion – even as long as several days after other symptoms have resolved.
Tweeting Matters Of The Heart ... Surgery
February 17, 2010 4:36 am | CommentsRobert Peacock is no celebrity, but his heart may be on its way to becoming one. He allowed St. Vincent's Medical Center in Jacksonville to tweet his heart procedure, with a hospital representative giving a snip-by-snip account of the procedure live on Twitter. For the occasion, he insisted on star treatment.
Forgotten Instrument Plagues Woman For 5 Months
February 17, 2010 4:24 am | CommentsIt took five months for a Czech woman to discover the reason for her abdominal pain – surgeons had left a medical tool inside her abdomen. Doctors at a clinic in the southeastern town of Ivancice discovered their colleagues had forgotten to remove a spatula-like surgical instrument from the woman following gynecological surgery in September.
Revisional Bariatrics Pose Greater Patient Risks
February 16, 2010 5:22 am | CommentsRevisional bariatric surgery appears to be associated with a higher risk of complications than the initial procedure, according to a report in the February issue of Archives of Surgery . Surgical treatment is currently the only effective approach for long-term weight loss in the severely obese, according to background information in the article.
New Laser Surgical Technique Reduces Scars
February 16, 2010 5:06 am | CommentsAblative fractional resurfacing (AFR) is a new laser surgery technique for resurfacing the skin, and could be a safer and more effective way to remove scars from surgery or trauma, a new study offers. Six months after treatment, women with atrophic scars showed marked improvement in texture, pigmentation, atrophy and overall appearance of their skin, according to a report published on-line in the Archives of Dermatology .
Specialists Impact Orthopedic Surgical Outcomes
February 16, 2010 4:54 am | CommentsThe more specialized a hospital is in orthopedic surgical care, the better the outcomes appear to be for patients undergoing hip and knee replacement surgery, University of Iowa researchers report in a new study of Medicare patients. Among more specialized hospitals, there were fewer serious post-surgical complications such as blood clots, infections and heart problems, as well as fewer deaths.
Cardinal Targets Improved ASC Profitability, Efficiency
February 16, 2010 4:32 am | CommentsCardinal Health’s Presource® Products and Services and Clinical Apparel/Patient Protection businesses conduct full clinical and logistical assessments in identifying supply chain pain points and recommending product and workflow solutions to reduce inventory, promote staff safety and productivity, and improve cost effectiveness.
Herbal Medicines Can Be Lethal
February 16, 2010 4:08 am | CommentsUniversity of Adelaide forensic pathologist Roger Byard recently published his findings in the Journal of Forensic Sciences outlining the highly toxic nature of many herbal substances, a large percentage of which are mistakenly believed to be completely safe. His report cites the potentially lethal concentrations of arsenic, mercury and lead.
"Is There A Doctor Onboard?" - Do You Answer?
February 12, 2010 10:57 am | CommentsThe following is an abridged posting taken from http://www.epmonthly.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=667&I... In the post, a physician asks about responding to a request for doctors on a cross-country flight. This individual went to help a ma who had collapsed, seemingly with a heart attack.
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.
