News
Companies Cut Costs By Not Reporting Health Issues
November 16, 2009 4:17 pm | CommentsSam Hananel, AP Some employers are pressuring workers not to report illnesses and injuries, just one problem that has led to widespread underreporting of workplace safety issues, according to congressional investigators. Occupational Safety and Health Administration inspectors often didn't interview workers to verify what employers claim when keeping tabs on accident and illness rates, the Government Accountability Office report states.
Red Cross Memorabilia On The Block
November 16, 2009 4:01 pm | CommentsBrett Zongker, AP Rose Percy has a long history with the American Red Cross. Complete with an extensive wardrobe and her own Tiffany jewelry, this 23” wax doll was first sold for $1,200 back in 1864 to benefit the U.S. Sanitary Commission — the precursor to one of best-known U.S. charities.
Conjoined Twins Survive Marathon Surgery
November 16, 2009 3:47 pm | CommentsTwin Bangladeshi girls joined at the top of their heads were in good condition Tuesday but were not yet separated after 24 hours of complicated surgery. Ian McKenzie, a member of the Australian surgical team and director of anesthesia at the Royal Children's Hospital, said the girls were improving as their bodies began to work individually.
ER No Free Ride For The Uninsured
November 16, 2009 3:37 pm | CommentsCarla K. Johnson, AP Uninsured patients with traumatic injuries, such as car crashes, falls and gunshot wounds, were almost twice as likely to die in the hospital as similarly injured patients with health insurance, according to a new study. The findings by Harvard University researchers surprised doctors and health experts who have believed emergency room care was equitable.
Feds Ignored Medicare Scam Warnings
November 16, 2009 4:53 am | CommentsKelli Kennedy, AP The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services received roughly 30 warnings from inspectors over three years during the Bush and Obama administrations but didn't respond to half of them, even after repeated letters, according to records provided to The Associated Press by U.
Australian Doctors Operate On Conjoined Twins
November 16, 2009 4:35 am | CommentsA team of Australian surgeons are working today on a delicate and complicated surgery to separate twin sisters who are joined at the top of the head. The 2-year-old Bangladeshi orphans, Trishna and Krishna, share parts of their skull, brain tissue and blood flow. Doctors expected the operation, which began this morning, to take at least 16 hours, with a team of 16 surgeons and nurses.
Surgical Strategies For Heart Defect Unclear
November 16, 2009 4:19 am | CommentsAccording to the American Heart Association, infants born with a severely underdeveloped heart are more likely to survive to their first birthday when treated with a new shunt procedure — yet it may not be the safest surgery in the long term. Babies born with a critically underdeveloped left side of their hearts require three surgeries to correct the problem.
New Catheter Placement Could Ease Bleeding, Pain, Costs
November 16, 2009 3:47 am | CommentsTim Schäufele, MD at the MediClin Heart Center Lahr/Baden in Germany offered a report at the recent American Heart Association meeting that suggested the routine use of the radial artery as an access point resulted in fewer bleeding complications and less pain without substantial increases in procedure time.
End-Of-Life Decisions Often A Mystery
November 13, 2009 5:53 am | CommentsMatt Sedensky, AP Lillian Landry always said she wasn't afraid to die. So when death came, the 99-year-old was lying peacefully in a hospice with no needles or tubes. Her final days saw her closest friend at her side and included occasional shots of her favorite whiskey. Landry is an exception.
Michigan Steering Defunct Auto Suppliers Towards Medical
November 13, 2009 5:52 am | CommentsThe struggles of automotive OEMs in Michigan have been well precedented. Now, to help weather the economic storm, business organizations in the region have begun to champion their transition to the more stable medical device industry. Crain’s Detroit Business featured coverage of the 5th-annual MichBio Expo last week, specifically highlighting a panel discussion on how to diversify and better serve the medical device industry.
Kidney Angioplasty Brings Risk Without Benefit
November 13, 2009 5:47 am | CommentsLinda A. Johnson, AP A recent report states that hundreds of thousands of Americans with clogged kidney arteries might want to consider trying medicines before rushing into angioplasty to open them up. The pricey procedure is no more effective and carries surprisingly big risks, a study found.
Cardiology Innovator Passes
November 13, 2009 5:46 am | CommentsWilliam Ganz, MD, and co-inventor of the Swan-Ganz catheter for measuring blood flow, died Tuesday of natural causes at the age 90 in Los Angeles. “Dr. Ganz was a giant in medicine and in life,” said Prediman Shah, MD, director of the Cardiology Division at the Cedar-Sinai Heart Institute.
Chest Pain Patients Wait Their Turn
November 11, 2009 6:55 am | CommentsEmory University Rollins School of Public Health researchers recently presented a study that examined compliance with recommendations that a physician screen chest pain patients within 10 minutes of their arrival in the Emergency Department. The American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association recommend an electrocardiogram be performed and shown to a physician within 10 minutes of a chest pain patient's arrival to the emergency department.
New Course For Med Schools
November 11, 2009 6:45 am | CommentsWhen Aaron Laviana started medical school at Georgetown University in 2007, he dissected a cadaver in his first week, in anatomy class. Today, classes such as “Physician-Patient Communication” and “Social and Cultural Issues in Health Care” come first. Dissection doesn't begin until month four at Georgetown -- as part of a unit on limbs -- and anatomy class no longer exists.
Plastic Surgeon Eliminating Traditional Methods
November 11, 2009 6:28 am | CommentsDr. Oleh Slupchynskyj, Director of The Aesthetic Institute of New York and New Jersey, recently announced he’ll be using a new rhinoplasty procedure that eliminates traditional packing and the subsequent painful removal. The pain associated with the post-operative removal of nasal packing is a commonly cited fear among rhinoplasty candidates.
