News
Patients Who Have STEMI Heart Attacks While Hospitalized More Likely To Die
April 17, 2013 11:49 am | CommentsIf you suffer a heart attack while walking down the street and are taken to the hospital quickly, your chances of survival are very good. But if you have a heart attack while already in the hospital for something else, you are 10 times more likely to die. That surprising finding comes from a study by University of North Carolina School of Medicine researchers.
Study: Number Of Patients At Risk For Unnecessary Thyroid Surgery Is Likely On The Rise
April 17, 2013 11:31 am | CommentsA new study shows that the number of patients with thyroid nodules who undergo surgery – increasingly to remove all, rather than part, of their thyroid – has risen by 31 percent over five years. The new data were presented yesterday at the annual meeting of the American Association of Endocrine Surgeons, held in Chicago, Ill.
Physician Entrepreneurs Are Key Contributors To New Medical Devices
April 17, 2013 10:28 am | CommentsStartup companies founded by physician entrepreneurs are an important source of patents used in developing innovative new medical devices. Device manufacturers gain more from the patents of physician-founded firms than from those of non-physician-founded firms in their subsequent invention and innovation efforts.
Prophylactic Sodium Bicarbonate Infusion And Acute Kidney Injury After Open Heart Surgery
April 17, 2013 10:25 am | CommentsContrary to the positive findings of a previous pilot study, administration of a sodium bicarbonate-based infusion to induce urinary alkalinization during and after surgery does not reduce the incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) and may even cause harm in patients undergoing open heart surgery.
Doctor: Marathon Victims Had Metal In Wounds
April 16, 2013 11:49 am | CommentsMassachusetts General Hospital's chief of trauma surgery says doctors removed "a variety of sharp objects," including pellets and nails, from the wounds of victims of the Boston Marathon explosions. Dr. George Velmahos said Tuesday that in his opinion the metal fragments came from the bomb and not from the environment.
Energy Efficiency Could Increase Infection Risks In Hospital Wards
April 16, 2013 11:47 am | CommentsThe chance of infection in some hospital wards varies dramatically according to whether the nurses leave the windows open. A University of Leeds-led team studied airflow in a "Nightingale" ward—a classic hospital ward design that traditionally accommodates two rows of up to 30 beds—by using tracer gases to simulate how airborne infections spread.
Preop Ketamine May Lower Pain in Fibromyalgia
April 16, 2013 10:50 am | by Ed Susman | CommentsIn fibromyalgia patients undergoing knee or hip replacement surgery, low-dose, intraoperative ketamine appeared to reduce the need for post-surgical opioid therapy, researchers said. Ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic and has been used in human and veterinary medicine since 1963.
Researchers Devise X-ray Approach To Track Surgical Devices And Minimize Radiation Exposure
April 16, 2013 10:41 am | CommentsResearchers from North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) have developed a new tool to help surgeons use X-rays to track devices used in “minimally invasive” surgical procedures while also limiting the patient’s exposure to radiation from the X-rays.
TYRX Announces First Ever Implantation Of Fully Resorbable Antibacterial Envelope
April 15, 2013 3:33 pm | CommentsTYRX, Inc., the leader in the commercialization of implantable medical devices intended to help reduce surgical site infections, announced today that the first implantation of its new AIGISRx R Fully Resorbable Antibacterial Envelope has taken place at the Quebec Heart and Lung Institute in Quebec City, Canada.
ACS Releases New Book On Lessons Learned From 'Inspiring Quality' Tour
April 15, 2013 3:00 pm | CommentsToday, the American College of Surgeons (ACS) released a limited-edition book, Inspiring Quality Tour: Lessons Learned in the Pursuit of Quality Surgical Health Care, in conjunction with its annual Leadership and Advocacy Summit in Washington, DC. Lessons Learned summarizes the findings of an 18-month effort by ACS to create a national dialogue about surgical quality and patient safety.
Stenting Blocked Bowel Arteries Saves Lives
April 15, 2013 11:17 am | CommentsStenting reopens completely blocked bowel arteries, preventing damage and even death from a condition that causes individuals severe pain and leads to excessive weight loss, notes research being presented at the Society of Interventional Radiology's 38th Annual Scientific Meeting in New Orleans, La.
Stenting Dramatically Improves Treatment Access For Dialysis Patients
April 15, 2013 11:10 am | CommentsKidney failure patients on dialysis derive long-term benefit from the minimally invasive placement of a stent that improves the function of dialysis access grafts, according to 12-month trial results. Results of the study exceeded expectations, and that is a boon for dialysis patients.
Picture This: A Dramatic Drop In Wrong Patient Errors
April 15, 2013 10:20 am | CommentsAdding a photo of a face to x-ray images can reduce "wrong-patient" errors five-fold, a new study finds. X-rays can look alike, and if one patient's images are confused with another before the radiologist sees them, it can be difficult for the radiologist to determine there is a mismatch.
Standard CT Protocol For Trauma Patients Leads To Overutilization Of Imaging
April 15, 2013 10:18 am | CommentsIt is unnecessary to scan trauma patients based on a non-focused standard trauma CT protocol, if the patient is transferred for care after already undergoing a focused CT examination based on the patient's history and physical examination, a new study shows.
URAC Seeks Public Comment On Accountable Care Accreditation Standards And Measures
April 12, 2013 1:09 pm | CommentsURAC, an independent accreditation organization advancing quality and value throughout health care, has announced a call for public comment on its new Accountable Care Accreditation Standards and Measures. URAC’s new program is a roadmap for health providers to achieve clinical integration and accountable care.
