News
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.
Lancaster Hospital Using Xenex "Robot" To Battle Superbugs
April 12, 2013 1:05 pm | CommentsLancaster General Hospital’s newest weapon against hospital-acquired infections looks a little like R2-D2 from Star Wars. The new room disinfecting systemuses ultraviolet (UV-C) light that is 25,000 times more powerful than the sun to ‘zap’ nasty organismsthat cause infections like the flu, norovirus, and MRSA.
SBMT Announce Formation Of American Board Of Brain Mapping
April 12, 2013 12:45 pm | CommentsThe BRAIN Initiative is going to fund research on cutting-edge technologies, which could probe and or image the brain in order to better understand its structure and neuropatho-physiology as well as breaking new ground on the treatment, cure and prevention of neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, epilepsy, brain cancers, and neurotrauma.
Researchers Create Kidney Transplant 'Decision' Tool
April 12, 2013 11:06 am | CommentsJohns Hopkins scientists have created a free, Web-based tool to help patients decide whether it's best to accept an immediately available, but less-than-ideal deceased donor kidney for transplant, or wait for a healthier one in the future.
Off-Duty Paramedic, Surgeons Rescue Man Who Sawed Arms
April 12, 2013 10:50 am | by Robert Jablon, Associated Press | CommentsA Los Angeles man deliberately cut his own arms to the bone with handsaws. While doctors were able to reattach his arms, they will have to wait to see how effectively they were able to reconnect blood vessels and muscle as the man recovers.
