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Males and females respond differently to brain injury

Researchers at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh have found that males and females respond differently to brain injury and therefore, boys with brain injuries may require different life-saving treatments than girls.

1 May 2004

Body repositioning is highly effective in resolving dizziness

Dizziness is one of the most common medical complaints affecting older adults, with 10-20 percent of such complaints resulting from Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV). Many research studies have stated that without medical treatment, some 30 percent of BPPV patients will recover on their own. Now, a new evidence-based review has found that a single ten minute in-office treatment, based on a series of head and body turns, is highly effective in resolving this disorder, with an overall effectiveness of 70-80 percent.

29 Apr 2004

88 percent of children who drown are under the supervision of another person

New research revealed today by the National SAFE KIDS Campaign and Johnson & Johnson shows that 88 percent of children who drowned were under the supervision of another person, usually a family member. Supervision was defined as being in the care of another individual, not necessarily in their direct line of sight.

28 Apr 2004

Researchers are pioneering regenerative medicine techniques that could help millions of Americans heal faster after dental surgeries

More than 10 million Americans undergo surgical tooth extractions every year, and the procedure invariably involves some loss of bone from the tooth socket. This bone loss is problematic for dentists because it can compromise both the functional and esthetic outcomes of treatment involving dentures and bridges. Significant losses of bone also make it difficult for surgeons to properly fit dental implants to the ridge of the jawbone without requiring additional surgical procedures.

28 Apr 2004

Researchers show that language “center” of brain shifts with age

Along with left- or right-handedness, the hemisphere of the brain where language capacity resides is likely predetermined. Researchers have now shown that with age, language capacity in the brain becomes more evenly distributed between hemispheres.

27 Apr 2004

BioTime awarded a research grant for blood plasma volume expander

BioTime, Inc. has announced that it has been awarded a research grant by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute division of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for use in the development of its HetaCool® blood plasma volume expander following peer review.

27 Apr 2004

PTSD study focuses on mental window of opportunity

Haunting memories, thoughts, or images are found in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), a major mental health problem affecting millions worldwide. A new clinical trials study by mental imagery researcher Robert Roerich, M.D. seeks to explore the mind’s ability to heal memory of stressful life experiences.

27 Apr 2004

Relieving acute stress from trauma may be a matter of thinking it through

Many people experience serious trauma in their lives - only the fortunate will avoid events such as a serious car accident, the death of a close relative or a physical or sexual assault.

27 Apr 2004

WHO calls for Sudan humanitarian assistance

Intensified and urgent action is needed in the Greater Darfur Region of western Sudan to address one of the most severe humanitarian emergencies today. Given the current situation, the humanitarian crisis will last several months.

23 Apr 2004

The April 2004 issue of Otolaryngology focuses on head and neck surgery

The efficacy of a new cancer-fighting virus is tested in the study, “Treatment of Solid Sarcomas in Immunocompetent Mice with Novel Oncolytic Herpes Simplex Viruses.” A team of multi-disciplinary Japanese researchers found that a weakened version of herpes simplex virus (HSV) effectively eradicated neck and flank tumors in mice.

23 Apr 2004

Statement on patient safety principles for office-based surgery

Over the past few years, there has been a noticeable increase in the number of invasive procedures being performed in the office setting. Recognizing that many states still haven't issued patient safety guidelines in this area, the American College of Surgeons (ACS) sponsored a resolution, which was passed at the American Medical Association's (AMA's) December 2002 Interim Meeting of its House of Delegates.

22 Apr 2004

Iron may significantly improve women's attention, short-term and long-term memory

Young women who took iron supplementation for 16 weeks significantly improved their attention, short-term and long-term memory, and their performance on cognitive tasks, even though many were not considered to be anemic when the study began, according to researchers at Pennsylvania State University.

19 Apr 2004

Knitting could alleviate major trauma effects

She went on to suggest that knitting, with its complexity of patterns, colors and needles would likely achieve a similar result.

19 Apr 2004

Iowa Senate passes $250,000 limit on medical liability damages

On April 12, the Iowa Senate passed H.F. 2440, which caps non-economic damages in medical liability cases at $250,000. Following debate, the measure passed by a vote of 27 to 21. It had been narrowly defeated a week earlier, but Senate leadership secured a motion to reconsider it before the April 12 vote.

13 Apr 2004

Transplants of older kidneys work as well as younger ones

According to the article, in the United States, the percentage of deceased kidney donors aged 55 and older has increased during the last decade. This is the result of both lower death rates (particularly from trauma) in people aged 18 to 35, and an increased acceptance of kidneys from older deceased donors.

12 Apr 2004

Trauma Highly Prevalent Among Delinquents

Almost every boy and girl currently detained in a juvenile facility in the United States has experienced at least one major trauma, and a large proportion of these children have post-traumatic stress disorder, according to a study in the April issue of Archives of General Psychiatry.

6 Apr 2004

Video consultations to ease stress on frail patients

Monash University's Department of Geriatric Medicine is pioneering a high-tech way of consulting with elderly patients so they do not have to leave their nursing home beds.

4 Apr 2004

Link Between Stress And Multiple Sclerosis Attacks

A new study that combined results of previously published research findings suggests that acute attacks of multiple sclerosis may be associated with stressful life events. The study, appearing in the British Medical Journal and funded in part through National MS Society postdoctoral fellowships, is a “meta-analysis” (which statistically combines findings) of previously published studies of the topic of stress and MS.

1 Apr 2004

Haemophilia Society President presents Hepatitis C (HCV) Facts to UK Government

Haemophilia Society President to challenge government for second time in Lords question on proposed Hepatitis C ex gratia payment scheme On Thursday 25 March, the first business in the House of Lords will be further questioning of Ministers by the Haemophilia Society’s President, Lord Morris of Manchester.

27 Mar 2004

New pill for post-traumatic stress disorder

Every day, people suffer traumatic experiences that scar their minds. Combat, rape, bombings, burns, beatings, and horrific car accidents haunt them with memories impossible to suppress. Such day- and nightmares are part of a problem known as post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD.

22 Mar 2004