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Metformin along with chemotherapy/radiation improves outcomes in head and neck cancer patients

Researchers at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine have found that adding increasing doses of an approved Type 2 diabetes drug, metformin, to a chemotherapy and radiation treatment regimen in head and neck cancer patients is not well tolerated if escalated too quickly, but allowing slower escalation could be beneficial.

6 Jun 2016

Computerized virtual haptic system for NGT placement can provide students with safe, self-paced training

Nasogastric intubation, through the nostril and the throat, is an essential clinical procedure for inserting a plastic tube into the stomach for feeding or drainage. However, the placement is a blind process in which the tube may be misplaced and could lead to unexpected complications or fatal incidents.

1 Jun 2016

Ocaliva drug gets FDA approval for primary biliary cholangitis treatment

On Friday, May 27, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted accelerated approval for Ocaliva (obeticholic acid) for the treatment of primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) in combination with ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) in adults with an inadequate response to UDCA, or as a single therapy in adults unable to tolerate UDCA.

1 Jun 2016

Zinbryta gets FDA approval for treating adults with relapsing forms of MS

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Zinbryta (daclizumab) for the treatment of adults with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). Zinbryta is a long-acting injection that is self- administered by the patient monthly.

28 May 2016

Researchers partially restore lost function of isolated cystic fibrosis lung cells

In experiments with isolated cystic fibrosis lung cells, University of Alabama at Birmingham researchers and colleagues from two other institutions have partially restored the lost function of those cells.

26 May 2016

Common misconception about penicillin allergies

It's time for your primary care check-up, and the doctor asks you to list any known drug allergies. "Penicillin," you say immediately, although you can't remember actually taking the drug or having a reaction to it—it was your parents who said so. According to a Texas A&M Health Science Center allergist, many people who believe they're allergic to this antibiotic may not actually be allergic at all.

5 May 2016

Candida yeast infections more common in men with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder

In a study prompted in part by suggestions from people with mental illness, Johns Hopkins researchers found that a history of Candida yeast infections was more common in a group of men with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder than in those without these disorders, and that women with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder who tested positive for Candida performed worse on a standard memory test than women with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder who had no evidence of past infection.

4 May 2016

Study estimates 30% of outpatient oral antibiotic prescription in the U.S as inappropriate

An estimated 30 percent of outpatient oral antibiotic prescriptions in the U.S. in 2010-2011 may have been inappropriate, findings that support the need for establishing a goal for outpatient antibiotic stewardship, according to a study appearing in the May 3 issue of JAMA.

4 May 2016

UGA researcher works to advance effective treatment for infectious mononucleosis

The University of Georgia's Mark Ebell wasn't impressed with research on infectious mononucleosis when he wrote his first published review on it back in the 1990s. He still isn't—a subject he discusses in the April issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

3 May 2016

Acid suppression drugs frequently prescribed for high-risk newborns, study shows

Since 2006, several published studies have associated the use of some acid suppression medications in hospitalized high-risk babies with infections, necrotizing enterocolitis and increased risk of death. Those medications - histamine-2 receptor antagonists, such as ranitidine (Zantac and others), and proton pump inhibitors, such as esomeprazole (Nexium and others) - were originally approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use in adults and older children.

27 Apr 2016

New KidsMD Alexa skill device allows parents to get easier to access medical information

"My child has a fever of 101. Should I be concerned?" Through a new skill created for Amazon Alexa-enabled devices, parents will now be able to ask Alexa a variety of questions around fever and other common symptoms. The KidsMD Alexa skill was developed by the Innovation & Digital Health Accelerator team at Boston Children's Hospital and launched today.

13 Apr 2016

Vanderbilt's A.S.A.P sees increase in number of patients treated for alpha-gal syndrome

Vanderbilt's Asthma, Sinus and Allergy Program (A.S.A.P) has seen an increase in the number of patients being treated for alpha-gal syndrome, commonly known as the red meat allergy linked to tick bites.

7 Apr 2016

Oventus gains FDA clearance for medical device designed to alleviate snoring, OSA

Australian medical device company, Oventus Medical Ltd., has received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the O2VENT device, an oral appliance intended to reduce or alleviate snoring and mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnoea.

7 Apr 2016

Inflectra (infliximab-dyyb) approved for multiple indications

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Inflectra (infliximab-dyyb) for multiple indications. Inflectra is administered by intravenous infusion. This is the second biosimilar approved by the FDA.

6 Apr 2016

Investigators predict that new pneumonia epidemic in Beijing will likely to continue for longer time

Mycoplasma pneumoniae infections began rising in Beijing last spring, and by December, this pathogen was found in more than half of hospitalized children suffering from pneumonia in that city, according to investigators from the Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing, China.

2 Apr 2016

Higher rates of breastfeeding, vaccination use cut ear infection in babies

In what would be considered good news for many parents a new study from The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston finds the rates of ear infections during a baby's first year have declined; the investigators suggested that higher rates of breastfeeding, use of vaccinations and lower rates of smoking may be the major contributors. The study was recently published in Pediatrics.

28 Mar 2016

Scientists identify gene associated with cleft lip and palate

Leading scientists have identified an important gene that is associated with cleft lip and palate.Experts say the discovery is a step closer to understanding how this birth defect arises, and will help in the development of medical approaches to prevent the disfiguring condition.

25 Mar 2016

TGen investigators help track hypervirulent strep outbreak in southwestern U.S.

The Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) has helped state, local and tribal health officials identify an outbreak of "hypervirulent" strep bacteria in the American Southwest.

22 Mar 2016

Conflicting expectations result in failure of young girls completing HPV vaccinations series

Conflicting expectations between parents and medical providers about who is responsible for scheduling follow-up appointments is resulting in a failure of young girls completing the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccination series, according to a new study led by Boston Medical Center researchers.

16 Mar 2016

HIV-positive individuals in Africa with certain genetic variant have lower chance of developing TB

In the first known discovery of its kind, a Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine-led team has found that HIV patients in Africa with a certain genetic variant have a 63-percent lower chance of developing tuberculosis than HIV patients without the genetic variant.

10 Mar 2016