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Increase in adiponectin hormone levels protects against sepsis-related mortality

A hormone naturally found in the fat that surrounds the abdominal organs for the first time has been linked to death related to sepsis, surgeons reported at the 2009 Clinical Congress of the American College of Surgeons. A study exhibited at the conference showed that low levels of the hormone adiponectin placed animals at a profoundly high risk of death from a septic insult.

14 Oct 2009

Patients at highly rated hospitals have a 52% lower chance of dying: Study

The largest annual study of patient outcomes at each of the nation’s 5,000 nonfederal hospitals found a wide gap in quality between the nation’s best hospitals and all others. According to the study, issued today by HealthGrades, the leading independent healthcare ratings organization, patients at highly rated hospitals have a 52 percent lower chance of dying compared with the U.S. hospital average, a quality chasm that has persisted for the last decade even as mortality rates, in general, have declined.

14 Oct 2009

Study says critical illness among Canadian patients with H1N1 occurred rapidly after hospital admission

Critical illness among Canadian patients with 2009 influenza A(H1N1) occurred rapidly after hospital admission, often in young adults, and was associated with severely low levels of oxygen in the blood, multi-system organ failure, a need for prolonged mechanical ventilation, and frequent use of rescue therapies, according to a study to appear in the November 4 issue of JAMA.

13 Oct 2009

Good Samaritan Hospital tops HealthGrade ratings for stroke treatment and joint replacement

A study issued today by HealthGrades, Inc., the leading independent healthcare ratings organization, finds that Good Samaritan Hospital is among the Top 5% in the Nation for Treatment of Stroke and Top 10% in the Nation for Joint Replacement. The nation’s nearly 5,000 nonfederal hospitals were all included in the sweeping study, which examined mortality rates and complication rates from government data from 2006, 2007 and 2008.

13 Oct 2009

Patient outcomes better in highly rated hospitals than others

The largest annual study of patient outcomes at each of the nation's 5,000 nonfederal hospitals found a wide gap in quality between the nation's best hospitals and all others. According to the study, issued today by HealthGrades, the leading independent healthcare ratings organization, patients at highly rated hospitals have a 52 percent lower chance of dying compared with the U.S. hospital average, a quality chasm that has persisted for the last decade even as mortality rates, in general, have declined.

13 Oct 2009

Report shows that visual impairments are associated with the risk of death in older adults

Visual problems that cannot be corrected are associated with increased risk of death among individuals between the ages of 49 and 74, and all visual impairments may be associated with the risk of death in older adults, according to a report in the October issue of Archives of Ophthalmology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

13 Oct 2009

H1N1 illness in young Mexican patients associated with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome

Critical illness from 2009 influenza A(H1N1) in Mexico occurred among young patients, was associated with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome and shock, and had a fatality rate of about 40 percent, according to a study to appear in the November 4 issue of JAMA.

12 Oct 2009

Researchers identify genes that play a role in the development of endometrial cancer

Researchers at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, have identified two genes believed to play a role in the development of endometrial cancer. These results may eventually lead to better diagnosis and treatment of this increasingly common form of cancer.

12 Oct 2009

Celator Pharmaceuticals enrolls 120 patients in CPX-351 Phase 2 study

Celator Pharmaceuticals today announced that it has completed enrollment in its Phase 2 multicenter, randomized, open-label clinical trial of CPX-351 (Cytarabine:Daunorubicin) Liposome Injection versus conventional cytarabine and daunorubicin therapy ("7+3") in patients 60-75 years of age with untreated acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

12 Oct 2009

Public option for the House bill still viable

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's record of passing all the bills she has brought forward -- despite opponents' caricature of her as inept -- mean that the health public option remains viable in the House and the House-Senate conference, says ex-White House staffer and former House Aging Committee and Health Subcommittee Chief of Staff Robert Weiner. Pelosi told Weiner, "We will not be deterred. We will pass the bill."

12 Oct 2009

Breast cancer patients who achieve pathological complete response have better outcomes

Locally advanced breast cancer patients who received the same class of neoadjuvant chemotherapy were found to have no evidence of disease at the time of their surgery, or achieved pathological complete response, at the same rate regardless of race, according to researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.

12 Oct 2009

Hispanic children with brain tumors rarely get high-quality treatment than other children: Study

Hispanic children diagnosed with brain tumors get high-quality treatment at hospitals that specialize in neurosurgery far less often than other children with the same condition, potentially compromising their immediate prognosis and long-term survival, according to research from Johns Hopkins published in October's Pediatrics.

9 Oct 2009

Continuing education virtual lecture to help prevent fungal infections in HSCT recipients

Systemic fungal infections are a serious complication of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and are associated with significant mortality in HSCT recipients. It is critical for healthcare professionals to be aware of the risk factors for fungal infections in HSCT patients and apply optimal strategies for prevention and treatment in this population.

9 Oct 2009

'Tens of thousands' of pregnant Indian women die from 'preventable causes,' report says

Despite a government guarantee of free maternal health care, tens of thousands of pregnant women in India die from mostly "preventable causes," according to a Human Rights Watch (HRW) report, released on Wednesday, the BBC reports.

9 Oct 2009

Research study on HPV vaccination efficacy for boys and girls

Persistent infection with high-risk types of human papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted virus, is known to be a cause of cervical cancer. Current guidelines prioritize HPV vaccination of pre-adolescent girls, which has been shown to be cost-effective in previous studies, but the value of vaccinating boys in the United States has been unclear.

9 Oct 2009

Also in Global Health News: Uganda malaria efforts; child mortality in Vietnam; refugee health; U.S. aid to Somalia; HIV in South Africa

The Guardian examines efforts to reduce malaria in Katine, Uganda, through the distribution of insecticide-treated nets to high-risk groups. Though the article details a reduction in the number of malaria cases in the region, additional nets are needed to cover the entire population. Also, health experts warn additional strategies, such as indoor residual spraying and increased access to drugs are needed to defeat malaria (Kavuma, 10/8).

9 Oct 2009

Countries make little progress in implementing life-saving techniques to treat children with diarrhea

Despite evidence that low-cost diarrhea treatments such as lower osmolarity oral rehydration salts (ORS) and zinc supplements could drastically reduce the number of deaths among children, little progress has been made in implementing these life-saving techniques, according to researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

9 Oct 2009

Kaiser Permanente launches osteoporosis prevention campaign

Encouraging everyone to “Embrace Your Inner Strength,” Kaiser Permanente has launched a campaign throughout Southern California aimed at getting teenagers, seniors and everyone in between to get serious about building up their skeletons and preventing osteoporosis.

8 Oct 2009

Patient selectivity is an important driver of the superior outcomes at focused hospitals: INFORMS meeting

Although many specialized hospitals deliver better and faster services in cardiac care and other specialties, a paper being presented at the annual meeting of the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS-) maintains that these hospitals cherry-pick patients to achieve these results, and that average patients actually receive worse care.

8 Oct 2009

Researchers reveal that H2 Blocker drugs pose no significant risks for the fetus

H2 Blocker drugs, such as Famotidine, Cimetidine and Ranitidine, approved in the U.S. for acid reflux (heartburn), pose no significant risks for the fetus according to a large collaborative cohort study by researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.

8 Oct 2009

Mortality News and Research

Increase in adiponectin hormone levels protects against sepsis-related mortality

Patients at highly rated hospitals have a 52% lower chance of dying: Study

Study says critical illness among Canadian patients with H1N1 occurred rapidly after hospital admission

Good Samaritan Hospital tops HealthGrade ratings for stroke treatment and joint replacement

Patient outcomes better in highly rated hospitals than others

Report shows that visual impairments are associated with the risk of death in older adults

H1N1 illness in young Mexican patients associated with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome

Researchers identify genes that play a role in the development of endometrial cancer

Celator Pharmaceuticals enrolls 120 patients in CPX-351 Phase 2 study

Public option for the House bill still viable

Breast cancer patients who achieve pathological complete response have better outcomes

Hispanic children with brain tumors rarely get high-quality treatment than other children: Study

Continuing education virtual lecture to help prevent fungal infections in HSCT recipients

'Tens of thousands' of pregnant Indian women die from 'preventable causes,' report says

Research study on HPV vaccination efficacy for boys and girls

Also in Global Health News: Uganda malaria efforts; child mortality in Vietnam; refugee health; U.S. aid to Somalia; HIV in South Africa

Countries make little progress in implementing life-saving techniques to treat children with diarrhea

Kaiser Permanente launches osteoporosis prevention campaign

Patient selectivity is an important driver of the superior outcomes at focused hospitals: INFORMS meeting

Researchers reveal that H2 Blocker drugs pose no significant risks for the fetus

How can microdialysis benefit drug development

Global and Local Efforts to Take Action Against Hepatitis

Addressing Important Cardiac Biology Questions with Shotgun Top-Down Proteomics

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