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Apelin-12 levels increased in childhood asthma

Children with asthma demonstrate significantly increased serum levels of the adipokine apelin-12, researchers report.

25 Jan 2013

Periodontal health influences stem cell transplant success

Periodontal infection can increase the risk for developing bacteremia during the neutropenic phase of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, research suggests.

25 Jan 2013

FDA updates metal-on-metal hip replacement advice

The US Food and Drug Administration has updated its advice on the use of metal-on-metal hip replacement prostheses.

25 Jan 2013

Simple urine test picks up mesalamine non-adherence

A readily available urine test could identify ulcerative colitis patients who are non-adherent to their mesalamine therapy, research shows.

25 Jan 2013

Gastrointestinal, liver effects common after doxycycline in cats

Doxycycline, an antibiotic derivative of tetracycline, commonly results in adverse gastrointestinal side effects and increased liver enzyme activity in cats, report German researchers.

25 Jan 2013

VRAM flap success for dorsal vaginal and perineal reconstruction

Reconstruction of the dorsal vagina or perineum using the vertical rectus abdominus myocutaneous flap following extensive surgery and intraoperative radiotherapy for rectal cancer results in favorable surgical and quality of life outcomes, research shows.

25 Jan 2013

US physicians show conservative approach to end-of-life sedation

Intentionally sedating patients to unconsciousness until death is neither widely practiced nor supported by US physicians, a national survey indicates.

25 Jan 2013

Efficacy of docusate called into question

Docusate does not significantly improve the management of constipation in hospice patients, show the results of a randomized, placebo-controlled trial.

25 Jan 2013

Study into H1N1 pandemic suggests at least 1 in 5 were infected

At least one in five people in countries for which data are available were infected with influenza during the first year of the 2009 H1N1 pandemic, according to a new study.

25 Jan 2013

Neuromuscular blockade (NMB) reversal

General anesthesia is made up of three components: hypnotic medicines, to induce sleep; analgesics, or medicines to inhibit pain; and NMB agents that induce muscle relaxation. Anesthesiology professionals use NMB to relax a patient’s muscles and prevent involuntary movement that could impact surgery.

24 Jan 2013

Tall, thin women face increased risk of infection with nontuberculous mycobacteria

Tall, thin women face a greater risk of infection with nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM), cousins of the organism that causes tuberculosis, according to researchers at National Jewish Health. Women with NTM infections also showed a weakened immune response associated with their fat cells, in a paper published in the Jan. 15, 2013, issue of The American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care.

23 Jan 2013

Research on dystrophin gene sequence could lead to treatments for Duchenne muscular dystrophy

Muscular dystrophy is caused by the largest human gene, a complex chemical leviathan that has confounded scientists for decades. Research conducted at the University of Missouri and described this month in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences has identified significant sections of the gene that could provide hope to young patients and families.

23 Jan 2013

Nationwide Children's to establish EC145 helicopter for neonatal and pediatric transports

Nationwide Children's Hospital is expanding their critical care transport services by establishing a fully dedicated helicopter for neonatal and pediatric transports.

23 Jan 2013

STA announces results from ABRAXANE plus gemcitabine phase III trial on pancreatic cancer

Australian biopharmaceutical company Specialised Therapeutics Australia announces that a phase III clinical trial of world leading breast cancer drug ABRAXANE (nanoparticle albumin-bound paclitaxel) in combination with current standard of care gemcitabine in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer has demonstrated substantially improved survival times, with double the number of patients surviving two years.

23 Jan 2013

Call for more COPD screening for smokers

Screening smokers with spirometry for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease picks up more cases than symptom-based detection, research suggests.

22 Jan 2013

Low-income groups slow to seek treatment for stroke

People with lower incomes are less likely to present at a hospital within 3 hours of stroke symptoms and thus have lower rates of thrombolysis therapy or post-stroke care than their more affluent counterparts, according to a retrospective analysis.

22 Jan 2013

Simulation ticks box for checklists in surgical care

The management of operating-room crises could be significantly improved by using checklists, say researchers in the New England Journal of Medicine.

22 Jan 2013

Routine gastric volume monitoring thrown out

Monitoring gastric residual volumes in critically ill patients receiving enteral nutrition does not prevent them from developing ventilator-associated pneumonia, shows a randomized trial.

22 Jan 2013

Adult onset asthma linked to jobs involving cleaning agents

The strongest evidence seems to be for jobs involving cleaning or cleaning agents, the research suggests. The authors base their findings on the job histories up to the age of 42 of almost 7,500 British adults born in 1958, all of whom were taking part in the National Child Development Study, which is tracking the long term health of more than 11,000 people living in Britain.

22 Jan 2013

Mobile access can greatly improve healthcare services

In contrast to healthcare access, mobile access is becoming almost ubiquitous worldwide. The increasing penetration of smartphones as well as 3G and 4G networks will provide a significant boost to the use of mobile platforms for providing healthcare services. Mobile health (mHealth) stands at a significant inflection point.

22 Jan 2013