Healthcare News and Research

Latest Healthcare News and Research

CDC uses new technical approach to enable hospital reporting of healthcare-associated infections

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), with timely assistance from the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC), is developing a standards-based solution for transmission of healthcare-associated infection (HAI) data from existing commercial software systems to the agency's National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN).

14 Dec 2007

Blood transfusions linked to surgery complications in women

Women die and get infections more often than men after heart surgery because they tend to receive more blood transfusions, which boost the risks of bad outcomes, according to a study published in the December Journal of Women's Health.

13 Dec 2007

Obese adults have more hospitalizations

Obese adults are admitted to the hospital more frequently and for more days than adults who are normal weight, finds a new study that looks at how being obese leads to a need for more health care services.

13 Dec 2007

Time to remove the stigma associated with incontinence

An independent panel convened this week by the NIH found that fewer than half of individuals experiencing fecal or urinary incontinence - the inability to control bowel movements or urination, respectively - report their symptoms to healthcare providers without being prompted.

13 Dec 2007

Short pulses of low-energy laser light create better medical images

Detection and treatment of tumours, diseased blood vessels and other soft-tissue conditions could be significantly improved, thanks to an innovative imaging system being developed that uses both light and sound.

13 Dec 2007

GlaxoSmithKline response to JAMA article on ICES retrospective analysis

The following is GlaxoSmithKline's response to the retrospective analysis by the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES) titled "Thiazolidinediones and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Older Patients with Diabetes".

13 Dec 2007

U.S. healthcare facilities aren't doing enough to protect patients from MRSA

U.S. healthcare facilities aren't doing enough to protect patients from Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections, according to a new poll of infection control professionals released today.

12 Dec 2007

Start Licensing strengthens position in cloning industry with new patents

Start Licensing, Inc. (Start) has announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has granted U.S. Patent Nos. 7,304,204 and 7,307,198 covering methods of cloning ungulate animals, fetuses and embryos using differentiated cells.

12 Dec 2007

Better health outcomes in hospitals using information technology

Patients are more likely to have better health outcomes if they are treated at hospitals using information technology (IT) systems, according to a comprehensive new Florida State University study.

12 Dec 2007

Human hormone shows potential as new antidepressant agent

Novel treatment strategies for major depression with broader treatment success or a more rapid onset of action would have immense impact on public health, a new study published in the December 1st issue of Biological Psychiatry explains.

12 Dec 2007

SEBIA joins EDMA corporate membership

EDMA , the European Diagnostic Manufacturers Association welcomes SEBIA as new corporate affiliate, bringing the Association's overall membership up to 33 major IVD companies and 21 National Associations.

12 Dec 2007

Need for education for primary care physicians on rarely seen cancers

Many primary care physicians may lack the necessary knowledge when it comes to recognizing the signs, symptoms and making proper diagnoses in cases of blood cancers such as leukemia and lymphoma, a recent survey indicates.

10 Dec 2007

Study finds disease management programs improve the quality of health care

Disease management programs that help guide the care of patients with chronic health problems appear to improve the quality of health care, but there is little evidence that such efforts actually save money, according to a study issued by the RAND Corporation.

10 Dec 2007

Nanogen reaches milestone in influenza project

Nanogen, Inc. has announced that it has delivered the second phase milestone requirements, including the point-of-care prototype device to detect influenza viruses rapidly in clinical samples, to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for their evaluation.

10 Dec 2007

Is there a developmental component to the risk for depression?

Psychiatrists remain divided as to how to define and classify the mood and anxiety disorders, the most common mental disorders.

10 Dec 2007

FDA concludes no increased risk of cardiac events for patients treated with omeprazole and Nexium

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued its final assessment of two small, open, long-term, clinical studies in patients with gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD), comparing anti-reflux surgery with either omeprazole (SOPRAN study) or NEXIUM (LOTUS study) treatment.

10 Dec 2007

Doctors failing to diagnose HIV early in UK Africans

Doctors are missing valuable opportunities to diagnose HIV in Africans living in the UK, with serious consequences for their long term health, according to research funded by the Wellcome Trust.

10 Dec 2007

Denial of care for HIV+ detainees 'unacceptable,' says AHF

On the heels of the Human Rights Watch report descrying the treatment of HIV-positive immigrant detainees, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) has criticized the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for its callous disregard for the health and well-being of people living with HIV/AIDS in its care.

10 Dec 2007

Hearing damage from noisy toys

As consumers snap up electronic toys as gifts for all ages, another, very real danger is being overlooked, according to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA).

10 Dec 2007

Concept of patients' charters 'inadequate'

The concept of patients' charters is inadequate and should be replaced with charters of health responsibilities, argues an expert in this week's British Medical Journal.

10 Dec 2007