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Reforms of medical training may have dire consequences for the future of the medical profession and patients

Current reforms of medical training may have dire consequences for the future of the medical profession and patients, warn researchers at Bristol University in this week's BMJ.

8 Jul 2004

Hospital inspection scores may be a better measure of performance than star ratings

From 2001-3, the performance of NHS trusts has been monitored through a star rating system established by the Department of Health (DoH). The Commission for Health Improvement (CHI - now part of the Healthcare Commission) has conducted on-site inspections that give hospitals scores for a variety of issues related to quality of care.

8 Jul 2004

NHS trusts star ratings system is flawed

The performance of NHS trusts is monitored through the star ratings system, which the Department of Health introduced in September 2001. The Commission for Health Improvement was given responsibility for assessment in 2002-3.

8 Jul 2004

Call for tougher worldwide action to counter the tobacco industry's influence in Formula One

As the British Grand Prix approaches, researchers in this week's BMJ call for tougher worldwide action to counter the tobacco industry's influence in Formula One.

8 Jul 2004

BMA argues that the British government has a "moral duty" to ban smoking in public places

Barriers preventing people from making healthy choices must be tackled as a matter of urgency, the BMA says today (Friday 9 July).

8 Jul 2004

AIDS Healthcare Foundation, AIDS Therapeutic Treatment Now Coalition to unveil ambitious pledge at Bangkok 2004

Plans for advocacy, activism and protests throughout the weeklong AIDS conference to highlight the pressing need for increased access to life-saving anti-retroviral therapy (ARV) worldwide.

8 Jul 2004

New guidelines for treating heart attacks

If your chest pain worsens and lasts more than five minutes, especially if you’re short of breath, feel weak, nauseated or lightheaded, call 9-1-1—you could be having a heart attack.

8 Jul 2004

Environmental risks in the development of autism and autism spectrum disorders

Funding for a new study to find out more about the role of environmental risks in the development of autism and autism spectrum disorders (ASD), has been announced by the Medical Research Council (MRC).

8 Jul 2004

Rates of infant and maternal mortality in indigenous communities are among the highest in the Americas

In its most recent edition, "Healing our Spirit Worldwide"—PAHO's bulletin on indigenous health—notes that national averages often mask significant regional differences in these rates, citing the examples of Bolivia, Honduras and Guatemala. While overall maternal mortality in Bolivia, for example, stands at 390 per every 100,000 live births, in the department of Potosí, which has a larger indigenous population, the figure climbs to 496 per 100,000.

7 Jul 2004

Genes linked to cardiovascular disease more common among African Americans than those of European descent

Three gene variants that have been associated with heart attack risk in Japanese studies occur more frequently among African Americans than those of European descent

7 Jul 2004

Mediterranean diet lowers levels of markers for inflammation and coagulation which have been linked to heart disease

“The benefits of this diet are very well known, but the mechanism is not well understood. We believe this is the first time it has been reported that the potential mechanism goes through the inflammation process,” said Demosthenes B. Panagiotakos, MSc, PhD with Harokopio University in Athens, Greece.

7 Jul 2004

Researchers found that a significant number of men get the hepatitis B virus behind bars

In the first study to gauge the risks of contracting HIV and hepatitis in Rhode Island prisons, Brown University researchers found that a significant number of men get the hepatitis B virus behind bars – a finding that led the team to call for prison-wide vaccinations. Results are published in the current edition of the American Journal of Public Health.

7 Jul 2004

Kiwi fruit appears to be a significant food allergen capable of causing severe reactions

A new University of Southampton study concludes that kiwi fruit appears to be a significant food allergen capable of causing severe reactions, particularly in young children with other allergic reactions.

7 Jul 2004

MRSA contamination can be reduced by using copper alloys for surfaces in healthcare facilities

Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a virulent organism, essentially resistant to all beta-lactam antibiotics (for example: penicillins, ampicillins, cephalosporins). It can cause skin, bone and life-threatening blood infections, as well as pneumonia.

7 Jul 2004

Medical News

Reforms of medical training may have dire consequences for the future of the medical profession and patients

Hospital inspection scores may be a better measure of performance than star ratings

NHS trusts star ratings system is flawed

Call for tougher worldwide action to counter the tobacco industry's influence in Formula One

BMA argues that the British government has a "moral duty" to ban smoking in public places

AIDS Healthcare Foundation, AIDS Therapeutic Treatment Now Coalition to unveil ambitious pledge at Bangkok 2004

New guidelines for treating heart attacks

Environmental risks in the development of autism and autism spectrum disorders

Rates of infant and maternal mortality in indigenous communities are among the highest in the Americas

Genes linked to cardiovascular disease more common among African Americans than those of European descent

Mediterranean diet lowers levels of markers for inflammation and coagulation which have been linked to heart disease

Researchers found that a significant number of men get the hepatitis B virus behind bars

Kiwi fruit appears to be a significant food allergen capable of causing severe reactions

MRSA contamination can be reduced by using copper alloys for surfaces in healthcare facilities

The HIV/AIDS epidemic is taking an increasing and terrifying toll on Africa's women

New imaging agent will enable doctors to rapidly and accurately detect those hard-to-diagnose appendicitis cases

Girls with low confidence are among the most likely to become pregnant in their teens

Information technology to improve NHS

New minimally invasive surgery - flexible transgastric peritoneoscopy, or FTP

Research could help disarm deadly retroviruses such as HIV or SARS

Precision in every drop: Inside Hamilton’s syringe technology

Exploring the Future of Neuroscience Drug Discovery

Genomic conservation in Thailand's mangroves

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