MRSA: Political point-scoring over hospital cleanliness ignores the real issue
...keeping programmes are unlikely to have an overall effect on transmission of MRSA unless essential infection-control practices--the use of gloves and hand hygiene--are prioritised. But this is rarely the case."...More evidence of cannabis-induced psychosis
...n of natural THC. The authors hypothesise that the effect may have been because the THC had been ingested, rather than inhaled; digesting THC may produce potent THC metabolites, which induce psychotic effects. Research into designing THC-based medications has boomed in the last few years, due to the many th...Not enough evidence that multivitamins prevent infections in the elderly
...Researchers identified eight trials evaluating the effect of multivitamin and mineral supplements on infections in elderly people. Although three studies reported fewer days spent with infection, overall the evidence was weak and conflicting. The evidence does not support a policy recommending the routine ...First head-to-head study to compare lidoderm patch and Celebrex in treating pain
...c neuralgia (PHN). Lidoderm produces an analgesic effect by the penetration of lidocaine from the patch into the epidermal and dermal layers of the skin, without loss of sensation or numbness. The Lidoderm patch should only be applied to intact skin. The most frequently reported adverse events with the L...UCSF study offers insight into human circadian rhythms
...utated gene was decreased. Finally, to explore the effect of the genetic mutation on circadian activity, the scientists inserted the mutated human gene into the nerve cells of the circadian clock in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster and the mouse. Scientists have learned much about human gene function b...Geodon effective in psychiatric emergencies; Sharply reduces time in restraints
...tandard of injectable antipsychotics, but its side effect profile offers disadvantages for patients. Approved in 2002, Geodon IM is the first second generation antipsychotic approved for the rapid control of acute agitation in patients. "Being held in physical restraint is not only unpleasant, it also can ...Brain activity prior to treatment flags vulnerability to antidepressant side effects
...fter randomization. A research nurse obtained side effect reports during each visit, systematically asking subjects about specific complaints, including gastrointestinal upset, cardiovascular disturbance, sleep disturbance, anxiety and agitation. EEG readings were obtained at visits throughout the study. Ch...March/April 2005 Annals of Family Medicine tip sheet
...he intervention had a persistent, although modest, effect on screening after two years. Patients who received care at an intervention clinic were up-to-date on a greater number of targeted screening tests and had 26 percent greater odds of mammography screening compared to patients at control clinics. Altho...Unexpected benefit seen in treating HER-2 breast cancer with new preoperative drug combo
... to IIIa. In order to immediately see if it had an effect on cancer, they sought to use it before surgery, so that when breast tissue was later removed, they could look for evidence of an effect. The trial they designed was the first to compare preoperative use of Herceptin and chemotherapy against use of c...Mouse model reveals potential way to reduce cardiac deaths in kidney patients
...hat binds to compounds with phosphorous but has no effect on the skeleton also stopped vascular calcification, proving that phosphorous was the key link. "Serum phosphorous is a direct stimulus to the smooth muscle cells that line blood vessels, causing them to take on characteristics very similar to osteob...Acupuncture found to lower elevations in blood pressure
...he researchers found that acupuncture alone had no effect on blood pressure. Next, they added electrical st...re rates in these test rats by 25 mmHg -- with the effect lasting almost two hours. "This type of electroacupuncture is only effective on elevated blood press......ied. Further studies should examine the long-term effect of statins on the liver in patients with NAFLD and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. More research is also needed to investigate if patients with those diseases show any clinically relevant changes in the pharmacokinetics of different statins at various...Hospital acquired infections present major problem for infants in developing countries
...n hospitals have another, unrecognised detrimental effect on neonatal survival. When hospitals are seen as institutions where children experience poor outcomes at great cost, people in communities in which they live are less likely to seek institutional care, even if advised." She adds: "Infection control i...Improving access to healthy food has little effect on diet
...eople living in deprived neighbourhoods has little effect on diet and health, says an editorial in this week...nterventions may have either a small but important effect or no effect on diet and health. "If new retail provision is to have an impact on diet and health, w...NYU College of Dentistry study equates poor oral health with preterm birth risk
...ngham, Alabama, Dr. Dasanayake's team examined the effect of cariogenic and other bacteria on pregnancy, and found that high levels of Actinomyces naeslundii genospecies 2, an oral bacterium associated with dental caries, were significantly associated with low birth weight and preterm delivery. A tenfold in...Oral bacteria may predict pregnancy outcomes
...H level below 4.5. This pH level has a protective effect and prevents the overgrowth of more bacteria, including those associated with bacterial vaginosis (a condition associated with preterm labor and deliver)." "What's interesting is that the research shows that for each ten-fold increase in A. naeslund...Yale technology translates to sonic golf training tool
...usly have thought possible. Eight weeks later, the effect is still contributing to their improved play." The clubs have a wireless data link both to headphones and to a computer. As the golfer swings, an audio soundscape is generated for the golfer that represents the speed of the club--a soft, low pitch wh...News tips from the Journal of Neuroscience
...disease (AD), as has evidence for an AD protective effect of increased marine fish consumption, a main sourc...his week, Lim et al. test whether DHA has a direct effect on amyloid production in a mouse model of AD. The studies support a role for DHA in reducing amyloid...Chronic fatigue patients show lower response to placebos
...percent for other conditions. Because the placebo effect seems to be strongest in diseases with highly subjective symptoms, some medical professionals believed it could be as high as 50 percent among CFS patients. The review, reported in the current issue of Psychosomatic Medicine, pooled data from 29 stud......troviral therapy often describe insomnia as a side effect of the medication, the reviewers found few published studies that examined this side effect. With the exception of one medication called efavirenz (Sustiva), Reid says there is not enough evidence to suggest that antiretroviral drugs contribute to in...