American Thoracic Society Journal news tips for December 2003 (second issue)
... fatal pulmonary embolisms could be averted at the expense of 14 major episodes of gastrointestinal bleeding and 13 episodes of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia for every 10,000 ultrasound tests performed. The study is published in the second issue for December 2003 of the American Thoracic Society's peer-...The BESST way to judge IVF success
...vour clinics that are technically superior, at the expense of those that try to boost their live birth rate by transferring more embryos. Hoping to lead by example, Healy's team started off with their clinic's results for 2001. After the 2600 IVF cycles performed in 1860 women there were 448 live births- a ...Normal aging versus Alzheimer's disease and the potential for prevention
...ays to get a lot of new cognitive data without the expense of mounting gigantic new studies. For example, by adding a cognitive arm to ongoing prospective observational studies in younger individuals, such as those related to risks for heart disease, a great deal might be learned with modest expenditures of...Beta blockers cost effective to society for heart failure treatment
...rom reduced hospitalizations without incurring the expense of beta blockers." However, the researchers suggest that if Medicare supported interventions that increased beta blocker use, patient outcomes could be improved at little or no additional expense. "Savings would persist even if beta blockers were com...Robotic surgery for young heart patients shortens hospital stay and speeds recovery, study indicates
...on a patient's time in the OR." Despite the added expense of operating room time and the robot itself, Ohye feels that the machine will more than offset its costs over time by reducing the time a child spends in the hospital after surgery, the complications he or she will face during recovery, and his or he...HIV treatment as a human right - learning from Thailand's experience
...lised countries protect their own interests at the expense of access to essential medicines for the poor. Dr Ford comments: "In Thailand, civil society groups have been key to establishing the human right to health by challenging the practices of the multinational pharmaceutical industry and governments of ...Racial, economic gaps in kids' eye care seen in four new studies
... "Routine vision care is largely an out-of-pocket expense in this country, except for children enrolled in Medicaid, and it can be expensive. Even when insurance covers some expenses, parents find themselves paying for glasses that their children like better than the covered ones, or for replacements when g...Innovative reconstructive surgery improves appearance, outcomes for skin cancer patients
...ll patients have access or can afford the time and expense involved in getting them," he explained. Andersen, an associate professor of otolaryngology/head and neck surgery in the OHSU School of Medicine, removed Fahland's eye and surrounding tissue in 2001, and Wax replaced them with muscle and blood vessel...Young breast cancer survivors suffer more long-term after effects
...here certain new patients will be neglected at the expense of long-term survivors. "This specific group needs help in the form of the kind of programmes to newly diagnosed patients", said Dr. van de Poll-Franse. "Nowadays all kinds of care programmes exist to deal with the physical and emotional problems ...HIV drug content in developing countries meets U.S. standards
... Brand-name antiretroviral drugs, because of their expense and high demand in developing countries, may be subject to counterfeiting. Testing for active drug content can help identify imitation medications that do not provide the expected health benefit. Such testing also allows comparison of branded and gen...New word for on-the-job health problem: 'presenteeism'
...e substantial in many cases." He observes that the expense of on-the-job productivity losses is in most cases higher than medical costs. "Yet this very large category of expenses has not been adequately considered by employers," he says. The researchers calculated both an average and a low estimate for on-th...Would it be worth it to pay for donated kidneys?
...ted donor kidney transplant, the estimated medical expense for 20 years following transplant is $277,600. The expected medical cost for a dialysis patient for that long is $372,179. The difference of $94,579 is the expected savings that would be generated by a living, unrelated donor that could be paid to t...NHS trusts putting safety of pregnant doctors at risk
...usts are exploiting pregnant junior doctors at the expense of health and safety, according to a disturbing article in this week's BMJ Careers. It reveals how some pregnant doctors are expected to work excessive hours and are often exposed to violent or aggressive patients. It also uncovers major discrepancie...Canadian doctors don't know costs of prescribed treatments
... like laboratory tests are high volume and a large expense to health care," he added. According to the study, doctors also underestimate the costs of expensive drugs while overestimating the cost of inexpensive drug, demonstrating they have little understanding of the often dramatic difference between...Benefits of screening for lung cancer with CT are not proven
... it or biopsy the lesion. "At this time, given the expense and potential risks, though small, of CT screening -- and without additional data to demonstrate that this screening method actually saves patient lives -- mass screening for the general population can not be recommended," said Patz. "Just because th...Despite legislation, prompt payment for radiology services 'elusive goal' in New Jersey
...e to $20 billion per year for unpaid claims at the expense of U.S. physicians," said Dr. Swayne. And it is not just the physicians who are affected, according to Dr. Swayne. "Ultimately, the general public bears the final burden. Patients without insurance or with insufficient insurance experience decreased ...AIDS toll in African heartland isn't always what people think
...n't help families suffering a "death shock" at the expense of promoting growth for all poor families in these communities. MSU's paper, done with assistance from USAID's Bureau for Economic Growth, Agriculture and Trade, and the Africa Bureau, as well as with the help of many African counterparts, is to be ...Partnership for Prevention and ACPM commend expanded coverage of preventive services under Medicare
..., rather than later facing the pain, suffering and expense of advanced disease." Not all preventive services recommended by expert panels are covered under the proposed Medicare rules. Both Partnership for Prevention and the American College of Preventive Medicine plan to examine the proposed rules more c...Long term benefits of health care require greater emphasis
... interventions that have immediate benefits at the expense of interventions where benefits are not experienced until many years in the future. Relatively low value is attributed to health interventions with benefits that occur in the distant future. According to the literature summarized in their edit...Women who early in life care for elderly parents are at higher risk of poverty later
...owledge that such changes represent a considerable expense for federal and local governments. "But without this intervention, more elderly women are certain to live below the poverty threshold in the next 20 years after caregiving and surviving their parents," the authors wrote in their paper....