MRSA: Political point-scoring over hospital cleanliness ignores the real issue
... in UK hospitals poor hand hygiene and inadequate use of gloves, states an editorial in this week's issu... unless essential infection-control practices--the use of gloves and hand hygiene--are prioritised. But this is rarely the case."...Study of energy and health in Africa focuses spotlight on charcoal and forest management
...n the trend is going to be toward greater charcoal use in Africa. It's the most affordable source of hous...es. They gathered a large database of current fuel use in African nations. Using this as a baseline, they defined multiple scenarios for future fuel use by...Charcoal and forest management could reduce greenhouse gas levels & save lives in Africa
...es. They gathered a large database of current fuel use in African nations. Using this as a baseline, they defined multiple scenarios for future fuel use by varying the mix of wood, charcoal and petroleum-based fuels used in households and improving the ...More evidence of cannabis-induced psychosis
...onabinol, a synthetic THC that has been in medical use in the USA since 1985. The other subject was asked to drink a decoction 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, wh...British hospitals need clinical ethicists
...of ethically troubled doctors at the coalface. The use of clinical ethicists would represent an important step forward," he concludes....Not enough evidence that multivitamins prevent infections in the elderly
...nues to rise, there has been great interest in the use of supplements to help prevent infections. Researc...does not support a policy recommending the routine use of such supplements in all elderly people, say the authors. However, the results are sufficiently en...Strategy effective against drug resistant tuberculosis
...stant tuberculosis. It also shows the need for the use of specific treatment for MDR-TB (DOTS-Plus) to prevent the high mortality rate among those carrying this type of tuberculosis." (Quote by e-mail; does not appear in published comment)...New marker for early diagnosis of kidney failure identified
...tients in intensive care units. Currently, doctors use a marker called serum creatinine to diagnose kidney failure. Prasad Devarajan (Cincinnati Children's Hospital, USA) and colleagues looked at whether high levels of a protein called neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) could give an early...Exercise-induced shortness of breath not always caused by asthma
...is not responding to the simplest measure, such as use of a bronchodilator inhaler, and there are no other asthmatic symptoms, the exercise-induced shortness of breath, also known as dyspnea, requires further detailed evaluation," he added. Weinberger and his colleagues examined 142 patients who were tro...Late developers may run higher risk of infection than sexually mature younger teens
...on particular infections. A recent new partner or use of a condom was associated with a lower risk of chlamydial infection, while the use of emergency contraception doubled the risk. Sex during a period also increased the risk of bacteria...UCSF study offers insight into human circadian rhythms
...urobiology and Psychiatry, the team is planning to use a mouse model of depression to study the gene. "Whether or not it is in fact caused by this particular mutation remains to be tested, but the creation of animal models of the human circadian gene variant will allow direct testing of this fascinating ...International breast cancer prevention study launches in the United States and Canada
...Pfizer, Inc. as Aromasin. It is also approved for use in Europe, Japan, and South America. It is currently used for the treatment of advanced breast cancer in postmenopausal women whose disease has progressed following tamoxifen therapy. Results of the Intergroup Exemestane Study, published in the ...Satellite survey enhances knowledge of Tuscan landslides
...rvation and in-situ data sources, tailored for the use of institutions involved in hydro-geological risk management. In Italy, the Ministry of the Environment is a national level SLAM user together with the Italian National Research Council Group for Hydro-geological Disaster Prevention (GNDCI), a rese...U of M researcher says Viagra may cause permanent vision loss in some men
...in 14 patients supports an association between the use of the drug and NAION. Based on the fact that 14 ...ses of NAION have now been reported soon after the use of Viagra, the researchers believe that ophthalmologists should ask all men with NAION about the use...Geodon effective in psychiatric emergencies; Sharply reduces time in restraints
... severe agitation associated with alcohol and drug use as it was in treating non-substance or alcohol abusing patients. This observational study tracked the clinical outcome of 110 severely agitated patients who received Geodon IM (intramuscular formulation). Initial agitation levels were high, ranging...Patients newly diagnosed with HIV are more likely to enter outpatient care with case management
...dies have shown the benefits of case management on use of antiretroviral therapy by individuals already in care," said Carlos del Rio, MD, professor of medicine at Emory University School of Medicine, chief of medical services at Atlanta's Grady Memorial Hospital and principal investigator for the Atlant...March/April 2005 Annals of Family Medicine tip sheet
...Feasible in Primary Care The first to examine the use of a new technology ultrathin esophagoscopy to examine unsedated patients for Barrett's esophagus in a primary care setting, this study found that most patients (95 percent) tolerated the procedure. These findings demonstrate the feasibility of pri...Physicians may not be accurate in their confidence levels of their diagnoses, says Pitt study
... that confidence plays a major role in clinicians' use of outside resources in determining diagnoses and making other medical decisions. These resources include colleagues, medical books, journals and computer-based decision support systems (DSSs). "Decision support occurs in two modes: either clinician...Do minorities survive hospitalization better than others?
...atients. When sex and ethnicity differences in the use of DNR orders were taken into account, the apparen...r other ethnicities, and unmeasured differences in use of DNR orders may mask ethnic and sex disparities. In addition, odds of in-hospital mortality tended...Pitt marks 50th anniversary of its Salk polio vaccine with reunion, scientific symposium
...nt that the polio vaccine was ready for widespread use with John Troan, former reporter and editor for the Pittsburgh Press, and the dedication of an historical marker honoring the Salk team. Both events are free and open to the public. To best accommodate guests, the University is requesting those wishi...