Do you feel the need to check and re-check things over and over? Do you have the same thoughts constantly? Do you feel a very strong need to perform certain rituals repeatedly and feel like you have no control over what you are doing? If so, you may have a type of anxiety disorder called… Continue reading When Unwanted Thoughts Take Over: Recognizing Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Category: Medical Care
Computers May Not Always Benefit Doctor-Patient Relationship
Although exam-room computers may seem to support safer and more effective patient care, in fact it can be a threat to patient safety, good relationships and positive health outcomes. In a commentary published in JAMA Internal Medicine, Regenstrief Institute Investigator and Indiana University School of Medicine Professor of Medicine Richard Frankel, Ph.D., writes that the… Continue reading Computers May Not Always Benefit Doctor-Patient Relationship
A New Weapon to Fight MRSA?
Researchers have discovered that a new class of antimicrobials may help in the fight against the drug-resistant MRSA superbug. The Georgia State University study showed that small molecule analogs that target the functions of SecA, a central part of the general bacterial secretion system required for viability and virulence, have potent antimicrobial activities. Their findings… Continue reading A New Weapon to Fight MRSA?
A Link Between Some Brain Conditions and the Herpes Virus
Researchers have drawn closer to explaining the link between some neurologic condition and certain species of the herpes virus. In patients with Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and cerebellar ataxia, among other neuropathies, the cerebrospinal fluid teems with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). Yet, the nature of that link has remained unclear, as it has been assumed that… Continue reading A Link Between Some Brain Conditions and the Herpes Virus
Many Prostate-Cancer Patients Don’t Have Adequate Followup
Most men who decide in favor of monitoring rather than treating low-level prostate cancer aren’t getting the followup they need, according to a new study. The study, by UCLA researchers, found that less than 5 percent of men who chose to forgo aggressive treatment are being monitored as closely as they should be, putting them… Continue reading Many Prostate-Cancer Patients Don’t Have Adequate Followup
Patient Mood Can Impact Medical Procedure Results
Feeling high levels of distress, fear and hostility prior to undergoing an angioplasty or other interventional radiology procedure may lead to a poor outcome, according to research presented December 3rd 2016 at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) in Chicago. A release from the society quotes study author Nadja Kadom,… Continue reading Patient Mood Can Impact Medical Procedure Results
Even When Heart Attack Patients Are in a Coma, Reducing Body Temperature Saves Brain Functions
Survivors of cardiac arrest who remain in comas have better survival and neurological outcomes when their body temperatures are lowered, according to research done in November 2015 by Dr. Sarah Perman at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and published the journal Circulation. It was funded by the National Institutes of Health. A release… Continue reading Even When Heart Attack Patients Are in a Coma, Reducing Body Temperature Saves Brain Functions
The Elderly Can Recover from Traumatic Brain Injury
According to a study completed at the Helsinki University Hospital Department of Neurosurgery in November 2015, even patients over the age of 75 may recover from severe traumatic brain injury. This is the first study to describe the results of surgically treated elderly patients with acute subdural hematomas. A release from the university explains that… Continue reading The Elderly Can Recover from Traumatic Brain Injury
Improving a Controversial Arthritis Treatment
Cornell University bioengineers have discovered that a common but controversial osteoarthritis may be more effective when it is adjusted. Injections of hyaluronic acid (HA) are a common treatment of pain in osteoarthritis of the knee – a condition that affects 27 million Americans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The injections replace… Continue reading Improving a Controversial Arthritis Treatment
Using Gaming Technology to Create Better X-rays
Researchers have developed software for the Microsoft Kinect gaming console that measures body part thickness and checks for motion, positioning and beam adjustment immediately before X-ray imaging, according to a feasibility study presented December 1st 2015 at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) in Chicago. A release from the society… Continue reading Using Gaming Technology to Create Better X-rays
Caregiving and Cancer
Caregiving is more often than not an unexpected event. Many caregivers have a daily routine caring for a loved one. Some caregivers continue working; some stay at home to caregive. Most important is the caregiver’s ability for self-care including attending to healthcare and medical needs. Care-receiving is also an unexpected and unwelcome event; who wants… Continue reading Caregiving and Cancer
Optimal Care for Older Cancer Patients
In a paper published in November 2015 in the European Journal of Cancer, EORTC, researchers identified health related quality of life (HRQOL) components that should be considered as most relevant for achieving optimal care for older cancer patients. A release from the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer quotes Dr. Andrew Bottomley, Head… Continue reading Optimal Care for Older Cancer Patients
Is An Arthritis Cure In Our Own Body?
Arthritic cartilage, long considered untreatable, could actually be treated by a substance in the patient’s own body. The discovery was made by researchers at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL). Their early study indicates that arthritic cartilage could be treated by a patient’s own ‘microvesicles’ that are able to travel into cartilage cells and deliver… Continue reading Is An Arthritis Cure In Our Own Body?
Doctors Should Prescribe Generic Medications Whenever Possible
All clinicians should prescribe generic medications whenever possible as a way to improve adherence to therapy and clinical outcomes while containing costs, the American College of Physicians (ACP) advises in a paper published November 24th 2015 in Annals of Internal Medicine. A release from ACP quotes ACP President Wayne J. Riley, MD, MPH, MBA, MACP… Continue reading Doctors Should Prescribe Generic Medications Whenever Possible
Animal and Human Bites Can Both Lead to Infections
We love our pets and they can bring us much joy and laughter. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, over 43 million American households have at least one dog, and over 36 million have at least one cat. Unfortunately, as much as we love these, they can hurt us with nips and bites that… Continue reading Animal and Human Bites Can Both Lead to Infections
New Tool to Improve Diagnosis and Treatment of Parkinson’s
A group of experts at the McGill University Health Centre in Montreal, working under the umbrella of the International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society (MDS), have developed a new tool for healthcare professionals that they hope will mark a significant advancement in the diagnosis and treatment of Parkinson’s disease, especially in its early stages. The… Continue reading New Tool to Improve Diagnosis and Treatment of Parkinson’s
A New Way to Help Skin Heal Faster
Many products that are used to treat skin problems may cause inflammation, which can prolong healing and result in scarring. However, LSU Assistant Professor Wei Xu and collaborators at Northwestern University discovered a new way to prevent inflammation and to speed up the skin’s healing process. After five years of research, they identified the gene… Continue reading A New Way to Help Skin Heal Faster
New Vital Sign Monitoring System for Hospitalized Patients
A study published in November 2015 inJournal of Clinical Nursing indicates that a newly designed vital sign monitoring system can improve patient safety in medical and surgical units without an abundance of unnecessary alarms. A release from the publishers notes that when the system was installed for four weeks in two medical/surgical units–one in Utah… Continue reading New Vital Sign Monitoring System for Hospitalized Patients