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Physician-assisted suicide: A perspective from advocates for people with disability

Medicine & Health / Other

Dec 23, 2009 | 3 / 5 (3) | 2

Although public opinion in the United States on physician-assisted suicide is evenly divided, about half of states have either defeated bills to legalize assisted suicide or have passed laws explicitly banning it and only ...

Surgery recognized as effective treatment for type 2 diabetes

Medicine & Health / Other

Dec 22, 2009 | 4.7 / 5 (3) | 0

A first-of-its-kind consensus statement by 50 medical experts from around the world has pronounced surgery to be a legitimate and effective treatment for type 2 diabetes, bringing the procedure a significant step closer to ...

Ultrasound-guided cortisone injections may help treat severe hip pain

Medicine & Health / Other

Dec 22, 2009 | not rated yet | 0

Ultrasound-guided cortisone injections may be an effective treatment method for gluteus medius tendinopathy, a common, painful condition caused by an injury to the tendons in the buttocks that typically affects middle-aged ...

Largest study of PGD children shows embryo biopsy is safe for singleton pregnancies

Medicine & Health / Other

Dec 22, 2009 | not rated yet | 0

The largest and longest running study of children born after preimplantation genetic diagnosis and screening has shown that embryo biopsy does not adversely affect the health of babies born as the result of a subsequent singleton ...

Medical simulators can breathe, bleed, give birth -- and help students hone skills

Medicine & Health / Other

Dec 21, 2009 | not rated yet | 0

It was a high-stress situation for three nurses who had never delivered babies: A woman was 32 weeks pregnant, in pain and having contractions.

Self-monitoring with blood glucose test strips inefficient use of health-care resources

Medicine & Health / Other

Dec 21, 2009 | not rated yet | 0

Routine self-monitoring of blood glucose levels by people with type 2 diabetes who are not taking insulin is an ineffective use of health resources as the modest benefits are outweighed by the significant cost of test strips, ...

Older adults may have a higher risk of complications and death after abdominal surgery

Medicine & Health / Other

Dec 21, 2009 | not rated yet | 0

The risk of complications and early death after commonly performed abdominal surgical procedures appears to be higher among older adults, according to a report in the December issue of Archives of Surgery.

Aviation-based team training may influence clinicians' safety behaviors

Medicine & Health / Other

Dec 21, 2009 | 4 / 5 (1) | 0

Team training based on protocols originally developed for aviation crews may change safety-related behaviors and contribute to perceptions of empowerment among nurses and other surgical staff, according to a report in the ...

The role of medical expert witnesses: the Goudge Inquiry

Medicine & Health / Other

Dec 21, 2009 | not rated yet | 0

The role of a medical expert witness needs to be strictly defined and carefully controlled during legal proceedings and physicians need to be aware of their role, states an analysis of the Goudge Inquiry into pediatric forensic ...

Bourbon versus vodka: Bourbon hurts more the next day, performance is the same

Medicine & Health / Other

Dec 18, 2009 | 3.7 / 5 (3) | 0

Many alcoholic beverages contain byproducts of the materials used in the fermenting process. These byproducts are called "congeners," complex organic molecules with toxic effects including acetone, acetaldehyde, fusel oil, ...

Fear of lawsuits may prompt some doctors to overprescribe antibiotics

Medicine & Health / Other

Dec 18, 2009 | not rated yet | 0

A new study led by a team of researchers at New York Medical College suggests that that medical liability concerns may be playing a role in the increase of MRSA in healthcare settings by encouraging clinicians to prescribe ...

Transplant guide highlights daily infection risks from factors like pets and food

Medicine & Health / Other

Dec 18, 2009 | not rated yet | 0

Keeping pets healthy can reduce infection risks for people who have received solid organ transplants and veterinarians should be seen as an integral part of the healthcare team. That's just one of the key pieces of advice ...

Postural sway among abstinent alcoholics can be improved up to a point

Medicine & Health / Other

Dec 18, 2009 | 5 / 5 (1) | 0

Excessive sway during quiet standing is a common and significant consequence of chronic alcoholism, even after prolonged sobriety, and can lead to fall-related injury and even death. A new study of residual postural instability ...

More effort needed to crack down on 'secret remedies'

Medicine & Health / Other

Dec 17, 2009 | 3.4 / 5 (5) | 4

The medical establishment and politicians must do more to crack down on alternative medicine, argues a senior scientist on BMJ.com today.

Arizona State and Mayo Clinic partner to combat metabolic syndrome

Medicine & Health / Other

Dec 17, 2009 | 4 / 5 (1) | 0

Arizona State University and Mayo Clinic in Arizona are joining forces in a partnership to investigate metabolic syndrome - a cluster of high-risk medical factors that include increased blood pressure, elevated insulin levels, ...

Shift working aggravates metabolic syndrome development among middle-aged males

Medicine & Health / Other

Dec 17, 2009 | 4 / 5 (1) | 0

Shift work exposures can accelerate metabolic syndrome (MetS) development among the large population of middle-aged males with elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT). Elevated serum alanine aminotransferase (e-ALT) is a ...

NSAIDs: Take 'em early and often when competing? Think again

Medicine & Health / Other

Dec 16, 2009 | 4 / 5 (2) | 0

Athletes' superstitions and rituals can help them get psyched up for contests, but when these rituals involve non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which many athletes gobble down before and during events, they ...

Patients meet donors from largest-ever kidney swap

Medicine & Health / Other

Dec 16, 2009 | not rated yet | 0

(AP) -- Thirteen patients with healthy new kidneys from what's believed to be the world's largest kidney exchange met the donors who made it happen Tuesday - including three who are sure to face the question, ...