http://www.physorg.com/health-news/health-other/ en-us PhysOrg.com provides the latest news on health, cancer, medications, medicine, psychology and genetics. (AP) -- They're not your grandpa's hearing aids. Today's newest models range from the completely invisible - it sits deep in the ear canal for months at a time - to Bluetooth-enabled gadgets that open cell phones and iPods for hearing-aid users. http://www.physorg.com/news181235770.html Medicine & Health - Other Mon, 28 Dec 2009 15:50:01 EST news181235770 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 two states (Oregon and Washington) have legalized it. In this environment, A Disability Perspective on the Issue of Physician-Assisted Suicide, a special issue of Disability and Health Journal: The Official Journal of the American Association on Health and Disability, published by Elsevier, examines the issues related to assisted suicide and disability, the legal considerations and the Oregon and Washington experiences. http://www.physorg.com/news180775261.html Medicine & Health - Other Wed, 23 Dec 2009 07:22:09 EST news180775261 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 to elderly women and young active individuals, according to a study published in the January issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology. http://www.physorg.com/news180711875.html Medicine & Health - Other Tue, 22 Dec 2009 17:50:08 EST news180711875 Fibrin sealant has been an extremely effective and widely used adjunct to surgical procedures to control diffuse slow bleeding over large surfaces. In addition, fibrin sealant has been used as a carrier for other compounds. Thus, it has been used to release medicines slowly at a fixed site and is therefore effective for a long time. http://www.physorg.com/news180709030.html Medicine & Health - Other Tue, 22 Dec 2009 15:00:05 EST news180709030 A new study published in the December issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons shows that a volunteer program providing low-risk outpatient surgical procedures can deliver safe and effective health care to patients in need. However, the study authors do caution that the program is not a long-term solution for dealing with the medically uninsured. http://www.physorg.com/news180711928.html Medicine & Health - Other Tue, 22 Dec 2009 14:10:16 EST news180711928 Dispatchers should assertively give cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) instructions to bystanders who suspect someone is in cardiac arrest because the benefits from correctly recommending CPR for someone who needs it greatly outweigh the risks from recommending CPR for someone who does not, researchers said in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association. http://www.physorg.com/news180708680.html Medicine & Health - Other Tue, 22 Dec 2009 13:30:01 EST news180708680 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 pregnancy. http://www.physorg.com/news180707797.html Medicine & Health - Other Tue, 22 Dec 2009 13:00:04 EST news180707797 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 wider use and acceptance. http://www.physorg.com/news180707674.html Medicine & Health - Other Tue, 22 Dec 2009 12:50:04 EST news180707674 The use of a digital checklist for patients being administered emergency drugs during a pandemic or following a biological terrorist attack reduces the fatigue factor, according to a report in the International Journal of Healthcare Technology and Management, and could save lives. http://www.physorg.com/news180706525.html Medicine & Health - Other Tue, 22 Dec 2009 12:40:04 EST news180706525 Computed tomography (CT), a highly accurate, readily available medical imaging technique, is the overwhelmingly preferred technique of emergency physicians and radiologists for the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism (PE), according to a study in the January issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology. http://www.physorg.com/news180706569.html Medicine & Health - Other Tue, 22 Dec 2009 12:30:01 EST news180706569 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. http://www.physorg.com/news180638808.html Medicine & Health - Other Mon, 21 Dec 2009 18:00:01 EST news180638808 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 December issue of Archives of Surgery. http://www.physorg.com/news180638907.html Medicine & Health - Other Mon, 21 Dec 2009 17:40:05 EST news180638907 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, suggest 2 studies in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal). http://www.physorg.com/news180635570.html Medicine & Health - Other Mon, 21 Dec 2009 16:33:13 EST news180635570 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 pathology published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal). http://www.physorg.com/news180630880.html Medicine & Health - Other Mon, 21 Dec 2009 15:17:43 EST news180630880 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. http://www.physorg.com/news180619728.html Medicine & Health - Other Mon, 21 Dec 2009 12:09:46 EST news180619728 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 antibiotics more often and more broadly than clinical circumstances and evidence-based guidelines warrant. The study appeared in the September-October issue of the American Journal of Therapeutics. http://www.physorg.com/news180377056.html Medicine & Health - Other Fri, 18 Dec 2009 17:00:01 EST news180377056 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 in alcohol-abstinent men and women shows that alcoholics improve with prolonged sobriety, but the improvement may not fully erase the problem of instability. http://www.physorg.com/news180377194.html Medicine & Health - Other Fri, 18 Dec 2009 16:49:09 EST news180377194 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 from a safe living article published in an infectious diseases supplement in the American Journal of Transplantation. http://www.physorg.com/news180351923.html Medicine & Health - Other Fri, 18 Dec 2009 10:00:01 EST news180351923 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, tannins, and furfural. Bourbon has 37 times the amount of congeners that vodka has. A new study has found that while drinking a lot of bourbon can cause a worse hangover than drinking a lot of vodka, impairment in people's next-day task performance is about the same for both beverages. http://www.physorg.com/news180351724.html Medicine & Health - Other Fri, 18 Dec 2009 09:42:59 EST news180351724 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, excess body fat and abnormal cholesterol levels, which can lead to heart disease, stroke and diabetes. http://www.physorg.com/news180272912.html Medicine & Health - Other Thu, 17 Dec 2009 12:00:04 EST news180272912 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 common abnormality of health examinations in middle-aged working populations. It is unavoidable nowadays that a large number of asymptomatic workers with e-ALT may be asked to do rotating shift work on 24 h production lines. In some previous studies, e-ALT and shift work had been independently assessed for their associations with MetS, which is associated with cardiovascular disease, one of the leading causes of death among working populations. http://www.physorg.com/news180266227.html Medicine & Health - Other Thu, 17 Dec 2009 10:20:11 EST news180266227 The medical establishment and politicians must do more to crack down on alternative medicine, argues a senior scientist on BMJ.com today. http://www.physorg.com/news180256755.html Medicine & Health - Other Thu, 17 Dec 2009 07:30:02 EST news180256755 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 could be causing more harm than good. http://www.physorg.com/news180182599.html Medicine & Health - Other Wed, 16 Dec 2009 10:44:10 EST news180182599 (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, "Why?" http://www.physorg.com/news180165475.html Medicine & Health - Other Wed, 16 Dec 2009 06:10:01 EST news180165475 (PhysOrg.com) -- In capstone project, mechanical engineering students apply innovative and collaborative skills to create a rehab glove that stroke patients can use at home http://www.physorg.com/news180114779.html Medicine & Health - Other Tue, 15 Dec 2009 15:56:40 EST news180114779 Visits to a gynaecologist or midwife are generally associated with different tests and/or prescriptions for contraceptives, but could offer so much more. Women, doctors and midwives are agreed that gynaecological visits presents great opportunities for dialogue about sexual health, reveals a thesis from the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. http://www.physorg.com/news180095889.html Medicine & Health - Other Tue, 15 Dec 2009 11:30:04 EST news180095889 Scientists at VIB and Ghent University in Flanders, Belgium have found an unexpected ally for the treatment of septic shock, the major cause of death in intensive care units. By inducing the release of nitric oxide (NO) gas in mice with septic shock, researchers Anje Cauwels and Peter Brouckaert discovered that the animal's organs showed much less damage, while their chances of survival increased significantly. That's contrary to all expectations, since it is generally assumed that nitric oxide is responsible for the potentially lethal drop in blood pressure in septic shock. http://www.physorg.com/news180096790.html Medicine & Health - Other Tue, 15 Dec 2009 11:20:03 EST news180096790 In this week's PLoS Medicine, Jonna Mazet (University of California, Davis) and colleagues describe their work in the Tanzania-based HALI Project, which adopts the "One Health" approach to address emerging zoonoses, recognizing the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health. http://www.physorg.com/news180087890.html Medicine & Health - Other Tue, 15 Dec 2009 08:25:17 EST news180087890 The electrophysiology team at the Montreal Heart Institute (MHI) recently performed the first implantation of a new type of cardiac pacemaker (Accent RF) in Canada. This landmark procedure was carried out on October 22, 2009 by Drs. Bernard Thibault and Peter Guerra. Both are cardiologists, electrophysiologists at the MHI and professors at the Université de Montréal. The Accent RF(TM) pacemaker uses wireless technology and is intended for people with bradycardia, an abnormally slow heart rate. The patient responded favourably to the procedure, and four additional implantations have since been performed, again with successful outcomes. http://www.physorg.com/news180081429.html Medicine & Health - Other Tue, 15 Dec 2009 06:50:04 EST news180081429 The well-worn notion that patients in the United States have unfettered access to the most expensive cancer drugs while the United Kingdom's nationalized health care system regularly denies access to some high-cost treatments needs rethinking, a team of bioethicists and health policy experts says in a report out today. http://www.physorg.com/news180040765.html Medicine & Health - Other Mon, 14 Dec 2009 22:10:04 EST news180040765