http://www.physorg.com/ en-us Physorg.com internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. Efforts to fight the toll of cardiac arrest have typically focused on pre-hospital factors -- bystander CPR education and improvement, public defibrillation programs, and quicker EMS response. But new research from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine reveals that the hospital where patients are cared for after being resuscitated plays a key role in their chances of survival following these incidents, which takes the lives of more than 300,000 Americans each year. http://www.physorg.com/news150718306.html Medicine & Health Fri, 09 Jan 2009 10:11:46 EST news150718306 The drive toward containing health care costs could have the unintended consequence of reducing physician productivity, impairing quality and perhaps even increasing costs, two Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center physicians suggest in a New England Journal of Medicine "Perspective." http://www.physorg.com/news150571662.html Medicine & Health Wed, 07 Jan 2009 17:27:42 EST news150571662 The lowest ever levels of oxygen in humans have been reported in climbers on an expedition led by UCL (University College London) doctors. The world-first measurements of blood oxygen levels in climbers near the top of Mount Everest, published in this week's New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), could eventually help critical care doctors to re-evaluate treatment strategies in some long-term patients with similarly low levels of blood oxygen. http://www.physorg.com/news150571554.html Medicine & Health Wed, 07 Jan 2009 17:25:54 EST news150571554 Total knee replacement (TKR) is a common treatment for osteoarthritis, a disease affecting more than 20 million Americans. However, the surgery poses risks and both patients and physicians must carefully assess its potential benefits and harm. Studies have shown that doctor-patient communication is correlated with outcomes and that patient satisfaction and commitment to treatment are usually higher when the doctor and patient are able to agree on a number of factors. However, despite the increased emphasis on informed decision making, few studies have examined communication factors affecting the decision to have joint replacement surgery. http://www.physorg.com/news150560462.html Medicine & Health Wed, 07 Jan 2009 14:21:02 EST news150560462 Helping adolescents with arthritis develop the skills and secure resources to assure that their health care needs are met as they transition to adulthood is an important issue in the U.S. In general, the frequency of which young people with special health care needs receive transition services is low and, to date, no studies have examined this frequency. http://www.physorg.com/news150560329.html Medicine & Health Wed, 07 Jan 2009 14:18:49 EST news150560329 The level of nitric oxide (NO) in an asthmatic's exhaled breath can portend worsening asthma symptoms, and may even signify an imminent attack linked to underlying airway inflammation. This has made the monitoring of NO levels, particularly in children, of significant interest as a potential way to help clinicians fine-tune medications and improve treatment outcomes. However, a recent multi-center prospective study found that calibrating medications based on daily monitoring of the fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FENO) and symptoms in asthmatic children showed no significant improvement over medicating based on daily symptom monitoring alone. http://www.physorg.com/news150537448.html Medicine & Health Wed, 07 Jan 2009 07:57:28 EST news150537448 Many older adults want to remain active and independent for as long as possible. Seniors want to age in their own homes and avoid moving to institutions or nursing homes. University of Missouri researchers are using sensors, computers and communication systems, along with supportive health care services to monitor the health of older adults who are living at home. According to the researchers, motion sensor networks installed in seniors' homes can detect changes in behavior and physical activity, including walking and sleeping patterns. Early identification of these changes can prompt health care interventions that can delay or prevent serious health events. http://www.physorg.com/news150485444.html Medicine & Health Tue, 06 Jan 2009 17:30:44 EST news150485444 Ed Wagner, MD, MPH, knew there had to be a better way. He and Group Health colleagues set out 15 years ago to explore how best to engage patients with chronic diseases in effective care. With Robert Wood Johnson Foundation support, they developed the Chronic Care Model. More than 1,500 U.S. and international medical practices have adopted the Model. Now the largest roundup of evidence on how the Model performs in practice confirms that it works. This review is in the January/February 2009 issue of Health Affairs, focused on a key part of reforming health care: caring for chronic diseases in a "fragmented" health care system. http://www.physorg.com/news150448410.html Medicine & Health Tue, 06 Jan 2009 07:13:30 EST news150448410 Removing user fees for primary health care changed health utilization behaviour but did not improve health outcomes among households with children under the age of five in Ghana, says a new study published in the open access journal PLoS Medicine. http://www.physorg.com/news150447459.html Medicine & Health Tue, 06 Jan 2009 06:57:39 EST news150447459 People with substance abuse disorders cost Medicaid hundreds of millions of dollars annually in medical care, suggesting that early interventions for substance abuse could not only improve outcomes but also save substantial amounts of money, according to a comprehensive study that examined records of nearly 150,000 people in six states. http://www.physorg.com/news150374094.html Medicine & Health Mon, 05 Jan 2009 10:34:54 EST news150374094 Seven percent of adults and 19 percent of children taking chemotherapy drugs in outpatient clinics or at home were given the wrong dose or experienced other mistakes involving their medications, according to a new study led by Kathleen E. Walsh, MD, assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, and published in the January 1, 2009 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology. http://www.physorg.com/news149865502.html Medicine & Health Tue, 30 Dec 2008 13:18:22 EST news149865502 Two years ago, Holly Calvillo signed up for a new type of health insurance that was just starting to get popular. It had a nice low premium but a high deductible. Calvillo and her husband were young and healthy. She figured that with her employer's contributions to a health savings account, they would save money. http://www.physorg.com/news149842011.html Medicine & Health Tue, 30 Dec 2008 06:46:51 EST news149842011 Up to 150,000 people suffering from severe asthma in the UK could benefit from taking antifungal medication already available from pharmacists, new research has found. http://www.physorg.com/news149775159.html Medicine & Health Mon, 29 Dec 2008 12:12:39 EST news149775159 Adult Cystic Fibrosis patients can provide important information that helps to predict their prognosis, according to research that asked 223 adult CF patients to assess their own health and well-being. http://www.physorg.com/news149750128.html Medicine & Health Mon, 29 Dec 2008 05:15:28 EST news149750128 New research in an animal model suggests that a diet high in inorganic phosphates, which are found in a variety of processed foods including meats, cheeses, beverages, and bakery products, might speed growth of lung cancer tumors and may even contribute to the development of those tumors in individuals predisposed to the disease. http://www.physorg.com/news149749680.html Medicine & Health Mon, 29 Dec 2008 05:08:00 EST news149749680 Some patients with severe asthma who also have allergic sensitivity to certain fungi enjoy great improvements in their quality of life and on other measures after taking an antifungal drug, according to new research from The University of Manchester in England. http://www.physorg.com/news149749598.html Medicine & Health Mon, 29 Dec 2008 05:06:38 EST news149749598 Critically ill patients frequently have uncertain prognoses, but their families overwhelmingly wish that physicians would address prognostic uncertainty candidly, according to a new study out of the University of San Francisco Medical Center. http://www.physorg.com/news149749529.html Medicine & Health Mon, 29 Dec 2008 05:05:29 EST news149749529 Excessive police violence is evident in the types of injury and trauma emergency care doctors are treating in the US, indicates research published in Emergency Medicine Journal. http://www.physorg.com/news149311183.html Medicine & Health Wed, 24 Dec 2008 03:19:43 EST news149311183 A new report suggests that treating gum disease in patients who have diabetes with procedures such as cleanings and periodontal scaling is linked to 10 to 12 percent lower medical costs per month. http://www.physorg.com/news149272162.html Medicine & Health Tue, 23 Dec 2008 16:29:22 EST news149272162 More people who need mental health services will seek follow-up care if the price is right, Brown University researchers have found. http://www.physorg.com/news149271928.html Medicine & Health Tue, 23 Dec 2008 16:25:28 EST news149271928 Clinical pharmacy services can significantly reduce the cost of prescription drugs and save money elsewhere in the health care system, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago. http://www.physorg.com/news149270450.html Medicine & Health Tue, 23 Dec 2008 16:00:50 EST news149270450 (PhysOrg.com) -- Sure, they`re polygamous, but male emus and several other ground-dwelling birds also are devoted dads, serving as the sole incubators and caregivers to oversized broods from multiple mothers. It is rare behavior, but research described in the Dec. 19 Science found that it runs in this avian family, all the way back to its dinosaur ancestors. http://www.physorg.com/news148830016.html Biology Thu, 18 Dec 2008 13:40:16 EST news148830016 Chocolate, excitement and the stress of Christmas: these are not just a headache for parents. They are also responsible for triggering migraines in many young people. Learning how to manage stress and avoid triggers are just as important as getting the right medication. However the German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) today stressed that parents and young people need to be warned about the risks of using migraine medications that have only been approved for adults. The Institute has analysed the latest research on migraines and published information for children and young people on informedhealthonline.org. http://www.physorg.com/news148734366.html Medicine & Health Wed, 17 Dec 2008 11:06:06 EST news148734366 Surgery to treat obesity could be avoided if GPs and healthcare trusts put more time and money into early stage weight management programmes, a senior clinical researcher will say today. http://www.physorg.com/news148706516.html Medicine & Health Wed, 17 Dec 2008 03:21:56 EST news148706516 Pregnant women who experience intimate partner violence (IPV) before, during or after pregnancy often suffer adverse health effects, including depression, post traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and chronic mental illness. Now, University of Missouri researchers have found that women who experience intimate partner violence are more likely to seek health care for their infants than non-abused women. Awareness of mothers with frequent infant health concerns can help health care providers identify and provide aid to women in abusive relationships. http://www.physorg.com/news148653406.html Medicine & Health Tue, 16 Dec 2008 12:36:46 EST news148653406 (PhysOrg.com) -- A new study has revealed the most commonly prescribed medication for Australian women is antidepressants. The study, by researchers from Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH). http://www.physorg.com/news148641253.html Medicine & Health Tue, 16 Dec 2008 09:14:13 EST news148641253 Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the fourth leading cause of death in Canada. Although it is an incurable chronic disease, effective treatments exist to relieve symptoms and improve the course of the illness. http://www.physorg.com/news148585052.html Medicine & Health Mon, 15 Dec 2008 17:37:32 EST news148585052 Can a patient-centered, care management program utilizing nurse care managers and interdisciplinary teams, supported by electronic tracking and care coordination systems reduce the rate of deaths and hospitalizations among chronically ill older adults? The answer - based on a three-year study involving more than 3,400 chronically ill seniors led by Oregon Health & Science University researcher David A. Dorr, M.D. - appears to be "yes." http://www.physorg.com/news148583160.html Medicine & Health Mon, 15 Dec 2008 17:06:00 EST news148583160 The United States can learn from the Dutch Health Insurance System model, according to an article by Pauline V. Rosenau, Ph.D., in the December issue of the Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law. http://www.physorg.com/news147795367.html Medicine & Health Sat, 06 Dec 2008 14:16:07 EST news147795367 To heal our ailing health care system, we need to stop thinking like Americans. That's the message of two articles by UCLA's Dr. Marc Nuwer, a leading expert on national health care reform, published this week in Neurology, the journal of the American Academy of Neurology. http://www.physorg.com/news147623687.html Medicine & Health Thu, 04 Dec 2008 14:34:47 EST news147623687