FDA Warns About Injection Site Reactions With Naltrexone
Injectable, extended-release naltrexone (Vivitrol, Cephalon), used for the treatment of alcohol dependence, has been linked to adverse injection-site reactions, some requiring surgery, according to a US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory notice to healthcare professionals released yesterday.
Recurrence Rare After Prostatectomy of Organ-Confined, Lower Grade Cancer
Men with organ-confined prostate cancer and a Gleason score of 6 or less very rarely have local or biochemical recurrence of disease 5 years after prostatectomy, according to study findings appearing in the July issue of Urology.
Statins Help With Obesity-Related Plaque Progression After Heart Surgery
As body mass index (BMI) increases, the likelihood that atherosclerosis will progress after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) also rises, US researchers report. However, aggressive statin therapy may eliminate this association.
Medical Errors in US Surgical Patients Cost Nearly $1.5 Billion Annually: Report
An analysis by the US Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) indicates that employers pay out $1.47 billion each year to cover the costs incurred from potentially preventable adverse medical events in surgical patients.
Attrition Rate Higher Among Older Surgery Residents
Nonacademic factors more strongly predict attrition than do than academic variables among surgery residents, according to findings reported in the July issue of the Archives of Surgery.
Factor VII Curbs Bleeding in Non-Hemophiliac Trauma, Surgical Patients
Use of recombinant activated factor VII (rFVIIa) reduces the need for blood transfusion in patients without hemophilia and may also reduce mortality, according to pooled data from randomized placebo-controlled trials involving more than 3000 participants, Canadian researchers report.
Survival and Functional Outcomes Good After Surgery for Ebstein Anomaly
Most patients who undergo surgery for Ebstein anomaly have good long-term survival and functional outcomes, according to a report in the August 5th issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
First Heart Transplants in Children Following Donor Cardiac Death
US doctors have reported the first experiences of heart transplant in three infants after cardiocirculatory death, rather than brain death, in the donors [1]. Lead author Dr Mark M Boucek (Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital, Hollywood, FL) told heartwire this was, to his knowledge, the first published account of heart transplant in children after donor cardiac […]
Delayed Axillary Node Dissection Not Detrimental in Breast CA Patients With Positive Sentinel Nodes
Delaying axillary node dissection for a few weeks does not appear to be detrimental in breast cancer patients with positive sentinel nodes, according to a report in the July 20th Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Older Donor Grafts Suitable for Liver Transplant Recipients With Hepatitis C Virus
New research suggests that use of older donor grafts does not compromise outcomes in liver transplant recipients with hepatitis C virus (HCV).
