Sarkozy Unveils Overhaul of French Hospital System
President Nicolas Sarkozy unveiled plans on Thursday to improve the efficiency of France's public hospitals by grouping them into regional clusters. The plan, which will affect 1.1 million French health professionals, would give hospital directors more responsibility for issues such as staffing and make part of their pay dependent on results. It would group hospitals […]
2007-2008 Influenza Vaccine Reasonably Effective Despite Mismatch
The trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine used during the 2007-2008 influenza season in the US was 44% effective in preventing infection, even though the match between two of the vaccine strains and circulating strains was "suboptimal," according to an interim, within-season analysis. The results of the study by researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and […]
Occupational Exposure to Formaldehyde Linked to Increased ALS Risk
No significant association between ALS and pesticide, herbicide exposure. Preliminary results from a large prospective population-based study has linked occupational exposure to formaldehyde, with an increased rate of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
Acupuncture Can Relieve Hot Flushes Caused by Tamoxifen
Acupuncture reduced by half the hot flushes caused by tamoxifen in a small clinical trial involving 59 breast cancer patients after surgery. Relief was experienced both day and night, and the reduction in hot flushes was seen 3 months after the last acupuncture treatment. These results were presented today at the European Breast Cancer Conference […]
U.S. Must Do More to Stem Hospital Infections: Report
The U.S. government could do far more to force hospitals to prevent infections that kill up to 99,000 people every year, according to a nonpartisan congressional report released on Wednesday. It recommended that regulators consider mandating certain core standards — from something as simple as hand-washing to more complex measures — and that the government […]
Vaginal Hysterectomy Feasible in Nulliparous Women
Vaginal hysterectomy is preferable for benign uterine pathology even in women without previous vaginal delivery, according to a report in the April Obstetrics & Gynecology. "The advantages of the vaginal route (with or without laparoscopy) are numerous for patients and for society," Dr. Arnaud Le Tohic from Bichat-Claude Bernard University Hospital in Paris told Reuters […]
Hyperglycemia During Cerebral Aneurysm Surgery Linked to Impaired Cognition
Patients with elevated blood glucose levels at the time of cerebral aneurysm clipping are at increased risk for impaired cognition and possibly deficits in gross neurologic function at 3-month follow-up, new research shows. As reported in the April issue of the Mayo Clinic Proceedings, Dr. Jeffrey J. Pasternak, from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, […]
Bone Biopsy Improves Medical Therapy of Diabetic Foot Osteomyelitis
In diabetic patients undergoing medical management of foot osteomyelitis, bone culture-based antibiotic therapy improves the chances of successful treatment, according to findings published in the April issue of Diabetes Care. "The question of surgical versus nonsurgical treatment for diabetic patients with osteomyelitis of the foot remains subject to debate," Dr. Eric Senneville, of Dron Hospital, […]
Combination Low-Dose DFMO and Sulindac Reduce Recurrence of Colorectal Adenomas
Combining low-dose difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) and the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) sulindac lowers the risk for recurrent colorectal adenomas. The results of the phase 3 randomized trial, which were reported here at the American Association for Cancer Research 2008 Annual Meeting, showed that among patients who received the active drug combination, there was a 70% decrease […]
Gallbladder Removal Through the Mouth Causes Few Adverse Effects
Surgeons from the Legacy Health System in Portland, Oregon, and Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois, reported on the first 7 transgastric natural orifice transluminal surgery (NOTES) cholecystectomies ever performed on humans here at the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons 2008 Annual Scientific Session and Postgraduate Course.
