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.
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.
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 […]
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).
Tibolone Decreases Fracture, Breast Cancer, but Doubles Stroke Risk
Results of a randomized trial show that tibolone (Livial, Organon), approved for treatment of menopausal symptoms, has positive effects on fracture, breast cancer, and possibly colon cancer in women with osteoporosis over the age of 60 years but more than doubled the risk for stroke.
Almost All Articles On Cancer Prognostic Markers Report Statistically Significant Results
Almost All Articles On Cancer Prognostic Markers Report Statistically Significant Results: Commentary from F1000 Kyzas PA, Denaxa-Kyza D, Ioannidis JP Eur J Cancer 2007 Nov 43(17):2559-79 Commentary from Faculty Member Willi Sauerbrei This is a landmark review illustrating the severity of reporting bias in prognostic marker research. The article impressively illustrates one of the most […]
Report From the Front Lines: Study Probes Anesthesia Providers’ Role
Report From the Front Lines: Study Probes Anesthesia Providers’ Role in Improving Combat-Related Outcomes A study published in the July issue of the Journal Anesthesiology could be the impetus behind future prospective research exploring the hugely untapped potential of anesthesia providers (i.e., anesthesiologists and nurse anesthetists) to improve outcomes in wounded military personnel.
New Study Finds Oral Cannabis Ineffective in Treating Acute Pain
A study published in the July issue of the Journal Anesthesiology discovered that oral cannabis (a form of medical marijuana) not only failed to alleviate certain types of pain in human volunteers but, surprisingly, it instead caused increased sensitivity to some forms of pain.
HHS waiving retroactive beneficiary cost sharing due to increases in payment under MIPPA
The HHS Office of the Inspector General has issued a policy statement that assures Medicare providers, practitioners, and suppliers affected by retroactive increases in payment rates under the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act (MIPPA) of 2008 that they will not be subject to OIG administrative sanctions if they waive retroactive beneficiary cost-sharing amounts […]
