Latest science news in Health & Medicine
New York Health Care Workers Resist Flu Vaccine Rule
New York State is alone among state and city health departments in mandating the vaccinations for influenza and swine flu.
Possible Implications Of Daily Commute And Mosquito-borne Diseases
New research highlights how daily commuting patterns in mega-cities may be a critically overlooked factor in understanding the resurgence of mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue fever, infecting 50-100 million people...
Better H1N1 protection for homeless needed
The health of Manitoba's homeless population needs to be safeguarded against a potential outbreak of the H1N1 influenza virus this fall, says the co-chair of a Winnipeg drop-in centre.
Majority Of Unintended Incidents In The Emergency Room Are Caused By Human Error, Study Finds
Sixty percent of the causes of unintended incidents in the emergency department that could have compromised patient safety are related to human failures, according to a new study.
Using magnetism to turn drugs on and off
Many medical conditions, such as chronic pain, cancer and diabetes, require medications that cannot be taken orally, but must be dosed intermittently, on an as-needed basis, over a long period...
Antioxidant controls spinal cord development
Researchers at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine have discovered how one antioxidant protein controls the activity of another protein, critical for the development of spinal cord neurones. The research,...
Vaccine To Prevent Urinary Tract Infections Shows Early Promise
Scientists have made an important step toward what could become the first vaccine in the US to prevent urinary tract infections, if the robust immunity achieved in mice can be...
Treatment guidelines issued on depression during pregnancy
For women with serious conditions, medication may be the best route, but 'talk therapy' may alleviate suffering for others, according to a document prepared by two national physicians groups. For the nearly one in...
UC Irvine Medical Center issued warning for drug pump problems
The alert, issued in July and lifted within 24 hours, was the result of a state probe into nurses' claims that faulty devices led to overdoses. The hospital has since filed a...
Swine flu's tendency to strike the young is causing confusion
Even as health officials anticipate a new onslaught of H1N1 cases, the pattern of the pandemic influenza strain -- which tends to be fatal for the middle-aged but not the elderly --...
Researchers Prolong Half-life Of Biopharmaceutical Proteins: Biotech Innovation Could Extend Dosing Intervals, Simplify Production
To prolong the "half-life" of biopharmaceuticals such as interferon, biochemists in Germany are combining these small proteins with a molecular "balloon" that swells in the presence of water -- keeping...
Weight Loss Is Good For The Kidneys, Study Finds
Losing weight may preserve kidney function in obese people with kidney disease, according to a new study. The findings indicate that taking off the pounds could be an important step...
Study Details Pathways To Flu Virus Exposure, Validates Preventative Measures
With estimates that half the population of the United States could be infected with the 2009 H1N1 flu virus this fall and winter, a new study examines four flu exposure...
Researchers Home In on an Early Diagnostic Marker for Deadly Pancreatic Cancer
The failure to detect pancreatic cancer until after it has progressed to a fatal stage has long been the bane of doctors and the demise of patients. Imaging the out-of-the-way organ with...
Binge Drinkers Let Down Guard Against Infection
As if a bad hangover wasn't enough of a deterrent, new research has shown how binge drinking weakens the body's ability to fight off infection for at least 24 hours...
Medical societies push standards for robotic surgery
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Surgeons are increasingly turning to high-tech robotic equipment to operate on patients with prostate cancer and other conditions but some medical authorities worry about inadequate training and...
Fewer foreign doctors hired on P.E.I.
Prince Edward Island is following the national trend and hiring fewer foreign-trained doctors.
Panama: More tainted medicine in 1,155 bottles
(AP) -- The death toll from contaminated medicine sold three years ago in Panama could be higher than previously believed after 1,155 bottles of tested positive for a chemical...
Can employers require swine flu shots?
HOUSTON, Sept. 18 (UPI) -- U.S. employees may be forced to get flu shots as the nation faces a swine flu pandemic, if the shots are job-related and a...
Fears over H1N1 flu rising in NWT community
Fear over the possible spread of swine flu has started to spread in some of the most isolated communities in the Northwest Territories, prompting claims that calls for medical help...
Feature: IT tool gives trauma teams extra eyes
Emergency medicine, the art of decision making under extreme pressure, is set to benefit from a new trial of computer aided support.
Health insurance the self-employed can afford
After bad experiences with other plans, she's created her own. The price is right, but it won't help her sleep easy at night. ...
Anemic patients with MDS gain long-term benefits from erythropoietin and a myeloid growth factor
Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), a group of blood disorders that can lead to acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in some patients, often cause severe anemia (when the body lacks a sufficient number...
More STDs for Older Widowers in ED Drug Era
(PhysOrg.com) -- Widowers take care: Older men who have recently lost their wives are more likely than still-married peers to be diagnosed with a sexually transmitted disease (STD), according to...
Elaine Fuchs receives 2008 National Medal of Science
Elaine Fuchs, Rebecca C. Lancefield Professor, is being honored “for her pioneering use of cell biology and molecular genetics in mice to understand the basis of inherited diseases in humans...
Dangers of lead pollution have not gone away -- particularly for children
(PhysOrg.com) -- The campaign for car drivers to make the switch from leaded to unleaded petrol has been hailed as a major environmental success story in recent years. But despite...
FDA issues stolen respiratory drug warning
WASHINGTON, Sept. 17 (UPI) -- Federal officials are warming consumers not to use certain respiratory medications purchased after Sept. 8, produced by Dey L.P., a subsidiary of Mylan Inc.
Pediatric strokes more than twice as common as previously reported
Imaging studies along with diagnostic codes on medical charts show that the rate of strokes in infants and children is two to four times higher than commonly thought, researchers report...