Ochsner uses eICU technology to expand care to rural hospitals

In an effort to expand access to critical care services to rural hospitals in Louisiana, Ochsner Health System in New Orleans will implement its eICU program using the Philips VISICU system. The technology monitors patients for changes in condition and allows two-way audio and video communications so off-site intensivists can interact with medical staff and families in making care decisions. Healthcare IT News (6/30)  Email this Story

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WtJ-SNM SmartBrief

Study: FDG-PET scans during pregnancy do not harm fetus

Five pregnant patients with cancer who underwent FDG-PET were able to deliver healthy and normal infants, according to a study published in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine. This indicates that fetal radiation exposure from the scans was low and did not have any effect on the fetus, the Louisiana-based researchers said. "However, all efforts should be made to minimize the fetal radiation exposure by modifying the protocol appropriately," the researchers said. AuntMinnie.com (free registration) (7/5)  Email this Story

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WtJ-SNM SmartBrief

Study: Mindfulness meditation helps ease IBS symptoms

Women with irritable bowel syndrome who were given mindfulness meditation training saw more improvement in their symptoms than those who participated in a support group, according to a study in the American Journal of Gastroenterology. Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill created a program that included meditation, yoga and body scanning, during which people focused attention on one area of the body. Read the abstract. Medscape (free registration)/Reuters (6/30) Email this Story

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WtJ-Digestive Health SmartBrief

Kentucky improves colorectal cancer education, screening

Kentucky's Colon Cancer Prevention Project that began in 2004 has raised awareness of colorectal cancer and moved the state's screening rate from second to last to 23rd in the nation. Executive director Claire Albright says she expects the program's success, derived from public education and legislative efforts, soon will lead to a decrease in the state's death rate from colorectal cancer. HealthDay News (7/1) Email this Story

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WtJ-SmartBrief

Celiac patients may have higher risk of cataracts

Celiac disease patients may be at higher risk for cataracts, possibly because of nutritional deficiencies, according to a study in the American Journal of Epidemiology. Researchers from the Karolinska University Hospital in Sweden said cataracts did not develop any earlier in celiac patients compared with the general population, and they did not rule out other autoimmune issues, such as chronic inflammation, as possible causes. Medscape (free registration)/Reuters (6/24) Email this Story

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WtJ-Digestive Health SmartBrief

Report indicates an "epidemic" of substance abuse among minors

One in four youths who used addictive substances, such as drugs and alcohol, before age 18 became addicted compared to only one in 25 who began use at age 21 and older, according to a study. The report suggests that substance use has reached an "epidemic" level among minors, with 75% of high school students having already tried such substances. "The combination of adolescence, an American culture that glorifies and promotes substance use, and easy access to tobacco, alcohol and other drugs creates a perfect storm for our teens and for taxpayers," said Jim Ramstad of the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse. Los Angeles Times/Booster Shots blog (6/29) LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Email this Story

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WtJ-AAP SmartBrief

Study: MPR better for predicting death risk

Myocardial perfusion reserve is a more effective indicator of cardiac death risk than left ventricular ejection fraction and viability range in patients with ischemic heart disease who underwent a PET-driven procedure, according to a study published in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine. "The advantage of PET is that on top of viability, absolute myocardial perfusion can be measured. In addition, MPR can be assessed using vasodilator substances," the Dutch-led researchers said. MolecularImaging.net (6/29) LinkedIn Facebook Twitter EmailthisStory

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WtJ-SNM SmartBrief

Study: Timing and nature of media exposure affect children's sleep

Researchers said that 28% of children ages 3 to 5 who spent 30 minutes or more watching television or playing video games after 7 p.m. experienced sleep problems, such as difficulty falling asleep, compared with 19% of those who did so before 7 p.m. Data indicate that 37% of those who watched violent media for at least one hour a day suffered sleep problems versus 19% of those who watched less than one hour. Daytime exposure to nonviolent media did not have an effect on sleep, researchers wrote in Pediatrics. TIME/Healthland blog (6/27) LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Email this Story

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WtJ-AAP SmartBrief

Guidelines for post-mastectomy radiation often go unfollowed

Many breast cancer patients don't get post-mastectomy radiation.

Researchers reported in the journal Cancer that 45.2% of women age 65 and older with high-risk breast cancer did not undergo the recommended radiation treatment after having a mastectomy. The findings may be attributed a failure to follow evidence-based guidelines and disparities in access to care, researchers said. CNN/The Chart blog (6/27) LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Email this Story

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WtJ-AANP SmartBrief

Men who get 600 IU of vitamin D daily see heart benefits

Men who consumed the recommended amount of vitamin D, at least 600 IU daily, had a 16% lower risk of cardiovascular events such as heart attack and stroke compared with counterparts who had less than 100 IU daily, an observational study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found. Researchers did not find a similar link among women. Reuters (6/24) LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Email this Story

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WtJ-AANP SmartBrief

Diabetes increases risk of hearing loss, study finds

Patients with diabetes were twice as likely to suffer hearing loss than those without the disease, according to a Japanese study presented at the annual meeting of the American Diabetes Association. Diabetes may alter blood supply in the ear canal, which could damage small blood vessels and nerves resulting in eventual hearing loss, an expert said. Bloomberg (6/24) LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Email this Story

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WtJ-AANP SmartBrief

Macular edema risk found in Actos and Avandia

Data on 100,000 patients with diabetes found that those taking Takeda Pharmaceutical's Actos and GlaxoSmithKline's Avandia drugs were three to six times more likely to develop disease-related macular edema. Patients with poor glycemic control and a history of macular edema should avoid the drugs as the eye disease may lead to eventual blindness, researchers wrote in the study that was to be presented Sunday at a meeting of the American Diabetes Association. Bloomberg (6/24) LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Email this Story

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WtJ-AANP SmartBrief

Study: FDG-PET feasible right after cardiac stress test

Researchers who reported study findings at the SNM annual meeting in San Antonio said treadmill exercise as part of myocardial perfusion imaging does not affect the clinical quality of FDG-PET. The researchers concluded that FDG-PET scans can be taken the same day as a cardiac stress test. AuntMinnie.com (free registration) (6/24) LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Email this Story

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WtJ-SNM SmartBrief

Researchers say PET agent Mel050 shows promise for melanoma

Researchers at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Australia said during the SNM Annual Meeting in San Antonio that they have just concluded a pilot study of a PET imaging agent for melanoma called Mel050. Results of the pilot study showed that the new tracer is proving to be more effective at diagnosing melanoma compared to the FDG tracer, although the researchers said that combining FDG and Mel050 could also be effective. The researchers are preparing to move the agent to Phase II trial later this year. The Age (Melbourne, Australia) (6/26) LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Email this Story

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WtJ-SNM SmartBrief

Plastic surgeons help veterans returning from war zones

Nonprofit Operation Iraq Star provides reconstructive plastic surgery -- including transportation, lodging, anesthesia, hospital operating rooms and medical supplies -- for injured troops returning from war zones. "The military does a very good job, but often, more surgery is required to repair the scarring from the shrapnel and burns and to remove little rocks and debris," said ASPS member Navin Singh, M.D., who donates his time and skills to the foundation. "They are delighted with the results. ... The goal is to assist them in returning to their prewar lives." Connection Newspapers (Alexandria, Va.) (6/16) LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Email this Story

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WtJ-Plastic Surgery SmartBrief

Study: New biomarker can help diagnose early Alzheimer's disease

A German study published in Neurology found that the buildup of soluble amyloid precursor protein beta in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with mild cognitive impairment could indicate that Alzheimer's disease is starting to develop. Soluble APP-beta "probably provides diagnostic information that is more proximate to the core pathological processes of AD than amyloid-beta 42, which only mirrors pathological events at the end of the disease cascade," said study author Dr. Robert Perneczky. Medscape (free registration) (6/22) LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Email this Story

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WtJ-SNM SmartBrief

Weight-loss surgery can be a lifesaver, study finds

A study led by researchers from the Greenville Hospital System University Medical Center found bariatric surgery reduces the incidence of heart attack, stroke or death by 50%. The researchers analyzed data from more than 9,000 middle-aged to elderly patients who were morbidly obese to find 85% did not have a heart attack or a stroke within five years after the surgery. The Greenville News (S.C.) (subscription required) (6/21) Email this Story

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WtJ-Digestive Health SmartBrief

Shorter pauses in CPR before, after shocks up survival odds

Cardiac arrest patients were 53% less likely to survive if the paramedic team paused CPR for more than 20 seconds before administering defibrillator shocks compared with those with pauses of less than 10 seconds, a study in the journal Circulation found. Researchers found worse odds of survival in those who had pauses of more than 40 seconds before and after defibrillation. But data showed that differences in post-shock pauses before resuming CPR were not associated with differences in survival rates through hospital discharge. HealthDay News (6/20) LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Email this Story

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WtJ-ANA SmartBrief

Almost 6 million children have a food allergy, study finds

Eight percent of U.S. children, or about 6 million, have a food-allergy diagnosis or exhibit symptoms of the condition, according to a survey of about 40,000 adults who live with children. The study, published in Pediatrics, found that two in every five children with the condition experience a severe or life-threatening reaction. Black and Asian children are more likely to have an allergy but less likely to be diagnosed than white counterparts, researchers found.Reuters. LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Email this Story

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WtJ-AAP SmartBrief

Hubungan Kanker Paru Sangat Dekat dengan Kematian

Kanker dikenal sebagai suatu penyakit yang sulit disembuhkan dan bisa menyebabkan kematian. Tapi ternyata kanker paru merupakan jenis kanker yang paling dekat dengan kematian.“Kanker paru prognosisnya paling jelek dan sangat erat kaitannya dengan kematian,” ujar dr Asrul Harsal, SpPD-KHOM dalam acara diskusi forum manajemen kanker dan pembiayaan di Indonesia, di hotel Gran Melia, Jakarta, Rabu (11/5/2011).

dr Asrul menuturkan dari 174.470 orang yang menderita kanker paru, sekitar 162.460 orang meninggal. Sedangkan untuk kanker payudara angka kematiannya sekitar 20 persen, dan untuk kanker colon angka kematiannya sekitar 50 persen.

Berdasarkan data yang ada di Rumah Sakit Dharmais diketahui dari 662 pasien kanker paru, yang bisa bertahan hidup selama 1 tahun sebesar 17,3 persen, sedangkan yang bertahan hingga 3 tahun hanya 3,4 persen.

Pasien kanker paru yang datang ke rumah sakit umumnya sudah dalam stadium lanjut. Hal ini karena gejala yang umum dari kanker paru biasanya disertai batuk. Selain itu penderita dari kanker paru kebanyakan perokok yang mana menganggap batuk adalah hal yang biasa.

“Angka kejadian dari kanker paru yang terjadi di rumah sakit kanker dharmais sekitar 2 persen sudah stadium 3a, 46 persen sudah stadium 3b dan sebesar 52 persen sudah stadium 4,” ungkap dokter yang berpraktik di RSK Dharmais.

dr Asrul mengungkapkan sebagian besar pasien kanker paru berada di usia produktif. Untuk mendiagnosisnya dilakukan pemeriksaan foto rontgen, CT-scan, PET-CT dan dilanjutkan dengan melakukan biopsi.

Diperkirakan setiap 30 detik satu orang meninggal dunia karena kanker paru di dunia, hal ini setara dengan 3.000 orang setiap harinya di seluruh dunia. Meski begitu kanker paru ini bisa disembuhkan jika dapat terdeteksi secara dini. Untuk itu jangan abaikan setiap keluhan apapun yang muncul di tubuh, meskipun keluhan tersebut bersifat kecil atau ringan.

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