http://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. In the December issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, the journal of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America, guidelines have been proposed by epidemiologists from Beaumont Health System to reduce the risk of infection from contaminated gels. The recommendations are based on the authors' own experiences with an outbreak traced to contaminated ultrasound transmission gel. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-ultrasound-gel-infections-guidelines.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Mon, 12 Nov 2012 10:42:55 EST news271939364 A new video-article in JoVE, Journal of Visualized Experiments, details the use of a new laser-activated bio-adhesive polymer. The chitosan-based polymer, SurgiLux, was developed by scientists at the University of New South Wales. Chitosan is a polymer derived from chitin, which is found in fungal cell walls or in exoskeletons of crustaceans and insects.This molecular component allows SurgiLux to form low energy bonds between the polymer and the desired tissue when it absorbs light. The technology may soon replace traditional sutures in the clinic. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-10-bio-adhesive-polymer-jove.html Medical research Thu, 25 Oct 2012 15:40:14 EST news270397813 The Molecular and Industrial Biotechnology Group of the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya · BarcelonaTech (UPC) has improved the antimicrobial properties of medical textiles using an enzymatic pre-treatment combined with simultaneous deposition of nanoparticles and biopolymers under ultrasonic irradiation. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-10-infectious-bacteria-medical-textiles.html Other Tue, 16 Oct 2012 08:36:15 EST news269595368 All dietary fats are not created equal. Some types of fats have been linked to ailments like heart disease and diabetes, while others, like those often found in plants and fish, have well documented health benefits. So why do our bodies respond so destructively to some fats but not others? http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-fats-worse.html Medical research Mon, 27 Aug 2012 14:00:13 EST news265294737 Scientists have found that a strain of yeast implicated in inflammatory skin conditions, including eczema, can be killed by certain peptides and could potentially provide a new treatment for these debilitating skin conditions. This research is published today in the Society for Applied Microbiology's journal, Letters in Applied Microbiology. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-11-closer-eczema.html Medical research Wed, 23 Nov 2011 19:00:01 EST news241289250 Total joint replacement surgeries can help relieve joint pain common in people with conditions like osteoarthritis. But sometimes, the debris from prosthetic joints leads to aseptic loosening, or disintegration of surrounding bones. In 2009, a Wayne State University researcher determined that the anti-inflammatory antibiotic erythromycin can prevent and treat such disintegration. There was one caveat, however: there are side effects associated with long-term usage of erythromycin. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-08-antibiotic-localized-treatment-bone.html Medical research Tue, 09 Aug 2011 08:33:15 EST news232097583 Manuka honey could be an efficient way to clear chronically infected wounds and could even help reverse bacterial resistance to antibiotics, according to research presented at the Society for General Microbiology's Spring Conference in Harrogate. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-04-honey-reverse-antibiotic-resistance.html Medical research Wed, 13 Apr 2011 03:38:17 EST news221884675