http://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. Staph infections in hospitals are a serious concern, so much so that the term Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is as commonly known as MRI. Far less known is that in many of these cases, patients are infecting themselves. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-06-team-comprehensive-guidelines-staph-bacteria.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Thu, 13 Jun 2013 19:00:01 EST news290361426 Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is one of the most frequent healthcare-associated infections found in intensive-care units (ICUs). New research on the prevalence of VAP in community hospitals shows small hospitals (less than 30,000 patient-days/year) have a higher rate of VAP than their larger counterparts, despite less use of ventilators. The study, published in the July issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, the journal of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America, compares outcomes of patients on ventilators in 31 community hospitals in the southeastern United States from 2007 to 2011. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-06-high-ventilator-associated-pneumonia-small-hospitals.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Mon, 10 Jun 2013 12:54:21 EST news290087654 In ICU patients who have septic shock, the anatomic source of infection has a strong effect on the chances of survival, according to a new study from researchers in Canada. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-source-infection-affects-hospital-mortality.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Mon, 20 May 2013 09:09:50 EST news288259780 Among infants with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS; caused by in utero opioid exposure), variants in certain genes were associated with a shorter length of hospital stay and less need for treatment, preliminary findings that may provide insight into the mechanisms underlying NAS, according to a study in the May 1 issue of JAMA, a theme issue on child health. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-effects-genetic-variants-infants-neonatal.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Tue, 30 Apr 2013 10:02:56 EST news286534964 A national survey of health professionals showed that drug shortages are taking a heavy toll on cancer patients, forcing treatment changes and delays that for some patients meant worse outcomes, more therapy-related complications and higher costs. St. Jude Children's Research Hospital investigators played an important role in the study. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-cancer-drug-shortages-higher-greater.html Cancer Thu, 21 Mar 2013 11:40:03 EST news283084795 People having an ischemic stroke should receive clot-dissolving therapy – if appropriate—within 60 minutes of arriving at the hospital, according to new American Stroke Association guidelines published in the American Heart Association journal Stroke. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-people-therapy-minutes-hospital.html Cardiology Thu, 31 Jan 2013 16:00:03 EST news278869571 From the moment a stroke occurs, patients must race against the clock to get treatment that can prevent lasting damage. Now, a new study shows the promise – and the challenges – of getting them state-of-the-art treatment safely at their local hospital, saving precious minutes. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-boosts-local-hospitals-clotbuster.html Neuroscience Thu, 20 Dec 2012 18:30:02 EST news275245450 Patients with head and neck cancer receiving radiation treatment at an academic center have a higher survival rate than those receiving treatment at a community center, according to a study in the December 2012 issue of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-effect-outcomes-neck-cancer.html Cancer Fri, 07 Dec 2012 10:29:17 EST news274098532 Patients with mental illness visiting emergency departments in Ontario have shorter waits to see a doctor during crowded periods and only slightly longer waits during less busy periods, found a study in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal). http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-psychiatric-emergency-departments.html Psychology & Psychiatry Mon, 12 Nov 2012 12:00:11 EST news271941311 A sweeping study on the issue of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in hospitals shows that using antimicrobial soap and ointment on all intensive-care patients significantly decreases bloodstream infection. The results, which are being presented for the first time at IDWeek 2012TM, may suggest a major change in health care practice that could help save lives. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-10-bloodstream-infections-percent-sickest-hospital.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Wed, 17 Oct 2012 16:16:33 EST news269709380 (AP)—Medicare is changing the way it does business with hospitals and the result could be fewer patients going back into the hospital after they were discharged. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-09-medicare-fines-hospitals-readmitted-patients.html Health Sun, 30 Sep 2012 06:38:18 EST news268205887 More children experience complications or unintended injuries, especially related to surgery, in academic hospitals compared with community hospitals, but adverse events in the former are less likely to be preventable, according to the Canadian Paediatric Adverse Events Study published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal). http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-medical-complications-hospitalized-children-canadian.html Other Wed, 01 Aug 2012 12:01:20 EST news263041268 (HealthDay) -- The largest study of its kind finds that stroke patients benefit from a clot-busting drug even six hours after a stroke, suggesting that the current recommended 4.5-hour limit could be expanded. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-05-clot-buster-hours.html Cardiology Thu, 24 May 2012 04:40:01 EST news257051929 Experts are proposing a new model of care collaboration to diagnosis, treat and follow patients who present with various emergent cardiovascular conditions which require rapid, resource-intensive care and confer a high risk of mortality, in an article published April 24 in Circulation. Specifically, cardiovascular emergencies, such as ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), non-STEMI/unstable angina, out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA), acute aortic dissection (AAD), abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), stroke and acute decompensated heart failure, may benefit from regionalized systems of care. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-04-regional-cardiovascular-emergency.html Cardiology Wed, 25 Apr 2012 16:27:19 EST news254589995 New evidence shows that with appropriate preparation, angioplasty can be safely and effectively performed at community hospitals without on-site cardiac surgery units, according to research presented today at the American College of Cardiology's 61st Annual Scientific Session. The Scientific Session, the premier cardiovascular medical meeting, brings cardiovascular professionals together to further advances in the field. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-hospitals-safely-elective-angioplasty.html Cardiology Mon, 26 Mar 2012 12:40:01 EST news251973623 (Medical Xpress) -- Patients who have non-emergency angioplasty to open blocked heart vessels have no greater risk of death or complications when they have the procedure at hospitals without cardiac surgery backup. That is the conclusion of a national a study to assess the safety and effectiveness of such procedures at community hospitals. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-hospitals-on-site-cardiac-surgery-non-emergency.html Cardiology Mon, 26 Mar 2012 07:10:01 EST news251963727 Among hospitals in Ontario, Canada, those with higher levels of spending, which included higher intensity nursing and greater use of specialists and procedures, had an associated lower rate of deaths, hospital readmissions, and better quality of care for severely ill hospitalized patients, according to a study in the March 14 issue of JAMA. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-outcomes-patients-universal-health.html Health Tue, 13 Mar 2012 16:00:03 EST news250869296 (HealthDay) -- Screening for Lynch syndrome, the most common form of inherited colorectal cancer, after a colorectal cancer diagnosis is common at comprehensive cancer centers but not community hospitals, according to a study published online Feb. 21 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-prevalence-screening-lynch-syndrome-varies.html Cancer Fri, 24 Feb 2012 12:00:02 EST news249303075 Despite a national mandate to implement electronic health records and computer order entry systems (CPOE) by 2014, only approximately 30 percent of hospitals nationwide have done so and around 40 percent of hospitals in the state of Massachusetts have made this transition. New research from Brigham and Women's Hospital examined the impact of a vendor-developed CPOE in five community hospitals in Massachusetts and found that these CPOE systems are effective at reducing drug-related injury and harm. This research is published online in the Journal of General Internal Medicine. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-entry-adverse-drug-events.html Other Tue, 07 Feb 2012 11:02:00 EST news247834909 Despite advances in the diagnosis and treatment of unruptured brain aneurysms, outcomes have remained stagnant over the last 10 years. This can be explained by the dramatic proliferation of minimally invasive endoscopic coiling procedures at lower-volume community hospitals, where outcomes are inferior. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-large-medical-centers-edge.html Cardiology Wed, 01 Feb 2012 13:40:04 EST news247324505 (AP) -- The remnants of Hurricane Irene did what policymakers hadn't been able to accomplish for more than a decade - close the state's antiquated psychiatric hospital. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-01-vt-struggles-rebuild-mental-health.html Health Tue, 31 Jan 2012 15:41:04 EST news247246857 Because of care advances, more infants and children with previously lethal health problems are surviving. Many, however, are left with lifelong neurologic impairment. A Children's Hospital Boston study of more than 25 million pediatric hospitalizations in the U.S. now shows that neurologically impaired children, though still a relatively small part of the overall population, account for increasing hospital resources, particularly within children's hospitals. Their analysis, based on data from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Kids' Inpatient Database (KID), was published online January 17th in PLoS Medicine. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-01-neurologically-impaired-children-hospitals.html Health Tue, 17 Jan 2012 17:36:18 EST news246044170 Hyperglycemia, or having high glucose levels in the blood, is a common, serious and costly health care problem in hospitalized patients. Today, The Endocrine Society released a clinical practice guideline (CPG) providing recommendations for practical and safe glycemic targets and describing protocols and system improvements required to achieve glycemic goals for hospitalized patients in a non-critical care setting. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-01-experts-hospitalized-patients-blood-glucose.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Thu, 05 Jan 2012 08:29:18 EST news244974551 Therapeutic hypothermia has been proven to reduce mortality and improve neurologic outcomes after a heart attack, yet it was rarely used in a sample of more than 26,000 patients, according to a study published in Therapeutic Hypothermia and Temperature Management, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-01-hypothermia-underutilized-cardiac-cases-hospitals.html Cardiology Wed, 04 Jan 2012 13:30:43 EST news244906229 Hospitals that do not have cardiac surgery capability can perform nonemergency angioplasty and stent implantation as safely as hospitals that do offer cardiac surgery. That is the finding of the nation's first large, randomized study to assess whether patients do just as well having nonemergency angioplasty performed at smaller, community hospitals that do not offer cardiac surgery. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-11-patients-fare-nonemergency-angioplasty-hospitals.html Cardiology Mon, 14 Nov 2011 16:00:49 EST news240508841 The use of long-distance video and data hookups to link remote community hospitals with stroke neurologists in large centres provides the same level of care as having everyone in the same room, according to a new study presented today at the Canadian Stroke Congress. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-10-telestroke.html Cardiology Tue, 04 Oct 2011 04:48:02 EST news236922460 Time is of the essence when it comes to stroke treatment. But a new image guided technique could help shift the criterion from one that is determined by how long after the start of symptoms a patient receives medical care, suggests a small US study published online in the Journal of NeuroInterventional Surgery. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-09-essence-treatment.html Neuroscience Tue, 20 Sep 2011 04:25:44 EST news235711533 Avoidable readmissions after discharge from hospital are fairly uncommon and are not an accurate measure of quality of care, found a study in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal). http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-08-hospital-readmission-accurate-quality.html Health Mon, 22 Aug 2011 12:27:49 EST news233234853 While overall emergency department use in Massachusetts continues to rise, the number of low-severity visits dropped slightly since the implementation of the state's health care reform law, according to an Annals of Emergency Medicine study published online. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-06-impact-massachusetts-health-law-emergency.html Health Mon, 06 Jun 2011 15:39:41 EST news226593566