APRIL 13, 2015 There’s no question mammograms can save lives by detecting breast cancer early. But they can also result in unnecessary testing and treatment that can be alarming and costly. In fact, each year the U.S. spends $4 billion on follow-up tests and treatments that result from inaccurate mammograms, scientists report in the current […]
by Anesthesiology News Staff MedPageToday.com Every year, more than 63,000 medication errors occur in children younger than 6, a new study found. Most anesthesiologists believe they should be in charge of key decisions in the operating room when it comes to resource and personnel allocation, according to survey results. “Anesthesia professionals often react negatively to […]
Caroline Cassels March 18, 2015 The US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) has issued a nationwide alert about the dangers of the narcotic fentanyl and fentanyl analogues/compounds. According to the DEA, the drug, which is often used in anesthesia to prevent pain after surgery or other procedures, is commonly laced in heroin, causing significant problems across the country, […]
JAMA internal medicine TAKE-HOME MESSAGE Researchers retrospectively evaluated 754 patients with healthcare-associated Clostridium difficile infection to determine the association of proton pump inhibitor use (PPI) with recurrence. The hazard ratio for recurrence was 1.5 for continuous PPI use, and 47.1% of patients receiving PPIs had an evidence-based indication. Researchers suggest that PPI use without proper […]
Last updated: Thu 17 Apr 2014 at 12am PST A new study reveals that around 12 million people in the US are misdiagnosed in outpatient clinics each year – the equivalent to 1 in every 20 adults. According to the study researchers, the findings pose a “substantial patient safety risk.” The research team, led by […]
Troy Brown July 18, 2013 Most malpractice claims against primary care physicians are a result of missed diagnoses, especially of cancer and myocardial infarction in adults and meningitis in children, and medication errors, according to an analysis of data from 34 published studies of malpractice claims. Emma Wallace, MB Bch, BAO, a clinical research fellow in the […]
Troy Brown, RN March 02, 2015 Paracetamol, known as acetaminophen in the United States, may have more risks than originally thought, particularly when it is taken at the higher end of standard therapeutic doses, according to a new systematic review. The authors and an outside expert recommend caution when interpreting the data, as they are observational in […]
Published: Jul 12, 2013 By Chris Kaiser Cardiologist Julie A. Kovach stands to receive up to $120,000 as her share of a whistleblower lawsuit that has been settled for $4 million. Kovach filed a lawsuit under the False Claims Act against Jackson Cardiology Associates and its owner, cardiologist Jashu Patel MD, and against Allegiance Health, […]
The New England Journal of Medicine N Engl J Med 2015; 372:825-834February 26, 2015DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa1408913 TAKE-HOME MESSAGE The authors of this study performed active surveillance across 10 geographic areas of the United States in 2011 to identify stool-positive cases of Clostridium difficile infection and classify them as community-associated or healthcare-associated. Of the total of 15,461 […]
Michael O’Riordan February 24, 2015 GENTOFTE, DENMARK — Patients receiving antithrombotic therapy following an MI who take a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) are at an increased risk of bleeding and an increased risk of cardiovascular death, nonfatal recurrent MI, and stroke, according to the results of a new Danish observational study[1]. The increased risk of bleeding and […]
Beth Skwarecki February 18, 2015 Long-acting opioids were associated with a greater than 2-fold risk for unintentional overdose compared with short-acting formulations, according to a cohort study published online February 16 in JAMA Internal Medicine. Moreover, the risk was more than 5-fold greater in the first 2 weeks of using a long-acting opioid. “If replicated in other cohorts, our findings […]
FEB. 9 2015 By Charles Seife Agents of the Food and Drug Administration know better than anyone else just how bad scientific misbehavior can get. Reading the FDA’s inspection files feels almost like watching a highlights reel from a Scientists Gone Wildvideo. It’s a seemingly endless stream of lurid vignettes—each of which catches a medical […]
FEBRUARY 9, 2015 Ohio gynecologist copped to improper sexual contact FEBRUARY 9–A disciplinary panel has voted to strip an Ohio gynecologist of his medical license for inappropriate behavior with two patients, both of whom the physician helped find their respective “G-spots” before engaging in further sexual contact, according to state records. The State Medical Board […]
Published on Feb 8, 2015 Pharmaceutical companies spend billions of dollars marketing drugs to doctors. We have a few issues with that. YouTube Link
January 26, 2015 Journal of the American College of Cardiology Volume 65, Issue 2, January 2015 Ravi S. Hira, MD TAKE-HOME MESSAGE Using a US nationwide registry, the authors examined the frequency and practice-level variation of inappropriate aspirin use for preventing cardiovascular disease (CVD). Overall, the frequency of inappropriate aspirin use was 11.6% (N = […]
The Telegraph By Sarah Knapton, Science Editor 12:00AM GMT 23 Jan 2015 Academics at the University of Liverpool said figures showed that more effort should be put into population-wide schemes to improve overall health. Statins save fewer lives than simple lifestyle changes like exercising and eating sensibly, scientists have found. Researchers discovered that the wonder […]
Telegraph.co.uk By Agency 12:50PM GMT 20 Jan 2015 Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service hearing told Dr Thomas O’Brien persuaded mother of one to undergo spiritual procedure at Pentecostal church to cure pain A Christian family doctor performed an exorcism on a seriously ill patient after promising he could “heal” her without medication, a medical tribunal heard. […]
January 16, 2015 The American Journal of Cardiology TAKE-HOME MESSAGE In this prospective study, researchers evaluated 4645 patients with vascular disease to determine the association between statin use and incident type 2 diabetes mellitus. Independent from metabolic syndrome characteristics, statin therapy, especially intensive statin therapy, was associated with an increased risk for type 2 diabetes. […]