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Psychological consequence of terrorist attacks

The Terrorist attack on the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon could affect the mental health of Americans over coming weeks and months. As the dust settles over New York and Washington, psychiatrists warn that people will start to feel the full psychological impact of the disaster. Keeping busy and trying to get the cities back to normal keeps anxiety and grief at bay. And the sheer sca...

Errors in medication

According to a new study it was observed that nearly one out of every five medication doses delivered in hospitals and nursing homes may be in error. The problem occurs regardless of whether the facility has been accredited// by the nation's leading health care accrediting organization or not. The Institute of Medicine released a report titled, "To Err is Human: Building a Safer Heath...

Glaucoma & Ocular Hypertension more likely in patients with refractive errors

A study which appeared in the clinical journal of Ophthalmology concludes that farsightedness appears to be associated with a five-year risk of ocular hypertension, and nearsightedness is associated with a significantly increased prevalence// of glaucoma, in Caucasians. The study was conducted with nearly 5000 participants, aged between 43 to 84, who received baseline assessments of refra...

More information sought by patients on medical errors

Medical mistakes is one of the ills plaguing the field of medicine and patients are now demanding that they be given full information when a medical error happens. However, doctors are often reluctant to give full disclosure, not because they do not care. In fact, doctors confessed to being haunted for many years by their mistakes. In the Washington University School of Medicine, research...

Curbing medication errors with new rules

The FDA has proposed two new rules that would help improve patient safety by reducing medication errors. Medication errors alone are believed to be responsible for as many as 7,000 deaths. These errors have been attributed to problems of medications with similar names, poor handwriting by doctors on prescriptions, or too many new drugs for doctors to remember as they go from patient to pa...

Pharmacist’s Role in Medication Error

Researchers report positive findings in a new study that looked at the role of the pharmacist in helping doctors prevent medical errors involving medications. The investigation done finds having a pharmacist participate in medical rounds with doctors resulted in the identification and prevention of nearly 5,000 medication errors over more than four years.// The study w...

Reducing Medication Errors

Around the world, deaths from medical errors are common, people who are hospitalized face the largest risk for medical mistakes.// Studies show in adults, adverse drug events occur in five of every 100 medication orders. A new study led by researchers at Ottawa, shows computerized systems for ordering medications can reduce the number of errors. This is in place of hand-writing the order...

Common Medication Errors in Children

In a recent study researchers have found , medication errors that occur in pediatric intensive care units are more common // than previously thought. Researchers studied more than 11,800 children who were admitted into pediatric intensive care units to determine the prevalence of medication errors. They defined an error as any preventable event that may cause or lead to patient harm. R...

More Errors From Computerized Prescriptions

It was thought that computerized prescription could be used to avoid medical mistakes, but now it seems computerized prescription systems // may lead to even more errors. It is known that adverse drug events injure or kill more than 770,000 people in hospitals each year. One way hospitals are trying to cut back on that number is with computerized physician-order entry systems. But accord...

Cancer diagnosis easier from microRNA

MicroRNA profile analysis has been developed as a tool to diagnose cancer by scientists of Broad Institute// of MIT and Harvard. Researchers have also been able to develop a technology that will be able to test the microRNA profile through an easy and not expensive diagnostic test. MicroRNA (miRNA) are small RNA molecules that control the level of proteins made from transcribed genes....

Health care errors blamed for deaths

Improper cleanliness and hygiene maintained by the health workers may cause as much as one-eighth// of the deaths that happen, says a new study. Researchers from University of Illinois had reported that more than the fear of lawsuits, it is the negligence of the health workers that cause the erratic nature of health care being meted out to the general public who approach the health car...

MicroRNA provides new insight into birth defects

Molecules of microRNAs may be responsible for birth defects, cancer and other health problems.// The researchers of UF Genetics Institute have used genetically modified mice to see how the microRNAs are responsible for the physiological growth of animals. When the mice were grown without the microRNA molecules they grew to be malformed and with nonfunctional limbs. MicroRNA...

A Mirror Miracle!

Mirrors could soon reflect the health of patients with cancer, instead of undergoing blood tests to see if a tumor is growing back. A simple instrument which will bounce a low-power laser beam off a silicon mirror has to be implanted under the patient's skin. Computer analysis of the reflected beam will show the prognosis. Some cancers of the prostrate and colo...

Patients In Hospital ICUs At Risk From Medical Errors

Research points out that patients in the ICU of the hospitals may face an increased risk of medical errors and adverse events. The study is published in the August issue // of Critical Care Medicine. Researchers found that over 20 percent of the patients admitted to two intensive care units at an academic hospital, a medical intensive care unit (MICU) and a coronary critical care unit...

Doctors May Not Be Ready To Tackle Bio-terrorism

A research report published in the latest issue of Archives of Internal Medicine said that doctors might not be ready to deal with the threat of bio-terrorism that may be caused by smallpox, anthrax, botulism and plague//. More than one-half of 631 physicians tested were unable to correctly diagnose diseases caused by agents most likely to be used by bio-terrorists. However, test score...

45 Percent Of Errors In Cancer Diagnosis Harm The Patient

The frequency of errors in the diagnosis has crept up lately and this is causing harm to the patients either in the form of unnecessary treatment or repeat diagnostic tests, says a new study that was published online today by the journal Cancer//. Stephen S. Raab, M.D., of the University of Pittsburgh and colleagues studied 24,000 cases in four unnamed institutions in the Pittsburgh a...

Hospital Noise Raises The Risk Of Medical Error: Study

High decibel levels in hospitals disturbs both patients and doctors, and increases medical error risks, according to a study.// Noise made by speakers, electronic devices, heating and cooling systems and by loud voices of employees and visitors can result in lapses in short-term memory, according to the study by Johns Hopkins University researchers, reports News Wise wire....

US is unprepared for a bio-terrorist attack

The US based Trust for America's Health (TFAH) has revealed that the country has progressed very little where national security is concerned, even after the 11 September 2001 attacks//. The disaster response systems are still in a poor condition in many of the states. Over 50% of the states in the US measured up to five or less of the 10 indicators of the report, and only Virginia, South...

Mirror Neurons Connected To Autism

The source of empathy in the brain of a human being may also have a part to play in autism. A system of neurons is known to exist in the human brain which specialize //in the 'walking in another's shoes' function. The 'mirror neurons' are at work, when a person makes a move while watching another person. Malfunctioning mirror neurons may have a role in autistic children's social isola...

Mirrors An Enigma for Humans

A rather very interesting and thought provoking research was conducted by the psychologists at the University of Liverpool. The research was mainly based on the people’s difficulty in understanding how the mirror reflects images//. The research was headed by Dr Marco Bertamini working at the University's School of Psychology. He designed various experiments by hanging a covered mirror i...

microRNA And Its Role In Synaptic Regulation

microRNA belong to the non-coding region of the genome. They play a very important role in regulating the other gene activities like synapses. Researchers at Children's Hospital, Boston says that they are involved in the development of the nervous system.// Synapses are the junctions where the brain cells communicate with each other. This region is very important in the process of develo...

Ricin Vaccine protection against bio-warfare and bioterrorism

Professor Ellen S. Vitetta, University of Texas is in the process of developing an effective vaccine against Ricin. Ricin is a very potent lethal toxin obtained from castor // beans and is considered as the most deadly toxin at very minute concentration. The researcher as published her results from a trial on effective protection obtained from her ricin vaccine in the Proceedings of the N...

Human Error: Teenager’s Renewed Zest for Life Nose-Dive

The recent update of human error can make even a stone cry. Lis Noris, a bubbly 15 year old teenager from Ayrshire, was given radiation therapy, for brain tumor at Beatson Oncology Centre, Glasgow. //After a brief reprieve, she was awakened to a rude shock of being the unfortunate recipient of an overdose, 17 times of therapy, considered potentially fatal. Doctors have admitted to human...

Saving Infants From The Clutches Of Terror

The fact that terrorism is here to stay has made it necessary for health teams to be prepared for any eventuality. In such a scenario Rush University Medical Center has pioneered the use of a baby simulator in order //to train health care workers to respond quickly to infants in distress from any chemical weapons attacks initiated by terrorists. The Chicago Department of Public Health a...

Inhuman Error: Medicine Becomes Poison, Causing Death

Blame it on human error, fate, bad luck or just apathy- What do you say , to yet another shocking case of human error, where a woman dies after being given a medicine that was not meant for her.// Barbara Maguire, 51, was admitted to Glasgow's Stobhill Hospital in the emergency ward, after a stomach complaint in 2004. NHS, has confirmed that Miss Maguire, by a quirk of fate...

To safeguard poultry farmers a Rs. 35-crore fund set up.

As a good gesture and sound health info Kerala and Goa have lifted the ban on poultry and poultry products from Karnataka. This was revealed by Minister for Medical Education and Animal Husbandry V.S. Acharya in the// Legislative Council on Wednesday. He also added that this indicates that the situation is under control. As a step to safeguard poultry farmers and make policies Chief Mi...

Parents Mirror Child's Patient Experience

Researchers at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis have found that more often than not, children's patient experiences are mirrored in their parents and vice versa.// Their study, which appears in the May 15, 2006 issue of CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, says that parents of pediatric patients gave identical assessments of health related qualit...

Medication Errors Affect Leukemia Treatment In Children

Research published in the September 15, 2006 issue of CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, says that around one in five children// does not receive the correct chemotherapy treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). And the main reason for this is medication errors. The study says that more than 10 percent of chemotherapeutic medications were given incorr...

A furore over tailor-made menopause medication

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is being prompted by the Drug Manufacturer, Wyeth to restrain the special pharmacies that develop tailor made hormone drugs to treat menopause.// The drugs are made as per the doctor’s prescription and are not FDA approved. Following Wyeth's recommendation to the FDA, the agency has received many letters from women who rely on these custom-made tre...

Rs 749 Crore To Be Spent On Rural Health Mission In Haryana

A sum of Rs 749 crore would be spent in Haryana for implementation of National Rural Health Mission upto the year 2010 in order to reduce infant mortality rate// in the state, Chief Minister Bhupinder SIngh Hooda said today. Addressing a Nav Nirman Rally organised by President of All India Khet Mazdoor Congress and local MLA Shamsher Singh Surjewala here, Hooda said emphasis has been la...

Video Games Reduces Surgical Errors – A Stud

A new study suggests that people preparing for surgery needs to play surgical errors. Dr. James ‘Butch Rosser said, surgeons who warmed up by playing video games// like ‘Super Monkey Ball’ for 20 minutes immediately prior to performing surgical drills were faster and made fewer errors than those who did not. The research involved 303 surgeons participating in a medical training course t...

India & Singapore Join hands to Fight Terror & Drug Trafficking

India and Singapore have agreed to cooperate in sharing key intelligence inputs to deal with terrorism, //money laundering, organized crime and drugs trafficking and assist each other in disaster management. "The two sides decided to cooperate and exchange intelligence and information in these key security-related areas and also extend assistance to each other in the field of disaster...

Consumer Court Dismisses Rs 143 Crore Negligence Claim

New Delhi. The National Consumer Commission today dismissed the medical negligence claim to the tune of Rs 143 Crores filed by a US-based doctor //who had alleged that his wife died because of negligence given at a Kolkata hospital. The National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission Bench comprising Justice M B Shah, Justice K S Gupta and Member Rajya Lakshmi, in its judgment, absolve...

Court Dismisses 143-Crore Claim Against Hospital In Kolkata For Alleged Negligence In Treatment

New Delhi, June 1: The apex consumer court in New Delhi on Wednesday dismissed the highest ever medical compensation case of claim that was filed by an Indian born// US scientist Kunal Saha for the death of his wife in 1998, which he alleged due to the wrongful treatment. Making a statement from Ohio Saha said that the judgement of the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (...

Consumer Court Dismisses India’s Biggest Ever Medical Error Clai

The apex consumer court in New Delhi Thursday dismissed the case of highest-ever medical compensation claim filed by India-born US scientist Kunal Saha for the death of his wife in 1998 due to alleged wrongful treatment//. The judgement of the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) has 'shocked' the AIDS researcher. 'This judgement is utterly shocking not...

Haryana to Spend Rs 750 Crore on Rural Health: Hooda

Jhajjar, June 10 (PTI) Haryana would spend more than Rs 750 crore over next four years for improving rural health infrastructure, Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said today. // The Congress government was committed to providing best possible healthcare facilities at the village level and concerted efforts were being made to strengthen the rural healthcare infrastructure in the st...

Hunt for Chromosomal Errors Which Cause Genetic Diseases

Commercially available gene chips have been used by a pediatric research team to scrutinize all of a patient’s chromosomes in order to identify small defects that lead to genetic diseases //. Because currently used genetic tests usually cannot detect these abnormalities, the new research may lead to more accurate diagnosis of congenital diseases, including puzzling disorders that lead...

Lightning Kicks Up a Furore in the Mobile Industry

According to a recent study done in UK it was found that mobile phone used in stormy weather results in serious injury from lightning strikes//. Doctors have warned that there is an increased risk if mobile phones were used in stormy weather conditions. The charge from the lightning is conducted over the skin without entering the body. But conductive materials, such as metallic objects a...

Male Students Entry in Women's College Creates Furore in Pakistan Assembly

Pakistan's women-only Fatima Jinnah University in Rawalpindi is embroiled in a controversy over the enrolment of male students. // Opposition members in the National Assembly protested allowing male students into the university, named after the sister of Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan. The university's vice chancellor, Najma, told the Daily Times that a porti...

Voluntary Error-Reporting System Ensures Patient Safety

According to a study by the investigators at John Hopkins Children’s Center//, patient’s safety system can be improved by reporting as well as recording the medication errors into a computer database. Hopkins researchers said ‘Human error rates are minimized by identifying, fixing and reporting on the errors voluntarily plus steps taken to overcome it in the future’. Voluntar...