Bioethics & Health News
January 24

January 24, 2006

Hospital Rejected Kidneys Despite Waiting List

The University of California, Irvine Medical Center, which was forced to close its liver transplant program, turned down a high number of donated kidneys despite a long patient waiting list, the Los Angeles Times reported Tuesday.
(MSNBC)

‘Cocktail’ Helps Adult Stem Cells Thrive in Lab

Scientists have discovered a “cocktail” of growth factors that expands the number of stem cells they can grow in the laboratory at least 10 times beyond what anyone has been able to do before.
(HealthDay)

Magnetic System May Help in Transplants

Magnetic tracking of immune cells could one day offer a better way to monitor organ transplants for rejection, researchers report.
(AP)

Stress Sparks ‘Male Foetus Death’

A woman’s body may actively kill off weaker male foetuses during times of stress, research suggests.
(BBC)

‘Come Again?’ Good Medicine Requires Clarity

Anybody up for a spinal tap? How about a needle through your ribs to siphon fluid from around your lungs? Patients in hospitals and clinics face these sorts of invasive and somewhat risky but potentially lifesaving procedures every day, and in each case, a doctor must decide how much to tell a patient beforehand about the pros, cons and alternatives.
(New York Times)

FDA Panel Recommends Ban on Some Inhalers

Certain types of nonprescription inhalers used for decades by asthma sufferers, often against the advice of doctors, could be taken off drugstore shelves because they contain propellants that harm the ozone layer.
(AP)