December 14, 2009
JAMA (Volume 30; Number 21; December 2, 2009) is now available by subscription only. Articles include: “Redesign of the Health Care Delivery System: A Bauhaus ‘Form Follows Function’ Approach” by Kevin Grumbach, 2363-2364. “National Preparedness for a Catastrophic Emergency: Crisis … Read More
December 14, 2009
According to the Alliance for Paired Donation, many people who need kidney transplants have family members or friends willing to give a kidney, only to find out that their blood and tissue are not compatible with their intended recipient. As … Read More
December 14, 2009
n 2005, he unveiled several working prototypes of a mechanical, mind-controlled “exoskeleton” that could allow the disabled to walk. The suit – recently refined and now available for rent in Japan – resembles white soccer shinguards attached to each segment … Read More
December 14, 2009
Part “Star Wars,” part human, each finger contains a motor smaller than a dime. Controlled by a small computer processor and powered by a tiny rechargeable battery, the prosthetics, called ProDigits, allow owners unheard of control over their hands. Electrodes … Read More
December 14, 2009
Unable to have a baby of her own, Amy Kehoe became her own general contractor to manufacture one. For Kehoe and her husband, Scott, the idea seemed like their best hope after years of infertility. (Herald Tribune)
December 14, 2009
The Senate Republican leader said on Sunday Democrats were too divided to muster the votes to pass an overhaul of the U.S. healthcare system, but a senior Democratic senator said he was optimistic although the task is “very, very hard.” … Read More
December 14, 2009
Peter Singer has argued that we should not proceed with a hypothetical life-extension drug, based on a scenario in which developing the drug would fail to achieve the greatest sum of happiness over time. However, this is the wrong test. … Read More
December 14, 2009
Gathering seeks to foster the art of convergence and cooperation in global ethics among the three Monotheistic faiths using an academic model for dissemination and sharing of information and knowledge. (PrWeb)
December 14, 2009
The former ethics guru at Albany Medical College, who had a less than amicable split with the school last year, has landed a job in Kansas City. (Times Union)
December 11, 2009
Mix-ups both inside and outside the operating room lead to procedures performed on the incorrect patient or wrong body part, a new study says. (American Medical News)
December 11, 2009
As a thick, gray haze began to descend over the words in her schoolbooks, and eventually the faces of loved ones, Barbara Campbell barely grasped that she was going blind. (CNN)
December 11, 2009
The widely publicized case of Rom Houben, a Belgian man who was inaccurately diagnosed as being in a vegetative state for more than two decades, highlights the serious problem of misdiagnosis in patients with disorders of consciousness. (Bioethics Forum)
December 11, 2009
Whether a 9-year-old girl will keep her foot is in the hands of a family court judge. (New Times)
December 10, 2009
Swallow the doctor’s diagnosis whole, or spend weeks plowing through the primary research literature at a medical library—at the risk of alienating your physician. Those were two of the primary choices available to lay people diagnosed 20 years ago with … Read More
December 10, 2009
When Japanese scientists found a way to tease out high-quality stem cells from adult skin, their discovery was hailed as a major breakthrough, all but rendering moot the controversy around embryonic stem cells and the related destruction of embryos. (National … Read More
December 10, 2009
The mapping of the human genome has created enticing possibilities for the early detection of grave diseases. Genetic research, however, has run headlong into a tricky legal issue: Should human genes ever be the subject of patent protection? (Wall Street … Read More
December 10, 2009
The Government’s peak health policy body has lifted a five-year ban on transplanting animal organs into humans. In 2004, the National Health and Medical Research Council banned clinical trials involving xenotransplantation – the medical use of animal body products in … Read More
December 9, 2009
Researchers say that a new method of bone marrow transplantation cured nine out of 10 adult patients with sickle cell disease, an inherited condition that causes bouts of severe pain, organ damage and sharply limits life expectancy. (Forbes)
December 9, 2009
A leading University of Michigan researcher said Tuesday the school now can accept private donations of unused human embryos for creating new stem cell lines. (The Associated Press)
December 9, 2009
U.S. researchers have found a drug-free way to block fearful memories, opening up the possibility of new treatment approaches for problems such as post traumatic stress disorder, they reported on Wednesday. (Reuters)
December 9, 2009
The fertility watchdog is to look at offering more generous compensation to egg and sperm donors as a means of tackling the severe shortage of supplies for those desperate for a baby. (BBC)
December 8, 2009
Health Care Ethics in the 21st Century Providence Health Care’s 2nd Annual Health Ethics Seminar Conference Centre, 2nd Floor, 1190 Hornby St, Vancouver, BC April 19 to April 22, 2010 Providence Health Care Ethics Services is offering their second annual … Read More
December 8, 2009
The second phase of a clinical trial testing a new stem-cell-based therapy on injured heart muscle has been launched by researchers at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston. It is the only study site in the Texas Medical … Read More
December 8, 2009
Most of the world’s religions share some version of the golden rule of treating others as you wish to be treated. (Beliefnet)
December 8, 2009
Genetic screening techniques that allow parents to choose their children’s gender are now more accurate than ever and are becoming increasingly mainstream, but experts are divided over whether the technology should be used in this way. (CNN)
