February 17, 2012
The New England Journal of Medicine (Volume 366, Issue 4, January 26, 2012) is now available on-line and by subscription only. Articles include: “The Fate of Health Care Reform — What to Expect in 2012” by D.K. Jones, available on-line.
February 16, 2012
Sometimes, the creation is better than its creator. Robots today perform surgeries, shoot people, fly planes, drive cars, replace astronauts, baby-sit kids, build cars, fold laundry, have sex, and can even eat (but not human bodies, the manufacturer insists). (Slate)
February 16, 2012
Pediatricians fed up with parents who refuse to vaccinate their children out of concern it can cause autism or other problems increasingly are “firing” such families from their practices, raising questions about a doctor’s responsibility to these patients. (Wall Street … Read More
February 16, 2012
The Obama administration thought it had found a way to ease mounting objections to a requirement in the new health care act that all employers — including religiously affiliated hospitals and universities — offer coverage for birth control to women … Read More
February 16, 2012
One of the most agonizing spots in medicine is the “transplant list.†When I’ve referred patients for organ transplant — heart, liver, kidney — it is the start of an anguished wait. (NY Times)
February 16, 2012
It doesn’t compute: Medicare’s bill for artificial feet has jumped by more than half, although foot and leg amputations due to diabetes continue to decline dramatically. (Washington Post)
February 16, 2012
For people who face frequent needle jabs to treat chronic conditions, a new technology is on the horizon that might make treatment a lot less painful. (Scientific American)
February 16, 2012
The Journal of the American Medical Association (Volume 307, Issue 4, January 2012) is now available by subscription only. Articles include: “Science, Politics, and Over-the-Counter Emergency Contraception” by Robert Steinbrook, 365-366. “Physician Autonomy and Health Care Reform” by Ezekiel J. … Read More
February 15, 2012
The Journal of the American Medical Association (Volume 307, Issue 2, January 2012) is now available by subscription only. Articles include: “Addressing Requests by Patients for Nonbeneficial Interventions” by Allan S. Brett; Laurence B. McCullough, 149-150. “The Courts, Futility, and … Read More
February 15, 2012
U.S. researchers have begun a groundbreaking trial to test the potential of umbilical cord blood transplants, a kind of stem cell therapy, to treat and possibly reverse hearing loss in infants. (Vancouver Sun)
February 15, 2012
Tests involving chickens have raised questions about the impact on health from engineered nano-particles, the ultra-fine grains commonly used in drugs and processed foods, scientists said on Sunday. (AFP)
February 15, 2012
More than one report from an august body of experts has gathered dust in Washington DC. But the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, a public-policy think tank based in the US capital, is setting out today to make sure … Read More
February 15, 2012
GOVERNMENT spooks want cyborg insects to snoop on their enemies. Biologists want to tap into the nervous systems of insects to understand how they fly. A probe that can be implanted into moths to control their flight could help satisfy … Read More
February 15, 2012
IVF clinics have been told that no more than 10% of births should be twins or triplets by regulators. (BBC News)
February 15, 2012
People enrolled in early stage trials for possible cancer treatments may underestimate the risks involved and overestimate the potential benefits, suggests a new study. (Fox News)
February 15, 2012
Eighth Annual Pediatric Bioethics Conference Friday and Saturday, July 27 and 28, 2012 Bell Harbor International Conference Center, Seattle Healthcare providers have professional responsibilities to care for their patients. Yet physicians, nurses, social workers and trainees face daily choices when … Read More
February 14, 2012
The ‘male mother’, who is believed to be in his 30s, was able to carry a child after taking female hormones to reverse the effects of his female-to-male sex change treatment. (Telegraph)
February 14, 2012
It doesn’t have a particularly snappy title, but the Summary Report of the Expert Panel on Integrated Guidelines for Cardiovascular Health and Risk Reduction in Children and Adolescents makes for surprisingly accessible and interesting reading. (NY Times)
February 14, 2012
A drug used to treat multiple sclerosis has also been shown to slow the progression of Lou Gehrig’s disease in mice, a nonprofit biotechnology company plans to announce Tuesday. Now, scientists face a dilemma. (Wall Street Journal)
February 14, 2012
A promising stem cell therapy approach could soon provide a way to regenerate heart muscle damaged by heart attacks. (ABC News)
February 14, 2012
NanoEthics (Volume 5, Issue 3, January 2012) is now available by subscription only. Articles include: “Seven Religious Reactions to Nanotechnology” by Chris Toumey, 251-267. “Ethics and Nanopharmacy: Value Sensitive Design of New Drugs” by Job Timmermans, Yinghuan Zhao & Jeroen … Read More
February 13, 2012
Patients could be kept alive solely so they can become organ donors, hearts could be retrieved from newborn babies for the first time, and body parts could be taken from high-risk donors as part of an urgent medical and ethical … Read More
February 13, 2012
Physician organizations are expressing concerns that minimum health coverage standards proposed by federal health officials to start in 2014 might not cover children adequately or provide sufficient drug coverage, among other issues. (American Medical News)
February 13, 2012
Women seeking to avoid medical interventions and gain control of the birth process are increasingly choosing to deliver their babies at home, but medical experts warn that the option is accompanied by elevated neonatal mortality, even in low-risk births. (American … Read More
February 13, 2012
For most of her life, Hope Rubel was a healthy woman with good medical insurance, an unblemished credit history and a solid career in graphic design. But on the day an ambulance rushed her to a Manhattan hospital emergency room … Read More
