Care

Healthcare :: Report recommends redefining the role of health visitors

An independent review is recommending strengthening the role for health visitors to maximises the impact they can have on children and families.

Nursing :: Better skilled nursing facilities for Medicare patients

The best way for the federal government to preserve Medicare beneficiary access to quality rehabilitative care is to implement current rules governing that care, according to an alliance of national and regional health care providers.

Cancer :: FISH on a chip offers quicker, less costly cancer diagnosis

For the first time an important diagnostic test for cancer has been miniaturized and automated onto a microfluidic chip by a team of University of Alberta researchers in Edmonton, Canada.

Frostbite :: Clot-dissolving agent may be beneficial in treatment of severe frostbite

A preliminary study suggests that a blood clot-dissolving medication that is administered to some patients following a stroke or heart attack may help to reduce the risk of amputation following severe frostbite, according to a report in the June issue of Archives of Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

Heart Attack :: Multidisciplinary approach to treatment of heart attacks a success

Acute heart attacks can be successfully treated through a multidisciplinary team approach involving emergency medical services, emergency physicians, cardiologists and specialty centres, according to a study conducted by Dr. Jacobus S. de Villiers and colleagues in Calgary.

Diabetes :: Death rates for American men with diabetes fell steeply

A new analysis of data from three large national databases finds that in the 29 years between 1971 and 2000, the death rate of men with diabetes has dropped significantly, in line with the overall decline of the death rate for all Americans. But the death rate for women with diabetes did not decline at all.

Dental :: Columbia dentists to improve oral health in sub-Saharan Africa

A new initiative from Columbia University Medical Center will be the first to target chronic oral health problems in sub-Saharan Africa, where the vast majority of chronic diseases are left undetected and untreated. The initiative is the result of an anonymous $1.5 million gift to support the Millennium Villages, which aims to fight extreme poverty and related challenges such as disease, hunger and lack of access to water and sanitation though scientifically sound and sustainable interventions. A third of the gift will be devoted to supporting the oral health program.