On average, nine Canadians were admitted to hospital every day for a pedestrian injury in 2004?2005, but the overall number of hospitalizations dropped significantly for such injuries over 10 years, according to a new report from the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI).
The off-label and untested use of drug-coated stents in the treatment of coronary artery blockage is common in US practice, and ischemic complication rates are higher among patients receiving drug-coated stents for off-label indications, according to two studies in the May 9 issue of JAMA.
Biogen Idec (NASDAQ: BIIB) and Elan Corporation, plc (NYSE: ELN) announced that new data from the TOUCH Prescribing Program? and TYGRIS safety study confirm the safety profile from previous clinical studies of TYSABRI? (natalizumab). Also presented at the 59th annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology in Boston, MA were extension study data that showed that TYSABRI has a sustained treatment effect on clinical relapses and the risk of disability progression in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients treated for up to three years.
A simple blood test ? beyond standard lab tests ? taken at hospital admission strongly predicted in-hospital mortality risk for heart failure patients and may be useful in helping doctors decide which patients need higher-level monitoring and more intensive treatment.
Electromagnetic fields do not pose a health hazard to workers in the electrical energy supply industry, suggests a large study of 28,000 people, published ahead of print in Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
Roche announces several new research initiatives to further study the use of Tamiflu against the evolving H5N1 avian influenza virus and outlined the future production strategy for Tamiflu.
INTERMACS, the Interagency Registry for Mechanically Assisted Circulatory Support, and its role in facilitating ongoing development of ventricular assistive devices (VAD) will be the subject of presentations and discussion during the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) 27th Annual Meeting and Scientific Sessions this week.
Some say age 90 is the new age 70. If so, there’s never been a better time for elderly patients to discuss with family and physicians just how aggressive medical care should be in case of a threatened or definite heart attack.
Researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) have found that infection with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, is also associated with increased risk of myocardial infarction or heart attack.
The Honourable Tony Clement, Federal Minister of Health, and the Honourable George Abbott, Minister of Health for British Columbia, announced that British Columbia will establish a Patient Wait Times Guarantee for radiation therapy by March 31, 2010, to be supported by $76.4 million in federal funding. British Columbia will also be eligible to benefit from the $400 million in new funding for Canada Health Infoway, and the $30 million for pilot projects as announced in Budget 2007.