Mayo Clinic ophthalmologists have found commercially available Class 3A green laser pointers can cause visible harm to the eye’s retina with exposures as short as 60 seconds. The findings will be published in the May issue of Archives of Ophthalmology.
Dennis Robertson, M.D., Mayo Clinic ophthalmologist, conducted investigations with a green laser pointer directed to the retina of a patient’s eye; the eye was scheduled for removal because of a malignancy. The green laser damaged t
A new blood screening test could help to identify ovarian cancer in its early stages when few symptoms are present, Yale School of Medicine researchers report in the May 10 issue of Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences (PNAS).
Epithelial ovarian cancer is the leading cause of gynecologic cancer deaths in the United States and three times more lethal than breast cancer. It is usually not diagnosed until its advanced stages and has come to be known as the “silent killer.
Persistent use of ecstasy leads to a loss of everyday memory, researchers from Northumbria University have discovered. For the study 23 regular users of ecstasy were compared to 30 people who had never used the drug.
They were then asked to complete a questionnaire to assess long and short-term aspects of memory for future events such as remembering to meet with friends, posting a letter or switching off lights. They were also asked to take part in a video-based (objective) me
While patients hospitalized for a heart attack have long been treated with morphine to relieve chest pain, an analysis by researchers from the Duke Clinical Research Institute has shown that these patients have almost a 50 percent higher risk of dying.
The researchers call for a randomized clinical trial to confirm their analysis. Meanwhile, they advise cardiologists to begin treatment with sufficient doses of nitroglycerin to relieve pain before resorting to morphine. In their an
Although there is the potential for tollbooth workers at the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel to be exposed to high levels of cancer-causing air toxins emitted from the thousands of vehicles that pass under their nose, researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that the tollbooth ventilation system was effective in keeping air toxins out of the tollbooth and away from the workers. The researchers measured levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and particle-bound po
Research is first to test effectiveness of a new ’patch’ for treating ADHD
A new University at Buffalo study of treatments for children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has found that combining behavior modification therapy with medication is the most effective way to improve the behavior of many ADHD children.
In fact, when the two are combined, the study showed, the amount of medication required to achieve the same results as use of medication alon
Children who have been abused are at risk of recurrence and effective prevention strategies are urgently needed, say the authors of a randomized trial published online today by The Lancet.
Recurrence of child maltreatment is a major problem.
In a study involving 163 Canadian families with confirmed child physical abuse or neglect, Dr. Harriet MacMillan, professor of psychiatry and behavioural neurosciences at McMaster University, and colleagues tested whether regular ho
Arizona State University researchers and Tempe-based Kinetic Muscles, Inc., have developed a robotic arm to help stroke survivors regain the ability to perform basic tasks, such as reaching for objects or feeding themselves. The rehabilitative device aids in task-oriented repetitive therapy, and the hope is that it will provide a cost-effective alternative to traditional therapy. This would enable a wider population to regain maximum motor function.
The research team is led by Jip
One key goal of treating pancreatic cancer, which is often fatal within a year, is making sure patients have a good quality of life with as few complications as possible. This is especially important if they are candidates for surgical removal of the cancer.
Now, doctors at the University of Virginia Health System report that placing self-expanding metal tubes or stents (covered with a synthetic material) to drain the common bile duct is a safe and effective treatment for a major
Estrogen and progesterone hormones in birth control do not influence the effectiveness of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), which is used to treat HIV infection, according to researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and other institutions. The study is published in the May 1, 2005, issue of the American Journal of Epidemiology.
“Since the introduction of HAART in 1996, many studies have proven the effectiveness of these regimens in reducing
A study that includes 20 years of follow-up does not support aggressive treatment for localized, low-grade prostate cancer, with data indicating a small risk of progression of this grade of cancer, according to a study in the May 4 issue of JAMA.
To determine the need for treatment of localized prostate cancer, patients and physicians must understand the natural history of this disease, according to background information in the article. A recent study suggested an increasing pros
Migraine patients who received true acupuncture had no decrease in headaches as compared with those who received sham acupuncture treatment, according to a study in the May 4 issue of JAMA.
Migraine is a common and disabling condition that typically includes attacks of severe, pulsating, 1-sided headaches, often accompanied by nausea and sensitivity to sound and light, according to background information in the article. Population-based studies suggest that 6 percent to 7 perce
A monitoring program developed by a Northwestern University researcher has successfully identified a large number of previously unknown, serious and often-fatal drug reactions associated with 15 commonly used drugs, including Plavix®, thalidomide and drug-coated cardiac stents.
As described in an article in the May 4 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, the Research on Adverse Drug Events and Reports (RADAR) Project compiles information from reports submitte
New technique can replace handheld blades and speed recovery time
A UC Irvine ophthalmologist and his team have invented a new laser-surgery technique to perform cornea-transplant surgery that can replace the use of traditional handheld surgical blades and potentially improve recovery time for patients.
The technique was developed by Dr. Roger F. Steinert, director of cornea, refractive and cataract surgery in UCI Health Sciences. Cornea transplants are performed on the “
Low-dose MDCT of the sinuses in children is effective in diagnosing conditions such as sinusitis and middle ear fluid with a radiation dose comparable to standard x-rays. It also has more benefits, such as better accuracy, speed and a broader diagnosis potential, say researchers from Heilig Hart Hospital in Belgium.
For the study, the researchers compared the imaging results of 69 children who had undergone x-rays and 125 children who had undergone low-dose MDCT. They found that
In patients with no or moderate coronary calcification, 16-slice MDCT allows the reliable detection of coronary artery stenosis with high diagnostic accuracy, say researchers from Tuebingen University Hospital in Germany. Coronary artery stenosis is the narrowing of coronary arteries due to the build-up of calcified plaques.
The study included 37 patients, 28 of whom had a calcium score of less than 1,000 (no calcification to moderate calcification). The researchers found that 16-MD
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