Medscape Pulmonary Medicine Headlines

Infant Rotavirus Vaccine Reduced Diarrhea-Related Hospitalizations, ED Visits, and Outpatient Visits

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 14:56:32 EST

The pentavalent rotavirus vaccine is safe and effective and greatly reduces resource use and expenditures related to diarrheal illness in infants younger than 1 year of age.
Medscape Medical News

Dutch Pull Pfizer Vaccine Batch After Infants Die

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 18:13:39 EST

Dutch authorities say they have banned use of a batch of Pfizer Inc's (PFE.N) Prevenar, or Prevnar, after three infants died within two weeks of receiving the anti-infection vaccination.
Reuters Health Information

PTSD Linked to Patient-Reported Cardiovascular Health Status

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 14:01:12 EST

In the Heart and Soul Study of patients with heart disease, posttaumatic stress disorder was more associated with patient-reported cardiovascular health status vs objective cardiac function measures.
Medscape Medical News

Varenicline Effective for Highly Nicotine-Dependent Smokers With COPD

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 12:32:27 EST

Varenicline was associated with a 42.3% quit rate at 40 weeks for the hard-to-treat population of smokers with mild to moderate chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Medscape Medical News

Gram-Negative Hospital Infections Now Showing Resistance to Polymixin B

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 12:03:41 EST

Resistance is slowly growing to polymixin B, a drug once rejected but brought back to life to treat the growing numbers of resistant gram-negative infections in hospitalized patients.
Medscape Medical News

A Successful Campaign Against Antibiotic Overuse

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 12:02:36 EST

Antibiotic overuse was addressed by a multiyear national program that was successful in reducing use. Commentary offered by John G. Bartlett, MD.
Medscape Infectious Diseases

Limiting Working Hours May Compromise Surgeons' Education and Patient Care

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 11:56:16 EST

Reducing the number of hours physicians in training can work may compromise their education and put care of patients in jeopardy, surgeons warn.
Medscape Medical News

Video Intervention May Improve Treatment for Partners of Teen Girls With Pelvic Inflammatory Disease

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 11:49:12 EST

In a randomized controlled trial, girls assigned to a community-specific video intervention were 3 times more likely to have their partners treated than those in the control group.
Medscape Medical News

Obesity Linked to Many Cancer Cases in U.S.

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 11:22:11 EST

Researchers say excess body fat may be a cause of multiple cancers.
WebMD Health News

Most Medicaid Programs Fail to Provide Unrestricted Access to Smoking Cessation Therapies

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 10:06:25 EST

Although the majority of state Medicaid programs offer coverage for some tobacco-dependence treatment, the majority fall far short of a stated mandate to provide unrestricted access to therapies.
Medscape Medical News

FDA Launches Program to Reduce Drug-Related Injuries

Thu, 5 Nov 2009 17:49:39 EST

The FDA has announced the launch of the Safe Use Initiative program to reduce drug-related injuries from patient errors or procedural errors by pharmacies or other healthcare providers.
Medscape Medical News

Will There Ever Be a Big Brown Ribbon Outside the White House?

Thu, 5 Nov 2009 15:52:42 EST

In his latest video blog, Dr. John Marshall questions why the pink ribbon/breast cancer awareness promotion attracts more publicity than any other disease campaign.
Medscape Hematology-Oncology

Statins Associated With Lower Risk for Death Among Hospitalized Influenza Patients

Thu, 5 Nov 2009 14:54:24 EST

Statin users hospitalized for influenza experienced a 54% lower risk for death than patients not taking statins.
Medscape Medical News

U.S. States, Counties Struggle to Deliver H1N1 Shots

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 11:58:01 EST

States and counties will be struggling to vaccinate people against the swine flu pandemic well into December and January -- long after the first peak of the virus in the United States, officials said on Wednesday.
Reuters Health Information

U.S. Spends Most, but Health Quality Lags

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 11:55:39 EST

Americans are more likely than people in 10 other countries to have trouble getting medical treatment because of insurance restrictions or cost, an international survey of primary care doctors released on Wednesday found.
Reuters Health Information

Vaccine Effective for HPV-Related Vulvar Intraepithelial Neoplasia

Thu, 5 Nov 2009 13:18:31 EST

An experimental vaccine induced a high rate of response in women with human papillomavirus (HPV)-16-positive, high-grade vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia.
Medscape Medical News

Hospitalization, Death From H1N1 Influenza Can Occur at Any Age

Thu, 5 Nov 2009 12:07:01 EST

Infants had the highest hospitalization rates from H1N1 influenza, but persons aged 50 years or older had the highest mortality rates once hospitalized.
Medscape Medical News

Inhaled Loxapine Offers Rapid-Onset Treatment for Agitation

Thu, 5 Nov 2009 11:46:36 EST

Inhaled loxapine takes effect within 10 minutes, which is faster than intramuscular injection.
Medscape Medical News

New Highly Virulent Strain of Vancomycin-Resistant MRSA Carries High Mortality Rate

Thu, 5 Nov 2009 11:42:19 EST

Patients with USA600 strain-positive methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteremia were at 5 times the risk of dying as those with other strains, and were vancomycin-resistant.
Medscape Medical News

COPD: Awareness Climbs, but Understanding Lags

Thu, 5 Nov 2009 11:21:28 EST

More people are aware of COPD, but the understanding of the disease remains low, according to a survey.
WebMD Health News