VCU Massey Cancer Center and VCU Institute of Molecular Medicine (VIMM) researchers discovered a unique approach to treating pancreatic cancer that may be potentially safe and effective. The treatment method involves immunochemotherapy
Despite the growing popularity of using computer simulation to help teach college anatomy, students learn much better through the traditional use of human cadavers, according to new research that has implications for health care.
Cary Roseth, associate professor of educational psychology at Michigan State University, said the study suggests cadaver-based instruction should continue in undergraduate human anatomy, a gateway course to medical school, nursing and other health and medical fields.
In the United States, most anatomy courses still emphasize the use of cadavers, although in many cases digital technologies supplement the instruction. Yet there is a growing debate over whether cadavers are needed at all; some medical schools in Australia and the United Kingdom have stopped using cadavers to teach anatomy altogether.
The research, which appears in the September/October issue of Anatomical Sciences Education, is the only known scientific study to directly compare the effects of cadaver-based and computer-simulation instruction on students
Patients suffering from chronic plantar fasciitis now have a new weapon against this debilitating foot ailment, according to research presented at the Society of Interventional Radiology’s Annual Scientific Meeting. Researchers utilized ultrasound imaging and specific ultrasonic energy to penetrate, emulsify and remove diseased fasciitis tissue. Permanently removing damaged, pain-generating tissue allowed room for healthy tissue to regrow in its place, restoring normal function.
‘Plantar fasciitis is so ubiquitous and such a difficult condition to live with, and yet patients have been limited in their treatment options,’ said Rahul Razdan, M.D., one of the study’s researchers and an interventional radiologist at Advanced Medical Imaging in Lincoln, Neb. ‘While standard treatments, such as pain medication and physical therapy, can offer some relief, there have been no permanent answers. Consequently, safe and effective definitive treatments are highly desirable,’ he noted.
In the study, 100 patients were treated, beginning in August 2013. The patients presented with chronic, refractory plantar fasciopathy, and all patients had previously failed to respond to medications, activity modification and arch supports. Before treatment, patients reported how their foot pain affected their ability to manage everyday life through the Foot and Ankle Disability Index (FADI). FADI scores were collected from the patients at two weeks, six weeks and six months post treatment.
Two weeks after treatment, greater than 90 percent of patients reported improvement in symptoms, and these improvements were maintained at six months. Patients also reported being highly satisfied with the treatment and had no treatment-related complications.
‘It is important for patients suffering from chronic plantar fasciitis to know that they have treatment options,’ added Razdan. ‘We have patients who are in so much pain they can’t even play with their kids or take their dog for a walk. This ultrasonic treatment can give patients their lives back and let them enjoy their lives. We are excited to see significant results from this treatment,’ he said.
Chronic plantar fasciitis is the most common debilitating foot complaint, affecting approximately 10 percent of the population and accounting for more than 1 million office visits annually, said Razdan. EurekAlert
What is the association between perioperative atrial fibrillation and the long-term risk of stroke?
This was a retrospective cohort study using administrative claims data on patients hospitalized for surgery (as defined by surgical diagnosis-related group codes), and discharged alive and free of documented cerebrovascular disease or pre-existing atrial fibrillation from non-federal California acute care hospitals between 2007 and 2011. Patients undergoing cardiac versus other types of surgery were analysed separately. Previously validated diagnosis codes were used to identify ischemic strokes after discharge from the index hospitalization for surgery. The primary predictor variable was atrial fibrillation newly diagnosed during the index hospitalization, as defined by previously validated present-on-admission codes. Patients were censored at post-discharge emergency department encounters or hospitalizations with a recorded diagnosis of atrial fibrillation.
Of 1,729,360 eligible patients, 24,711 (1.43%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.41%-1.45%) had new-onset perioperative atrial fibrillation during the index hospitalization and 13,952 (0.81%; 95% CI, 0.79%-0.82%) experienced a stroke after discharge. In a Cox proportional hazards analysis accounting for potential confounders, perioperative atrial fibrillation was associated with subsequent stroke both after non-cardiac and cardiac surgery. The association with stroke was significantly stronger for perioperative atrial fibrillation after non-cardiac versus cardiac surgery (p < 0.001 for interaction). For non-cardiac surgery, the cumulative rate of stroke 1 year after hospitalization was 1.47% in patients with perioperative atrial fibrillation and 0.36% when no perioperative atrial fibrillation was present (hazard ratio, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.7-2.3). For patients undergoing cardiac surgery, the cumulative risk of stroke 1 year after hospitalization was 0.99% with perioperative atrial fibrillation present, and 0.83% when no perioperative atrial fibrillation was present (hazard ratio, 1.3; 95% CI, 1.1-1.6).
Among patients hospitalized for surgery, perioperative atrial fibrillation was associated with an increased long-term risk of ischemic stroke, especially following non-cardiac surgery.
Atrial fibrillation, when first diagnosed in the perioperative period, especially after non-cardiac surgery, suggests patients
Patient testing at the point-of-care has increased dramatically in recent years, as technology makes it more convenient to test patient samples at the bedside, which produces rapid results and allows immediate action. However, the benefits of this are only true if the results are both accurate and reliable, making quality control vitally important in the POC setting, just as it is in the laboratory. A recent survey in Ontario (Canada) identified that POCT is the largest source of error when compared to other sources of laboratory testing errors. Furthermore, the most common phase for errors in POCT is in the analytical stage, whereas in laboratory-based testing this is the least common source of errors. This highlights how vital it is to have a robust QC procedure in place for POCT as the potential risk of harm to a patient appears to be far greater for POC tests compared to those performed in a laboratory. Randox is launching a series of White Papers focusing on the importance of quality control in point-of-care testing (POCT). The White Papers are free to download and will help laboratories define an appropriate QC procedure for all POCT devices. The first White Paper covers the fundamentals of developing a POCT QC strategy in line with ISO15189 requirements, looking at who is responsible for QC, what QC is appropriate for different types of POC devices and tips for choosing IQC material and an EQA scheme. The second White Paper, scheduled for December, studies the importance of using 100% human serum controls to avoid lot-to-lot variations in immunoassay testing. The papers can be downloaded from the Randox website using the url below.
http://tinyurl.com/lcj2ry8A new medical imaging method being developed at Rutgers University could help physicians detect cancer and other diseases earlier than before, speeding treatment and reducing the need for invasive, time-consuming biopsies.
The potentially lifesaving technique uses nanotechnology to reveal small cancerous tumours and cardiovascular lesions deep inside the body. It is showing promise in early tests by Rutgers researchers in the schools of engineering and pharmacy.
An international team of scientists including researchers from the U. of Granada find that the speed of saccadic movements (rapid eye movements) is an excellent way to objectively measure the level of fatigue in a physician.
Results prove that after a 24-hour medical shift, the speed of saccadic movements diminishes and the subjective perception of fatigue augments. However, the execution of simulated laparoscopic tests is not affected by this type of fatigue.
An international team of scientists which includes researchers from the U. of Granada has demonstrated for the first time that it is possible to establish in an objective way the level of fatigue in physicians after long shifts through their eye movement.
This research reveals that the speed of saccadic movement (mostly voluntary rapid eye movements which we use to focus our gaze upon an object that attracts our attention) is an excellent index to measure objectively the level of fatigue in the medical profession.
Results proved that after long hours, the speed of saccadic movements effectively diminished, while their subjective perception of fatigue increased. However, in the simulated laparoscopic tests after the shift, the execution was not affected in any significant way by their fatigue.
This means that
A new technology that may assist in the treatment of brain cancer and other neurological diseases has recently been described
According to the authors, the current medical use of chemotherapy to treat brain cancer can be inefficient because of the blood-brain-barrier that impedes the delivery of drugs out of blood vessels and into the tumour.
The researchers from the Virginia Tech
In a new approach, the cancer vaccines were developed by first sequencing the genomes of patients
A study of more than 2,000 patients by researchers at Mayo Clinic
April 2024
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