Serum biomarker associated with metformin dosing or use

The growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) is a novel biomarker for the use and dosing of metformin, according to a study published online Dec. 14 in Diabetes Care. 237 serum biomarkers from participants in the Outcome... read more

Study shows Tumor cells move differently than normal cells

Drexel University researchers have found that some tumor cells are unable to move like healthy cells, which could impact the way cancer is spread and treated. The team found that certain tumor cells called fibrosarcoma cannot... read more

Outsourced Hospital Cleaning linked to MRSA

Analysis of English NHS hospitals suggests that employing private as opposed to in-house cleaners is a false economy. While it may reduce costs, it could also raise risk of infection by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus... read more

Different Rest Intervals in Low-load Resistance Training

Acute hormonal responses, as well as chronic changes in muscle hypertrophy and strength in low-load training to failure are independent of the rest interval length.... read more

How nurses support families of ICU patients towards the end of life

Researchers gathered evidence on how nurses care for patients and their families in intensive care when life-sustaining treatment is withdrawn. The included studies explored the care of the family before, during and after... read more

Here is Why COPD Disrupts Lung-Repair Ability

In chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the patients' lungs lose their ability to repair damage on their own. Scientists at the Helmholtz Zentrum München, partner in the German Center for Lung Research, now... read more

Reducing Natalizumab Concentration May Reduce PML Risk

Serum concentrations of natalizumab do not appear to rise before patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis are diagnosed with progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, contradicting the hypothesis that exposure... read more

Effectiveness of Pre-Hospital Blood Products

University of Warwick is collaborating with researchers at the NIHR Surgical Reconstruction and Microbiology Research Centre (SRMRC) to support a ground-breaking new study to investigate the effectiveness of giving patients... read more

Milestone-based Assessment for Internal Medicine Residents

This Cross-Sectional study investigates how well correlated are 2 academic rating systems measuring medicine residents' training and whether medical knowledge scores correlate with American Board of Internal Medicine... read more

Uncontrolled Bleeding Stopped By Injectable Viscous Hydrogel

A new study describes a novel embolic agent for endovascular embolization procedures that has a hemostatic activity comparable to that of metallic coils, the current gold standard. The nanocomposite STBs are injected through... read more

Plazomicin Succeeds in Phase 3 cUTI and CRE Trial

Plazomicin an antibiotic being developed to fight multidrug-resistant bacterial infections, has met the primary objective of noninferiority compared with meropenem in a phase 3 registration trial among patients with complicated... read more

Anesthesiologist reaction time increased after night call

For anesthesiologists, reaction time increases after a night call, with greater increases seen in correlation with reliance on avoidance as a coping mechanism. Post-call psychomotor vigilance test mean reaction time decreased... read more

End-Inspiratory Pause Prolongation in ARDS Patients

Prolonging EIP allowed a significant decrease in Vt without changes in PaCO2 in passively ventilated ARDS patients. This produced a significant decrease in plateau pressure and driving pressure and significantly increased... read more

Blood Products Can Safely be Transported by Drones

Blood products don't seem to suffer damage when transported by drones, researchers report. Large bags of blood products, such as those transfused into patients everyday, can maintain temperature and cellular integrity... read more

Non-invasive Respiratory Support and Methylxanthines Reduce Re-Intubations

In a meta-analysis of randomized studies evaluating efforts to reduce re-intubations and respiratory failure in preterm infants, non-invasive respiratory support and use of methylxanthines (theophylline, caffeine) were found... read more

Fibromyalgia as marker for seizures less reliable

The specificity of fibromyalgia as a marker for psychogenic nonepileptic seizures is less reliable than previously described, results from a large analysis showed. Fibromyalgia may not be as reliable a clinical indicator... read more

Three-year mortality in 30 day survivors of critical care with AKI

Acute kidney injury was not an independent risk factor for 3-year mortality among 30-day survivors. Increased 3-year mortality among patients with AKI who survive critical illness may not be related to AKI per se, but rather... read more

Quality of Outpatient Care Delivered to Adults in USA

This cross-sectional survey study measures changes in outpatient quality and patient experience in the United States from 2002 to 2013 to determine whether efforts to improve outpatient quality have been successful. Three... read more

Neuroprotective Effects of the Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Analog Exenatide After Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest

Acute administration of exenatide to comatose patients in the ICU after OHCA is feasible and safe. Exenatide did not reduce neuron-specific enolase levels and did not significantly improve a composite end point of death and... read more

High rate of depression and suicidal thoughts among medical students

A review and analysis of nearly 200 studies involving 129,000 medical students in 47 countries found that the prevalence of depression or depressive symptoms was 27 percent, that 11 percent reported suicidal thoughts during... read more

A closer step to artificial blood

Researchers have created an artificial red blood cell that effectively picks up oxygen in the lungs and delivers it to tissues throughout the body. This artificial blood can be freeze-dried, making it easier for combat medics... read more

Skeletal muscle quality as assessed by CT-derived skeletal muscle density is associated with 6-month mortality in mechanically ventilated critically ill patients

Low skeletal muscle quality at ICU admission, as assessed by CT-derived skeletal muscle density, is independently associated with higher 6-month mortality in mechanically ventilated patients. Thus, muscle quality as well... read more