2012 Feb 16 - New York Times: In Israel, a New Approach to Organ Donation

February 16, 2012, 9:00 am;By DANIELLE OFRI, M.D.
"to create a new law in 2010 ..... : if two patients have identical medical needs for an organ transplant, priority will be given to the patient who has signed a donor card, or whose family member has donated an organ in the past. "..... "The consent rate from families ...... has ...... increased, and the number of organs available for patients ...... increased ....... Transplants ...... increased by more than 60 percent ......"

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2012 Feb 8 - FDA Drug Safety Communication: PPI - Clostridium Difficile Associated Diarrhea

FDA Drug safety communication
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is informing the public that the use of stomach acid drugs known as proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) may be associated with an increased risk of Clostridium difficile - associated diarrhea (CDAD)...

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2011 Nov 7 - Fluoroquinolone antibiotics: patients with myasthenia gravis may risk increased muscle weakness

Message from Health Canada on 7 Nov 2011
Patients with a rare condition known as myasthenia gravis who take a fluoroquinolone antibiotic may risk a worsening of their symptoms, including muscle weakness or breathing problems.

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2001 Oct 25 - FDA Drug Safety Communication: Voluntary market withdrawal of Xigris [drotrecogin alfa (activated)] due to failure to show a survival benefit

FDA Drug Safety Communication: Food and Drug Administration. 2011 Oct 25.
Safety Announcement
Information from the FDA website: [10-25-2011] The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is informing healthcare professionals and the public that on October 25, 2011, Eli Lilly and Company announced a worldwide voluntary market withdrawal of Xigris [drotrecogin alfa (activated)]. In a recent study, Xigris failed to show a survival benefit for patients with severe sepsis and septic shock.

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2011 Sep - Antibiotic treatment for Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea in adults [Review]

Nelson RL, Kelsey P, Leeman H, Meardon N, Patel H, Paul K, Rees R, Taylor B, Wood E, Malakun R.; Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2011 Sep 7;9:CD004610.
BACKGROUND: Clostridium difficile is recognized as a frequent cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhea and colitis.

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2011 Jun - Blood pressure during resuscitation in man-The effect of pause during rhythm analysis revisited

Hoppu S, Sainio M, Huhtala H, Eilevstjønn J, Tenhunen J, Olkkola KT.; Resuscitation. 2011 Jun 17. [Epub ahead of print]
AIMS: This study reports invasive arterial pressures before and after the rhythm analysing pauses during CPR and evaluates the possible association of the quality of CPR and the length of the pause with blood pressure around the pause.

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2011 Guidelines for the Prevention of Intravascular Catheter-Related Infections

Naomi P. O'Grady, M.D.[1], Mary Alexander, R.N.[2], Lillian A. Burns, M.T., M.P.H., C.I.C.[3], E. Patchen Dellinger, M.D.[4], Jeffery Garland, M.D., S.M.[5], Stephen O. Heard, M.D.[6], Pamela A. Lipsett, M.D.[7], Henry Masur, M.D.[1], Leonard A. Mermel, D.O., Sc.M.[8], Michele L. Pearson, M.D.[9], Issam I. Raad, M.D.[10], Adrienne Randolph, M.D., M.Sc.[11], Mark E. Rupp, M.D.[12], Sanjay Saint, M.D., M.P.H.[13] and the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC)[14]. CDC.
These guidelines have been developed for healthcare personnel who insert intravascular catheters and for persons responsible for surveillance and control of infections in hospital, outpatient, and home healthcare settings.

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2011 Jan 28 - 明報: H1N1新增3個案 全深切治療 流感佔用人工肺 ICU添壓力

Date: 28 Jan 2011; Mingpao News
本港昨日再多3名市民確診感染H1N1流感(俗稱豬流感),...  全部情况危殆,在深切治療部(ICU)接受治療 .... 3人要用俗稱「人工肺」的體外膜氧合器來幫助呼吸。由於全港目前只有8部「人工肺」...

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2011 Jan 19 - HKU study: convalescent plasma treatment crucial for patient with severe H1N1 2009 infection

The University of Hong Kong Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine Press Release; 2011 Jan 19. 
The cohort study demonstrated that plasma treatment significantly reduced mortality in patients with severe pandemic H1N1 2009 infection (treatment group: 54.8% vs control group 20.0%, p < 0.01). It significantly lowered the day 3-7 respiratory tract viral load and cytokine level when compared with the control group (p < 0.05).

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2010 Dec 28 - Apple Daily: 鯇魚膽當蛇膽致肝腎衰竭

Date: 2010年12月28日
.... 一名67歲女病人原購買蛇膽治療風濕,蛇販卻給她鯇魚膽;她將鯇魚膽加酒食用後數小時病發,證實出現肝及腎衰竭。

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2010 Dec - New molecular and surrogate biomarker-based tests in the diagnosis of bacterial and fungal infection in febrile neutropenic patients [Review]

Chen SC, Kontoyiannis DP.; Curr Opin Infect Dis. 2010 Dec;23(6):567-77.
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Prompt diagnosis of infection in febrile neutropenia hosts with hematological malignancy is essential in directing therapy. We highlight experience using modern molecular and biomarker-based methods to diagnose bacterial and fungal bloodstream infections and invasive aspergillosis in these patients.

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2010 Oct 6 - Magnesium sulphate versus phenytoin for eclampsia

Duley L, Henderson-Smart DJ, Chou D. Magnesium sulphate versus phenytoin for eclampsia. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2010 Oct 6;10:CD000128.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Eclampsia, the occurrence of a seizure in association with pre-eclampsia, remains a rare but serious complication of pregnancy. A number of different anticonvulsants have been used to control eclamptic fits and to prevent further seizures.

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2010 Sep 8 - Interventions to improve hand hygiene compliance in patient care

Gould DJ, Moralejo D, Drey N, et al. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2010 Sep 8;9:CD005186. (Review)
BACKGROUND: Health care-associated infection is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Hand hygiene is regarded as an effective preventive measure.

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2010 Sep 8 - Corticosteroids for acute bacterial meningitis

Brouwer MC, McIntyre P, de Gans J, et al. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2010 Sep 8;9:CD004405. (Review)
BACKGROUND: In experimental studies, the outcome of bacterial meningitis has been related to the severity of inflammation in the subarachnoid space. Corticosteroids reduce this inflammatory response.

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2010 Sep 22 - Hong Kong Centre for Health Protection: Local case of dengue fever confirmed

Date: 22 September 2010; Source: CHP
A case of locally acquired dengue fever involving a 46-year-old man was confirmed by Public Health Laboratory Service Branch of the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) today (September 22).

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2010 Sep 1 - FDA Drug Safety Communication: Increased risk of death with Tygacil (tigecycline) compared to other antibiotics used to treat similar infections

Safety Announcement [09-01-2010]
Quoted from the US FDA: "The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is reminding healthcare professionals of an increased mortality risk associated with the use of the intravenous antibacterial Tygacil (tigecycline) compared to that of other drugs used to treat a variety of serious infections. The increased risk was determined using a pooled analysis of clinical trials. The cause of the excess death in these trials is often uncertain, but it is likely that most deaths in patients with these severe infections were related to progression of the infection."

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2010 Aug 13 - 世界新聞網: 超級細菌奪命 恐襲全球

Date: August 14, 2010
法新社13日報導,一名比利時男子死於源自南亞、能抵抗藥物的「超級細菌」 (superbug),這是超級細菌第一個通報死亡病例.

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2010 Aug 12 - New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase 1 (NDM-1)

Date: 12 August 2010, Centre for Health Protection
CHP attaches great importance to antibiotic resistant bacteria
File:EscherichiaColi NIAID.jpg
A spokesman for the Centre for Health Department (CHP) of the Department of Health today (August 13) said CHP attached great importance to an overseas report concerning the emergence of new antibiotic resistant organisms harbouring New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase 1 (NDM-1).

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