All Medical care Articles

CHICAGO -- At least 2 million older Americans are taking a combination of drugs or supplements that can be a risky mix -- from blood thinners and cholesterol pills to aspirin and ginkgo capsules -- a new study warns. Among older men, the numbers are particularly alarming -- one in 10 are taking potentially harmful combinations, according to the study. The results aren't always disastrous, Read more...

Are you taking a placebo? This may be a shocking idea. A placebo, after all, is a pill, potion or patch that is not expected to have any particular therapeutic effect on your condition. So, surely, your doctor would never prescribe one. Actually, your doctor might, and with good reason. According to a recently published study, about half of the rheumatologists and internists who responded to Read more...

QUESTION: My doctor told me to avoid grapefruit juice with my medicine. I take thyroid hormone along with medication for heartburn, cholesterol and depression. Are there any other foods or beverages that could be dangerous with these drugs? ANSWER: Great question! Many people taking medications unknowingly eat foods that could cause serious interactions with the drugs. For example, it's Read more...

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Dec. 2, 2008 -- Are we getting better at going to the doctor? Getting tested for the most common types of cancers? Changing our eating and exercise habits? New research suggests so. It indicates that improvements in behavior and screening have contributed greatly to the 13 percent decline in cancer mortality since 1990, with better cancer treatments playing a supporting role, Read more...

WASHINGTON, Nov. 20 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- More than 2,000 medicines for older Americans are currently being tested in clinical trials or are waiting for Food and Drug Administration approval, according to a new report released by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA). This latest PhRMA report on new, cutting-edge medicines in the research pipeline comes as Read more...

Medication errors harm at least 1.5 million people every year, according to a 2006 Institute of Medicine (IOM) report. An estimated 400,000 preventable drug-related injuries occur each year in hospitals, and another 800,000 occur in long-term-care settings. Among Medicare recipients alone, 530,000 medication errors -- from wrong dosage, wrong route of administration or wrong medication -- occur Read more...

Oct. 29 -- WASHINGTON -- Medical science has learned a great deal about the causes of pain and ways to relieve it, pain experts say, but for a host of reasons, the treatment of pain and suffering has improved hardly at all in recent years. John Seffrin, the president of the American Cancer Society, calls this "a national health-care crisis of under-treated pain." "Nearly Read more...

As health care consumers endure higher deductibles and reduced insurance benefits, it is becoming more important to understand and even negotiate prices before receiving medical treatment. Dr. Kathryn Stewart, medical director of care management at Mount Sinai Hospital in Chicago, believes that patients can and should be more proactive about seeking the best prices for their Read more...

Every year, millions of Americans get the wrong drugs at pharmacies or don't take them correctly at home, sometimes leading to life-threatening health problems. Here are tips from pharmacists on staying safe: Understand what you're taking. When your doctor writes a prescription, ask about the name -- including the spelling -- and dosage, how often to take the drug, why it will help you Read more...

Numerous mistakes are made all along the way once the primary care doctor orders a test, according to a new survey of eight family medicine practices. The wrong test is ordered; the test is incorrectly administered; incomplete results are conveyed to the doctor; and the results are not reported to the patient. These are a few of the errors reported in this survey that allowed 243 doctors and Read more...

Aug. 24, 2008 -- When a patient steps into a doctor"s office, he trusts that the only thing on his physician"s mind is how to make him better. But physicians across the United States fear that increasingly stringent insurance rules and the frequent second-guessing of doctors" orders are eroding the doctor-patient relationship. A Blade investigation, including interviews Read more...

Aug. 21, 2008--The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has added new quality measures and updated information on the federal government's Hospital Compare Web site. Hospital Compare, created in 2005, allows computer users to compare hospital performance in treating serious conditions such as heart attack, heart failure and pneumonia. A 30-day pneumonia mortality rate for Read more...

(JP® Drain) by Nathalie Smith, MSN RNDefinition A Jackson-Pratt® drain (“JP® drain”) is made of a thin rubber tube inserted into a soft round squeeze bulb with a removable stopper. It is used to remove fluid that can collect inside your body after surgery, infection, or an injury. A JP® drain is frequently used to drain an abscess in the abdomen. Conditions such as a ruptured appendix or Read more...

by Krisha McCoy, MSDefinitionAnal cancer is cancer of the anus. This is the canal at the end of the large intestine, below the rectum. Cancer occurs when cells in the body (in this case the cells that cover the lumen of the anus) divide without control or order. Normally, cells divide in a regulated manner. If cells keep dividing uncontrollably when new cells are not needed, a mass of tissue Read more...

(Removal of the Esophagus) by Krisha McCoyDefinitionEsophagectomy is the surgical removal of the esophagus, the tube that runs from your mouth to your stomach..Parts of the Body InvolvedEsophagusNeckAbdomenReasons for Procedure Esophagectomy may be used to treat: Esophageal cancerBenign tumors and cysts of the esophagusOther esophageal abnormalitiesEsophageal Cancer© 2008 Nucleus Medical Art, Read more...

(Blocked Tear Duct, Dacryostenosis)Pronounced: Dak-re-o-sis-ti-tis by Diana KohnleDefinitionDacryocystitis is the inflammation of the lacrimal sac, found on the side of the nose near the inner corner of the eye. The lacrimal sac drains tears from the eye into the tear ducts leading into the nose.Dacryocystitis is sometimes a congenital condition, which means it is present at birth. The condition Read more...

(Paralysis, Loss of Movement)Pronounced: Pehr-ah-PLEE-jah by Diana KohnleDefinitionParaplegia is the term used to describe the body's loss of movement and/or feeling as a result of damage or trauma to the nervous system. The condition involves complete or partial paralysis of the legs and/or the trunk of the body, but not the arms. The location of the paralysis and the extent of the paralysis Read more...

(SSPE, Dawson Disease) by Krisha McCoy, MSDefinition Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) is a central nervous system (brain and spine) condition. It occurs rarely, a few years after getting the measles. It usually results in progressive deterioration from inflammation of the brain and nerve cell death. When left untreated, SSPE almost always leads to death. Contact your healthcare provider Read more...

(Cerebral Hypoxia, HIE)Pronounced: hye-POK-sik is-KEM-ik en-sef-a-lo-path-ee by Diana KohnleDefinitionHypoxic encephalopathy is a condition in which the entire brain does not receive enough oxygen, but isn’t completely deprived. This particular condition refers to an oxygen deficiency to the brain as a whole, rather than a part of the brain. Although it most often refers to injury sustained by Read more...

by Krisha McCoy, MSDefinitionLeukodystrophy is a rare disease that results in the progressive decline of the myelin, or “white matter,” of the brain. Myelin works to insulate and protect axons, which transmit signals from the brain throughout the body. Types of leukodystrophies include: Metachromatic leukodystrophyKrabbé diseaseAdrenoleukodystrophy Adrenomyelopathy Pelizaeus-Merzbacher Read more...