Cynthia111

Posted on February 14, 2012 by Cynthia     A public health group is urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to ban some Salmonella strains following an outbreak involving drug-resistant Salmonella. Today, the USDA allows the sales of unprocessed foods tainted with Salmonella saying that cooking tends to kill the dangerous pathogen. But, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) disagrees with this practice, saying that consumers who do not appropriately... Read Full Story

Posted on February 14, 2012 by Cynthia     Norovirus has been linked to about one-fifth of all hospital infections, according to the results of an emerging survey The nationwide survey covered outbreaks that took place in 289 United States hospitals. In addition to its part in hospital infections, Norovirus was to blame for 65% of all ward closings, said MedScape. Survey results appear in the February issue of the American Journal of Infection Control . As we’ve explained... Read Full Story

Passengers suing the owners of the downed Costa Concordia cruise ship are adding charges to their U.S. lawsuit. The Costa Concordia struck a rock off the coast of the Italian island of Giglio suffering a collision that tore a 160-foot hole in the hull of the ship, which caused the vessel to capsize. Some 4,200 passengers and crew were on board when the luxury liner crashed, killing 32; 15 remain missing and are presumed dead. Read Full Story

A Chicago woman born with a cleft lip and cleft palate alleges the antidepressant, Zoloft , is to blame, and has filed suit against Pfizer Inc. According to the Madison Record, Angela Rife was born in 1991 with multiple birth defects, including oral clefts. Rife’s mother had been prescribed and used Zoloft during her pregnancy with Angela. Read Full Story

Posted on February 14, 2012 by Joshua     Hydraulic fracturing (fracking) for natural gas may be responsible more methane gas air pollution than originally thought. According to a Christian Science Monitor report on a new study from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, a fracking well near Boulder, Colo., is allowing at least 4 percent of its “gross annual production” to escape into the air. The contents of this escaping gas are mostly methane gas. Previous... Read Full Story

The makers of Plavix , Sanofi SA and Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., has settled a patent lawsuit with Apotex over a lower cost, generic version of the blood thinner. According to a report from the Associated Press, the generic drug maker has paid the companies $442.2 million in damages over Apotex’s ” at-risk launch” of a copycat version of Plavix in 2006. Read Full Story

Posted on February 14, 2012 by Cynthia     Although many patients prefer to receive their care at teaching hospitals, believing these facilities offer advanced treatment options, recent research has found higher risks for complications at teaching hospitals. Known for offering higher tech, more advanced treatments for more challenging diseases, it seems that, according to Medicare’s first public review of hospital records on patient safety, teaching hospitals may not be as... Read Full Story

The recent controversy surrounding Medtronic Inc.’s Infuse bone graft could help other products gain a foothold in the lucrative spinal fusion market. According to from MedCityNews, while no product currently available could completely replace Infuse, there are a few that could come to be considered a next-best option Read Full Story

Posted on February 13, 2012 by Cynthia     A New York woman, the victim of a cancer misdiagnosis, was just award $15 million in a medical malpractice lawsuit against her physician who missed the cancer in her breast lump. Stephanie Tesoriero, 50, alleged that her doctor misdiagnosed her cancer, even though she went to him with a lump in her breast, said NBC New York. According to Tesoriero, the mistake cost her time needed to fight her cancer. “This could have all been... Read Full Story

The U.S. Justice Department is trying to convince a federal court that a 60-year-old doctrine, which has long prevented active duty military personnel from suing the U.S. government for medical malpractice, should extend to their families as well. The principal, known as the Feres Doctrine, as been a frequent target of critics who say it allows medical malpractice to go unchecked within the military medical system. Read Full Story