Painless 'microneedle' patch may take the sting out of shots

Good news for people fearful of needles and squeamish of shots: Scientists at the 238th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society report the design of a painless patch that may someday render hypodermic needles — as well as annual flu shots — a thing of the past. Lined with tiny "microneedles," these patches could make treatment of diabetes and a wide range of other diseases safer, more effective and less painful. Used as tiny hypodermic needles, they could improve treatment of macular degeneration and other diseases of the eye. more  

Homes pollute: Linked to 50 percent more water pollution than previously believed

They say there's no place like home. But scientists are reporting some unsettling news about homes in the residential areas of California. The typical house there — and probably elsewhere in the country — is an alarming and probably underestimated source of water pollution, according to a new study reported today at the 238th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society. more

Death rate decreases following hospitalization for heart attack

From 1995 to 2006, hospital 30-day death rates decreased significantly for Medicare patients hospitalized for a heart attack, as did the variation in the rate between hospitals, according to a study in the August 19 issue of JAMA. more  

Overall antibiotic prescription rates for respiratory tract infections decreasing

From 1995 to 2006 the rate of antibiotic prescriptions for acute respiratory tract infections decreased significantly, attributable in part to a decline in ambulatory visits for ear infections in young children, according to a study in the August 19 issue of JAMA. But prescription rates for broad spectrum antibiotics, namely azithromycin and quinolones, increased substantially during the study period. more

Fatigue related to radiotherapy may be caused by inflammation  

Patients who experience fatigue during radiotherapy for breast or prostate cancer may be reacting to activation of the proinflammatory cytokine network, a known inflammatory pathway, according to a report in Clinical Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research. more

Tumor size and level of visceral pleura invasion can impact survival of NSCLC patients 

A study published in the August 2009 edition of the Journal of Thoracic Oncology found that non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients could be more accurately staged at diagnosis by taking into account the level of visceral pleura invasion (VPI). VPI is the extension of a tumor beyond the elastic layer of the visceral pleura. more

Study shows carvedilol is effective in preventing variceal bleeding in cirrhotic patients

Patients with cirrhosis are at risk for developing portal hypertension that can lead to the formation, dilation, and rupture of esophageal varices. The annual incidence of esophageal varices is approximately 5% and one third of those will bleed. more

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