Culture | Page 2127 | Science Codex

Use of beta-blocker helps achieve target heart rate level among patients in septic shock

Andrea Morelli, M.D., of the University of Rome, Italy, and colleagues conducted a study to investigate the effect of the short-acting beta-blocker esmolol on the heart rate of patients with severe septic shock and high risk of death.

Septic shock is associated with adverse effects on cardiac function. Beta-blocker therapy controls heart rate and may improve cardiovascular performance, but concerns remain that this therapy may lead to cardiovascular decompensation (inability of the heart to maintain adequate circulation), according to background information in the article.

Physician job satisfaction driven by quality of patient care

Being able to provide high-quality health care is a primary driver of job satisfaction among physicians, and obstacles to quality patient care are a source of stress for doctors, according to a new RAND Corporation study.

While physicians note some advantages of electronic health records, physicians complain that the systems in use today are cumbersome to operate and are an important contributor to their dissatisfaction, the study found.

Researchers find link between aircraft noise and heart disease

Exposure to high levels of aircraft noise is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, find two studies published on bmj.com today.

Clinical trial outcomes more complete in unpublished reports than published sources

Clinical trial outcomes are more complete in unpublished reports than in publicly available information

Penn study shows the high costs of unnecessary radiation treatments for terminal cancer patients

PHILADELPHIA -- For cancer patients dealing with the pain of tumors that have spread to their bones, doctors typically recommend radiation as a palliative therapy. But as in many areas of medicine, more of this treatment isn't actually better. Medical evidence over the past decade has demonstrated that patients with terminal cancer who receive a single session of radiotherapy get just as much pain relief as those who receive multiple treatments.

Calling in sick - why it's common in some countries but not others

Susan is a highly productive employee but is absent more often than her co-workers. She has decided to take a me-day because she believes that her absence will not affect her overall productivity.

Legitimate reason to be out of the office, or punishable offence? Depending on where "Susan" lives, it can be either shows new research from Concordia University's John Molson School of Business.

Portion size -- the science & the responsibility deal

A new review answers what do we really know about manipulating portion sizes and what questions still remain.

Professor Benton, at Swansea University, reviewed the scientific evidence available on portion sizes and this highlights a number of the complexities surrounding the Public Health Responsibility Deal's call for reduced portion sizes, as a way of obtaining reductions in the nation's caloric intakes.

Social media content: 5 personality traits employers should look for in job applicants

New Rochelle, NY, October 8, 2013—Job applicants try to make a good impression when meeting a prospective employer, but employers may be able to learn what applicants are really like by screening their social media posts. Unfiltered personal communications, photos, comments about others, and references to alcohol and drug use reflect five revealing personality characteristics that might impact their work performance, according to an article in Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking.

All drugs are gateway drugs to other drugs

High school seniors who frown upon the use of drugs are most likely to be female, nonsmokers or hold strong religious beliefs, according to a study¹ by Joseph Palamar of New York University. Palamar examines how teenagers' attitudes toward marijuana influenced their thoughts on the further use of other illicit drugs. The work appears online in the journal Prevention Science², published by Springer.

Same-hospital readmission rate an unreliable predictor for all-hospital readmission rate

WASHINGTON, DC -- Approximately one in five Medicare patients are rehospitalized within 30 days of discharge.* The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) considers this rate excessive, and began reducing payments to hospitals that have excessive readmission rates in October 2012 under a provision of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. While the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program penalizes readmission to any hospital, most hospitals are only tracking same-hospital readmissions using administrative data that is recorded for billing purposes.

Surgeons report 2 new approaches to lessen postoperative pain

WASHINGTON, DC—New combinations of postoperative pain treatment decreased both pain and the use of narcotic pain relievers according to two studies presented this week at the 2013 Clinical Congress of the American College of Surgeons. One pain treatment utilized the simple but nonstandard application of ice packs after major abdominal operations in patients, and the other treatment was a prolonged drug delivery method using nanotechnology in animals.

Use of hypothermia does not improve outcomes for adults with severe meningitis; may be harmful

Bruno Mourvillier, M.D., of the Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, and colleagues conducted a study to examine whether treatment with hypothermia would improve the functional outcome of comatose patients with bacterial meningitis compared with standard care.

Air pollution increases heart attacks

Sophia Antipolis, France – 08 October 2013: Air pollution increases heart attacks, according to research that will be presented at the Acute Cardiac Care Congress 2013 by Dr Savina Nodari from Brescia, Italy. The Acute Cardiac Care Congress 2013 is the annual meeting of the Acute Cardiovascular Care Association (ACCA) of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). It will take place from Saturday 12 to 14 October in Madrid, Spain. Cutting edge science and the latest treatments in acute cardiovascular care will be presented by scientists from across the world.

Leishmania parasites with greater infectivity associated with treatment failure

Relapses after treatment for Leishmania infection may be due to a greater infectivity of the parasite rather than drug resistance, as has been previously thought, according to a study published in mBio®, the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology.

Death rates higher among middle aged and elderly when economy is booming

Death rates among middle aged and older people are higher when the economy is growing than when it's heading for recession, reveals a long term analysis of the economic cycles of developed countries, published online in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

But increased levels of work stress and traffic accidents, as a result of higher rates of employment, are unlikely to fully explain these trends, suggest the authors.