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Psychiatric wait times in emergency departments

Patients with mental illness visiting emergency departments in Ontario have shorter waits to see a doctor during crowded periods and only slightly longer waits during less busy periods, found a study in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).

The Schizophrenia Society of Ontario recommended in 2008 that the Ontario government add a psychiatric wait times measure to its Emergency Room Wait Times Strategy. The Kirby Report on mental illness and addiction in Canada also referred to differential emergency treatment for patients with mental illness.

FASEB urges biomedical research community to speak out against sequestration

Bethesda, MD – The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) is rallying the biomedical research community to advocate against devastating funding cuts facing the nation's research agencies unless Congress acts before the end of the year. Under sequestration, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) could lose $2.8 billion and would fund 25 percent (2,300) fewer grants. The National Science Foundation (NSF) could be cut by nearly $600 million.

'Social environmental factors' affect rehospitalization risk in home healthcare patients

Philadelphia, Pa. (November 12, 2012) – For elderly patients receiving home healthcare after a hospital stay, "social environmental factors"—particularly care provided by a family member or other informal caregiver—have a significant impact on the risk of repeated hospital admissions, reports a study in the October-December issue of Advances in Nursing Science.

Childhood obesity more likely to affect children in poorer neighborhoods

Children living in poorer neighborhoods are nearly 30 percent more likely to be obese than children in more affluent residences, according to a new study from Rice University.

Job stress and mental health problems contribute to higher rates of physician suicide

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Doctors who commit suicide appear to be under-treated for mental health problems, despite their seemingly good access to health care, a new University of Michigan study shows.

Although more physicians than non-physicians in the study had known mental health problems prior to suicide, this didn't translate into a higher rate of antidepressant use, according to the study, which appears in General Hospital Psychiatry and provides a deeper look at why physicians may have a higher-than-average suicide rate.

Desecrated ancient temple sheds light on early power struggles at Tel Beth-Shemesh

Tel Aviv University researchers have uncovered a unique 11th century BCE sacred compound at the site of Tel Beth-Shemesh, an ancient village that resisted the aggressive expansion of neighboring Philistines. The newly discovered sacred complex is comprised of an elevated, massive circular stone structure and an intricately constructed building characterized by a row of three flat, large round stones. Co-directors of the dig Prof. Shlomo Bunimovitz and Dr.

Dealing with unprecedented surge of patients with rare central nervous system infection

A new article in Annals of Internal Medicine describes the diagnosis and treatment protocol established in a Roanoke, Va. hospital to care for dozens of patients presenting with suspected fungal meningitis related to contaminated epidural spinal injections. This unprecedented surge of patients seeking care for a rare central nervous system (CNS) infection required physicians to react quickly with little data to guide treatment decisions.

France, Germany statement on the handling of risk situations by scientists due to L'Aquila

In late October, Italian scientists were sentenced for supposedly not having warned sufficiently against the severe earthquake of L'Aquila 2009.

Due to this verdict, the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina and the French Académie des sciences publish a statement concerning the handling of risks situations by scientists. We forward the statement in the exact wording.

Obesity epidemic threatens health of all social groups equally

It is often assumed that those on low incomes and with low levels of education are overly represented in the major increase in obesity of recent decades.

A new thesis from the Lund University School of Economics and Management, Sweden, shows that obesity is increasing across all social groups and that we need to look at factors other than socioeconomic status to understand and solve one of the major public health concerns of the Western world.

Black patients with kidney cancer have poorer survival than whites

Among patients with the most common form of kidney cancer, whites consistently have a survival advantage over blacks, regardless of patient and tumor characteristics or surgical treatment. That is the conclusion of a new study published early online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society. The study's results suggest that additional efforts are needed to prolong the survival of all patients with kidney cancer.

Expert: Time to break the beta blocker habit?

Knowing his family history, and growing concerns over the extended use of some beta blockers, Bero and his doctor are keeping a close eye on his condition.

"Diabetes can creep up on you very slowly, even before you know it," said Baliga."Down the road, diabetes will likely cause more heart attacks, more strokes, more peripheral vascular disease and a variety of conditions," said Baliga.

Digital tablets improve speed and ease of reading for people with moderate vision loss

CHICAGO – November 11, 2012 – People who have eye diseases that damage their central vision can regain the ability to read quickly and comfortably by using digital tablets, according to a recent study. The research found that people with moderate vision loss could increase their reading speed by 15 words-per-minute, on average. Using a tablet with a back-lit screen resulted in the fastest reading speeds for all study participants, no matter what their level of visual acuity.

Mayo: Age-related macular degeneration treatment works even with other eye problem

ROCHESTER, Minn. -- The primary treatment for wet macular degeneration, a chronic eye condition that causes vision loss, is effective even if patients have macular traction problems, a Mayo Clinic study shows. The findings will be presented today at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology in Chicago.

Rheumatoid arthritis patients can get gout too, Mayo Clinic Study finds

WASHINGTON -- Refuting a belief long held by many physicians, a Mayo Clinic study found that rheumatoid arthritis patients also can get gout. The research is among several studies Mayo Clinic is presenting at the American College of Rheumatology annual meeting in Washington.

Lower-income patients fare better than wealthier after knee replacement, mayo finds

WASHINGTON -- Patients who make $35,000 a year or less report better outcomes after knee replacement surgery than people who earn more, research by Mayo Clinic and the University of Alabama at Birmingham shows. The lower-income patients studied reported less pain and better knee function at their two-year checkups than wealthier people did. The study was being presented at the American College of Rheumatology annual meeting in Washington.

VIDEO ALERT: A video interview with Dr. Lewallen is available for journalists to downloadon the Mayo Clinic News Network.