Category: Regulations
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Tracking Antibiotic Use Reaps Big Hospital Cost Savings
Analysis of a program to monitor unnecessary use of antibiotics shows the program saved one big-city hospital millions of dollars without compromising patient care. That’s the conclusion of a study done by researchers at University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) in Baltimore, where, the study was conducted, as well as colleagues from hospitals in Wilmington,…
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Traffic Intersection Study Pinpoints Stoplight Danger Zone
Engineers at Oregon State University in Corvallis have identified more about the dangers faced by drivers and pedestrians alike when traffic lights turn yellow at intersections. The findings of transportation engineering professor David Hurwitz and colleagues from OSU and University of Massachusetts in Amherst appear in this month’s issue of the journal Transportation Research Part…
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Algorithm Mines FDA Reports for Drug Interactions
Researchers at Stanford University’s medical school and bioengineering program have devised a computer algorithm that can query millions of adverse drug reports to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) by patients and their physicians, and identify many more drug interactions and side effects than were previously known. Their work is described in the journal…
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Genetic Testing Users, Costs Expected to Increase
A working paper released today by UnitedHealthcare, a health care insurance and services company in Minneapolis, says few patients currently use genetic testing, but a large majority of physicians believes their patients could benefit from these tests. The report also estimates some $5 billion is now spent annually on genetic testing, with those costs expected…
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FDA Approves Cell Product for Dental Tissue Regeneration
The Food and Drug Administration has approved the product Gintuit for regenerating oral soft tissue, made by Organogenesis Inc. in Canton, Massachusetts. The product combines skin cells and connective tissue with bovine collagen and proteins to regrow soft tissue in the mouth resulting from gingival recession, or receding gums. Gingival recession occurs when the gingiva…
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Challenge-Funded Research Studies Animal Testing Alternative
Research at University of Southampton in the U.K. will study in-vitro alternatives for testing the toxicity of drug candidates on animals. The U.K.’s National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs) awarded £500,000 ($US 800,400) for the study from its 2011 CRACK IT challenge seeking alternatives to tests with lab…
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Clinical Trial to Test Brown Fat Hormone Obesity Treatment
A clinical trial at Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute in Orlando, Florida will test the weight-control capabilities of orexin, a hormone that activates the body’s brown fat, which converts calories into energy. The trial will take place at the Translational Research Institute for Metabolism and Diabetes, a joint venture of Sanford-Burnham and Florida Hospital in Orlando.…
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FDA Issues New Label Requirements for Statins
The Food and Drug Administration has issued new labeling regulations for statins, a class of drugs used to lower cholesterol levels. When taken in combination with changes in diet and exercise, statins can can reduce levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL or “bad”) cholesterol in the blood. LDL cholesterol circulating in the blood can deposit on…
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Math Model Gauges Potential Tylenol Overdose, Liver Damage
Researchers at University of Utah and Baylor College of Medicine have devised a set of calculus equations to quickly estimate the amount of Tylenol ingested by a patient, and if the patient may need a liver transplant. Their work is scheduled to appear in an upcoming issue of the journal Hepatology. Acetaminophen is the generic…
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Worker Deaths Linked to Paint Stripping Chemical
An investigation by researchers at Michigan State University has found that 13 deaths since 2000 involved the use of paint-stripping products containing methylene chloride. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) includes the findings in the 24 February 2012 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Methylene chloride is a volatile, colorless and toxic chemical…