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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2009
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NEWS ABOUT: New England Journal of Medicine

New England Journal of Medicine stories: 8 news summaries

(Newser) - The promised age of unlocking the mystery of common diseases through DNA appears to have a hit a disappointing roadblock, the New York Times reports. As a result, companies that bill people to provide a personal genomic profile—and theoretically warn them of their risk to illness—are practicing nothing... More »

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genetics • disease • DNA • New England Journal of Medicine • human genome

Many Medicare Patients Leave Hospital, Then Quickly Return

Readmissions cost
US billions a year

Apr 2, 09 7:30 AM CDT
(Newser) - One-third of all Medicare patients hospitalized each year are readmitted within 90 days of being discharged, costing taxpayers billions of dollars annually, a new study found. Meanwhile, half of patients who went back in the first month after treatment had not seen a doctor in the interim. "Given the... More »

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health care • health care costs • New England Journal of Medicine • budget • hospital • health care reform • hospitalization

 Docs Foresee Trouble 
 With Digitizing Records 

For electronic records, money is there but technology isn't

Mar 26, 09 10:27 AM CDT
(Newser) - The administration's push to digitize health records is raising red flags with an important constituency: doctors. "We have a long way to go," said the lead author of a report out today that shows only 9% of hospitals have computerized records. His article is part of a... More »

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hospitals • New England Journal of Medicine • software • health care reform • open source • digital storage • medical records • online medical records

 Surgery Checklist Saves Lives 
 ... and Maybe $25B 

Strategy employed by flight crews means 33% fewer complications for hospitals

Jan 15, 09 10:25 AM CST
(Newser) - It sounds like a no-brainer, but surgical teams who use a simple checklist similar to those employed by flight crews reduced deaths and complications by a stunning 33%, according to an international study. If every US hospital used the checklist, health care costs for treating avoidable complications could be cut... More »

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New England Journal of Medicine • World Health Organization • Harvard School of Public Health • surgeons • surgical errors • University of Washington Medical Center • surgical checklist

 Sex a Factor in Preemie Survival 

Gender, birth weight increase odds for newborns

Apr 17, 08 3:53 PM CDT
(Newser) - Gestational age is not the only factor determining odds of a very premature baby's survival, a study finds. Being female, receiving lung-maturing steroids before birth, an extra 3½ ounces of weight and being a single birth all help as much as an extra week of pregnancy, the AP reports. The... More »

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New England Journal of Medicine • baby • preemies • premature baby

 Old Blood Is Bad Blood: Study 

Heart patients whose transfusions sat around have worse survival rates

Mar 20, 08 6:08 AM CDT
(Newser) - Donated blood may have a much shorter shelf life than previously thought, finds a study published today in the New England Journal of Medicine. Transfusions using blood at least two weeks old increased heart-surgery patients' post-operative death risk by 30%, researchers discovered, though the current expiration date for blood is... More »

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New England Journal of Medicine • American Red Cross • heart surgery • Cleveland Clinic • blood transfusions • donated blood • expiration date • medical study • cardiac surgery

Antidepressant Studies Distort Drugs' Usefulness

New study says negative reports often go unpublished

Jan 16, 08 9:37 PM CST
(Newser) - Roughly half of the medical studies involving antidepressants that found little or no effect on patients have gone unpublished or had their findings mischaracterized as positive, a new study reveals. The emphasis on publishing only studies with glowing reviews gives patients and doctors a false sense of the effectiveness of... More »

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FDA • antidepressant • pharmaceutical companies • Pfizer • New England Journal of Medicine • patients • doctor • Zoloft • Wyeth • Effexor

Too Much Action Gives Gamers Wiiitis

Couch potatoes report shoulder, wrist injuries from Nintendo's addictive Wii

Jun 7, 07 10:00 PM CDT
(Newser) - If you're suffering from tennis shoulder but the only tennis you've been playing is virtual, it could be too much Wii. The Nintendo video game with the innovative motion sensitive controller is putting a strain on players' wrists and shoulders—a condition one physician diagnosed as  "wiiitis."  More »

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Nintendo • Nintendo Wii • Wii itis • video game console • Space Invaders • sore muscles • New England Journal of Medicine • video games

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