Nearly a fourth of Americans are now forced to travel farther to a hospital trauma center than they once did, a new study shows.
And those most affected are African Americans, poor, uninsured and rural residents.
Researchers from the University of California, San Francisco examined changes in driving time to trauma centers, which have increasingly been shuttered [...]
Older patients receiving carotid artery stenting from lesser experienced physicians had an increased risk of death 30 days after stent placement, according to a new study.
An analysis of Medicare data showed a higher death risk if the stent was inserted by a doctor who performed less than six procedures a year, or if the procedure [...]
A new survey shows hospital patients want to know if medical trainees are going to be participating in their surgery.
Although most patients would allow residents and medical students to be involved in their operation, researchers say the rates of consent vary depending on the type of surgery and the trainee’s level of participation
Dr. Christopher R. [...]
Patients in the United States who receive permanent pacemakers and defibrillators are now at greater risk of contracting an infection over the life span of the device, new research shows.
Researchers analyzed data from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample — a national database of hospital discharge records — from 1993-2008 and found a significant increase in infections [...]
During surgery to remove the thyroid gland, the technique surgeons use to identify an important nerve appears to make a difference in terms of complications.
According to researchers, thyroidectomy is a common operation, but it can be associated with serious complications: paralysis of the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN, a nerve that transmits motor function and sensation [...]
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Xarelto to reduce the risk of blood clots, deep vein thrombosis, and pulmonary embolism following knee or hip replacement surgery.
Xarelto (rivaroxaban) is a pill taken once daily. Those undergoing a knee replacement should take the medication for 12 days and patients undergoing a hip replacement procedure should [...]
Obese patients are nearly 12 times more likely to suffer a complication following elective surgery than their normal-weight counterparts, according to new research.
“Our data demonstrate that obesity is a major risk factor for complications following certain kinds of elective surgery,” said Dr. Marty Makary, an associate professor of surgery at the Johns Hopkins University School [...]
Emergency department physicians are frustrated and burned out from treating patients who frequent the ED for their care, according to a survey of physicians from across the country.
The survey found that 59 percent of physicians acknowledged having less empathy for so-called frequent users than other patients, and 77 percent held bias for frequent users. Physicians [...]
Advances in public health in this first decade of the 21st Century have contributed to a record low death rate in the U.S. and the continuation of a steady downward trend.
From 1999 to 2009, the age-adjusted death rate in the United States declined from 881.9 per 100,000 population to 741.0, a record low.
Contributing factors for [...]
While the length of hospital stay has decreased for patients undergoing hip replacement surgery, a new study shows an increase in the rates of readmission to the hospital and discharge to skilled care facilities.
Average hospital stays after total hip arthroplasty (replacement) has gone from 9 days in 1991 to 3.5 days in 2008, according to [...]