Popular Articles

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Charity Criticise MP Sir Gerald Kaufman, UK
A leading anxiety charity has today criticised Veteran Labour MP Sir Gerald Kaufman for using Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder as an excuse for, by his own admittance "bizarre and daft" MP expense claims.

Recovery Act Funding Supports 23 Fellowships For Early Career Scientists
Funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will allow the National Institutes of Health to create jobs for early career scientists and increase the ranks of researchers and clinicians working in the global health field. With $3 million in funding over the next 18 months, the NIH"s Fogarty International Center will be able to support 23 additional participants in its Clinical Research Training Scholars and Fellows Program.
News of the day
New Urine Test Detects Chlamydia In Men
A new rapid urine test for chlamydia in men identified 84% of infections, according to a study of 1,200 men published Tuesday in the British Medical Journal, Reuters reports. Chlamydia is the most common sexually transmitted infection among women and can be treated easily with antibiotics. However, the STI often goes undiagnosed and causes no symptoms in 70% of cases. It can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancy and infertility. It also can make women more vulnerable to HIV.Rapid tests for chlamydia in men often have been inconclusive and uncomfortable, involving a painful swab of the urethra. The developer of the new test, Helen Lee of the University of Cambridge, said, "This has led to many cases of infection in men going undiagnosed and being transmitted to their female partners, with potentially more serious complications." The new test is "both accurate and swift, allowing men attending the clinics to be tested and treated on site in one visit," according to Lee. She said that the test already is approved in France and soon will be available in Italy, Spain, Portugal and other European countries (Reuters, 7/28).
Medical Devices

Retinopathy Of Prematurity Diagnosis Time Significantly Reduced Using Telemedicine

To be properly diagnosed, retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), the leading cause of childhood blindness in the United States and worldwide, requires a time intensive process and significant coordination between ophthalmologist and NICU staff. A recent study examining ROP diagnosis speed using indirect ophthalmoscopy versus telemedicine, remote medical consultation, is featured in the July issue of the American Journal of Ophthalmology, published by Elsevier. The study was designed to compare the ophthalmologist"s speed of ROP diagnosis using telemedicine versus traditional bedside ophthalmoscopy. The findings reveal that: 1) ROP diagnosis by the ophthalmologist is significantly faster via telemedicine, and 2) there are significant time requirements by ophthalmologists associated with ROP diagnosis at the NICU bedside beyond ophthalmoscopy. In particular, additional time is taken for travel and communication with families and hospital staff. To counteract these time requirements the implementation of telemedicine for ROP management has the ability to decrease the time commitment for examining ophthalmologists. Previous studies have shown that telemedical ROP diagnosis is highly accurate and reliable compared with ophthalmoscopy, and future work is required to address workflow questions in more detail. According to senior author Michael F. Chiang, MD, "Telemedicine has potential to improve the delivery and accessibility of care for infants with ROP by reducing geographical and logistical barriers. This study shows that it may also improve the efficiency of care for ophthalmologists." Given the increased number of at-risk infants in the United States and worldwide, improved use of ophthalmology res may help to prevent cases of avoidable childhood blindness. The article is "The Speed of Telemedicine vs Ophthalmoscopy for Retinopathy of Prematurity Diagnosis" by Grace M. Richter, Grace Sun, Thoms C. Lee, R.V. Chuan, John L. Flynn, Justin Starren, and Michael Chiang. Maureen Hunter Elsevier


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