NIH study seeks best way to safely step down asthma therapy
February 27th 2014Researchers at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center are one of 18 clinical research centers taking part in a national study to establish guidelines for safely stepping down treatment in patients whose asthma is well controlled.
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CDC: Flu vaccine more effective this year
February 27th 2014This season's flu vaccine has reduced the risk of influenza-associated medical visits by 61% across all age groups, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Thus far it appears to be outperforming its predecessor from 2012-2013, which had an effectiveness rate of 51%.
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Overdose fears fuel groups to urge FDA to revoke Zohydro
February 26th 2014A coalition of doctors, addiction experts, and law enforcement officials are urging FDA to revoke approval of the powerful opioid Zohydro ER (hydrocodone bitartrate) extended-release capsules, which reportedly will contain 10 times more hydrocodone than Vicodin
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Antihypertensive agents can raise risk of fall injuries in elderly
February 26th 2014Blood pressure medications used by many older adults can increase the risk of serious fall injuries by 30% to 40%-injuries that have a similar effect on mortality and functional loss as the strokes and heart attacks the antihypertensive drugs are meant to prevent-according to a study in the Feb. 24 issue of JAMA Internal Medicine.
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Risk scale for COPD could help with hospital admissions
February 25th 2014In an attempt to determine which patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are at high risk for serious adverse events upon presentation to the emergency department, Canadian researchers identified 10 clinical characteristics and developed a preliminary risk scale to help standardize the admission practices of these patients.
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Health insurance status may determine trauma center care
February 25th 2014Patients with severe injuries initially evaluated at non-trauma center emergency departments are less likely to be transferred to a trauma center if they have insurance, according to study published online ahead of print in JAMA Surgery.
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Opioid prescribing by multiple providers drives up patient hospitalization rate
February 24th 2014More than 30% of Medicare Part D beneficiaries who receive opioid prescriptions are prescribed them from multiple providers, according to a study published in the British Medical Journal. This practice, which goes against recommended guidelines of a single provider prescribing opioids for a patient, was found to be associated with higher rates of opioid-related hospitalization.
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Actavis plans to buy Forest Labs for $25 billion
February 20th 2014Actavis plans to purchase Forest Laboratories for approximately $25 billion in a cash and equity deal, creating a combination of “two of the world’s fastest growing specialty pharmaceutical companies, with combined annual revenues of more than $15 billion in 2015,” according to a Feb. 18 announcement.
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