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What Is a Ganglion? What Is a Ganglion Cyst?
Ganglion cysts are fluid-filled swellings that tend to form on top of joints or tendons in the wrists, hands, and feet. They have the appearance of firm or spongy sacs of liquid and their insides consist of a sticky, clear, thick, jelly-like fluid. Ganglion cysts are idiopathic, which means they generally form for unknown reasons. As painless and benign (not dangerous) growths, ganglion cysts often do not require treatment and go away on their own.

National Survey Looks At HIV/AIDS In South Africa
According to the results of a national survey conducted in 2008 and released Tuesday, HIV prevalence among South Africans between the ages of 15 and 24 dropped from "a high of 10.3 percent in 2005 to 8.7 percent last year, with the decreases most marked among teenagers," AFP/Google.com reports (AFP/Google.com, 6/9). The Telegraph writes, "HIV prevalence in children between 2 and 14 fell from 5.6 per cent in 2002 to 2.5 per cent last year, mainly thanks to the spread of drugs to prevent women passing on the virus to their children" (Telegraph, 6/10).
News of the day
The Melanoma Research Alliance Awards Nearly Two Million Dollars In Research Grants That Address The Gap In Translational Science
The Melanoma Research Alliance (MRA) announced the recipients of nearly two million dollars in grants to fund 13 individual scientists pursuing innovative melanoma research proposals. This second round of MRA grants is focused on research that addresses the gap in translational science.
Medical Devices

New Health Snapshots Show States Vary Widely In Providing Quality Health Care

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality"s annual release of state-by-state quality data continues to give states mixed reviews for the quality of care they provide. As in previous years, AHRQ"s 2008 State Snapshots show that no state does well or poorly on all quality measures. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is also releasing state-by-state reports on the health care status quo. The 2008 State Snapshots provide state-specific health care quality information, including strengths, weaknesses and opportunities for improvement. The state-level information used to create the State Snapshots is drawn from the 2008 National Healthcare Quality Report, which was released in May by HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and contributes to a national portrait of health care quality. "The State Snapshots are an invaluable re for state officials, health care providers and purchasers to help them better understand the extent of health care quality and disparities in their states," said AHRQ Director Carolyn M. Clancy, M.D. "With this information, they can take the necessary steps to improve health care quality and address persistent gaps in access to health care." The 2008 State Snapshots summarize health care quality in three dimensions: type of care (preventive, acute and chronic care), setting of care (hospitals, ambulatory, nursing homes and home health care) and by clinical areas (cancer, diabetes, heart disease, maternal and child health and respiratory disease). The 2008 State Snapshots allow users to explore whether a state has improved or worsened compared with other states in several areas of health care delivery. New features in the 2008 State Snapshots provide more ways to analyze the quality of health care for each state compared with all states, as well as states in the same region. Enhanced features include: -- A new Focus on Asthma section: This section includes state-specific information on the prevalence of adult self-reported asthma rates; potentially preventable hospitalizations for children, adults and the elderly; and potential returns on investment of asthma care quality improvement programs for Medicaid, state employees and privately insured Americans. -- An expanded Focus on Disparities: This section includes state-specific information on disparities in the quality of care compared with the nation overall by looking at care received by various racial/ethnic and socioeconomic groups. This section also includes new information on prevalence of diabetes that includes a U.S. map showing the adult self-reported prevalence of diabetes by state. -- Enhanced Dashboards: The dashboard for each state now contains revised graphics that succinctly display all of the summary measures on health care quality and allow a clear view of the range of each state"s performance. AHRQ"s annual State Snapshots are based on data drawn from more than 30 s, including government surveys, health care facilities and health care organizations AHRQ


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