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Popular Articles

Noted Food Safety Expert Michael R. Taylor Named Advisor To FDA Commissioner
Michael R. Taylor, J.D., a nationally recognized food safety expert and research professor at George Washington University"s School of Public Health and Health Services, will return to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to serve as senior advisor to the commissioner.

Rib-X Pharmaceuticals Reports Positive Phase 2 Study Results For Radezolid In Community-Acquired Pneumonia
Rib-X Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ("Rib-X" or the "Company"), a development-stage company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of novel antibiotics for the treatment of antibiotic-resistant infections, today announced positive results from a Phase 2 clinical trial of radezolid in the treatment of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP).
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Nearly Half Of Rheumatoid Arthritis Sufferers Feel Early Treatment Would Have Given Them More Independence
A UK survey of 575 rheumatoid arthritis sufferers highlights the importance of maintaining independence and the significant impact that early diagnosis and treatment can have. Over 94% of those surveyed claimed that their independence was compromised in some way, with over 60% saying it was compromised significantly. With earlier treatment of their disease, nearly half of the respondents felt that they would have been more independent today, making it vital that people are aware of the significance of early intervention.
Oncology

Study Reveals "Unacceptable Delays" In Stroke Prevention Surgery

Only one in five UK patients have surgery to reduce their risk of stroke within the two week target time set by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), finds a study published on bmj.com today. The authors call for major improvements in services to enable early surgery to prevent strokes in high risk patients. Every year in the UK, about 120,000 people have a transient ischaemic attack (TIA) or minor stroke and up to 30% die within a month. Stroke is also the single largest cause of severe disability in adults and costs the economy ÷£7bn a year. Studies show that a surgical procedure known as carotid endarterectomy reduces the risk of stroke in patients with stenosis (a narrowed or blocked carotid artery) and symptoms of having had a minor stroke, but it is unclear how many patients have had symptoms and how long they have to wait for surgery. So a team of researchers, led by Professor Alison Halliday at St George"s University of London, assessed the timeliness of carotid endarterectomy services in the UK. They surveyed 240 surgeons from 102 hospital trusts across the UK about all carotid endarterectomies they performed between December 2005 and December 2007. Of 5,513 patients who underwent surgery, 83% had a history of transient ischaemic attack or stroke, but only 20% had their operation within two weeks of onset of symptoms and 30% waited more than 12 weeks. The average delay from referral to surgery was 40 days. Twenty-nine patients (0.5%) died while in hospital, while 48 patients (1%) died 30 days after surgery, mainly from strokes. These findings show unacceptable delays between symptom and operation in the UK, say the authors. Such delays are associated with a high risk of disabling or fatal stroke before surgery, and the benefit of surgery consequently falls rapidly with increasing delay. Major improvements in services are necessary to enable early surgery in appropriate patients in order to prevent strokes, they conclude. Link to paper British Medical Journal


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