Spain
Dr Eduardo de la Sota reports
Prevention
A new dimension
Stereoscopic digital mammography, a new diagnostic technique capable of producing three-dimensional (3-D) in-depth views of breast tissue, could significantly reduce the number of women who are recalled for additional tests following routine screening mammography.
United Kingdom
Brenda Marsh reports on the country's flourishing and expanding breast screening programme
Austria
EH correspondent H-C Pruszinsky reports
Early Health - Investment or Cost?
Early Health, i.e. the early detection of diseases, will have to move into the centre of attention - this is the result of a survey by Total Healthcare Solutions (THS). Dr Susanne Michel, Associate Director at THS, underlines that in the future prevention will have to be considered an investment in healthcare rather than a mere cost factor. Decision makers from politics and the healthcare system…
“Clean hands” to reduce nosocomial infections
The project “Clean Hands” is Germany's contribution to the WHO initiative “Clean care is safe care”. “Clean Hands” aims at improving hand hygiene in German hospitals in order to significantly reduce nosocomial infections.
Pulse oximetry - screening tool in newborn babies
A research carried out at six hospitals in the West Midlands, UK, is evaluating the use of pulse oximetry as a screening tool for congenital heart disease in newborn babies. Approximately three percent of infant deaths are caused by these significant heart defects and at the moment only less than half of the affected babies are identified by clinical examination, the current screening technique.
From the American Heart Association 2007 meeting
Poster data presented at Scientific Sessions 2007 have demonstrated that the application of clinical practice modifications, combined with advanced electronic technologies, can improve the care of patients at risk for sudden cardiac arrest (SCA).
Stresspilot navigates to a healthier life
"Be active and live healthy!" You would love to do that but you are too busy just trying to juggle your daily life? Help might be underway: the Stress Pilot. Developed by Biocomfort and presented at this year's MEDICA, the Stress Pilot is a software solution to monitor and reduce personal stress levels. Thus, the product offers an important contribution to the prevention of…
Telemedicine research
USA - A team of researchers at the Rochester Institute of Technology, is working to advance the integration of radio frequency identification technology (RFID) into existing cardiac sensor networks, a new wireless technology for telemedicine delivery, and will also work to enhance the security of the systems used.
Home monitoring for cardiac patients
The St. Lucas Andreas Hospital in Amsterdam-West, the first in the Netherlands to begin the daily remote monitoring of cardiac patients at home, is using the Philips Motiva system. About 100 patients will be involved.
BlackBerries may be good for your health
Researchers in the United Kingdom, Canada and Sweden are taking part in a study to ascertain whether the use of BlackBerries to transmit real-time health information can boost the treatment of patients with chronic conditions.
Nutrition and health
In Europe, more than ten million people suffer from diabetes mellitus, 90 percent of whom have diabetes type II.
The Image project
Michael Hall outlines the work and aims of IMAGE - the Development and Implementation of a European Guideline and Training Standards for Diabetes Prevention
Optical molecular imaging
Carestream's molecular imaging group focuses on life sciences, developing high-performance digital imaging systems, imaging agents, film and accessories for the research and drug discovery/development markets.
The ACP recommends 'flu vaccination for frontline healthcare workers
Influenza infects around 20% of the US population and results in 200,000 hospitalisations annually. It kills about 36,000 citizens. In the USA, only 36% of all healthcare workers are immunised against influenza annually, and now the American College of Physicians (ACP)
The European Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer (ERSPC)
The ERSPC is the world's biggest study of screening of prostate cancer. It involves up to 260,000 men, 220,000 of them in the age group 55-75 years old. Professor Chris Bangma, Director of the ERSPC and Chairman of the urology department at the Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam (headquarters of the ERSPC) explains the study's background and aims
Embracing Excellence in Prostate and Kidney Cancer
The first European Multidisciplinary Meeting on Urological Cancers will take place in Barcelona, Spain, November 2nd to 4th, 2007. The meeting is co-organized by the European Association of Urology (EAU), the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) and the European Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ESTRO).
The therapeutic potential of adult stem cells in cardiovascular diseases
By Bodo E. Strauer (Düsseldorf, Germany) Russian summary and complete article in English.
For and against - Absorbable metal stents
Coronary stents provide wall wrapping of dissection, prevent elastic recoil, and reduce restenosis after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty. In addition, drug eluting stents loaded with antiproliferative agents inhibit intimal hyperplasia and offer a further reduction of restenosis.
Trial to raise awareness of gender and CVD
More women than men die of cardiovascular disease (CVD) every year, yet females receive only 33% of angioplasties, stents and bypass surgeries; 28% of implantable defibrillators, and 36% of open heart surgeries.
Could a virtual game help pandemic studies?
USA - Online game worlds might prove useful for the study of a spread of human infectious diseases, according to scientists Eric Lofgren and Nina Fefferman, of Rutgers University (Piscataway, NJ, USA) and Tufts University (Boston, MA, USA).
Carotid Plaque Imaging
Ischaemic stroke accounts for 80-85% of all cerebrovascular accidents and causes considerable morbidity and mortality, thereby placing a significant burden on western societies. In the UK alone, stroke costs amount to 10.4 billion EUR annually. These events commonly are a consequence of systemic atherosclerotic disease and with the internal carotid arteries supplying 75% of cerebral blood flow,…
Selenium-Based Flat Panel X-ray Detector for Digital Fluoroscopy and Radiography
We have succeeded in developing the first selenium-based flat panel X-ray detector for digital fluoroscopy and radiography. This flat panel X-ray detector efficiently captures X-rays that have passed through the patient's body and converts them directly to digital dynamic and static images. It has been confirmed that images with high spatial resolution and contrast can be obtained. The detector…