PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Single, high-dose erythropoietin given 2 days pre-op reduces need for transfused blood

Aim is for better outcomes in anemic surgical patients with fewer transfusion-related complications, according to study presented at 93rd AATS Annual Meeting

2013-05-06
(Press-News.org) Minneapolis, MN, May 6, 2013 – Anemia increases operative mortality and morbidity in non-cardiac and cardiac surgical procedures. Anemic surgical patients may require more blood transfusions, raising the risk of transfusion-related complications and increasing costs. For those reasons, optimizing patient readiness by correcting anemia prior to surgery is an important clinical goal. A simple new protocol has been proposed that helps correcting anemia using a single, high dose of recombinant human erythropoietin (HRE) administered only two days prior to surgery. The results of a randomized study will be presented by Luca Weltert, MD, Cardiac Surgery Department of the European Hospital in Rome, during the Plenary Scientific Session of the 93rd AATS Annual Meeting in Minneapolis.

HRE, a red blood cell growth factor, can offset anemia, but previous protocols required that HRE must be given many days or even weeks before surgery following a complicated dosage regimen. Practically, patients often do not have that much time for preparation, and sometimes surgery must be delayed, increasing hospital costs.

In this single-blind randomized study of 600 patients presenting for heart surgery, 300 patients received a single dose of HRE 80,000 UI as a bolus two days prior to surgery and 300 patients served as controls. The results showed that prior administration of HRE reduced transfusion requirements by about one third, from a mean of 1.12 blood units per patient to 0.39 blood units per patient (p END


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Managing fibromyalgia: A guide for physicians

2013-05-06
Fibromyalgia, now recognized as a true health syndrome with origins in the central nervous system, has seen many recent evolutions regarding its diagnosis and management which should instil new approaches, states a review article published in CMAJ. "The cause of fibromyalgia is unknown, but there is some evidence for a genetic predisposition, abnormalities in the stress response system or hypothalamic–pituitary axis, and possible triggering events," writes Dr. Mary-Ann Fitzcharles, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) and McGill University, ...

Minimal dose CT superior to chest X-ray for detection of recurrent lung cancer

2013-05-06
Minneapolis, MN, May 6, 2013 – Lung cancer is associated with very high mortality, in part because it is hard to detect at early stages, but also because it can recur frequently after surgical removal. The question arises as to what is the best way to follow lung cancer patients after surgery in order to spot problems early enough, before symptoms become obvious, so that patients may still be eligible for new interventions. In this study presented at the 93rd AATS Annual Meeting, investigators from the University of Toronto departments of Thoracic Surgery and Diagnostic ...

Low-dose anticoagulation therapy used with new design mechanical heart valve lowers bleeding risk

2013-05-06
Minneapolis, MN, May 6, 2013 – For more than 40 years, patients under 65 years of age requiring heart valve replacement have had to choose between a mechanical valve that offers life-long durability but requires aggressive warfarin anticoagulation or a biological (cow or pig) valve that will wear out in 10-20 years but does not require anticoagulation. Aggressive warfarin anticoagulation is accompanied by significant annual risk of bleeding, while inadequate anticoagulation of a mechanical artificial valve has been associated with high risk of clotting problems that can ...

Activity of cancer inducing genes can be controlled by the cell's skeleton

2013-05-06
Cancer is a complex disease, in which cells undergo a series of alterations, including changes in their architecture; an increase in their ability to divide, to survive and to invade new tissues or metastasis. A category of genes, called oncogenes, is critical during cancer progression, as they codify proteins whose activity favours the development of cancer. One of these molecules, Src, is implicated in a large number of human cancers. However, it is still not clear how healthy cells constrain its activity not to become tumorous. In the latest issue of the journal Oncogene*, ...

Progerin's 'discrimination' may contribute to fatal disease HGPS

2013-05-06
A mutant protein responsible for Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria syndrome (HGPS) bars large proteins from entering the nucleus, according to a study in The Journal of Cell Biology. The culprit in HGPS, a fatal disease that resembles premature aging, is a protein variant called Progerin. This defective protein impairs cells in many ways, including reducing nuclear levels of the RanGTPase. Ran is crucial for nuclear import and export, as it stimulates unloading of cargo that has just entered the nucleus and loading of cargo that's ready to exit. Progerin also impedes the import ...

Wip1 could be new target for cancer treatment

2013-05-06
Researchers have uncovered mutations in the phosphatase Wip1 that enable cancer cells to foil the tumor suppressor p53, according to a study in The Journal of Cell Biology. The results could provide a new target for the treatment of certain cancers. Like a battlefield surgeon who has to decide which casualties can be saved, p53 performs triage on cells with injured DNA. If the damage is serious, p53 spurs the cells to die or stop proliferating. But after milder hits, p53 activates a DNA damage response (DDR) mechanism, which instigates repairs, and temporarily prevent ...

New Canadian guidelines for treating fibromyalgia

2013-05-06
Physicians from the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) and the University of Calgary have published a review article in the CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) to help family doctors diagnose and treat fibromyalgia. The article represents the first time researchers have published Canadian guidelines to help manage the condition. Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition that affects the central nervous system causing pain throughout the body. It is often accompanied by fatigue, depression and sleep problems. It affects mostly women and their multiple symptoms ...

Ubiquitous engineered nanomaterials cause lung inflammation, study finds

2013-05-06
(SACRAMENTO, Calif.) -- A consortium of scientists from across the country has found that breathing ultrafine particles from a large family of materials that increasingly are found in a host of household and commercial products, from sunscreens to the ink in copy machines to super-strong but lightweight sporting equipment, can cause lung inflammation and damage. The research on two of the most common types of engineered nanomaterials is published online today in Environmental Health Perspectives, the journal of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS). ...

LCSB discovers endogenous antibiotic in the brain

2013-05-06
Luxembourg, 6 May 2013 – Scientists from the Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine (LCSB) of the University of Luxembourg have discovered that immune cells in the brain can produce a substance that prevents bacterial growth: namely itaconic acid. Until now, biologists had assumed that only certain fungi produced itaconic acid. A team working with Dr. Karsten Hiller, head of the Metabolomics Group at LCSB, and Dr. Alessandro Michelucci has now shown that even so-called microglial cells in mammals are also capable of producing this acid. "This is a ground breaking result," ...

Schools may help close gap to mental health services for adolescents with mental disorders

2013-05-06
Washington D.C., May 6, 2013 – A study published in the May 2013 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry found that mental health resources provided by schools are significantly associated with whether adolescents with mental disorders receive needed mental health services. In particular, adolescents with disorders attending schools that engage in early identification of emotional problems, are significantly more likely to receive mental health services. Using data from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication Adolescent Supplement ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

New study reveals that differences between parent and child views best assess quality of life after pediatric liver transplant

Shapeshifting cancers’ masters, unmasked

Pusan National University researchers develop model to accurately predict vessel turnaround time

Nanowire breakthrough reveals elusive astrocytes

Novel liver cancer vaccine achieves responses in rare disease affecting children and young adults

International study finds gene linked with risk of delirium

Evidence suggests early developing human brains are preconfigured with instructions for understanding the world

Absolutely metal: scientists capture footage of crystals growing in liquid metal

Orangutans can’t master their complex diets without cultural knowledge

Ancient rocks reveal themselves as ‘carbon sponges’

Antarctic mountains could boost ocean carbon absorption as ice sheets thin

Volcanic bubbles help foretell the fate of coral in more acidic seas

Inspired by a family’s struggle, a scientist helps uncover defense against Alzheimer’s disease

The Einstein Foundation Berlin awards €350,000 prize to advance research quality

Synthetic stress hormone dexamethasone could reduce breast cancer metastases

Snakebites: COVID vaccine tech could limit venom damage

Which social determinants of health have the greatest impact on rural–urban colorectal cancer mortality disparities?

Endings and beginnings: ACT releases its final data, shaping the future of cosmology

The world’s first elucidation of the immunomodulatory effects of kimchi by the World Institute of Kimchi

Nearly seven in 10 Medicaid patients not receiving treatment within six months of an opioid use disorder diagnosis, study finds

Vertical hunting helps wild cats coexist in Guatemala’s forests, study finds

New research confirms HPV vaccination prevents cervical cancer

Oldest modern shark mega-predator swam off Australia during the age of dinosaurs

Scientists unveil mechanism behind greener ammonia production

Sharper, straighter, stiffer, stronger: Male green hermit hummingbirds have bills evolved for fighting

Nationwide awards honor local students and school leaders championing heart, brain health

Epigenetic changes regulate gene expression, but what regulates epigenetics?

Nasal drops fight brain tumors noninvasively

Okayama University of Science Ranked in the “THE World University Rankings 2026” for the Second Consecutive Year

New study looks at (rainforest) tea leaves to predict fate of tropical forests

[Press-News.org] Single, high-dose erythropoietin given 2 days pre-op reduces need for transfused blood
Aim is for better outcomes in anemic surgical patients with fewer transfusion-related complications, according to study presented at 93rd AATS Annual Meeting