'Awareness' Under C-Section Anesthesia May Be Less Rare Than Thought

• Robert Preidt
• January 13, 2021
• Full Page

It's a woman's worst nightmare: You're having a C-section under anesthesia, but you suddenly become aware of what is happening during your surgery.

Now, a new study shows that phenomenon, known as "accidental awareness," is more common than believed. In fact, it may occ...

Pandemic Is Tied to Big Rise in U.S. Heart Deaths

• Denise Mann HealthDay Reporter
• January 12, 2021
• Full Page

In a finding that highlights another health consequence of the coronavirus pandemic, researchers report that the risk of dying from heart disease increased during the coronavirus lockdowns last spring, likely because people were too scared to go to the hospital.

But the ...

Red Cross Issues Call for More Blood Plasma to Treat COVID Patients

• Steven Reinberg
• January 6, 2021
• Full Page

The American Red Cross is urging COVID-19 survivors to donate blood plasma for hospital patients who need it to recover.

As an incentive to help boost the national convalescent plasma shortage, the Red Cross has teamed up with the National Football League and is offering...

U.S. COVID Hospitalizations Reach Record High as California Hospitals Run Out of Oxygen

• Ernie Mundell and Robin Foster HealthDay Reporters
• January 6, 2021
• Full Page

A record-breaking 131,000 coronavirus hospitalizations were recorded in the United States on Tuesday. In hard-hit Los Angeles County, hospitals began running out of oxygen and paramedics were told not to bring patients to a hospital if they showed little hope of survival.

Laughter As Medicine: Clowns Help Hospitalized Kids Cope

• Cara Murez
• December 31, 2020
• Full Page

Send in the clowns. They could help hospitalized children cope with pain and anxiety.

New research shows that hospital clowns can help improve both physical symptoms and the psychological well-being of children and teens through laughter and play.

For the study,...

Why Do Obese People Have Higher Risk From COVID-19?

• Robert Preidt
• December 29, 2020
• Full Page

Respiratory problems and other factors -- not inflammation -- may explain why obese people are more likely to have severe COVID-19 and die from it, according to a new study.

Other studies have shown that overweight and obese COVID-19 patients are more likely to be admitt...

COVID Patient Survival Falls When Local Area Has Higher Caseload: Study

• Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
• December 23, 2020
• Full Page

"Flattening the curve" could be key to reducing deaths among people hospitalized with COVID-19, a new study of U.S. hospitals suggests.

Researchers found that COVID-19 patients' survival odds depended not only on their age and overall health. It also depended on the hosp...

Trials Find Full-Dose Blood Thinners May Harm, Not Help, COVID Patients in ICU

• Robert Preidt
• December 23, 2020
• Full Page

Because COVID-19 is known to raise the odds for dangerous blood clots, blood thinners have quickly become part of routine care for many hospitalized patients.

But three clinical trials testing full doses of these drugs in COVID-19 patients have now paused recruitment of ...

Hurricanes Leave Rise in Hospitalizations in Their Wake

• Robert Preidt
• December 23, 2020
• Full Page

Hospitals are swamped with older patients after hurricanes, a new study finds.

Researchers analyzed data on hospitalizations for adults 65 and older in the month following eight of the United States' largest hurricanes in recent years.

In this age group, post-hurri...

First 10 Days After Hospital Discharge Especially Risky for COVID Survivors

• Alan Mozes HealthDay Reporter
• December 22, 2020
• Full Page

Being discharged from the hospital following a serious bout of COVID-19 is far from a clean bill of health, new research warns, and the risk of rehospitalization or death peaks early.

In the study, more than one-quarter of such patients ended up back in the hospital or ...

Women Less Likely to Survive Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest

• Robert Preidt
• December 21, 2020
• Full Page

Women who are resuscitated from cardiac arrest are less likely to receive two common treatments once they arrive at the hospital, and are much more likely to die while hospitalized than men, a new study finds.

The researchers analyzed data gathered on nearly 4,900 resus...

COVID-19 Is Far More Lethal, Damaging Than Flu, Data Shows

• Robert Preidt
• December 18, 2020
• Full Page

COVID-19 is far more harmful and deadly than the seasonal flu, new studies confirm.

Researchers analyzed U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs data on more than 3,600 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 between Feb. 1 and June 17 of this year, and more than 12,600 hospital...

Sickle Cell Puts Black Patients at Higher Risk for Severe COVID

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• December 15, 2020
• Full Page

Sickle cell disease increases the risk of death or serious complications from COVID-19 infection, a pair of new studies suggests.

People with sickle cell disease -- a genetic blood disorder predominantly found in Black people -- are 6.2 times more likely to die from COVI...

U.S. Hospitals Running Out of ICU Beds for COVID Patients

• Ernie Mundell and Robin Foster HealthDay Reporters
• December 9, 2020
• Full Page

In a sign that the coronavirus pandemic is entering its most dire stage yet, new federal data shows that more than a third of Americans now live in areas where hospitals are critically short of intensive care beds.

Hospitals serving more than 100 million Americans had fe...

Pandemic Causing Dangerous Delays in Care When Appendicitis Strikes Kids

• Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
• December 7, 2020
• Full Page

Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, doctors became concerned that people were delaying needed medical care to avoid hospitals. Now a new study hints that some parents may have waited to get emergency treatment for their children's appendicitis.

Appendicitis is a painful infl...

High Blood Sugar Ups COVID Risks, Even in Non-Diabetics

• Robert Preidt
• December 4, 2020
• Full Page

COVID-19 patients with abnormally high blood sugar are at increased risk for serious illness and death, even if they don't have diabetes, new research shows.

The study included more than 11,300 non-critically ill adults with COVID-19 who were hospitalized in Spain betwee...

CDC Director Warns of Dire Winter Ahead for COVID Hospitalizations, Deaths

• Ernie Mundell and Robin Foster HealthDay Reporters
• December 3, 2020
• Full Page

The head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned Wednesday that the coming winter months might be the darkest period yet in the coronavirus pandemic.

"I actually believe they're going to be the most difficult time in the public health history of t...

Many Hospitalized COVID Patients Will Need Longer-Term Care at Home

• Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
• December 2, 2020
• Full Page

When COVID-19 patients go home from the hospital, their recovery is often far from over -- and many might benefit from home health care, a new study suggests.

At a time when U.S. COVID cases are surging and hospitals are running out of room, experts say home health care ...

Should Cancer Survivors Be Prioritized for COVID Vaccine?

• Robert Preidt
• December 2, 2020
• Full Page

Cancer survivors have higher odds of dying from seasonal flu, suggesting they may also be at increased risk from COVID-19 and may need to be among the first in line for vaccination against both diseases.

Researchers from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine...

Preemie Babies End Up Hospitalized More as Kids

• November 27, 2020
• Full Page

Children born prematurely have a higher risk of hospitalization later on than those born at full term, a new study says.

Health problems are common in premature babies, though the risk falls as they grow up. But researchers said it has been unclear when the risk begins t...

Delirium May Be Only Sign of Severe COVID in Elderly: Study

• Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter
• November 25, 2020
• Full Page

Delirium is often the first symptom of COVID-19 to appear in older people, a new study finds.

They may have confusion with an altered level of consciousness, disorientation, inattention and other mental disturbances, but none of the other typical signs of the corona...

Another Study Casts Doubt on 'Convalescent Plasma' as COVID-19 Treatment

• Ernie Mundell HealthDay Reporter
• November 25, 2020
• Full Page

Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, anecdotal reports suggested that infusing very sick patients with the blood plasma of people who'd survived the disease might help boost outcomes.

But study findings released Nov. 24 in the New England Journal of Medicine, along w...

More Kids Injured by Tiny Magnets After Sales Ban Was Lifted: Study

• Alan Mozes HealthDay Reporter
• November 24, 2020
• Full Page

Small, powerful magnets in toys like Buckyballs building sets and jewelry kits are causing an alarming number of serious pediatric injuries in the United States, new research warns.

Analyzing national data, researchers found an 80% rise in these injuries to children from...

Blacks, Hispanics Account for More Than Half of COVID Deaths: Study

• Robert Preidt
• November 23, 2020
• Full Page

Black and Hispanic Americans accounted for more than half of all hospitalized COVID-19 patient deaths in the United States in the early stages of the pandemic, and the hospitals where they were treated may be a factor, researchers say.

For the study, the investigators an...

B 11/21 -- Which Kids With COVID Will Get Very Sick?

• November 21, 2020
• Full Page

Scientists have identified symptoms that may predict the severity of COVID-19 in children.

According to the researchers, children with respiratory disease and those with multisystem inflammatory syndrome (a rare but serious condition linked with COVID-19) have the most s...

How Hospitals Can Cut Patients' Falls

• Robert Preidt
• November 20, 2020
• Full Page

A new toolkit to help reduce falls and fall-related injuries among hospital patients is highly effective, a new study shows.

Falls are the leading cause of preventable injury, so researchers set out to create a fall prevention toolkit for patients and their families.

Pandemic Protocols Don't Stand in the Way of a Safe Delivery

• Steven Reinberg
• November 4, 2020
• Full Page

New infection prevention practices started during the coronavirus pandemic have actually shortened hospital stays for mothers and their babies, a new study finds.

The changes included screening the temperature of all patients and visitors, limiting the number of visitors...

Coronavirus Cases, Hospitalizations Keep Climbing

• Ernie Mundell and Robin Foster HealthDay Reporters
• November 4, 2020
• Full Page

On the heels of days of staggering coronavirus case counts, more than 90,000 new infections were reported among Americans on Election Day.

All of the country's five highest days of new COVID-19 cases have been recorded since Oct. 29, confirming fears that another surge h...

Hospitals Across America Strained by Coronavirus Surge

• Ernie Mundell and Robin Foster HealthDay Reporters
• October 28, 2020
• Full Page

Hospitals across America were struggling on Tuesday as the new coronavirus struck with a vengeance in parts of the country that had been spared the worst in the early days of the pandemic.

The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 has climbed an estimated 46 percen...

Knowing What to Expect May Help After Sexual Assault

• Steven Reinberg
• October 24, 2020
• Full Page

Sexual assault is common in America, with an attack occurring every 73 seconds. But having supportive care at the emergency department and afterwards can help heal the trauma, Penn State doctors say.

One in five women is raped during their lifetime, yet only 25&#...

Could Hospital Visit Records Help Docs Spot ADHD, Autism Early?

• Steven Reinberg
• October 22, 2020
• Full Page

Kids with autism or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) go to the hospital more in their first year of life than children without these conditions, according to a new study.

These findings suggest that keeping track of hospital visits may be a new way to...

Nurses Can Make the Difference for New Moms' Breastfeeding

• Cara Roberts Murez
• October 21, 2020
• Full Page

One key to breastfeeding success? Having enough hospital nurses to ensure that new moms get top-notch care.

Hospitals with higher rates of exclusive breastfeeding had nurses who provided more consistent care, according to a new report.

That care included h...

'Weekend Effect' Affects Survival Odds for Rural Stroke Patients

• Robert Preidt
• October 21, 2020
• Full Page

Stroke patients have a higher risk of death if they're admitted to a rural hospital on the weekend, a new study finds.

University of Georgia researchers analyzed 2016 data on stroke deaths at U.S. hospitals to learn whether the so-called "weekend effect" influenced s...

Bedside COVID-19 Test Faster Than Standard PCR Test

• Steven Reinberg
• October 13, 2020
• Full Page

Bedside tests for COVID-19 may speed results and improve infection control, making them better than standard laboratory tests, a new study suggests.

Results of the bedside test take about 2 hours, compared with 21 hours for PCR lab tests, the researchers said. These...

Many Older Americans With Heart Failure Take 10 or More Meds

• Cara Roberts Murez
• October 13, 2020
• Full Page

When older people hospitalized for heart failure are sent home, they are often given a whopping 10 medications to take for a variety of conditions. But is this "polypharmacy" practice necessary, or does it just place a bigger burden on already frail patients?

It's n...

Blacks, Asians More Likely Than Whites to Have Severe COVID

• Robert Preidt
• October 13, 2020
• Full Page

Black and Asian COVID-19 patients are more likely than white patients to have severe illness, a new British study finds.

Researchers analyzed data from more than 1,800 adult COVID-19 patients admitted to King's College Hospital in London between March 1 and June 2.

Kids' Hospitalizations Accompany Rising Unemployment Rates: Study

• Robert Preidt
• October 9, 2020
• Full Page

COVID-19 has led to widespread job loss in the United States. And now a new study reports that when unemployment rates rise, so do hospitalizations of children.

For the study, researchers analyzed 12 years of data (2002 to 2014) from 14 states. They found that for e...

Always Be Ready for a Trip to the ER

• Robert Preidt
• October 7, 2020
• Full Page

Accidents happen, and being prepared for an emergency room visit could help speed treatment and reduce anxiety if the need occurs, an expert says.

The first step is determining which ER you want to use in the event of a sudden or severe illness or injury, said Dr. Su...

COVID-19 ICU Patients Have High Risk of Clots, Research Shows

• Alan Mozes
• October 6, 2020
• Full Page

Hospitalized COVID-19 patients face an increased risk of developing dangerous blood clots, a new review indicates.

The odds of a clot are highest for the most critically ill patients. Analysis of 66 studies found that 23% of COVID-19 patients in an intensive car...

COVID-19 Patients Rarely Survive Cardiac Arrest: Study

• Dennis Thompson
• September 28, 2020
• Full Page

Folks whose hearts stop due to a severe case of COVID-19 are very unlikely to leave the hospital alive, a new study shows.

Out of 54 patients at a Michigan hospital who suffered cardiac arrest while battling COVID-19, none survived their illness even though 29 were r...

Severe Mental Illnesses Often Overlooked at Hospital Admission: Study

• Robert Preidt
• September 23, 2020
• Full Page

Severe mental illness diagnoses often get missed in patients hospitalized for physical health problems, according to a new study.

Researchers analyzed data from nearly 13,800 U.K. adults who were diagnosed with severe mental illness, including bipolar disorder and sc...

'Flattening the Curve' Saves More Lives Than Thought

• Robert Preidt
• September 14, 2020
• Full Page

Failure to "flatten the coronavirus curve" in the United States could lead to even more deaths than previously believed, a new study claims.

The researchers concluded that every six additional intensive care unit (ICU) beds or seven additional non-ICU beds filled by ...

COVID-19 Takes Heavy Toll on Kidneys

• Robert Preidt
• September 14, 2020
• Full Page

COVID-19 can damage the kidneys and increase patients' risk of needing kidney dialysis, researchers report.

The study authors also warned that doctors should prepare for a significant rise in chronic kidney disease cases due to the pandemic.

For the study, ...

Blood Pressure Meds Can Affect COVID-19 Care

• Dennis Thompson
• September 11, 2020
• Full Page

People with high blood pressure tend to fare worse when infected with COVID-19, and the chronic condition can complicate their treatment in unexpected ways, new research shows.

For example, some COVID-19 patients must be taken off their blood pressure medications if ...

At One Hospital, ICU Workers' PPE May Have Kept Coronavirus at Bay

• Robert Preidt
• September 11, 2020
• Full Page

The intensive care unit staff had one of the lowest rates of COVID-19 infection among workers at a U.K. hospital system, which suggests their personal protective equipment may have given them added protection, a new study says.

British researchers assessed staff at U...

How One Hospital Kept COVID Transmissions at Nearly Zero

• Robert Preidt
• September 10, 2020
• Full Page

Infection control measures implemented in response to the coronavirus pandemic kept transmission of the virus to patients within a Boston hospital at nearly zero, according to a new study.

The measures at Brigham and Women's Hospital included: masking of all patients...

Rates of Child Hospitalization Similar Between COVID-19, Flu: Study

• E.J. Mundell
• September 8, 2020
• Full Page

While adults face raised odds for hospitalization with COVID-19, a new study shows that the risk for kids infected with SARS-CoV-2 is about equal to that seen with influenza.

The researchers found that kids with COVID-19 or the seasonal flu have similar rates of hosp...

Asthma May Not Boost Odds of Severe COVID-19

• Serena Gordon
• September 4, 2020
• Full Page

New research may have people with asthma breathing a little easier: Doctors found the airway disease doesn't raise the risk of being hospitalized due to COVID-19.

The researchers also noted that people with asthma weren't more likely than people without it to need a...

COVID-19 Ills No Greater for Those With Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis

• Robert Preidt
• September 4, 2020
• Full Page

People with lupus aren't at increased risk of hospitalization from COVID-19 due to steroidal medications they take to reduce immune system activity, a new study finds.

And a related study found that people with inflammatory forms of arthritis -- such as rheumatoid ar...

Many Hospital Workers Infected With Coronavirus Don't Show Symptoms

• E.J. Mundell
• September 1, 2020
• Full Page

A new study of 13 U.S. medical centers finds that 6% of staff tested positive for prior infection with the new coronavirus, with almost half (44%) having no idea they'd ever contracted SARS-CoV-2.

In the study, blood antibody testing of more than 3,200 doctor...