New research shows that a drug approved for the treatment of diabetes may be valuable to victims of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Exendin-4 is currently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use by diabetics but its spectrum of medical value may be much broader, according to
A team of Australian scientists recently made an important discovery regarding the pregnancy-related disease pre-eclampsia. The doctors conducted a medical study of women who suffered from pre-eclampsia and found that the infants they carried had significantly smaller thymuses than babies whose mothers had no serious pregnancy complications. The thymus is
Most concussion-related discussions seem to center on the National Football League (NFL). Somehow, most people overlook the grim reality that youths who play football for fun – not money – are at just as great a risk of suffering a concussion. Eight high school football players died from brain injuries
Johnny Agar always wanted to be an athlete. As the son of a former Detroit Tigers prospect, Agar has always been drawn to sports. The 18-year-old has ambitions to be a sportscaster someday but he’s never had realistic aspirations of playing professional sports; Agar has cerebral palsy. Born prematurely, doctors
In August 2008, a woman visited the hospital because of pregnancy complications. An obstetrician performed an ultrasound and – much to the mother’s horror – concluded the baby was dead. About an hour later, a different hospital staff member conducted a follow-up ultrasound and discovered that the infant had a
Brian Heyburn got a rough start to life. A doctor improperly administered an epidural during his C-section birth. The serious error caused Heyburn to suffer cerebral palsy, and he spent his early childhood growing up at a center for children with special needs. While grade school presents significant challenges for
In 2010, an infant boy was born about four months premature. Much to the joy of the baby’s parents, the hospital staff successfully leveraged modern medicine and technology to keep him alive. The joy tragically transformed into grief when the fragile infant was given the incorrect concentration of sodium through
A recent study revealed that emergency room errors are twice as likely to occur when the patient doesn’t speak English. Researchers discovered that the heightened medical-error rate could easily be lowered by staffing ERs with interpreter-translators. The 25 million U.S. residents who aren’t proficient English speakers face an unacceptable chance
A recent study in the Journal of General Internal Medicine that Ohio residents may be interested in examined how doctors communicate with patients. The study results show how the nonverbal component of communication, such as gestures, body position, and facial expression, can be just as important as what your doctor
Reports suggest that at least six percent of pregnant women are taking antidepressants, and antidepressants have been shown to be a risk to the health of a developing child. The scientific community is currently in the midst of a debate over whether the risk that a child will be injured by