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A new study suggests virtual reality pain relief interventions may be effective at reducing pain in hospitalized populations with cancer.

Discharged hospital patients can carry superbugs home and infect relatives or caregivers, even if they weren't sickened by the bacteria, per a study in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology. The University of Iowa-led research examined 158 million insurance claims from 2001 to 2021, finding methicillin-resistant staph (MRSA) in over 424,000 patients. Family members of hospitalized MRSA patients were 71 times more likely to contract the infection. Exposure to a recently discharged family member raised infection risk by 44%, increasing with longer hospital stays. Researchers recommend hospitals improve MRSA testing at discharge, even for asymptomatic patients.

A deep-learning model performs comparably to an abdominal radiologist when it comes to finding clinically significant prostate cancer on MRI, researchers have reported.

The model shows promise as a way to improve radiologists' diagnostic performance on MRI by increasing cancer detection rates and decreasing false positives, study lead author Naoki Takahashi, MD, from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, said in a statement released by the RSNA. The study findings were published August 6 in Radiology.

cross-posted from: https://midwest.social/post/15413291

Perceptive announced it performed the world's first fully automated dental procedure using a robot. The system integrates AI, 3D imaging, and robotics, enabling tasks like crown placements in just 15 minutes. Perceptive claims their robotic dentist can diagnose and plan treatments using a 3D volumetric data procedure and an optical coherence technology (OCT) scan. Perceptive's CEO, Chris Ciriello, mentioned that FDA approval could take up to five years.

Perceptive announced it performed the world's first fully automated dental procedure using a robot. The system integrates AI, 3D imaging, and robotics, enabling tasks like crown placements in just 15 minutes. Perceptive claims their robotic dentist can diagnose and plan treatments using a 3D volumetric data procedure and an optical coherence technology (OCT) scan. Perceptive's CEO, Chris Ciriello, mentioned that FDA approval could take up to five years.

A man experienced severe health complications after losing 30 percent of his body weight in six months using tirzepatide, a new weight loss drug. Researchers at the University of Colorado reported the case in JAMA Internal Medicine. The 62-year-old, who had obesity, Type 1 diabetes, and hypothyroidism, was taking a weight-based dose of levothyroxine. After significant weight loss, he developed atrial fibrillation due to an excess of thyroid hormone.

Some of America's largest hospital systems saw significant financial gains in the first half of 2024, while over 700 facilities nationwide face closure risks. A report from the Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform found that more than one-third of rural hospitals are at risk of closure.

Many Americans still receive unexpected bills or coverage denials and need better health literacy to challenge them, according to an issue brief from Commonwealth Fund. Investigators found, in a survey of more than 5,600 insured adults, that 45% of participants or their family members had received an unanticipated bill or copayment for a service they expected to be free or insured. Among those who received an unexpected bill, only 45% challenged it. The survey also indicated that Medicare beneficiaries (53%), Medicaid plan members (50%), Hispanic individuals (49%), and those with incomes exceeding 400% of the federal poverty level were most likely to challenge a bill.

New Mexico is appealing directly to Texas healthcare providers through a "Free to Provide" initiative, urging them to relocate due to Texas' strict abortion laws. The New Mexico Department of Health ran full-page ads in major Texas newspapers, featuring a letter from Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D), saying, "You took your oath with patients -- not politicians -- in mind." Texas' abortion legislation bans the procedure except to protect the mother's life, while New Mexico offers legal protections for abortion providers. More than 14,200 Texans sought abortion care in New Mexico in 2023. The campaign, costing around $400,000, includes billboards in Houston.

A direct quote from the finance minister of Israel today: "Nobody will let us cause 2 million civilians to die of hunger, even though it might be justified and moral, until our hostages are returned."

Intermittent calorie restriction improved executive function and memory measures in cognitively intact older adults, an exploratory pilot study suggested.

The 8-week randomized clinical trial of 40 overweight, cognitively normal older adults with insulin resistance examined the effect of two interventions -- a 5:2 intermittent fasting plan versus a "healthy living" diet based on portion control and calorie reduction guidelines from the U.S. Department of Agriculture -- on brain health. The 5:2 intermittent fasting group had 2 days of food intake of 480 calories/day (two meal replacement shakes), and 5 days of a healthy living diet.

Both interventions improved executive function and memory, with intermittent fasting showing better results on certain cognitive measures, said Dimitrios Kapogiannis, MD, of the National Institute on Aging (NIA) and the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, in a poster presented at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference.

Through one, two, or three doses of COVID-19 vaccine, people who receive the shots generally see lower risks of overall arterial and venous thrombotic events, according to a study of nearly 46 million people living in England.

The incidence of major events like acute MI, acute ischemic stroke, pulmonary embolism, and deep venous thrombosis was either similar or lower after receipt of one of the three vaccines used during the first 2 years of the pandemic in the United Kingdom compared with before or without the shot.