Popular Articles

Why HIV Progresses Faster In Women Than In Men With Same Viral Load
One of the continuing mysteries of the HIV/AIDS epidemic is why women usually develop lower viral levels than men following acute HIV-1 infection but progress faster to AIDS than men with similar viral loads. Now a research team based at the Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), MIT and Harvard has found that a receptor molecule involved in the first-line recognition of HIV-1 responds to the virus differently in women, leading to subsequent differences in chronic T cell activation, a known predictor of disease progression. Their paper, which will be published in an upcoming issue of Nature Medicine, is receiving early online release.

Quality Of Care Delivery In Colorectal Cancer Improved By Educational Initiatives
A study of targeted educational initiatives between the clinical staff at Fox Chase Cancer Center and the hospitals within their Partners program suggest that educational interventions by academic cancer centers can improve quality of care for cancer patients at community hospitals. The study, to be presented at the 2009 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, looked specifically at the number of lymph nodes that were surgically removed in colorectal cancer patients at Fox Chase"s partner hospitals and the impact that educational initiatives by clinical staff had on improving the number of nodes removed.
News of the day
Cruel And Inhuman Treatment Causes More Mental Damage Than Physical Torture
New research findings published by Dr Metin Basoglu, Head of Section of Trauma Studies at King"s College London and the Istanbul Centre for Behaviour Research and Therapy, examines the psychological impact of war captivity, "cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment" (CIDT) and physical torture. Findings revealed that being held captive in a hostile and life-threatening environment, deprivation of basic needs, sexual torture, psychological manipulations, humiliation, exposure to extreme temperatures, isolation, and forced stress positions appear to cause more psychological damage than physical torture.
Oncology

APIC Launches Online Infection Prevention Course

The first of six online courses to educate healthcare professionals on preventing the transmission of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) is being launched by the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC). Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) cause 99,000 deaths in the U.S. each year. The "APIC Healthcare-Associated Infections Elimination Library" compiles APIC"s evidence-based elimination guides into an interactive, online format. The APIC course can be used to educate all hospital staff, from the novice to more experienced healthcare workers. This is the first component of APIC"s Online Learning Center. Elimination of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in hospital settings is the first module in the APIC HAI Elimination Library. Future courses will cover catheter-related blood stream infections, catheter-associated urinary tract infections, C. difficile, surgical site infections and ventilator-associated pneumonia. "APIC"s new online library is designed to ensure that all healthcare workers can easily access critical learning about the reduction of HAIs," said APIC CEO Kathy L. Warye. "This is the first time that APIC content is being offered in this way and supports our overall strategy to deliver quality education as broadly and conveniently as possible." Courses include case studies, links to published guidelines and real-time feedback to assess the learner"s performance. Participants can obtain continuing education credit for completed coursework. The courseware will be available for purchase by healthcare organizations whose employees train on the HealthStream Learning Center platform. HealthStream is a leading provider of research and learning solutions for the healthcare industry. For more information, please visit http://www.healthstream.com/apic/. APIC


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