Questions Remain on Bariatric Surgery for Adolescents

Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding surgery can effectively treat obesity in adolescents and seems to offer a better alternative than gastric bypass surgery, but further study is needed to determine whether it’s better than nonsurgical options, a UT Southwestern Medical Center surgeon writes.

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Simple, Quick Test Can Send Patient Safely Home from ER After Chest Pain

A simple, inexpensive test can determine whether it is safe to send home a patient who comes to the emergency room with chest pain.

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Loyola Trauma Surgeon Warns That Texting-On-The-Go Could be Deadly

Texting-on-the-go is one of the latest, ubiquitous hazards to life and limb sparked by our high-tech age.

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Medication Appears Well Tolerated, Beneficial in Huntington’s Disease Patients

A medication previously studied in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (latrepirdine) appears well tolerated and may improve thinking, learning and memory skills among individuals with Huntington’s disease, according to a report in the February issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

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Hypertension May Predict Dementia in Older Adults With Certain Cognitive Deficits

High blood pressure appears to predict the progression to dementia in older adults with impaired executive functions (ability to organize thoughts and make decisions) but not in those with memory dysfunction, according to a report in the February issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

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Study Examines Course and Treatment of Unexplained Chest Pain

Fewer than half of individuals who have “non-specific” chest pain (not explained by a well-known condition) experience relief from symptoms following standard medical care, according to a report in the February 8 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. In addition, one-tenth of those with persistent chest pain undergo potentially unnecessary diagnostic testing.

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Usual Care Often Not Consistent With Clinical Guidelines for Low Back Pain

Australian general practitioners often treat patients with low back pain in a manner that does not appear to match the care endorsed by international clinical guidelines, according to a report in the February 8 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

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Mediterranean Diet May Lower Risk of Brain Damage That Causes Thinking Problems

A Mediterranean diet may help people avoid the small areas of brain damage that can lead to problems with thinking and memory, according to a study released today that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 62nd Annual Meeting in Toronto April 10 to April 17, 2010.

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Researchers Develop New Tool to Assess Emergency Department Patients

A new assessment tool, reported recently by the Journal of Hospital Medicine, may help hospitals avoid under- or over-treating patients who are admitted through hospital emergency departments (EDs).

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