Harvard Health Content API

A computed tomography (CT) scan can help diagnose the cause of chest pain faster than standard tests, a new study suggests. The study included 749 people who came to emergency rooms with chest pain. They were given standard tests, including an electrocardiogram and blood tests. But these tests did not show clear signs of a heart attack. Half of the people also were given CT scans. The others were observed in the emergency room and got repeat tests a few hours later. This was followed by an exercise stress test. Stress tests and CT scans both are used to detect artery blockages that can lead to a heart attack. Finding out who had impending heart attacks took an average of three hours using CT scans. It took an average of six hours for the other group. The Associated Press wrote about the study. It was released November 18 at a conference.

“Stayin’ Alive” may help people do just that if their hearts stop, researchers say. The catchy Bee Gees song has a quick, pounding rhythm — 103 beats per minute. And that helps people keep the right pace for CPR chest compressions, a study found. Researchers had 15 people do CPR on mannequins while listening to the song on iPods. Five weeks later, they did the same thing without the iPods. But they were told to think about the song. The first time they did 109 compressions per minute. The second time it was 113. The American Heart Association recommends 100 compressions per minute. That’s an increase from previous advice. The Associated Press wrote about the study October 16.

Treating even mild gestational diabetes can help the mother and baby, a study has found. This form of diabetes occurs during pregnancy. Usually it goes away afterward. The study looked at 958 women with mild cases of the condition. They were randomly assigned to receive treatment or not. Treatment included advice on diet to help control blood sugar. A small number of women needed insulin, too. The treated women gained an average of 5 pounds less than the others. They were only half as likely to have babies larger than 9 pounds. Fewer of them needed a cesarean section. They also were less likely to develop pre-eclampsia, a dangerous condition. The study appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine. The Associated Press wrote about it October 1.

Pregnant women are being urged to get flu shots, especially the vaccine for H1N1 (swine) flu. But it often isn’t easy, the Associated Press reported September 29. There are many reasons. Women are reluctant to take any medicine while pregnant. Obstetricians don’t usually vaccinate patients. And some pregnant women have been turned away by pharmacies, a major location for flu shots. Pregnant women are 1% of the U.S. population. But about 6% of those who died from H1N1 flu were pregnant women. They are also more likely to be hospitalized with flu. Shots protect the woman and her baby as well. So the professional group for obstetricians is urging doctors to link up with a drugstore or hospital to make sure patients get vaccinated. The American Pharmacists Association also is trying to get the word out. It’s urging members to vaccinate pregnant women.

People infected with HIV through sex have no increased death rate within five years if they get the best treatment. That’s the conclusion of a British study of 16,000 people. But the death rate within 10 years was a bit higher for some age groups. Death rates also were higher, even within five years, for injection drug users, men, and people who were older when infected. HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. This virus causes AIDS. HealthDay News wrote about the study July 2. It appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Using bar codes can help reduce hospital drug errors, a study shows. The study was done at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. The hospital is affiliated with Harvard Medical School. Under the hospital’s new system, each patient’s wristband has a bar code. So does each container of medicine. Prescriptions are put into the patient’s electronic chart. Before nurses give medicines, they scan the bar codes for the patient and the drug. The system tells them if it’s the wrong medicine or if they are giving it too soon. Nurses also get alerts if a dose is overdue. Researchers looked at hospital units that used the new system. They were compared with units that still used a system without bar codes. Errors dropped “dramatically” in units with the new system, a researcher told HealthDay News. Errors related to timing of medicines fell 27%. Other errors dropped 41%.

Researchers think that using two old drugs might cure tuberculosis that resists most antibiotics. The first drug they used was clavulanate. This is one of the two drugs in the antibiotic Augmentin for children. Clavulanate blocks an enzyme in TB bacteria. This enzyme keeps drugs in the penicillin family from working against TB. The new study was done in a laboratory, not with people. In a lab dish, clavulanate blocked the enzyme. Then the antibiotic meropenem was used to kill the TB bacteria. Meropenem is an injected drug that’s part of the penicillin family. The study was published in the journal Science. The Associated Press wrote about it February 26.

Men may be less able to father children as they get older, a study suggests. Researchers looked at data on more than 12,000 couples at a fertility clinic. Most were being treated because the man was infertile. If the men were over age 35, the pregnancy rate was lower. The miscarriage rate was also higher. HealthDay news wrote about the study July 7, 2008. Results were presented at a conference on reproductive health in Spain.

U.S. patients are getting a lot more high-tech imaging tests, a study has found. The study covered 377,000 people across a 10-year period. All were part of a managed care organization. Use of computed tomography (CT) scans doubled in 10 years. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) tests tripled. These images did not replace older tests. Rather, they were added to these tests. The study appeared in the journal Health Affairs. Reuters Health news service wrote about it November 10.

Gastric bypass surgery may help teenagers with type 2 diabetes. A small study compared 11 teens who had the surgery with 67 teens who didn’t. Those who had the surgery lost about one-third of their body weight. Those who didn’t lost almost no weight. One year later, the teens who had the surgery had no signs of diabetes. Type 2 diabetes can lead to kidney, heart, and eye problems. HealthDay News wrote about the study December 29. It appears in the January issue of the journal Pediatrics.