Harvard Health Content API

Just over half of the intensive care patients in the world’s hospitals have infections, a study concludes. The study collected data on a single day on patients in 75 countries. Overall, 51% had infections on that day. The infection rates were lower in Africa (46%) and North America (48%). They ranged as high as 60% in Central and South America. People who stayed in an intensive care unit (ICU) longer were more likely to get infected. The infection rate was 70% for people who had been in an ICU longer than a week. People who had infections were twice as likely to die in the hospital. The study appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association. HealthDay News wrote about it December 1.

Weight-loss surgery before pregnancy can help both mother and baby, a study finds. Researchers used data from 75 studies about bariatric surgery. This form of surgery makes the stomach smaller. It can help obese people lose weight. In the studies, women who got pregnant after surgery had fewer problems. For example, none developed diabetes while they were pregnant. The rate was 22% for obese women. Women who had bariatric surgery also were less likely to have very large or very small babies. HealthDay News wrote about the study November 18. It appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

In 1975, the United States banned selling turtles less than 4 inches across. That’s because turtles carry salmonella bacteria that can infect humans. But today Americans keep more than 2 million small turtles as pets. Most people don’t know about the ban, say researchers who studied a salmonella outbreak linked to pet turtles. They published their findings October 19 in the journal Pediatrics. The outbreak occurred in 2007 and 2008. At least 107 people in 34 states got sick. One-third of them had to be put in a hospital. People had bought their pet turtles in pet shots, flea markets, on the street and online. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is investigating these vendors, the article said. Other researchers have tried to breed turtles that don’t carry salmonella, the Associated Press reported. But they have not succeeded so far.

Though cases of H1N1 flu have dropped off, it’s too early to say the pandemic is over, says the World Health Organization (WHO). The WHO declared the pandemic in June. Since then, millions of people have been infected with H1N1, or swine flu, and about 11,500 have died. Fewer people have died from H1N1 than from seasonal flu, but H1N1 causes more deaths in younger people.

News articles about medical research often don’t mention who paid for it, a new study has found. And most articles use brand names more than generic names for drugs, the study said. Researchers looked at 306 articles from U.S. newspapers and online sites. About 4 out of 10 articles did not mention funding. About 2 out of 3 articles used brand names for drugs at least half of the time. The authors also interviewed 100 editors from large newspapers. The vast majority thought their papers always revealed funding sources and used generic drug names. HealthDay News wrote about the study September 30. It was in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Former President Bill Clinton was released from a New York Hospital February 12 after a heart procedure, Deutsche Presse-Agentur reported. Clinton had quadruple bypass surgery in 2004. In that operation, a vein from elsewhere in his body was used to bypass parts of four clogged arteries. This time, Clinton’s doctor said, one of the bypass arteries had become blocked. Two stents, tiny mesh tubes, were inserted to reopen it. Clinton did not have a heart attack. Since the bypass operation, Clinton has taken care of himself and kept his cholesterol and blood pressure under control, his doctor said. But heart disease doesn’t go away, other experts told the Associated Press. They said it’s not unusual for someone to need stents several years after a bypass. The average time is about 10 years. People may live long lives despite the need for several stent operations, they said.

Giving toddlers daily doses of xylitol syrup may help to prevent tooth decay, a study suggests. Xylitol is a sugar alcohol sweetener. Previous studies showed that xylitol chewing gum or candies could help to prevent cavities. The study included 94 children from the Republic of the Marshall Islands. They were 9 to 15 months old. One group received 8 grams of xylitol syrup a day, divided into two doses. One group got the same amount, but in three smaller doses. The third group got one dose of 2.67 grams. Local officials would not allow any group to receive a placebo. After about 10 months, 24% of the 2-dose group had cavities. The rate was 41% in the 3-dose group, and 52% in the single-dose group. The study appeared in the journal Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine. HealthDay News wrote about it July 7.

People with high blood pressure should use a home monitor for regular checks of their pressure, experts said May 22. The new statement came from the American Heart Association. It also was endorsed by groups representing doctors and nurses who treat the condition. About 72 million Americans have high blood pressure. Only 1 in 3 has it under control. The groups said data from home monitoring could help doctors adjust medicine doses. The Associated Press reported on the statement May 22. It was published in the journal Hypertension.

People whose hearts don’t relax normally between beats may be less able to exercise, a study finds. The study included nearly 2,900 people. They all were given an echocardiogram during exercise. This test uses ultrasound to show how well the heart works. Researchers focused on the heart’s left ventricle. They looked at whether it was able to relax and expand normally. This is called diastolic function. People with poor diastolic function in the left ventricle were less able to exercise. HealthDay News wrote about the study. It appeared January 21 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Older adults who take someone to the doctor with them are happier with their care, a study finds. The study used a survey of 12,000 people on Medicare. Nearly 4 out of 10 people said someone usually went with them to the doctor. These patients ranked their doctors’ medical, communication and people skills higher than people who visited alone. About 6 out of 10 helpers talked to the doctor or recorded instructions. Patients with this kind of help were even more satisfied. The study was in the July 14 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.