A common practice of successive 12-hour shifts for U.S. hospital nurses leaves many with serious sleep deprivation, higher risk of health problems, and more odds of making patient errors, according to a University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) study presented at the 24th annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies in San Antonio. The study also found that the average total sleep time between 12-hours shifts was only 5.5 hours.

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The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) announced that it would continue providing accreditation for nurses offering Long Acting Reversible Contraception (LARC). The announcement follows an internal review which focused on finding a sustainable solution to providing LARC accreditation. LARC covers nurses fitting intrauterine techniques (IUTs) and subdermal contraceptive implants (SDIs). From 1 April 2010 the RCN will provide the accreditation at a cost of £300 for members and £400 for non-members.

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The NT-V2 Advanced Technology Respirator Face Mask is now available through BeyondN95Mask.com, a division of Spartan Business Services LLC. The NT-V2 Mask is the next step beyond N95 Respirator Masks. This unique NIOSH approved N95 respirator utilizes Nano Technology to help neutralize airborne germs, such as those which cause Swine Flu (H1N1), Bird Flu (H5N1), Anthrax, Tuberculosis, and MRSA. It is the world’s first self-sterilizing mask, manufactured by one of only two companies in the world with an FDA approved N95 mask.

Logical Images Inc, the expert source for visual diagnostic decision support technology and consumer skin health information, has enhanced its popular online skin health and wellness resource to provide consumers with even more information and expert opinions on skin care and wellness issues. Skinsight.com (formerly VisualDxHealth.com) now offers users more consumer-friendly language, renowned expert opinions, in-depth images, enhanced content about general skin health, and detailed treatment information.

According to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, people under Medicare are more likely to survive the first 30 days after a heart attack than they would have done more than a decade ago. The people are also likely to find more consistent quality of care among hospitals in terms of its treatment of heart attack survivors.

Regular use of aspirin after colorectal cancer diagnosis may reduce the risk of cancer death, report investigators from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women’s Hospital. The study, published on August 12 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, also indicated that the aspirin-associated survival advantage was seen primarily in patients with tumors expressing the COX-2 enzyme, a characteristic of two-thirds of colorectal cancers. The researchers had compiled data from two ongoing prospective research studies, the Nurses Health Study (NHS) and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study (HPFS).

A 2009 survey conducted on over 600 Australians on blood pressure medications found that 9% were still taking common painkillers despite warnings. People on blood pressure-related medications can suffer acute kidney failure if they also take Nurofen, or other drugs in the same class, often sold through supermarkets and pharmacies.

Omega-6 fatty acids that is found in vegetable oils, nuts and seeds are a beneficial part of a heart-healthy eating plan, according to a science advisory published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association. The association has recommended consumption of a minimum of 5%-10% of daily calories from omega-6 fatty acids. It also recommended that the omega-6 comes from foods, not supplements. Most Americans actually get enough of these oils in the foods they are currently eating, such as nuts, cooking oils and salad dressings, the advisory reports.

The FDA has implemented rules that require drug companies to place stronger warnings on the labels of common over-the-counter pain relievers about the risk of liver damage and stomach bleeding. The FDA’s Matthew Ray Holman, PhD, says the new warnings are necessary “to raise consumer awareness about the potential for liver damage when using acetaminophen (such as Tylenol) and the potential for stomach bleeding when using a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug,” commonly called an NSAID. NSAIDs include aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen and ketoprofen.

The issue of ‘American Family Physician’ dated October 15 comprised of a review that had information on techniques for usage of corticosteroid injections for common musculoskeletal conditions. Doctors say that to administer successfully, conducting the correct diagnosis (who to inject), carrying out the right procedure (how to inject), and use of the appropriate pharmaceutical (what to inject) is important. To relieve from pain, reduce inflammation and improve mobility, corticosteroids can be injected into articular, periarticular, or soft tissue structures. For rapid pain relief, anesthetic agents can be added to the injection. Along with that, steroid injections may provide useful diagnostic information.