Taking antithyroid drugs during the first trimester of pregnancy may be linked to a higher risk of birth defects. A study in the Annals of Internal Medicine tracked nearly 13,000 pregnancies exposed to antithyroid medications. It found certain prescriptions may increase the risk of birth defects by as much as 31-percent.
The odds of surviving cardiac arrest while in the hospital are better if it happens during the day. A study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology tracked about 150,000 patients. It found cardiac arrest at night or on weekends has a lower rate of survival due in part to hospital staffing patterns.
Researchers at Stanford University may have a breakthrough in testing for HIV. A team of chemists found a way to detect the virus in saliva, which they believe is as accurate as a blood test. Researchers said more studies are needed but in the first experiments, the test correctly diagnosed all 22 people who were screened.
Sources :
1. Annals of Internal Medicine
2. Journal of the American College of Cardiology
3. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
