Time may be critical for older patients who need surgery to fix a broken hip. Researchers in the U.S., the U.K. and Canada analyzed data from hundreds of thousands of patients over 65. They found those who had hip surgery after more than two days in the hospital had higher mortality rates than those who underwent surgery on the day of admission.
A new study in the Annals of Internal Medicine suggested Hepatitis C-infected kidneys can be used for transplants. In an clinical trial, 20 patients in need of lifesaving transplants received kidneys from deceased donors infected with the disease. After undergoing antiviral therapy, doctors at Penn Medicine said the recipients now have normal kidney function.
When a woman suffers a heart attack, the gender of her ER doctor could make a big difference. Researchers in Missouri reviewed more than 500,000 heart attack cases in Florida between 1991 and 2010. They found women had a significantly higher survival rate when a woman treated them in the ER.
Sources:
1. Canadian Medical Association Journal
2. Annals of Internal Medicine
3. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
