Latest Conference Articles

Researchers from the University of British Columbia since 1995 have been assessing opioid-dependent patients with pain who are on methadone maintenance treatment.

Excessive daytime sleepiness related to severe obstructive sleep apnea is also linked to depression in men, reported a team of researchers from Australia.

Music can be relaxing, even for patients in a high-stress situation like learning to breath without mechanical ventilation, researchers reported at the 2015 American Thoracic Society meeting in Denver, CO.

Hospitals have been paying Medicare penalties when patients are readmitted too soon after discharge. So far the focus has been on patients with heart failure and pneumonia but a study from NYU finds sepsis readmissions are also common.

Patients whose genetic risk of getting lung cancer was assessed became more likely to follow through with CT lung scans, a California study of smokers found. That was most true for patients who learned they were at high risk, but learning they were at lower risk did not reduce these patients' rates of complying with screening.

A collaborative team from the Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic recently examined the prevalence of migraines in patients with fibromyalgia. The study, presented at the 34th Annual American Pain Society Scientific Meeting in Palm Springs, CA, used patients from the Mayo Clinic Fibromyalgia Registry database.

Patients recommended for screening colonoscopy often resist because the bowel cleansing regimen is unpleasant. In an abstract presented at the 2015 Digestive Disease Week conference in Washington, DC, Campbell Levy, MD, of Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, NH, and colleagues at other institutions reported on a novel edible product that achieves the desired results.

While the research being done in endocrinology using genetics is only done in a few select locations, that work can make a big difference in helping a patient answer some of their most pressing questions.

Sometimes even the most seasoned endocrinologists will encounter a patient who they have trouble finding a diagnosis. There is now an effort to use advances in science to help find answers for some of the field's most troubling questions

For younger male patients with low testosterone traditional treatments may not be the best method for what could be a temporary condition.

For anyone who has undergone a colonoscopy the worst part of the procedure is usually the preparation. Between the fluids that need to be ingested and the necessary fasting, it can be a long process before ever seeing the doctor. A recent pilot study looked at ways to change that.

Children who get lung transplants face a higher risk of developing chronic kidney disease. New research looks at risk assessment and prevention.

Just one e-cigarette exposure makes people less likely to cough, a dampening of a protective reflex. Researchers are not sure what the implications of the finding might be.

Peanut allergy is a much-publicized pediatric concern, as is asthma. In a new study, a team of researchers from Ohio reported that many asthma patients were found to have a documented peanut allergy but were not aware of that fact.

Study results show that, despite being promoted by manufacturers as a healthier alternative to smoking tobacco, electronic cigarettes emit hazardous substances.

When doctors diagnose patients with diabetes they are only at the beginning stages of treatment which will last patients for many years if not the rest of their lives. How they handle that process is just as important as the process itself.

For diabetes patients being diagnosed with the disease is a life altering event. How they are informed about their condition can make a world of difference in how they approach their treatment.

A team from Argentina reports that reusing certain medical devices saved 90% of the cost of use of single-use devices without causing complications for patients.

The use of genetic testing in endocrinology may be new, but in the future it could prove to be a valuable tool as the medical community looks to move beyond gastric bypass and other treatments for obesity and other conditions.

Even though their hospital is close to an international airport identified as a likely entry point for travelers from West African countries with Ebola, physicians at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center in Queens, NY, did not know as much as they should have about the virus, a study shows.

A Chicago team surveyed medical residents and found harrowing tales of mishaps and near-misses due to botched handoffs when patients are stepped down from ICU care.

Holding family meetings when patients are in intensive care can benefit patients, family, and caregivers. A research team reports on the electronic templates it is developing to keep records of what happens in those meetings.

Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is a proven therapy for recurrent C. difficile infection. A team of researchers from OpenBiome outlined plans for a depository for frozen stool from screened donors. The goal is to have a consistent and safe product for use by clinicians who treat patients with this ailment.

Newer tests for Clostridium difficile can detect the infection in pediatric patients even when there is no blood in the stool.

Patients with inflammatory bowel diseases are sometimes treated with immunosuppressive drugs, particularly if they have a significant co-morbidity. A Boston team of researchers found that when that co-morbidity is diabetes, patients are at greater risk of coming down with infections.

Critically ill patients benefit from sleep, but noise levels in intensive care units may interfere, a study from the Universitgy of Iowa shows.

The lack of biomarkers for some life-changing conditions makes diagnoses and treatments more challenging. A new study identified possible biological factors for certain painful diseases.

Competing theories have long been put forth to explain more about the cause of chronic pain, but a new study may finally have shed light on the mystery.

While maintaining high levels of physical activity may not appeal to many patients with fibromyalgia (FM), doing so may be the best way to help ease their pain.

In early testing the bionic pancreas has shown strong results for treating patients with type 1 diabetes. Over the next two years more work will go into streamlining the device and further testing in hopes of receiving FDA approval.