— Early sign of Alzheimer's reversed in lab — One of the earliest known impairments caused by Alzheimer's disease - loss of sense of smell - can be restored by removing a plaque-forming protein in a mouse model of the disease,…
— Parental controls on embryonic development? — When a sperm fertilises an egg, each contributes a set of chromosomes to the resulting embryo, which at these very early stages is called a zygote. Early on, zygotic genes are inert,…
— Newly discovered heart stem cells make muscle and bone — Researchers have identified a new and relatively abundant pool of stem cells in the heart. The findings in the December issue of Cell Stem Cell, a Cell Press publication, show that…
— BUSM researchers develop blood test to detect membranous nephropathy — Research conducted by a pair of physicians at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and Boston Medical Centre (BMC) has led to the development of a test that can help diagnose…
— New hip implants no better than traditional implants — New hip implants appear to have no advantage over traditional implants, suggests a review of the evidence published on bmj.com today…
— Action needed to improve men's health in Europe — Policies aimed specifically at men are urgently needed to improve the health of Europe's men, say experts on bmj.com today…
— Probiotics reduce infections for patients in intensive care — Traumatic brain injury is associated with a profound suppression of the patient's ability to fight infection. At the same time the patient also often suffers hyper-inflammation, due…
— High blood sugar levels in older women linked to colorectal cancer — Elevated blood sugar levels are associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer, according to a study led by researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University.…
— Engineered botulism toxins could have broader role in medicine — The most poisonous substance on Earth - already used medically in small doses to treat certain nerve disorders and facial wrinkles - could be re-engineered for an expanded role in helping…
Virtual colonoscopy and teleradiology bring colorectal cancer screening to patients in rural areas
Computed tomography colonography (CTC) - otherwise known as virtual colonoscopy - is feasible in remote health centres where optimal colonoscopy is limited, according to a study in the November issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology (www.ajronline.org).
The study was performed at Fort Defiance Indian Hospital in Fort Defiance, AZ, and Tuba City Regional Health Care Centre in Tuba City, AZ, both of which are rural medical centres serving Native American, mainly Navajo, populations. After brief on-site instruction, including performing a CTC examination on a volunteer to train the CT technologists, both sites began performing CTC.
'A total of 321 studies were transferred to the University of Arizona Hospital for assessment, with reports returned via a teleradiology information system. Overall image quality assessment of stool, fluid and distention revealed that about 92 percent of patients had diagnostic quality examinations with respect to each image quality parameter,' said Arnold C. Friedman, MD, lead author of the study.
'Optical colonoscopy in many rural areas is limited. Availability of CTC permits access to a robust method of colorectal screening for rural patients,' said Friedman.
'Our results show that CTC can be introduced with minimal effort to rural undeserved communities, adequately performed locally, and then interpreted remotely. However, important aspects of implementation should include technologist training, referring physician education, careful attention to image transmission and clearly defined methods of communication with patients and referring providers,' he said.
Or subscribe for our Newsletter, a free e-mail publication. It is published practically every day.
Scientists unlock molecular origin of blood stem cells
Protein's essential role in repairing damaged cells revealed
Researchers at the Salk Institute develop novel glioblastoma mouse model
Can Nintendo Wii game consoles improve family fitness?