A simple checklist makes surgery safer, study finds

A simple checklist makes surgery safer, study finds
The 19-item checklist includes such basic steps as having the doctors and nurses introduce themselves, ensuring that adequate blood is on hand, and making certain that all equipment needed is present.

Dreams Can Carry More Weight Than Conscious Thoughts, Say Researchers
While science tries to understand the stuff dreams are made of, humans, from cultures all over the world, continue to believe that dreams contain important hidden truths, according to newly published research. In six different studies, researchers surveyed nearly 1,100 people about their dreams. "Psychologists' interpretations of the meaning of dreams vary widely," said Carey Morewedge, an assistant professor at Carnegie Mellon University and the study's lead author.

News From The Journal Of Neuroscience 3-Feb-2009
1. IRBP Is Required for Retinaldehyde Transport Minghao Jin, Songhua Li, Steven Nusinowitz, Marcia Lloyd, Jane Hu, Roxana A. Radu, Dean Bok, and Gabriel H. Travis In photoreceptors, absorption of a photon by an opsin-associated chromophore causes isomerization of 11-cis to all-trans retinaldehyde, which activates the opsin. Before the chromophore can absorb another photon, the all-trans isomer must be converted back to the 11-cis form.

'Wake Up' To The Health Risks Of Heavy Snoring
Heavy snoring can be far from a nuisance. It can be a sign of obstructive sleep apnea, a condition where an individual briefly stops breathing during the night which raises the risk of heart failure and strokes. "Sleep apnea or sleep disordered breathing is one that we're getting more and more interested in because we see a very strong association with strokes, heart attacks and other cardiovascular problems," says Dr. Melvyn Rubenfire, M.D.

Improved Understanding Of Circadian Clocks
Scientists from Queen Mary, University of London have discovered a new part of the mechanism which allows our bodyclocks to reset themselves on a molecular level. Circadian clocks regulate the daily fluctuations of many physiological and behavioural aspects in life, and are synchronised with our surrounding environment via light or temperature cycles.

Relieving Those Restless Legs
Let’s continue talking about restless legs syndrome (RLS).   We reviewed some of the symptoms, causes, and adverse effects of restless legs syndrome in the past two blogs, now let’s talk about how RLS is diagnosed.  Due to the unusual sensations that patients with RLS complain of, it is sometimes difficult for a healthcare provider to determine if these complaints are actually related to RLS.  Contrary to popular...

Get help here if you've lost your health insurance
If you're one of the millions of Americans who is living without health insurance, experts say there are things you can do to gain or regain health coverage.