Pregnant woman are warned not to use the migraine drug valproate sodium as it could result in lower IQ scores in their child, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The results of a recent study showed that children exposed to valproate products in the womb had a lower IQ at the age of…

Some intelligence and behavioral problems in young children may actually be caused by controversial fire retardant chemicals used in products that are supposed to protect kids, according to a new study presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies annual meeting.   Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) have mostly not been used in items like baby strollers, carpets and…

Technology is rapidly changing the medical industry as doctors are beginning to make remote visits to patients in ICUs and other facilities via robots run by PCs or iPads, according to a recent article in USA Today. These technological overhauls are being used to address shortages of staff and improvements to the level of service…

A popular anitbacterial chemical found in hundreds of everyday products is under review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration over concern for its safety. Studies of triclosan – found in houshold antibacterial products from toothpaste to toys – suggest that the chemical could increase the risk of infertility and early puberty and other hormone-related…

The American Urological Association has reversed its stance on PSA testing for prostate cancer, no longer recommending routine testing for men due to harmful side effects.  Men under 55 should not get routinely screened with a PSA (prostate-specific antigen) test, and men over 80 are not recommended to get screened at all if they have…

Serious medical errors known as “never events” should never occur with proper vigilance by medical staff and surgeons, but even the most egregious errors – including operating on the wrong side of a brain – still happen more often than you might think. In 2010, the Journal of Neurosurgery identified 35 documented cases of wrong-side…

The most common cause of paid claims for malpractice at 28.6 percent is making errors in diagnosis, not overdoses or even surgical mistakes, according to a recent study. More than 100,000 payments for diagnostic error occurred from 1986 to 2010, with these errors accounting for 33.8 percent of the disabilities and almost 40 percent of…

  Drug overdoses continue to increase at record-high rates throughout the state of Ohio, causing about one Ohioan to die every five hours in 2011, according to figures released by the state Department of Health.  Prescription painkillers and a worsening heroin problem have caused accidental overdoses to jump 14 percent to 1,765 from 2010 statewide.…

Americans underestimate their chances of needing long-term care, with two-thirds of people over 40 having done little to no planning, according to a new poll by the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.  Government figures show nearly 7 in 10 Americans will need long-term care – three years, on average – at some point after…

  People who have had common skin cancers, even those not typically treated with radiation or chemotherapy, may be at an increased risk of getting cancer again in their life, according to a new study. The included more than 150,000 people who were followed for more than 20 years and found that women with nonmelanoma…