bioethics.com

When it comes to H1N1 vaccine, some doctors are just saying no

Bioethics Pundit — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:22:00 +0000

The biggest frustration facing many doctors is the dearth of swine flu vaccine for their patients. But not Paula Soghomonian’s pediatrician at Pediatric Village in the District. She is not recommending the shots — or the nasal spray. (Washington Post)

Faster route to stem-like cells

Bioethics Pundit — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:20:29 +0000

Given the right conditions, any adult cell can be coaxed into becoming stem-cell like, according to a team of researchers based in the United States. The team, led by Rudolf Jaenisch of the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research in Cambridge, Massachusetts, were also able to speed up the process, cutting the time required for cells to become stem-cell like by around half. (Nature News)

The artificial hand that can ‘feel’

Bioethics Pundit — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:19:38 +0000

The SmartHand project is funded by the European Union and is a collaboration between researchers from across the continent. It has produced a prototype motorized prosthetic hand that researchers say gives unprecedented sensory feedback. (CNN)

Obama: Time for Senate to ‘take the baton’ on health care reform

Bioethics Pundit — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:18:33 +0000

The House passed its health care bill late Saturday night by a 220-215 vote, with 39 Democrats in opposition and one Republican supporting it. Senate approval is considered less certain due to opposition by all Republicans and some moderate Democrats. (CNN)

Patients Sue for Right to Buy Life-Saving Bone Marrow

Bioethics Pundit — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:13:25 +0000

Among the thousands of Americans with leukemia and other serious health conditions who are on waiting lists for bone marrow donations, there are some who are willing — and can afford — to pay for the marrow that could save their lives. (FOX News)

Biometrics: enhancing security or invading privacy?

Bioethics Pundit — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:12:18 +0000

The Irish Council for Bioethics (ICB) has launched its report entitled “Biometrics: Enhancing Security or Invading Privacy?” The report advises that these technologies, though powerful, must be used appropriately to avoid resentment and paranoia among users. (Tech Central)

The great Canadian euthanasia debate

Bioethics Pundit — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:11:24 +0000

Parliament will soon vote on a private member’s bill to legalize euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide, subject to safeguards. And the Quebec College of Physicians has just endorsed euthanasia in some circumstances and is calling for Criminal Code amendments to protect doctors who hasten the death of suffering patients when those patients face “imminent and inevitable death.” (The Globe and Mail)

New mechanism for nano damage?

Bioethics Pundit — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:10:36 +0000

Nanoparticles can damage DNA even in cells that are not directly exposed to them, according to an in vitro study published online today (November 5) in Nature Nanotechnology — raising further questions about the safety of nanomaterials used in clinical therapies. (The Scientist)

Flu shots for workers hit sticking point

Bioethics Pundit — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:30:07 +0000

Efforts to require flu shots for health workers in order to protect vulnerable patients are being abandoned by some major health systems because of legal challenges and vaccine shortages.

Requiring flu shots is an exception in the health care industry, where 48% of workers were vaccinated against flu last year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (USA TODAY)

New European and US biobanking initiatives

Bioethics Pundit — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:29:25 +0000

A new national biobanking initiative is to be established after the Dutch government awarded €22.5m funding for the Biobanking and Biomolecular Resources Infrastructure Netherlands (BBMRI-NL), a network including several academic and other research bodies. The initiative is intended to integrate and enrich existing clinical data and samples to make them more accessible for researchers. Professor Gertjan van Ommen of Leiden University Medical Centre said: “The existing materials are often of high value and quality but underused because of fragmentation”. (PHG Foundation)

Genetic tests for UK asylum seekers draw criticism

Bioethics Pundit — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:28:35 +0000

Britain is using genetic tests on some African asylum seekers in an effort to catch those who are lying about their nationality, drawing criticism from scientists and provoking outrage from rights groups. (The Associated Press)

On the avoidance of death in life

Bioethics Pundit — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:27:53 +0000

Q: Does end-of-life care prolong life or does it prolong suffering? Should it be a part of health-care reform? (Washington Post)

Israelis held for running organ transplant ring

Bioethics Pundit — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:43:19 +0000

The two men were accused of mediating between people willing to sell organs and those awaiting transplants, and of arranging to have the operations done abroad, police superintendent Gilad Bahat told public radio. (Khaleej Times Online)

Spraying on Skin Cells to Heal Burns

Bioethics Pundit — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:40:45 +0000

Traditionally, treatment for severe second-degree burns consists of adding insult to injury: cutting a swath of skin from another site on the same patient in order to graft it over the burn. The process works, but causes more pain for the burn victim and doubles the area in need of healing. Now a relatively new technology has the potential to heal burns in a way that’s much less invasive than skin grafts. With just a small skin biopsy and a ready-made kit, surgeons can create a suspension of the skin’s basal cells–the stem cells of the epidermis–and spray the solution directly onto the burn with results comparable to those from skin grafts. (Technology Review)

Modified Bluetooth Speeds Up Telemedicine

Bioethics Pundit — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:39:59 +0000

A telemedicine system based on a modified version of the Bluetooth wireless protocol can transfer patient data, such as medical images from patient to the healthcare provider’s mobile device for patient assessment almost four times as fast as conventional Bluetooth and without the intermittent connectivity problems, according to a paper in the forthcoming issue of the International Journal of Medical Engineering and Informatics. (ScienceDaily)