Hatfield, England (ots/PRNewswire) Eisai announces today that Zebinix(R) (eslicarbazepine acetate), a novel anti-epilepsy treatment, has received full reimbursement from the Finnish Health Authorities. Once-daily eslicarbazepine acetate, is indicated as adjunctive therapy in adults with partial onset seizures, with or without secondary generalisation.[1] Up to a third of people with epilepsy do not achieve adequate seizure control after their first anti-epileptic treatment so there is a continued need for additional effective options. Eslicarbazepine acetate will provide doctors with a new, easy to titrate, adjunctive therapy to help those with inadequately controlled partial onset epilepsy improve their condition, commented Dr. Jukka Peltola, Tampere University Hospital. Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological conditions in the world and affects approximately 56,000 people in Finland.[2],[3] Despite many anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) available, the successful treatment of partial onset seizures remains a significant challenge in some patients. Currently, between 20-40% of patients with newly diagnosed epilepsy will become refractory to treatment.[4] Eslicarbazepine acetate, a third generation sodium channel blocker that differentially and selectively targets slow inactivated sodium channels, was approved by the European Commission in 2009 based on data submitted which showed that it reduces seizure frequency by up to 45% in patients with partial … Continue reading →

Despite a heavy emphasis on expanded screening for autism, a new study suggests that little is known about whether such efforts are leading to earlier diagnosis and treatment. In a new review, researchers found that routine screening for autism has increased the number of kids flagged as possibly having the developmental disorder, but it remains unclear whether or not children go on to receive further evaluation. We found a considerable lack of follow-up on what happens to children who score at high risk for developing autism, said Amy Daniels, assistant director for public health research at Autism Speaks and the lead author of the study published in the February issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. For the review, researchers looked at 40 studies published between 1990 and 2013 examining the effectiveness of 35 different approaches for screening young children for autism. They found that few studies addressed whether or not children determined to be at high risk for autism went on to receive a diagnosis or treatment. And among the studies that did look at how kids fared after screening, researchers found that some children were not receiving continued care or referrals to … Continue reading →

UR Medicine: You Are...Living Beyond a Stroke Moms are heroes. Moms are hugs and kisses and smiles and they make everything better. Moms are irreplaceable. But sometimes moms need the helping hand, like ... By: URMCMarketing … Continue reading →

3 Feb 2014 10:55 Co-ordination of services to improve patient care in Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire Heart disease care has been given a welcome boost after Frimley Park Hospital launched the Surrey Heart, Stroke and Vascular Centre, providing cardiovascular services to patients in Hampshire, Surrey and Berkshire. The new centre brings together a number of specialities at the hospital to improve collaboration among clinicians. It is focused on better co-ordination of patient care for a family of conditions related to cardiovascular disease, and follows recent guidance on best practice from the Department of Health. Conditions treated at the centre will include coronary heart disease, vascular disease, stroke and related conditions such as diabetes, kidney disease, hypertension and cholesterol management. The centre aims to better co-ordinate care for all these conditions, reducing the number of visits for patients and improving outcomes. Frimley Park already provides a 24/7 heart attack service for Surrey and parts of Hampshire and Berkshire. It also provides a round-the-clock service for emergency stroke and vascular surgery for large parts of the three counties. Cardiologist Dr Peter Clarkson said: We have been providing the 24/7 immediate treatment of severe heart attacks with primary angioplasty since 2010 and have … Continue reading →

Published: Monday, 2/3/2014 BY MARLENE HARRIS-TAYLOR BLADE STAFF WRITER There is a new physicians assistant in the emergency room at Mercy St. Vincent Medical Center, but this one is not human. A robot named Vincent by the hospital staff, or Vinnie for short, is breaking ground in medical treatment in northwest Ohio. The remote-presence robot, RP7, can be controlled by a doctor from his office, home, or car through any computer device, even a smart phone, and commanded to roll on its own into any room in the emergency department. The doctors face appears on a large flat-screen monitor attached to the robot and he or she can talk directly to a patient or another medical professional in the room with the patient. The robot comes equipped with medical instruments such as stethoscopes that can be placed on the patients body and the doctor can remotely hear the patients heartbeat and assess other vital signs from miles away. Telemedicine, as it is called, has arrived in Toledo and it is changing the way medicine is practiced nationally and globally, said Dr. John Whapham, medical director of endovascular, neurosurgery, and stroke program for Mercy. Dr. Whapham is a telemedicine pioneer, having … Continue reading →