• Health Minister Receives Top UAE Medical Award

    Added On : 12th December 2012

    al-rabeah hamdanRIYADH: Health Minister Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah was awarded the Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for Medical Sciences for outstanding medical personalities in the Arab world on Monday.

    The health minister received the award from Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, deputy ruler of Dubai and minister of finance and industry, at the 7th Dubai International Conference for Medical Sciences held at the Sheikh Rashed Hall of Dubai International Convention and Exhibitions Center.

    As a commemorative gift, Al-Rabeeah presented a book, "My experience with conjoined twins", at the conference. The book highlighted the progress and achievements made by the Kingdom and by Al-Rabeeah, who has been a pioneer of separation surgeries of conjoined twins in the Kingdom.

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  • Forget Mouth-to-mouth: Giving Chest Pumps...

    Added On : 13th December 2012

    cprForget Mouth-to-mouth: Giving Chest Pumps Alone Saves MORE Heart Attack Victims and Reduces Risk of Brain Damage

    Most of us have seen the arresting TV ad starring hard man Vinnie Jones illustrating (in his unique rough and ready manner) how best to resuscitate a cardiac arrest victim.

    The advert shows him foregoing mouth-to-mouth, instead to explaining how apply chest compressions.

    The idea is that mouth-to-mouth is often ineffective if performed by an untrained member of the public. It also gets in the way of the crucial chest compression's need to keep the victim's heart beating.

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  • Sudanese Neurologist Identifies New Disease

    Added On : 13th December 2012

    dr. mustafaA Sudanese neurologist working in Saudi Arabia has succeeded in giving the first clinical and physiological description of a novel form of hereditary (or familiar) spastic paraplegia.

    Dr. Mustafa Abdalla M. Salih, consultant child neurologist at the College of Medicine and King Khalid University Hospital at King Saud University in Riyadh, discovered an abnormal gene that — when both parents are carriers — can cause this progressive disease.

    This type of paraplegia is frequently seen in communities in the Gulf Region, the Middle East and North African countries due to the high prevalence of intermarriage between cousins.

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  • Hospital Infects Patients with Deadly Bacteria

    Added On : 14th December 2012

    A Saudi woman yesterday accused a well-known private hospital in Jeddah of killing her brother by committing fatal medical errors. She said that her brother had undergone two unnecessary surgical operations in his back though he died due to a lung infection.

    The sister said that she was told by doctors of another hospital she consulted that the symptoms shown by the victim were indicative of the MRSA infection, an infection which usually spreads in operation rooms and intensive care units when hygienic conditions are poor.

    She said she knew of five other patients who died at the same hospital because of the same infection in the past two years.

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  • Alzheimer's patients 'neglected'

    Added On : 15th December 2012

    JEDDAH — Alzheimer's patients suffer not only from their disease, but also from the absence of specialized centers for their care. Misunderstandings of the disease and the continuous monitoring by families only increase the patients' problems.

    Families of Alzheimer's patients are calling for the establishment of specialized centers to care for their patients and prevent the progress of the disease.

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  • Hurricane Sandy's Health Woes Continue

    Added On : 16th December 2012

    The prolonged recovery from Hurricane Sandy is continuing to take a mental and physical toll on residents of the East Coast who are still cleaning up flood, fire, and wind damage.

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  • 'Plethora' of Diseases Caused by Low Vitamin D

    Added On : 16th December 2012

    vitamin d4Vitamin D should be added to milk and bread to combat widespread deficiency that is linked to variety of illnesses, doctors say

    A lack of awareness about vitamin D deficiency and the 'plethora' of disease it is linked to is fuelling a rise in preventable illnesses among children, experts at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health have said.

    Despite low cost supplements being widely available health care professionals and parents do not know the importance of taking them, they said.

    Doctors have said the poor summer weather will contribute to an epidemic of vitamin D deficiency as the lack of sunshine will have meant depleted stores of the vitamin which the body can make from sunlight.

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  • Hospital Fined for Employing Unlicensed Staff

    Added On : 16th December 2012

    MADINAH – Madinah Health Affairs has fined a local private hospital SR280,000 for committing several health and technical violations, including allowing doctors and nurses to work without licenses and shortages in medical equipment and supplies.

    Dr. Abdullah Al-Taifi, Director of Madinah Health Affairs, said 72 doctors, nurses and technicians did not hold licenses.

    In addition, the facility lacked an isolation room in the Intensive Care Unit, he said.

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  • FDA: Chantix May Raise Heart Attack...

    Added On : 17th December 2012

    chantixFDA: Chantix May Raise Heart Attack, Stroke Risk

    Smokers who take Chantix to stop smoking may be at higher risk for heart attacks and strokes compared to those who don't take the drug, the FDA says. But the increased risk is small and should be weighed against the risks of continuing to smoke.

    Chantix is the top-selling smoking cessation drug in the U.S., according to IMS Health. It works by blocking the effect of nicotine in the brain. Studies have shown that about 20% of people who take Chantix quit smoking long-term compared to 10% of those who take placebos.

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  • Medical Mistake Ruled Out in Baby's Shoulder Dislocation

    Added On : 17th December 2012

    ABHA — A Saudi mother accused a doctor in the maternity department of Mahayil General Hospital of dislocating the shoulder of her infant, while assisting during birth.

    She said that her 15-day-old infant is in critical condition, and suffering from severe pain.

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