Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in OBGYN & Women's Health for March 2014. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.
CDC: Invasive Cancer Diagnoses Down Slightly in 2010
FRIDAY, March 28, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Cancer incidence declined from 2009 to 2010, according to a report published in the March 28 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
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Urinary Incontinence Ups Risk of Depression in Older Women
FRIDAY, March 28, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Older women with urinary incontinence may be at increased risk for depression and work disability, according to research published in the April issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
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One in 12,000 Hospital Deliveries Result in Cardiac Arrest
FRIDAY, March 28, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Cardiac arrest occurs in approximately one of every 12,000 hospitalizations for delivery, according to a study published in the April issue of Anesthesiology.
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NCHS Estimates Health Insurance Coverage for 2013
THURSDAY, March 27, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- In the first nine months of 2013, 6.7 percent of children and 20.5 percent of adults were uninsured, according to a study published online March 27 by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS).
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Adjunct Social Media Improves Contraceptive Knowledge
THURSDAY, March 27, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Use of social media in addition to standard contraceptive education is associated with improved patient contraceptive knowledge, according to research published in the April issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
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1 in 25 Inpatients Has Health Care-Associated Infection Daily
WEDNESDAY, March 26, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- There were an estimated 648,000 patients with 721,800 health care-associated infections in U.S. acute care hospitals in 2011, according to research published in the March 27 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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White House Extends Affordable Care Act Enrollment Deadline
WEDNESDAY, March 26, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Americans who've started applying for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act but can't complete the process by the March 31 enrollment deadline will be given an extension.
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Interactive Phone Messages May Promote Cancer Screening
WEDNESDAY, March 26, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Underserved Latina patients view interactive voice response (IVR) messages as an acceptable strategy to promote cancer screening, according to a study published online March 13 in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Preventing Chronic Disease.
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Americans Seem Unprepared for Health Insurance Exchanges
WEDNESDAY, March 26, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Individuals in the United States seem not to be sufficiently informed about the health insurance exchanges established by the Affordable Care Act (ACA), according to a study published online March 24 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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AMA Introduces Medical Education Initiative
WEDNESDAY, March 26, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The American Medical Association's (AMA) Accelerating Change in Education initiative is being introduced in 11 medical schools in an effort to shift the focus of education toward real-world practice and competency assessment, according to an AMA report.
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Guidance Updated for Sentinel Node Biopsy in Breast Cancer
WEDNESDAY, March 26, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The American Society of Clinical Oncology has updated its clinical practice guideline on the use of sentinel node biopsy (SNB) in early breast cancer. The updated guideline was published online March 24 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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Preconception Stress Ups the Risk of Infertility in Women
TUESDAY, March 25, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Higher levels of stress as measured by salivary amylase levels are associated with reduced fecundity and increased risk of infertility, according to research published in online March 23 in Human Reproduction.
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Pharmacokinetics of Cetrorelix Altered in Obese Women
TUESDAY, March 25, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The pharmacokinetics of the gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonist, cetrorelix, are altered in obese women, according to a study published online March 20 in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
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Many Women in Latent Labor Don't Want to Be Sent Home
MONDAY, March 24, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Many women in latent labor do not want to be discharged home, and women would like detailed and specific instructions about staying comfortable and when to come to the hospital, according to a study published in the March/April issue of the American Journal of Maternal/Child Nursing.
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Patient Request Impacts Doc Prescribing Behavior
MONDAY, March 24, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Patients requesting specific medications are more likely to be prescribed those medications, according to research published in the April issue of Medical Care.
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Practices Can Take Steps to Improve Care Transitions
FRIDAY, March 21, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Implementation of a rigorous process can improve transitions of care, according to an article published March 10 in Medical Economics.
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BRCAPRO Model Underestimates BRCA1/2 Mutation Risk
THURSDAY, March 20, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Use of the BRCAPRO model for assessment of the likelihood of having a germline BRCA1/BRCA2 mutation, based on age, ethnicity, and family history, may underestimate the risk of mutations, according to a study published online March 17 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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Non-Ob-Gyns Deliver ~14 Percent of Routine Prenatal Care
THURSDAY, March 20, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Routine prenatal care is often delivered by non-obstetrics and gynecology (Ob-Gyn) providers, according to a March data brief published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS).
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Post-Mastectomy Radiation Beneficial With 1 to 3 Nodes
THURSDAY, March 20, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- For women with breast cancer and one to three positive lymph nodes, radiotherapy is beneficial after mastectomy and axillary dissection, according to a study published online March 19 in The Lancet.
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Lower HPV Uptake for Women Attending Sexual Health Services
WEDNESDAY, March 19, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- For young women attending sexual health services in England, human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination uptake and completion rates are lower than national data, with an overall completion rate of 47 percent, according to a study published online March 17 in Sexually Transmitted Infections.
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Haemophilus Influenzae Infection Up in Pregnancy
WEDNESDAY, March 19, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The incidence of Haemophilus influenzae (H. influenzae) disease is increased during pregnancy, and infection correlates with poor pregnancy outcomes, according to a study published in the March 19 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Personality Measures in Young Patients Predict Later Health
TUESDAY, March 18, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Personality measurements can be useful tools in predicting which young adult patients will have poor health in middle age, according to a study published in the March issue of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
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Rx Expenditures Expected to Rise in 2014
MONDAY, March 17, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Drug costs are projected to rise 3 to 5 percent across all care settings in 2014, according to a study published in the March 15 issue of the American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy.
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Insurers Must Offer Same-Sex Couples Spousal Benefits
MONDAY, March 17, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Health plans that offer benefits for heterosexual couples must do the same for same-sex married couples, the Obama administration says.
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Chronic Hyperglycemia Tied to Worse Surgical Outcomes
FRIDAY, March 14, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Chronic hyperglycemia (A1C >8 percent) is associated with poor surgical outcomes, as measured by an increased hospital length of stay (LOS), according to a study published in the March issue of Diabetes Care.
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Improving EHR Interoperability Is a National Priority: HHS
FRIDAY, March 14, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Interoperability of electronic health record (EHR) systems is a national priority of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, according to an article published March 4 in Medical Economics.
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High Serum 25(OH)D Linked to Lower Breast Cancer Mortality
FRIDAY, March 14, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Higher concentrations of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) are associated with lower mortality from breast cancer, according to a meta-analysis published in the March issue of Anticancer Research.
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Gel May Offer Postexposure Protection Against HIV Infection
FRIDAY, March 14, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Use of a vaginal integrase inhibitor-containing gel may be able to protect against vaginal HIV infection in a macaque model, according to an experimental study published in the March 12 issue of Science Translational Medicine.
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Gestational Diabetes Ups Risk of Early Atherosclerosis
FRIDAY, March 14, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Among women who have not developed diabetes or metabolic syndrome, a history of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) may be a marker for early atherosclerosis, according to research published online March 12 in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
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Nicotine Patches Deemed Ineffective for Pregnant Smokers
FRIDAY, March 14, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Use of nicotine patches, compared with placebo patches, does not increase the smoking cessation rate among pregnant women, according to research published March 11 in BMJ.
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CDC: Woman to Woman HIV Transmission Rare, but Possible
THURSDAY, March 13, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- A case report of a woman who was infected with HIV during sex with another woman shows that such transmission of the virus is possible, health officials say. The report is published in the March 14 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
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FDA Panel Recommends HPV Test As Replacement for Pap
THURSDAY, March 13, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- A U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory panel voted unanimously on Wednesday that a new human papillomavirus (HPV) test could be used before or instead of the Pap smear as a first step in cervical cancer screening.
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Research Supports Alcohol Abstinence Advice Pre-Conception
THURSDAY, March 13, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Women who consume alcohol before pregnancy and during the first two trimesters are at increased risk for adverse pregnancy outcomes, according to research published online March 10 in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.
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Prehypertension Linked With Increased Risk of Stroke
THURSDAY, March 13, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Prehypertension is associated with increased risk of stroke, according to research published online March 12 in Neurology.
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Probable Link for Excess Body Fat, Ovarian Cancer Risk
THURSDAY, March 13, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Body fatness, marked by body mass index, is probably associated with an increased risk of ovarian cancer, according to a report published March 11 by the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) and the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR).
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Health Education Not Routinely Provided to Patients
THURSDAY, March 13, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with chronic disease, health providers do not routinely provide health education, according to a study published March 6 in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Preventing Chronic Disease.
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Adoption of Surgical Safety Checklists Doesn't Cut Mortality
WEDNESDAY, March 12, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Adoption of surgical safety checklists is not associated with significant reductions in mortality or surgical complications, according to a study published in the March 13 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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FDA Experts Debate Timing of Pap Test
WEDNESDAY, March 12, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- A U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory panel is considering whether to delay the Pap test and use an human papillomavirus (HPV) test as a first step in cervical cancer screening. Specifically, the agency's Medical Devices Advisory Committee Microbiology Panel is being asked to evaluate the cobas HPV test made by Roche Molecular Systems.
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AMA: CMS Wants Physician Input on Practice Transformation
WEDNESDAY, March 12, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Physicians are being given the opportunity to describe what resources they need in order to transition to value-based models of care, according to a report published by the American Medical Association (AMA).
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Low Birth Weight, SGA Up Odds of Female-Linked Infertility
WEDNESDAY, March 12, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- For women born with low birth weight or small for gestational age, the odds of female-related infertility are increased, according to a study published online March 10 in BMJ Open.
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Fewer Failures With Vaginal Mesh Repair in Prolapse With Avulsion
WEDNESDAY, March 12, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- For women with vaginal prolapse after hysterectomy and levator ani avulsion, Prolift Total is associated with a lower anatomical failure rate than unilateral vaginal sacrospinous colpopexy with native tissue vaginal repair (sacrospinous fixation [SSF]), according to a study published online March 11 in Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology.
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Medicare Drug Plan Changes Withdrawn by White House
TUESDAY, March 11, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Proposed changes to the Medicare prescription drug program have been withdrawn by the Obama administration after strong opposition from patient groups.
Other Health Highlights: March 11, 2014
Study Compares Transvaginal Approaches for Vaginal Prolapse
TUESDAY, March 11, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- For women undergoing surgery for vaginal prolapse and stress urinary incontinence, outcomes for two common transvaginal approaches are comparable, and perioperative behavioral therapy with pelvic floor muscle training (BPMT) does not improve surgical outcomes, according to a study published in the March 12 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Discrepancies ID'd in Studies on ClinicalTrials.gov, Journals
TUESDAY, March 11, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Nearly all clinical trials reported on ClinicalTrials.gov and published in high-impact journals report at least one discrepancy in cohort, intervention, or results, according to a research letter published in the March 12 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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White House: More Than Four Million Have Signed Up for ACA
TUESDAY, March 11, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- More than four million Americans have signed up for health coverage through state and federal insurance marketplaces established by the Affordable Care Act, the Obama administration announced Tuesday.
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Average-Risk Women Overestimate Ovarian Cancer Risk
TUESDAY, March 11, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Average-risk, postmenopausal women overestimate their risk of ovarian cancer, but report low cancer worry, according to a study published in the March issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
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Promise for Erlotinib + Cisplatin Chemoradiation in Cervical CA
MONDAY, March 10, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Treatment with epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitor erlotinib combined with cisplatin-based chemoradiation seems safe and effective for locally advanced cervical cancer, according to a study published online March 10 in Cancer.
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Keeping Salaries Secret Harms Worker Performance
MONDAY, March 10, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Keeping salaries secret hurts worker performance and increases turnover of top talent, according to a study published online Jan. 13 in the Academy of Management Journal.
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Concern Over Facebook Photos Tied to Eating Disorders
MONDAY, March 10, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Young women who spend more time on Facebook self-report a higher incidence of appearance-focused behaviors and greater eating pathology, according to research published online Jan. 24 in the International Journal of Eating Disorders.
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Consultant Offers Tips for Evaluating Staff Pay
MONDAY, March 10, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Setting salaries and dealing with raises for a practice's staff can be tricky, according to an article published Feb. 24 in Medical Economics.
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Higher Cardiovascular Events Risk After Outbursts of Anger
FRIDAY, March 7, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- There is a heightened risk of cardiovascular events in the hours following an angry outburst, according to research published online March 3 in the European Heart Journal.
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FDA: Pfizer Voluntarily Recalls Certain Lots of Antidepressant
FRIDAY, March 7, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Two lots of Pfizer's Effexor XR (venlafaxine HCl) are being recalled because they may contain capsules of another drug, Tikosyn (dofetilide), used to treat heart rhythm disorders.
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Prudent, Traditional Diets May Cut Preterm Delivery Risk
FRIDAY, March 7, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Following a "prudent" or "traditional" diet is associated with a reduced risk of preterm delivery, according to a study published online March 4 in BMJ.
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Women More Sensitive Than Men to Sublingual Zolpidem
FRIDAY, March 7, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Clearance of zolpidem (administered as a sublingual tablet; ZST) is lower in females compared to males, according to a study published in the March issue of The Journal of Clinical Pharmacology.
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AMA Grants Curriculum Efforts to Address Health Disparities
FRIDAY, March 7, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Medical schools are beginning to change their curriculum to address ways to eliminate health disparities, according to the American Medical Association (AMA).
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Gender Gap Exists in Domestic Duties of Working Physicians
FRIDAY, March 7, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Gender differences exist in domestic activities among career-oriented academic physicians with children, according to a study published online March 3 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Relative Value Units Useful In Evaluating Practice Finances
THURSDAY, March 6, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The Relative Value Unit (RVU) is a useful tool for managing practice finances, according to an article published Feb. 25 in Medical Economics.
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Web-Based Mental Health Screening Feasible, Acceptable
THURSDAY, March 6, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- For patients in general hospital settings, a routine web-based mental health screening is feasible and acceptable, according to a study published in General Hospital Psychiatry.
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Drop in Compensation Gap for Primary Care Docs, Specialists
THURSDAY, March 6, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- From 2012 to 2013, there was a 5.7 percent increase in the median total cash compensation for primary care physicians, with a smaller gap seen for medical and surgical specialists, according to the results of a recent survey from SullivanCotter.
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Cautious Optimism for 'Cure' of HIV-Infected Babies
THURSDAY, March 6, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The hope that newborns can be "cured" of HIV with early, aggressive drug treatment was bolstered this week with the announcement that a second baby appears to be free of the virus following therapy that began just four hours after her birth.
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Yoga May Improve Menopausal Quality of Life
THURSDAY, March 6, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Yoga may improve menopause-related quality of life (QOL) in women with vasomotor symptoms, according to research published in the March issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
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Frameshift Mutation Identified in Premature Ovarian Failure
WEDNESDAY, March 5, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- A frameshift mutation in a gene encoding a cohesin subunit has been identified in a large consanguineous family with premature ovarian failure, according to a brief report published in the March 6 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Cancer Preventive Services Below Healthy People Targets
WEDNESDAY, March 5, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Rates of cancer screening and provider counseling are currently below the Healthy People (HP) 2020 targets, according to a study published Feb. 27 in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Preventing Chronic Disease.
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Value-Based Insurance Plans Can Up Rx Adherence
WEDNESDAY, March 5, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Value-based insurance design (VBID) plans with certain features aside from solely lowering cost sharing can increase medication adherence, according to a study published in the March issue of Health Affairs.
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Most Osteopathic Med Students Matched Into Primary Care
WEDNESDAY, March 5, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- More than half of osteopathic medical students and recent graduates are matched into primary care residency programs, according to a report from the American Osteopathic Association (AOA).
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Gap in Regulatory Coverage Affects 5 to 16 Percent of Trials
WEDNESDAY, March 5, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Human subjects protections (HSP) policies do not provide regulatory coverage for all clinical trials, while up to about a quarter of trials are considered overlap trials, according to a research letter published in the March 5 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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WHO Program Improves U.S. Medical Facility Hand Hygiene
WEDNESDAY, March 5, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- For U.S. health care facilities, participation in the World Health Organization (WHO) global campaign to improve hand hygiene practices is associated with improved hand hygiene, according to a study published in the March issue of the American Journal of Infection Control.
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HPV Vaccine Protects Against Cervical Abnormalities
WEDNESDAY, March 5, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine is effective at protecting against cervical abnormalities in young women, according to a study published March 4 in BMJ.
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Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin Tied to Gestational Diabetes Risk
TUESDAY, March 4, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Low prepregnancy sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) concentrations correlate with increased risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), according to a study published online Feb. 21 in Diabetes Care.
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Cesarean Section Delivery Linked to Increased Offspring BMI
TUESDAY, March 4, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Compared with vaginal delivery (VD), cesarean section (CS) delivery is associated with increased offspring body mass index (BMI) and increased odds of overweight and obesity, according to research published online Feb. 26 in PLOS ONE.
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CDC: Out-of-Hospital Births Continuing to Increase
TUESDAY, March 4, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The percentage of out-of-hospital births is continuing to increase, and in 2012 these births had a lower risk profile than hospital births, according to a March data brief published by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS).
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Smoking, Smoke Exposure Up Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes
MONDAY, March 3, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Women who were ever smokers during their reproductive years and those never-smoking women with the highest levels of secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure have significantly increased odds for spontaneous abortion, stillbirth, and tubal ectopic pregnancy, according to a study published online Feb. 26 in Tobacco Control.
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Women-Specific Research Is Still Inadequate
MONDAY, March 3, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Women are still underrepresented in medical science and research, and sex differences are often ignored, according to a report published March 3 by the Brigham and Women's Hospital.
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Change Increases Postpartum Pertussis Vaccination
MONDAY, March 3, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Changing in-hospital ordering procedures increases the postpartum pertussis vaccination rate to 69 percent, according to a study published in the March issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
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CMS: No More Delays to ICD-10 Implementation Deadline
MONDAY, March 3, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- There will be no more delays to the Oct. 1, 2014, deadline for implementation of the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (ICD-10), according to an article published Feb. 27 in Medical Economics.
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