Background Sputum-based diagnostic methods for pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) are challenging for patients who cannot produce sputum. Non-sputum-based approaches, such as tongue swab (TS), can address this gap. This study conducts an early Health Technology Assessment (HTA) of TS for PTB diagnosi

Premature birth may increase the risk for serious mental illness in adolescence and young adulthood, a recent study reports.Researchers reviewed birth and hospital admissions records of more than 1.3 million Swedes born from 1973 to 1985. They found that compared with those born at term, young adult

(Reuters) – Scientists have found alarming levels of the lung disease tuberculosis in Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America that are resistant to up to four powerful antibiotic drugs.In a large international study published in the Lancet medical journal on Thursday, researchers found rates of both

WASHINGTON — One of the few bills moving through Congress with bipartisan support this spring would speed government approval of lower-cost generic copies of brand-name drugs. But one company, with help from an influential former congressman, is lobbying to protect its most lucrative brand-name prod

(Reuters Health) – A new, small study suggests medicinal marijuana may impair users’ driving skills – but might be missed by typical sobriety tests.At doses used in AIDS, cancer and pain patients, people weaved side to side more and had a slower reaction time in the hours after using the drug, resea

Doctors often order tests and recommend drugs or procedures when they shouldn’t — sometimes even when they know they shouldn’t. The problem has become so serious that such groups as the American College of Physicians, the ABIM Foundation, the National Physicians Alliance and a coalition of medical s

RIVERSIDE, Calif. — In the Inland Empire, an economically depressed region in Southern California, President Obama’s health care law is expected to extend insurance coverage to more than 300,000 people by 2014. But coverage will not necessarily translate into care: Local health experts doubt there w

For the first time, researchers have determined virtually the entire genome of a fetus using only a blood sample from the pregnant woman and a saliva specimen from the father.The accomplishment heralds an era in which parents might find it easier to know the complete DNA blueprint of a child months

Abstract Aim This systematic review aimed to ascertain the diagnostic accuracy (sensitivity and specificity) of screening tests for early detection of type 2 diabetes and prediabetes in previously undiagnosed adults. Methods This systematic review included published studies that included one

The Health Intervention and Technology Assessment Program (HITAP) was established in 2007 as a non-profit organization. Its main responsibility is to assess health interventions and technology assessment with the coverage of pharmaceuticals, medical devices, interventions, individual and community health promotions and disease prevention, as well a