Medical Treatments

Plan B is one of two emergency contraceptives available in the U.S.

Morning-After Pills Don't Cause Abortion, Studies Say

4:51pm February 22, 2013

by Julie Rovner

Emergency contraceptives like Plan B and ella are effective at preventing pregnancy after unprotected sex. Claims that the pills are tantamount to abortion, however, aren't supported by science, say researchers. The only way the drugs work is by stopping a woman's body from ovulating.

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Dr. Sam Parnia researches the experiences of cardiac arrest patients who are brought back to life.

'Erasing Death' Explores The Science Of Resuscitation

2:39pm February 21, 2013

Dr. Sam Parnia researches the experiences of cardiac arrest patients in the time between when their hearts stop and when they are brought back to life. Parnia thinks of these experiences as actual-death experiences as opposed to near-death experiences.

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Don Wright runs at an indoor track at the Maplewood Community Center in North Saint Paul, Minn.

Targeted Cancer Drugs Keep Myeloma Patients Up And Running

3:13pm February 19, 2013

by Richard Knox

Thanks to drugs recently approved by the FDA, patients with the blood cell cancer multiple myeloma are living longer and without the pain. Don Wright was diagnosed 10 years ago and is currently training for his 71st marathon.

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STAR-certified physical therapist Jennifer Goyette works with cancer patients at South County Physical Therapy in Westborough, Mass.

Cancer Rehab Begins To Bridge A Gap To Reach Patients

6:42am February 18, 2013

by Rachel Gotbaum

Cancer patients often have to deal with side effects from their treatments. They may need speech therapy or help rebuilding their strength. The STAR program is helping break down the barriers to rehabilitation services.

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Perch exposed to the anxiety drug oxazepam were more daring and ate more quickly than fish that lived in drug-free water.

Traces Of Anxiety Drugs May Make Fish Act Funny

5:40pm February 14, 2013

by Richard Harris

Small amounts of the drugs that people take end up in wastewater and then in streams and rivers. It's usually not enough to harm the health of humans who swim in or drink the water. But there is growing evidence that pharmaceuticals in wastewater may affect wildlife.

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A worker makes a cut in the side of a sandstone block at the Cleveland Quarries facility in Vermilion, Ohio, earlier this month. The legal limit on the amount of silica that workers can inhale was set decades ago.

Silica Rule Changes Delayed While Workers Face Health Risks

3:07pm February 07, 2013

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

Regulations to restrict the amount of silica dust that workers can inhale were set decades ago, and workplace safety experts say that limit needs to be cut in half. A proposal for new rules was sent to the White House Office of Management and Budget for a 90-day review, but almost two years later, it's still under review.

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Disinfecting robots at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore spray rooms with toxic doses of hydrogen peroxide to kill dangerous drug-resistant bacteria.

Got A Superbug? Bring In The Robots

6:16pm February 03, 2013

Johns Hopkins Hospital is using disinfecting robots to kill dangerous drug-resistant bacteria in its hospital rooms. Since it began using the machines, the hospital has seen the number of untreatable infections fall by a stunning 64 percent.

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Scientists have seen promise in the potential of stem cells, but not everyone agrees stem cell replacement therapy is ready for prime time.

FDA Challenges Stem Cell Companies As Patients Run Out Of Time

10:30am February 03, 2013

by NPR Staff

With limited options, some Americans are willing to pay thousands of dollars for stem cell replacement therapy. But the Food and Drug Administration, as well as many scientists, have concerns about its safety and argue more research and oversight is needed.

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White House Tries Again To Find Compromise On Contraception

7:35pm February 01, 2013

by Julie Rovner

Under the proposed rule, employees at nonprofit religious organizations would get access to no-cost contraception, but their employer wouldn't pay for the coverage. The move is another attempt to provide contraceptive coverage without violating the beliefs of religious nonprofits.

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To Fight Addiction, FDA Advisers Endorse Limits On Vicodin

2:38pm January 30, 2013

by Rob Stein

Painkillers containing the drug hydrocodone have provided relief to many in pain. But a panel recommended the federal government place restrictions on access to the drugs to lessen the odds of addiction.

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