Researchers Find Bacteria Lurking In Unused Paper Towels.

WebMD  (12/29, Goodman) reports, "Grabbing a paper towel in a public restroom may leave more on your hands than you bargained for," according to a study published in the American Journal of Infection Control. Investigators "say they've found bacteria, including some that are known to make people sick, in unused paper towels." According to WebMD, "Experts say the findings are probably most important for people in hospital isolation units and those with weakened immune function who need to be extra cautious about contact with germs."

Enoxaparin Plus Compression Stockings May Not Reduce Mortality In Severely Ill Patients.

HealthDay  (12/29, Mann) reports, "Severely ill hospital patients are at high risk for developing potentially fatal blood clots, and often wear compression stockings and/or take blood thinners to help lower this risk. However, adding the blood thinner Lovenox (enoxaparin) to the mix does not reduce their chances of dying from a blood clot, according to research  appearing in the Dec. 29 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine." For patients who "were given Lovenox, the risk of death from any cause was 4.9 percent," while "this risk was 4.8 percent among those participants who were given a placebo."

        According to MedPage Today  (12/29, Walsh), researchers "noted that, while thromboprophylaxis in surgical patients has been shown to decrease the rate of lethal pulmonary embolism, acutely ill medical patients may be at risk for death from many causes other than pulmonary embolism, 'thus diminishing the ability of pharmacologic prophylaxis to improve the overall clinical outcome.'" In addition, the study took place in "193 centers, most of which were in India or China," and "rates of pulmonary embolism have been reported to be lower in Asia than in Western countries." Other explanations include "that the use of compression stockings alone was sufficient to prevent the development of the venous clots that can ultimately lead to pulmonary embolism" or "that their study population may have been at a lower risk for thromboembolism than in other studies, by being younger and less likely to be obese, as well as in having low rates of previous thromboembolic events."

Red, Grilled, Barbequed Meat May Be Linked To Kidney Cancer.

Reuters  (12/29, Pittman) reports a study  in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggesting that people who eat high amounts of red, grilled, or barbequed meat may be at higher risk of kidney cancer. In a study of 500,000 US adults, it was found that eating the most red meat was linked with papillary cancers, but not clear-cell kidney cancers. Participants who ate high amounts of well-done grilled and barbecued meat likewise had an increased risk of kidney cancer. Researchers said the reason for the association is unclear and emphasized that the data do not prove causation.

Laboratory generated blood successfully injected into human subject.

The Chicago Tribune (12/29) reports that according to a study in published in the journal Blood, "red blood cells generated in a lab have been successfully injected into a human volunteer for the first time." French researchers extracted "hematopoetic stem cells from a volunteer's bone marrow" and used various growth factors to induce the cells to differentiate into red blood cells (RBC). "After five days, 94 to 100 percent of the cells remained in circulation, while after 26 days, 41 to 63 percent remained -- a survival rate comparable to normal red blood cells. The cultured blood cells also gave every indication of being safe to use. ... They behaved like normal red blood cells, binding to oxygen and releasing it." While this result is promising, researchers note that "next challenge is to scale up production to a point where the cultured blood cells can be made quickly and cheaply in sufficient quantities for blood transfusions."

Australia warns of oseltamivir-resistant H1N1.

The Los Angeles Times (12/29, Kaplan) "Booster Shots" blog reports that in Australia, which has "wrapped up its flu season months ago," public health officials are concerned by the finding that "in and around the Australian city of Newcastle, the Tamiflu [oseltamivir]-resistant H1N1 virus was spreading more easily among humans, according to a report being published in Thursday's edition of the New England Journal of Medicine." In a sample of 182 patients, 29 (16%) were resistant. "Genetic analysis of the flu samples revealed that all of the 29 patients were infected with a single strain," but experts are unsure how the strain was spread, since many patients "had no known epidemiologic link." Researchers "warned flu experts in the Northern Hemisphere to be on the lookout for this flu strain – or any other strain that is resistant to Tamiflu – this winter."

        HealthDay (12/29, Mozes) reports that the resistant virus was also resistant to "an older class of adamantine treatments (rimantadine and amantadine)." However, "the resistant strains remained 'fully sensitive' to treatment with another drug, Relenza (zanamivir)." Researcher Aeron C. Hurt, of the World Health Organization, noted that in 2007/2008, when "the pandemic 2009 A(H1N1) flu strain" developed resistance, "within 12 months the virus had spread globally, such that virtually every A(H1N1) virus around the world was resistant to [Tamiflu]." He expressed concern that a similar situation will occur with this strain.

Lidless toilets contaminate surrounding areas with clostridium difficile.

Medscape (12/30, Laidman) reports, "Put a lid on it. That is the conclusion of research examining the amount of Clostridium difficile that flies into the air and contaminates surrounding surfaces with the flush of a lidless toilet." The study, published in online Dec. 2 in the International Journal of Hospital Infection, "measured airborne suspension of the bacteria in addition to surface contamination by the bacteria after flushing of both lidless and lidded toilets" and found that "air samples 25 cm above the commode, which is about the height of the handle, contained C difficile, with the highest numbers coming from samples taken immediately after flushing." In addition, the "researchers also found the number of viable bacteria to be 12-fold higher from open toilets compared with the same toilet when the lid was closed."

Silent Strokes May Be Linked To Memory Loss In Older Patients Without Dementia.

ABC World News (12/29, story 7, 1:45, Muir) reported that "silent strokes" may "explain that increasing memory loss over the years," according to a new study  .

        On its website, ABC News  (12/30) reports that investigators "looked at 658 participants with an average age of 79 who had no history of dementia." Participants "were administered a test that gauged their memory, language skills and thinking abilities." The "researchers also measured the size of the participants' hippocampus, crucial to the regulation of memory and emotion, and they also administered an MRI brain scan."

        HealthDay  (12/30, Mozes) reports, "The brain scans revealed that 174 of the participants had experienced silent strokes, and the investigators found that these seniors did not perform as well on the memory exams." The "finding held regardless of whether the part of the patient's brain responsible for memory (the hippocampus) was found to be relatively small or not." The research was published online in the journal Neurology.

        MedPage Today  (12/30, Phend) reports, "Just 66 of the participants reported having had a clinical stroke, suggesting that 'brain infarction is largely a silent injury.'" WebMD  (12/30, Doheny) also covers the story.