Clips: Health stories in the news

Medical Apps for the iPhone

New York Times technology columnist David Pogue describes 12 medical iPhone apps, ranging from an app to help travelers cope with jet lag to a virtual cadaver you can dissect.

Anatomy Lab. A virtual cadaver. Drag up or down with two fingers to peel away (or restore) another thin layer of the photo, down to the organs and beyond. Or choose from a list of body parts and jump directly, revealing that exposed part. Grisly and amazing. ($10)

To learn more:

• Read David Pogue’s article Medical Apps for the iPhone.

Nation may face shortage of vaccine for seasonal flu as well

Concerns over the new H1N1 flu has sparked a surge in demand of the vaccine for the seasonal flu as well leading to a demand that is likely to outstrip supply, Donald McNeil, Jr. writes in today’s New York Times.

Federal officials and independent flu experts have said the situation was unavoidable, given that the global swine flu pandemic had raised demand for all flu shots far beyond what manufacturers can make in a year.

To learn more:

• Read McNeil’s article Nation Is Facing Vaccine Shortage for Seasonal Flu.

Old technique for heart bypass bests new

In a head-to-head comparison, the old way of doing heart bypass surgery proved better than the new, writes AP reporter Stephanie Nano in an article appearing in the Seattle Times.

Nano writes:

It seemed like a great idea: doing bypass surgery while the heart is beating, sparing patients the complications that can come from going on a heart-lung machine. The first big test of this method has produced a surprise: Bypass has fewer problems and is more successful done the old way.

To learn more:

• Read Nano’s article: Study finds no advantage in newer way to perform heart bypass.

Tags: Heart Bypass, Influenza, iPhone

Category: News