Healio Minute Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2014 Edition: Curbs on brain toxins urged, hospital-onset flu more severe, HIV becomes aging issue

What just happened in medicine and why do you care?

Chemical curbs urged to diminish pediatric brain disorders

Healio.com/Pediatrics: Researchers believe that children worldwide are being exposed to unrecognized toxic chemicals that silently erode intelligence, disrupt behaviors and truncate future achievements. Read more.

Longer hospitalization likely with hospital-onset flu vs. community-onset cases

Healio.com/Infectious Disease: Among the hospital-onset cases, median length of hospital stay after influenza diagnosis was 7.5 days, significantly longer than the 3-day median stay for those with community-onset influenza. Read more.

Advances in HIV treatment uncover a new issue: Aging

Healio.com/Infectious Disease: HIV encapsulates many modern issues in medicine, says Amy Justice, MD, PhD, professor of medicine at Yale School of Medicine. “We needed a scientific breakthrough to treat this virus. Now that we have it, we need to figure out what to do with our success.” With Point/Counter. Read more.

VIDEO: Larry B. Goldstein, MD, on a meta-analysis of tpA in ischemic stroke

Healio.com/Cardiology: Cardiology Today editorial board member discusses a meta-analysis evaluating factors influencing tpA benefit among approximately 7,000 patients across nine clinical trials. Read more.

Spinal surgery is as cost-effective as total hip or knee arthroplasty for primary osteoarthritis

Healio.com/Orthopedics: Findings indicate surgical management of primary osteoarthritis of the spine, hip and knee results in durable cost-utility ratios that are well below accepted thresholds. Read more.