Medicine

Having blood drawn is a piece of cake for some people and a traumatic experience for others. Either way, being armed with information can only help make the process easier.

By Tara Yarlagadda

When you call 911 in the U.S., you expect an ambulance to come roaring to your aid in a matter of minutes. But how are ambulances dispatched — and why do they cost so much?

By Patrick J. Kiger

Making sure the bowels are moving is key to monitoring health after surgery.

By Michelle Konstantinovsky

Flexible electronics have enabled a team at Tufts University to create a bandage that not only monitors wounds, but delivers treatment as well.

By Laurie L. Dove

The intent of Right to Try is to make the process of obtaining last-ditch, potentially life-saving drugs easier for terminally ill patients by avoiding FDA strictures altogether.

By Carrie Tatro

Not all drugs are created equal. And not all drugs are prescribed for the particular conditions they're technically approved to treat, either. That's when they fall into the off-label category, and they're more common than you think.

By Michelle Konstantinovsky

Hearing loss due to loud noise or certain medicines is irreversible, but soon we might be able to prevent hearing loss before it begins.

By Jesslyn Shields

What happens when permanent teeth don't come in behind our baby teeth? Turns out there are treatments, but they'll cost you (both time and money).

By Jesslyn Shields

Is microdosing LSD just a silly fad or is it time to take a comprehensive look at its potential benefits?

By Jamie Allen

Lots of factors can affect a bystander's decision to perform CPR, and a big one seems to be gender.

By Robert Lamb

Psilocybin (the drug in magic mushrooms) provides relief for severely depressed people, according to new research. But there are some caveats.

By Alia Hoyt

There's a good chance you've taken a personality test, and can now officially claim your type. But how valid are these assessments, and why do we even take them in the first place?

By Ed Grabianowski

The strong and sticky goo of the Dusky Arion slug provided scientists with unlikely inspiration for a glue that sticks well to wet surfaces.

By Kate Kershner

A single vial of snakebite antivenom can run thousands of dollars. Why? It actually has little to do with the production process.

By Jesslyn Shields

A new study found gifts from pharmaceutical reps could be influencing the prescribing behavior of doctors.

By Alia Hoyt

A huge number of clinical trials — many of which are testing life-saving drugs — languish due to low participation levels. Why is that, and what can be done?

By Alia Hoyt

A series of papers showed that overuse and underuse of medical care is a global health crisis. Here's how to address it.

By Alia Hoyt

This new study could present alternative to drugs with negative side effects. And parents of pre-surgery children experience less anxiety, too.

By Jesslyn Shields

Although several states have proposed legal action banning the question, only Florida has actually passed a controversial law addressing the issue.

By Patrick J. Kiger

You won't believe some of the emergency medical procedures people have performed under duress. They range from sucking out venom to performing a Caesarean birth. Could you do the same?

By Melanie Radzicki McManus

The current U.S. recommendation is to get a tetanus shot every 10 years. Will this new study change CDC guidelines?

By Alia Hoyt

Docs are no different from the rest of us — they bring their unconscious biases into the workplace. But is there a way to lessen the impact of these biases on patients?

By Alia Hoyt

It may sound crazy initially — using a tooth to repair eyesight — but it's a very real surgery with a pretty impressive track record.

By Nathan Chandler

Bee stings hurt, so it seems like an odd proposition to get them on purpose. Believe it or not, the venom that makes that sting may also benefit humans in therapy.

By Maria Trimarchi

You really liked that ER doctor who stitched up your arm. That is until you got your bill. Turns out the doctor was out of your insurance network, even though the hospital's ER is in network. How does that happen?

By Kate Kershner