Minerva

“Spaghetti syndrome” may become an entity of the past as wireless technology comes in from the cold. Gone will be the days of trailing lines, cables, and sensors around critical care beds. One serious concern is potential interference with medical devices, leading to compromised patient care, but this issue may have been overstated. Bluetooth, the short range radiofrequency link proposed as one of the remedies for spaghetti syndrome, has now been shown not to interfere with medical devices, and vice versa (Anesthesia and Analgesia 2004;98: 566-567.

More sneaky maneuverings by the tobacco industry have been unearthed. An analysis of one airline's in-flight air quality study, conducted and sponsored by several tobacco industry companies in 1988, found that unfavorable findings were apparently deleted by industry scientists and lawyers before delivery to the airline. The study ignored the health implications of respirable suspended particles, promoting instead the industry's position that better ventilation could solve any problems posed by secondhand smoke (Tobacco Control 2004;13[suppl 1]: 20-29).

Exercise is hailed victorious in a study that compared percutaneous coronary intervention, stenting, and a 12 month exercise regimen in 101 men with stable coronary artery disease. More of those who …