Embryonic stem cells, which can turn into a variety of cells in the body, can produce temporary skin that could help burn victims while they're waiting for skin grafts, new research from France suggests.

The findings, reported in the Nov. 20 issue of The Lancet, could lead to treatments that build on the existing use of cell therapy to help burn patients recover from injuries.

People's genetic makeup has been shown to affect how they respond to asthma medications, but a new study finds that many people respond well to a particular combination treatment regardless of their genes.

However, the study did find a difference in response among blacks.

Kidney transplant patients with sleep apnea are at increased risk for high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke, Hungarian researchers say.

The study of 100 kidney transplant recipients found that 25 percent had moderate to severe sleep apnea, a rate similar to that seen in kidney disease patients on dialysis awaiting a transplant. This means that both types of patients who have the breathing-related sleep disorder should be considered at high risk for serious heart-related complications, the study authors noted.

The U.S. Veterans Administration has taken the lead in improving patient safety, but its efforts are still a work in progress as surgical errors in and out of the operating room persist, a new study shows.

Each day in the United States, there are five to 10 incorrect surgical procedures performed, some with devastating effects, the researchers noted. Typical problems are surgery performed on the wrong site or wrong side of the body, using an incorrect procedure or using it on the wrong patient.

Compared to standard emergency room triage, CT angiography is quicker, more accurate and much less expensive for screening patients with chest pain who have low to moderate enzyme and EKG scores, according to a new study.

The study included 749 acute chest pain patients at 16 emergency rooms who were randomly assigned to receive either coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA) or standard screening with myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI).