Attention, chocolate lovers: You may not be able to help yourselves. Swiss and British scientists have linked the widespread love of chocolate to a chemical "signature" that may be programmed into our metabolic systems.
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Legal fears guide emergency room decisions
IOWA CITY, Iowa, Jul 13, 2005 (United Press International via COMTEX) -- Emergency physicians who fear malpractice suits are reportedly more likely to admit and order tests for patients with chest pain or other heart symptoms.
University of Iowa researchers say the physicians will order the tests even if the patients are at an obvious low risk for actual problems.
The findings announced Wednesday were based on surveys of 33 emergency doctors who participated in a prospective study of 1,134 patients at two teaching hospitals.
Nearly 7 million Americans seek emergency care for heart-related symptoms each year, and nearly half of them are hospitalized or admitted for further evaluation. However, subsequent tests show most of those patients did not suffer acute coronary syndromes such as unstable angina or heart attack.
The study also involved researchers at the University of Wisconsin, the Medical College of Wisconsin; the University of Rochester; and Tufts-New England Medical Center.
The research is detailed in the July 13 online issue of the Annals of Emergency Medicine.