IUDs Safe And Effective In High-Risk Patients, Study Finds

Virginia Commonwealth University researchers have found that intrauterine devices are safe and effective in a population of women previously not considered as good candidates for this method of birth control.

The findings may help physicians develop improved guidelines for providing intrauterine devices (IUDs) to patients.

The IUD is the most common form of reversible birth control used by women worldwide. While IUDs offer a high level of long-term contraceptive efficacy, they have been associated with health risks, including pelvic inflammatory disease and upper genital tract infections.

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ANTIBIOTIC TREATMENT FOR EAR INFECTIONS IN KIDS PROVIDES ONLY MODEST BENEFITS, STUDY FINDS

Using antibiotics to treat newly diagnosed acute ear infections among children is modestly more effective than no treatment, but comes with a risk of side effects, according to a new study designed to help advise efforts to rewrite treatment guidelines for the common illness.

Researchers found no evidence that name-brand antibiotics work any better in general than generic antibiotics and that careful examination of the eardrum by a clinician for signs of infection is critical for accurate diagnosis of acute ear infections. The study is published in the Nov. 17 edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

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