Daily Rounds: Superbugs In Boston; Medical Device Conflicts; Rating Docs; Gender Wars In Utero

New drug-resistant 'superbug' arrives in Mass. - White Coat Notes - Boston.com "A person infected with a "superbug" that is sparking fears around the world was treated earlier this year [at Massachusetts General Hospital], disease trackers said. The patient had recently traveled from India, a hotspot for the germ, which is immune to many common antibiotics."

Consultant Fees Go Undisclosed in Medical Journals, Study Finds - NYTimes.com "Twenty-five out of 32 highly paid consultants to medical device companies, or their publishers, failed to reveal the financial connections in journal articles the following year, according to a study." (The New York Times)

Doctor 'Report Cards' Not Last Word on Physician Performance A study "found that higher performance scores were associated with three characteristics: being female, board certification, and graduation from a domestic medical school. However, the researchers said there's little evidence to suggest that a patient would consistently receive better quality care by having a doctor with these three characteristics." (Business Week)

Tug of War Pits Genes of Parents in the Fetus - NYTimes.com "The surprising outcome was that mice with two male genomes had large bodies and small brains. With the double female genome mice, it was the other way around. Evidently the maternal and paternal genomes have opposite effects on the size of the brain." (The New York Times)