University Hospital

A jalapeno a day, keeps the ulcer at bay? Not exactly the stuff of medical folk wisdom. But if recent studies are right, doctors may one day prescribe chili peppers for patients with peptic ulcers, painful erosions in the lining of the gut. Don't bite into a red-hot pepper yet. Experts caution that even if the results are proved, ulcer sufferers who are susceptible to heartburn may find the unpleasant side effects outweigh the benefits.

Is there something fishy going on with omega-3 fatty acids? For years, major health and medical organizations have recommended fish oil supplements rich in omega-3s to reduce the threat of heart disease. In Europe, where support is particularly enthusiastic, a doctor's failure to recommend the supplements is viewed by some as bordering on malpractice. But several recent studies have raised questions about the benefits of fish oil, sparking no small amount of confusion. A report published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Assn.

Perched atop the U.S. Embassy in Beijing is a device about the size of a microwave oven that spits out hourly rebukes to the Chinese government. It is a machine that monitors fine particulate matter, one of the most dangerous components of air pollution, and instantly posts the results to Twitter and a dedicated iPhone application, where it is frequently picked up by Chinese bloggers. One day this month, the reading was so high compared with the standards set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that it was listed as "beyond index.

Scientists in Norway have more good news for coffee drinkers. Researchers have already found evidence that the drink -- or the beans it's brewed from -- can help with weight loss , reduce one's risk of developing Alzheimer's disease or dementia, boost muscle growth , protect against certain types of cancers, and can even reduce one's risk of premature death , among many other benefits . Now comes word that a cuppa joe reduces physical...

USC has agreed to pay Tenet Healthcare Corp. $275 million to acquire USC University Hospital and USC Kenneth Norris Jr. Cancer Hospital, ending a three-year dispute over control. USC said Tuesday that it would retain the 1,600 employees and recruit needed staff and physicians. The two hospitals, on USC's health sciences campus in Los Angeles, have 471 inpatient beds.

USC University Hospital halted kidney transplants last month after a kidney was accidentally transplanted into the wrong patient, according to a spokesman for the program that coordinates organ transplants in Los Angeles. The patient who received the wrong kidney escaped harm, apparently because the kidney happened to be an acceptable match, said Bryan Stewart, spokesman for the program, OneLegacy, which was notified of the error by the hospital. The hospital, which performs about two transplants a week, confirmed in a statement that it had voluntarily halted transplants Jan. 29 after a "process error" was discovered.

The liver transplant program at USC University Hospital in Los Angeles has one of the highest death rates in the nation, with twice as many patients as expected dying after their surgeries, according to data released this week. The most recent statistics show that 38 USC patients who received new livers from January 2003 to June 2005 died within a year of surgery -- 19 more than expected, according to the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients.

A Superior Court judge in Sacramento barred 9,000 registered nurses at the University of California from holding a one-day strike today at UC hospitals and student health centers, heightening tensions between the nurses union and the Schwarzenegger administration. The California Nurses Assn. called the strike this month because its negotiators were unable to reach agreement on a new contract with the UC system. But the state Public Employment Relations Board convinced Judge Loren E.

One in three patients with advanced cancer spend their final days in hospitals receiving costly, aggressive treatments they may not want, according to a major national study released Tuesday. Researchers at the Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care, whose work on hospital spending has been cited by the Obama administration, reviewed a sample of 20% of Medicare beneficiaries nationwide with advanced cancer who died between 2003 and 2007, including patients at 65 California hospitals.

British actor Richard Griffiths, best known for playing muggle Uncle Vernon Dursley in the "Harry Potter" movies, has died. Griffiths died Thursday at University Hospital in Coventry, England, from complications following heart surgery, his agent, Simon Beresford, told the Associated Press. He was 65. Large in body and presence, Griffiths appeared in character roles in dozens of films and TV shows, but made his biggest mark as the boy wizard's grumpy uncle. PHOTOS: Richard Griffiths 1947-2013 "Harry Potter" star Daniel Radcliffe said Griffiths' true demeanor was far kinder.