Family Practice News back issues from January 2000:
Cosmetic Services Boost FP Revenues.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Jan 01, 2000; ... Managed care contracts were starting to take a bigger bite out of Dr. Howard Schoenfeld's income, and he felt that his family practice in East Windsor, N.J., was becoming "stagnant." So last fall, Dr. Schoenfeld and his partner bought a $10,000 microdermabrasion machine and ...
Etanercept Appears To Retard Early Rheumatoid Arthritis.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Jan 01, 2000; ... This is the first radiographic study to show etanercept slows the disease's progress. BOSTON -- New evidence suggests that the biologic agent etanercept can retard new joint erosions in adult patients with early rheumatoid arthritis. The findings have led the ...
Home HT Monitoring Cuts Office Visits by 27%.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Jan 01, 2000; ... Results comparable to office-based care. ATLANTA -- Hypertensive patients who monitored their blood pressure at home cut their visits to physician offices by 27% in a controlled study with 313 patients. The patients who did home monitoring achieved blood pressure ...
Etanercept for 3 Months May Benefit Heart Failure Patients.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Jan 01, 2000; ... ATLANTA -- Three months of etanercept therapy caused beneficial heart remodeling in a randomized, placebo-controlled study of 44 patients with either New York Heart Association class III or IV heart failure, Dr. Biykem Bozkurt announced at the annual scientific sessions of the American ...
AMA Union Leaders Aim To Recruit Residents.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Jan 01, 2000; ... SAN DIEGO -- Leaders of the doctor union sponsored by the American Medical Association are attempting to recruit residents in several communities across the country. In what union president Dr. Susan Hershberg Adelman described as "a fact-finding process," representatives of ...
PAIN RELIEF.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Jan 01, 2000; ... After an emotional debate, the delegates asked the AMA to work to modify language in the Pain Relief Promotion Act of 1999, which is currently pending in the Senate. Many delegates fear that the bill will have a chilling effect on pain management. The bill, which passed the U.S. House of ...
LEANING ON HCFA.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Jan 01, 2000; ... The delegates asked the AMA to continue studying the feasibility of moving to a Medicare evaluation and management (E&M) coding scheme based on face-to-face encounter time with patients. They also directed AMA ...
REPORTING IMPAIRED DRIVERS.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Jan 01, 2000; ... Despite pleas from delegates who said they don't want to act as police officers, the delegates voted to create a new AMA policy calling for doctors to ...
MORE MEDICARE HASSLES.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Jan 01, 2000; ... The delegates directed the AMA to tell HCFA that proposed changes to two of its forms are unacceptable. HCFA is expected to require physicians to enroll--and reenroll every 3 years--using the 17-page HCFA 855 Medicare physician ...
CPT CODING.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Jan 01, 2000; ... The delegates asked the AMA to pursue legislation or regulations to force all insurance ...
HMO PATIENT COMMUNICATION FOUL-UPS.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Jan 01, 2000; ... Managed care plans should stop talking directly to patients without informing their primary care physicians, the delegates said. California physicians asked for the directive after a large HMO in that state sent letters to patients telling ...
HERBAL REMEDIES.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Jan 01, 2000; ... Herbal product and dietary supplement labels should warn consumers about possible drug interactions and advise them to tell their physicians if ...
ON-CALL PHYSICIANS.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Jan 01, 2000; ... The delegates called for the formation of an AMA-led task force to tackle a growing shortage of physicians who are willing to be on call for hospital emergency care. In California, media reports indicate that some ...
ACCREDITATION PROGRAM LAGS.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Jan 01, 2000; ... The AMA is looking for new business to help breathe some life into the ailing American ...
DOCTORS ONLINE.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Jan 01, 2000; ... The proportion of physicians using the World Wide Web has nearly doubled from 20% in 1997 to 37% in 1999, according to results of an AMA survey of 1,084 physicians released at the meeting. In other news, the AMA announced that it is working with Intel ...
Pulse Pressure Builds Steam as Mortality Predictor.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Jan 01, 2000; ... ATLANTA -- Measurement of pulse pressure continues to rack up support as a potent and clinically useful predictor of cardiovascular disease risk and all-cause mortality in a variety of populations. At the annual scientific sessions of the American Heart Association, new data ...
Irregular Menses Linked to Higher Coronary Risk.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Jan 01, 2000; ... ATLANTA -- Women with consistently irregular menses have about a 50% increased risk of coronary events, based on results from a large epidemiologic study. The risk elevation is modest, compared with the sevenfold increase in risk seen with polycystic ovary syndrome. The ...
Report Urges Feds to Shine Spotlight on Medical Errors.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Jan 01, 2000; ... WASHINGTON -- The government needs to make reporting of medical errors mandatory and establish a center for studying patient care mistakes, but errors won't be substantially reduced until doctors who err stop thinking of themselves as "sinners," according to a top expert. "An ...
HHV-6 and MS Link Warrants Further Study.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Jan 01, 2000; ... SAN FRANCISCO -- Accumulating evidence links chronic infection with human herpesvirus 6 and multiple sclerosis. Controlling human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) viremia with intravenous ganciclovir was associated with resolution of multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms in women with ...
Pneumococcal Vaccine for the Elderly.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Jan 01, 2000; ... Elderly patients with chronic lung disease who receive the pneumococcal vaccine have lower hospitalization rates, fewer deaths, and lower health care costs than do those who don't receive the vaccine. In a 2-year retrospective study of 1,898 elderly patients, Dr. Kristin L ....
Managed Care Is Not the Problem.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Jan 01, 2000; ... We have a problem in American medicine. Aside from the 48 million Americans lacking health insurance, the safety of health care provided in the country is the single most important issue in health care today. Quality of care is the problem--not managed care. In their ...
Should leukotriene inhibitors be a single, first line asthma therapy in children?(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Jan 01, 2000 ... Dr. Robert Wood YES The leukotriene-inhibiting drugs montelukast and zafirlukast are highly efficacious as single, first-line maintenance therapies in children with mild, persistent asthma. These drugs are a logical choice, given the central role that ...
Teaching, Touching, Caring.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Jan 01, 2000; ... The crystal water sprayed our faces as we sat beneath the towering waterfall. The lush jungle encircled us as we rested our tired feet in the cool stream, still foaming after its descent from the mountain's cliff. A more beautiful place would be difficult to imagine, but we had ...
LETTERS.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Jan 01, 2000 ... Benefits of Locum Tenens I read with great interest the article "More Part-Time Options, Flexibility Being Offered" (Career Tracks, Sept. 1,1999, p. 47). The article raised interesting points about some doctors working part time. I would like to discuss one point a ...
West Nile Virus: Physician Reports Will Be Crucial.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Jan 01, 2000; ... WASHINGTON -- Cold weather has frosted the West Nile encephalitis outbreak, but infectious disease experts are gearing up for the virus's probable emergence this summer from its Northeastern hibernation. "There is no question that physician reporting will be key" in ...
The Clinical Picture of New York City Cases.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Jan 01, 2000 ... Public health officials in New York City are urging physicians there to report any patients with encephalitis and muscle weakness, aseptic or viral meningitis, or Guillain-Barre syndrome as potential cases of West Nile virus infection. By the middle of November, over 700 cases ...
West Nile Virus Similar To Israel '98 Virus.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Jan 01, 2000 ... Two competing laboratories have simultaneously confirmed the identity of the virus as West Nile and have found it to be identical to a virus isolated in the Middle East. The remaining mystery is how the virus, not previously linked to human infections, came to the United States ....
When Methotrexate Isn't Working, Try Triple Therapy.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Jan 01, 2000; ... BOSTON -- The argument for using three disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs to treat rheumatoid arthritis gained more momentum at this year's annual American College of Rheumatology meeting. In a study that builds on data presented at previous meetings, investigators at the ...
Treating Rheumatoid Inflammation May Improve Lipid Profiles.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Jan 01, 2000; ... BOSTON -- A treatment response also appears to improve lipid profiles in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, Dr. Yong-Beom Park said at the annual meeting of the American College of Rheumatology. Dr. Park and colleagues at Yonsei University College of Medicine in Seoul, Korea, ...
Anti-TNF Agents Offer New Options for Treating Autoimmune Disease.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Jan 01, 2000; ... SAN FRANCISCO -- The development of anti-tumor necrosis factor therapy is "the most exciting event in the treatment of autoimmune disease in my 20 years in practice," Dr. Leonard H. Calabrese said at a session of the American College of Osteopathic Rheumatology. Citing results ...
New Medicare Benefit Yields Significant Impact.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Jan 01, 2000; ... PHOENIX, ARIZ. -- Cancer, a large adenomatous polyp, or neoplasia were detected in one-third of 2,575 patients who underwent screening colonoscopies after the government expanded Medicare coverage to cover such tests, Dr. David A. Johnson reported at the annual meeting of the American ...
Colorectal Cancer Trial.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Jan 01, 2000 ... The Cooperative Colorectal Cancer Combination Chemotherapy Clinical (6C) trial will evaluate the drugs CPT-11 and oxaliplatin as initial therapy for advanced colon cancer in 1,700 ...
Keeping Weight Off.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Jan 01, 2000 ... The secret to losing weight and keeping it off may be as simple as stepping on the scale each day ... and exercising. This finding comes from the National Weight Control Registry, established by James O. Hill, Ph.D., of the University of Colorado, Denver, and Rena R. Wing, ...
Orlistat's Side Effects.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Jan 01, 2000 ... The gastrointestinal side effects of the weight-loss drug orlistat disappear after the first year of use, said Dr. Samuel Klein, professor of gastroenterology at Washington University, St. Louis. Three large trials showed that unpleasant effects--including flatulence, oily ...
Quinolone-Resistant Salmonella.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Jan 01, 2000 ... An outbreak of quinolone-resistant salmonella in Denmark was linked to infected swine herds. Dr. Kare Molbak at the Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, and colleagues reported an epidemic of 25 patients--including 11 who were hospitalized and 3 who died--infected with a rare ...
Lyme Disease: Active or Prior?(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Jan 01, 2000 ... A determination of whether antibodies to Borrelia burgdorferi are free antibodies or bound in immune complexes may aid in differentiating active from prior Lyme disease infections. Antibody complexes reflect active infection, while free antibody is a marker of prior disease, ...
Laser Revascularization.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Jan 01, 2000 ... Transmyocardial laser revascularization alleviated severe angina and improved cardiac perfusion in patients with refractory angina who were not eligible for revascularization procedures, reported Dr. O.H. Frazier of the Texas Heart Institute, Houston, and associates. In a ...
Strength Training Essential After Menopause.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Jan 01, 2000; ... NEW YORK -- Strength training is essential for skeletal health, weight control, and overall well-being of women after menopause, Miriam Nelson, Ph.D., said at the annual meeting of the North American Menopause Society. "There is an epidemic of muscle weakness among American ...
New Angina Questionnaire Targets Older Women.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Jan 01, 2000; ... ATLANTA -- A chronic angina-symptom questionnaire has been designed with older women in mind. "The standard instruments used to assess chronic angina were developed for men. They include tasks like tennis, jogging, and swimming, which may not reflect the usual activity of many ...
Risk-Benefit of Repeat Steroid Use in Pregnancy.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Jan 01, 2000; ... Prospective studies are underway to pinpoint the risks and benefits of administering multiple courses of prenatal steroids to women at high risk for preterm delivery. Until final data from these studies are available within the next few years, physicians need to do a better job ...
Antenatal Steroids for Women With Multiple Gestations.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Jan 01, 2000; ... ALBUQUERQUE -- Administration of antenatal corticosteroids is probably the best obstetrical intervention for women with multiple gestations at risk for preterm birth. That was the take-home message of Dr. Michael O. Gardner at a meeting on perinatal care sponsored by the ...
Folic Acid Pills Still Needed in Childbearing Years.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Jan 01, 2000; ... MAUI, HAWAII -- Women who are capable of becoming pregnant still need to take a folic acid supplement despite a federal requirement that grain foods must be fortified, according to Dr. Jennifer R. Niebyl. The grain fortification effort has not increased women's intake to the ...
Seat Belt Helps Protect Fetus.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Jan 01, 2000; ... MAUI, HAWAII -- Pregnant women who worry that wearing a seat belt will crush their fetus in an automobile accident should be told that not wearing a seat belt is much more dangerous, according to Dr. Mark D. Pearlman. An analysis of 42 automobile accidents involving 43 pregnant ...
Breast-Feeding vs. Leukemia.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Jan 01, 2000 ... Breast-feeding reduces the risk of childhood acute leukemia, reported Dr. Xiao Ou Shu of the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis and associates. Previous studies were too small to detect such an effect. This study included 2,200 children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia or ...
HPV Test Beats Pap.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Jan 01, 2000 ... A test for high-risk types of human papillomavirus (HPV) was more sensitive than the Pap smear in detecting moderate to high-grade cervical disease in women in their mid-30s and beyond. The Hybrid Capture II microtiter kit for HPV (Digene Corp., Beltsville, Md.) had a 95% ...
Limit Boric Acid Dosage.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Jan 01, 2000 ... Boric acid can be a useful treatment for vaginal candidiasis, but keep in mind its potential toxicity, Dr. Benson J. Horowitz advised at the International Society for the Study of Vulvovaginal Disease World Congress in Santa Fe, N.M. When giving boric acid for vaginal ...
STDs in Incarcerated Women.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Jan 01, 2000 ... Women, especially juveniles, entering corrections facilities have high rates of chlamydial or gonococcal infections, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Testing for sexually transmitted diseases was offered to all incarcerated women entering the county ...
Digital Exam Skews Fibronectin.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Jan 01, 2000 ... In women with signs of preterm labor, a single digital exam of the cervix can skew an oncofetal fibronectin test in a substantial minority of cases, said Maj. David S. McKenna, MC, USAF, and his associates at Ohio State University, Columbus. The test manufacturer recommends that ...
Debut of `Right-Handed' Albuterol.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Jan 01, 2000; ... CHICAGO -- As the good book says, " ... let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth." The developers of a "right-handed" formulation of albuterol have taken that proverb to heart. Last spring they launched an albuterol formulation that contains only the ...
Inhaled Enoxaparin Decreases Bronchoconstriction in Asthmatics.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Jan 01, 2000; ... Inhaled low-molecular-weight heparins may help asthmatic patients to breathe better when they exercise. The antiasthmatic effect of these heparins appears to be independent of their anticoagulant properties, reported Dr. Tahir Ahmed and colleagues at the University of Miami (Am ....
Revival of Immunotherapy for Rhinitis, Asthma.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Jan 01, 2000; ... CHICAGO -- Allergists want to restore immunotherapy--the hallmark of their specialty--to the clinical forefront for treating allergic rhinitis and asthma complicated by allergy. The resurgence of immunotherapy was a theme that ran throughout the annual meeting of the American ...
Patients Express Satisfaction With Results of Immunotherapy.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Jan 01, 2000; ... CHICAGO -- Immunotherapy earns high marks from allergic rhinitis patients, but the public tends to be poorly informed about this therapeutic option. Two recent surveys conducted by the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology indicate that people who receive ...
FDA May License Latex Skin Test Reagent.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Jan 01, 2000; ... NEW YORK -- A safe, standardized skin test reagent for latex allergy is pending licensure by the Food and Drug Administration, said Robert Hamilton, Ph.D., an immunologist at the Johns Hopkins Asthma and Allergy Center, Baltimore. "The U.S. is the only country in the developed ...
Latex Avoidance Starts in Hospital, Ends at Home.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Jan 01, 2000; ... AMSTERDAM -- Many latex-allergic children don't avoid rubber products at home, despite latex avoidance education from their doctors, Dr. L. Ylitalo reported in a poster presentation at the eighth Congress of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology. Investigators ...
Active Atopic Dermatitis Raises Skin Susceptibility.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Jan 01, 2000; ... AMSTERDAM -- Only patients with active a topic dermatitis have increased skin susceptibility upon skin irritation, Dr. H Loffler said at the eighth Congress of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology. Researchers studied 95 subjects between the ages of 14 and 16 ...
FDA Panel Backs Combination Steroid-Bronchodilator Inhaler.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Jan 01, 2000; ... BETHESDA, MD. -- The first product to combine an inhaled corticosteroid with a long-acting bronchodilator in a single device was backed for approval as asthma maintenance treatment by a Food and Drug Administration panel. The FDA's Pulmonary-Allergy Drugs Advisory Committee ...
Safety, Efficacy Are Similar in Pediatric Subjects.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Jan 01, 2000 ... A separate analysis of the pediatric subjects in clinical trials of Advair Diskus showed that the product's safety and efficacy were comparable with those seen in adults, Dr. Shah said at the hearing. The trials included 152 subjects aged 12-17. To date, no growth studies of ...
User-Friendly Pediatric Asthma Guide Posted on the Internet.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Jan 01, 2000; ... WASHINGTON -- A user-friendly guide to management of pediatric asthma has been published on the Internet, but printed copies are not yet widely available. The publication, "Pediatric Asthma: Promoting Best Practice, a Guide for Managing Asthma in Children," is adapted from the ...
Choosing the Right Asthma Therapy for Children.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Jan 01, 2000; ... BALTIMORE -- Selecting the right medication or medications for children with asthma can be a daunting task, Dr. Robert A. Wood said at a pediatric meeting sponsored by Johns Hopkins University. The field of asthma treatment is rapidly changing, and it can be confusing, said Dr ....
Dry-Powder Asthma Inhalers Are the Future.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Jan 01, 2000; ... BALTIMORE -- Dry-powder inhalers are the future of asthma medication administration, Dr. Robert A. Wood said at a pediatric meeting sponsored by Johns Hopkins University. As fluorocarbon-containing metered-dose inhalers are being removed from the market, dry-powder inhalers ...
Deciding When to Refer a Child to an Allergist.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Jan 01, 2000; ... RAPID CITY, S.D. -- One child has had hives for 3 weeks. Another child's asthma symptoms persist despite treatment. Should you refer one or both of them to an allergist? Pediatric allergist Wade Watson offered these suggestions on when to refer such children at a ...
Promising New Eyedrops for Allergic Conjunctivitis.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Jan 01, 2000; ... CHICAGO -- Olopatadine, a novel eyedrop that has antihistaminic and mast cell stabilizing actions, is a major advance in the treatment of allergic conjunctivitis, Dr. David Granet said at a seminar on allergic eye disease during the annual meeting of the American College of Allergy, ...
Allergen Elimination Begins in the Bedroom.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Jan 01, 2000; ... NEW YORK -- When it comes to eliminating dust mites and other environmental allergens, a little bit of "pillow talk" with your atopic or asthmatic patients can go a long way. Just don't forget to mention the sheets, blankets, and carpets as well. "Focus on the ...
Curbing Dust Mites Is Little Help to Atopics.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Jan 01, 2000; ... AMSTERDAM -- Protecting adult atopic dermatitis patients from house dust mites appears to help them sleep better, but it does little to improve their overall disease severity, Dr. Carsten Gutgesell said at the eighth Congress of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology. ...
New Foe Against Decompensated Heart Failure.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Jan 01, 2000; ... BARCELONA, SPAIN -- Levosimendan, a novel calcium sensitizing agent, reduced 30-day mortality and arrhythmias in the treatment of patients with decompensated heart failure, Dr. Ferenc Follath reported at the 21st Congress of the European Society of Cardiology. Dr. Follath ...