Internal Medicine News back issues from June 2007:
Coalition aims to fight Cardiac Arrest.(News)
Jun 01, 2007; ... DENVER -- The Heart Rhythm Society and a disparate collection of 29 other organizations have joined forces to create the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Coalition to advocate for increased research and education regarding the killer of more than 250,000 Americans annually. During the next ...
Teamwork training may help improve inpatient safety: good communication can prevent errors.(News)
Jun 01, 2007; ... WASHINGTON -- Patient safety problems in hospitals often stem from a lack of teamwork and poor communication, James Battles, Ph.D., said at a conference sponsored by the National Patient Safety Foundation. "In health care, if we don't have good teamwork, patients die," said Dr ....
HARMM criteria signal increased melanoma risk.(News)(Report)
Jun 01, 2007; ... PHOENIX -- Analysis of more than 350,000 reports from skin cancer screenings has identified five melanoma risk factors that can flag candidates for total skin examinations, Dr. Darrell S. Rigel reported at a clinical dermatology conference sponsored by Medicis. The risk factors, ...
Palliative care reduces inpatient costs.(News)
Jun 01, 2007; ... SEATTLE -- Hospital-based palliative care can save as much as nearly $7,000 per patient admission, a figure that could add up to total savings of $1.3 million per year for a 300- to 350-bed hospital, according to an analysis of data from eight hospitals. Previous studies showed ...
Consumer payments projected to be largest part of national health expenditure in 2007.(VITAL SIGNS)(Table)(Brief article)
Jun 01, 2007 ... <Pre> Consumer Payments Projected to Be Largest Part of National Health Expenditure in 2007 Consumer payments 46% Federal payments 34% State and local payments ...
First pandemic avian influenza vaccine approved.(News)
Jun 01, 2007; ... The Food and Drug Administration has approved the first vaccine in the United States that could be used in the event of an avian influenza virus pandemic. The approval is for active immunization against influenza disease caused by the H5N1 A/Vietnam/1203/2004 influenza virus in ...
Reclast Injection.(NEW & APPROVED)
Jun 01, 2007; ... Reclast Injection (zoledronic acid, Novartis Pharmaceuticals) An intravenously administered bisphosphonate approved for the treatment of Paget's disease of bone in men and women. A different dosage (4 mg) of zoledronic acid (Zometa) has been available as a treatment ...
Altabax.(NEW & APPROVED)(Drug overview)(Brief article)
Jun 01, 2007; ... Altabax (retapamulin ointment 1%, GlaxoSmithKline) A topical antibiotic approved for treatment of impetigo caused by susceptible strains of Staphylococcus aureus or Streptococcus pyogenes in patients aged 9 months and older. Altabax is from the first new class of ...
Death rate higher in cancer patients on Aranesp.(News)
Jun 01, 2007; ... LOS ANGELES -- A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of the use of darbepoetin alfa (Aranesp) in patients with cancer-related anemia produced disappointing results, Dr. John A. Glaspy reported during the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research. ...
Bone guidelines will focus on fracture risk.(News)
Jun 01, 2007; ... Updated guidelines slated for release this year should make it easier for physicians and patients to manage osteoporosis and make informed treatment decisions, according to Dr. Bess Dawson-Hughes, director of the bone metabolism laboratory at Tufts University, Boston. "We are ...
Making the move to Quality Reporting.(Guest editorial)
Jun 01, 2007; ... On July 1, Medicare will launch its Physician Quality Reporting Initiative. Physicians who choose to submit quality data will be paid a bonus equivalent to 1.5% of their total Medicare billing for the period July 1 to Dec. 31, 2007. Physicians need only submit data on a subset of their ...
Many breast exams are unnecessary.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
Jun 01, 2007; ... I wholeheartedly agree with the view that clinicians need to individualize their recommendations for early mammogram ("Early Mammogram Has Pros and Cons," April 1, 2007, p. 1). I would, however, go several steps further to suggest that the annual mammogram for women aged 40-49 ...
Cross protection may help in pandemic.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
Jun 01, 2007 ... The article about influenza vaccine coverage refers to a statement by Dr. Anthony Fauci that "one promising finding is that there appears to be good degree of cross protection' from the vaccination of animals and/or humans, although clinical trial results are still needed to confirm this ...
Vaccine mandates are dangerous.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
Jun 01, 2007; ... I take great exception to Dr. Amesh Adalja's assertions that it is puritanical to disagree with a mass prescription to immunize all girls against HPV ("Puritanical Ideas Are Perilous," Letters, April 1, p. 11). First of all, universal mandates by governments are not typically ...
HPV vaccine mandate is Ill conceived.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
Jun 01, 2007; ... As a Christian board-certified internist who has diagnosed and treated gynecological diseases for 27 years, I am vehemently opposed to the ill-conceived and profit-driven implementation of state-mandated human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination for middle-school-age girls ("HPV Vaccine ...
What is the best way to manage Barrett's esophagus and high-grade dysplasia?(POINT/COUNTERPOINT)
Jun 01, 2007; ... Anything less than esophagectomy is risky. The risk of high-grade dysplasia becoming esophageal cancer within 5 years is somewhere between 16% and 80%, depending on which study you read. Although 16% is the low number in this wide range, it is not small. Therefore, it is not ...
Tailor rosacea treatment to patient symptoms.(Dermatology)(Clinical report)
Jun 01, 2007; ... AMELIA ISLAND, FLA. -- Medical therapies work well for the treatment of the inflammatory lesions of rosacea, whereas physical modalities appear to be the most effective for the telangiectasia and macular erythema that arc often associated with the disease, Dr. Diane M. Thiboutot said at a ...
New assay helps in the diagnosis of urticaria.(Dermatology)
Jun 01, 2007; ... KEYSTONE, COLO. -- A new in vitro diagnostic assay that detects antibodies responsible for about 40% of chronic idiopathic urticaria is now available, Dr. Mark Boguniewicz said at a meeting on allergy/clinical immunology, asthma, and pulmonary medicine. The test detects ...
Melanonychia striata lacks diagnostic criteria.(Dermatology)
Jun 01, 2007; ... AMELIA ISLAND, FLA. -- Every case of melanonychia striata must be evaluated individually, Dr. Richard K. Scher said at a symposium sponsored by the Dermatology Foundation. Longitudinal bands of pigmentation in nails are among the trickiest of dermatologic phenomena to diagnose ....
Elevated melanoma risk found in men with breast cancer.(Dermatology)(Brief article)
Jun 01, 2007; ... MIAMI BEACH -- Men with breast cancer have about a threefold increased likelihood of developing secondary melanoma, according to a recent study. Evidence of a link between breast cancer and later melanoma implies a shared genetic etiology Dr. Darrell S. Rigel said at a symposium ...
Individualized drug management is key in elderly.(Geriatrics)
Jun 01, 2007; ... SAN DIEGO -- When treating elderly patients, don't treat a drug side effect with another medication unless you absolutely have to, Dr. Peter A. Boling advised at the annual meeting of the American College of Physicians. Although polypharmacy is a fact of life for elderly ...
Warfarin underprescribed in elderly AF patients.(Geriatrics)(Atrial fibrillation)
Jun 01, 2007; ... CARMEL, CALIF. -- Many clinicians underprescribe warfarin in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation because of the perceived risks of anticoagulation therapy results from a study of Department of Veterans Affairs patients showed. "Knowing how our practices measure up to ...
Hospice patients are not receiving full benefit of inhaled medications.(Geriatrics)
Jun 01, 2007; ... SALT LAKE CITY -- Hospice practitioners are not adequately trained in the use of inhaled medications, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine and the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association. The study, ...
Mentally impaired adults benefit from exercise.(Geriatrics)(Brief article)
Jun 01, 2007; ... CARMEL, CALIF. -- Cognitively impaired older adults who participate in exercise rehabilitation programs have similar strength and endurance outcomes as their cognitively intact peers, results from a large meta-analysis showed. The data suggest cognitively impaired older adults ...
Migraine survey can guide evaluation, therapy.(Neurology)(Survey)
Jun 01, 2007; ... BOSTON -- A new five-question survey for patients on the efficacy and tolerability of their migraine drugs should help physicians quickly discover any problems with treatment, according to Dr. Richard B. Lipton, who led the group of neurologists who developed and tested the questionnaire. ...
Stenting safe in high-risk endarterectomy patients.(Neurology)
Jun 01, 2007; ... NEW ORLEANS -- Carotid artery stenting in high-risk candidates for endarterectomy is working well as the procedure diffuses out into real-world clinical practice, with steadily improving outcomes as operators in the community gain greater experience, according to the interim results of two ...
Clinical effects of carotid stent depend in part on its design.(Neurology)
Jun 01, 2007; ... HOLLYWOOD, FLA. -- The design and composition of carotid stents can have a major effect on the stents' clinical impact, according to the results from two separate studies. Specifically, treatment with open cell and large-cell carotid stents was linked to a substantial increase ...
Undiagnosed anxiety worsens major depression.(Psychiatry)
Jun 01, 2007; ... ST. LOUIS -- Patients with major depressive disorders should be screened for comorbid anxiety disorders, including panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, social phobia, posttraumatic stress disorder, and general anxiety disorder, Dr. Naomi M. Simon said at the annual conference of ...
Medicare won't cover VNS for depression.(Psychiatry)
Jun 01, 2007; ... The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has determined that it will not cover vagus nerve stimulation for treatment-resistant depression. The therapy, marketed by Cyberonics Inc. of Houston, has been successful in epilepsy but has been more controversial as a depression ...
FDA approves 13 generic Ambien formulations.(Psychiatry)(Food and Drug Administration)(Brief article)
Jun 01, 2007; ... Just days after the patent expired on the trade formulation of the insomnia drug Ambien, the Food and Drug Administration announced that 13 generic drug manufacturers had received approval for generic formulations of immediate-release zolpidem tartrate tablets, in 5- and 10-mg doses. ...
Legal fallout could restrict rights of mentally ill.(Psychiatry)
Jun 01, 2007; ... SANTA FE, N.M. -- The mass murders at Virginia Tech could turn the public against the mentally ill and, in turn, lead to harsher laws restricting their rights, lawyers and psychiatrists warned at the annual meeting of the American College of Forensic Psychiatry. Virginia had ...
Binge drinking tied to intimate partner violence.(Psychiatry)(Report)(Brief article)
Jun 01, 2007; ... MIAMI -- Victims of intimate partner violence are more than twice as likely to binge drink than those who have not been victimized, Dr. Nicole Flowers reported in a poster at the annual meeting of the American College of Preventive Medicine. In light of these findings, ...
Atherosclerosis boosts mortality in RA patients: patients diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis should also undergo screening for peripheral atherosclerosis.(Rheumatology)
Jun 01, 2007; ... NEW ORLEANS -- Patients with rheumatoid arthritis and peripheral arterial atherosclerosis are about twice as likely to die as are rheumatoid arthritis patients with no sign of peripheral atherosclerosis, based on a study of more than 2,400 patients. The study also found that ...
Hepatitis B reactivation can occur with biologic treatment.(Rheumatology)
Jun 01, 2007; ... NEW YORK -- Reactivation of hepatitis B virus is an underrecognized hazard of immunosuppressive therapy in patients with rheumatic disease, Dr. Leonard H. Calabrese said at a rheumatology meeting sponsored by New York University. Although hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation was ...
Dextrose injections may trigger healing in tendons.(Rheumatology)(Report)
Jun 01, 2007; ... QUEBEC CITY -- Hyperosmolar dextrose injected into ailing tendons may cause tissue damage that triggers a healing response, reported Michael Ryan, a doctoral candidate at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. Mr. Ryan and his coinvestigators have previously reported ...
Free lupus CD-ROM.(FYI)
Jun 01, 2007 ... "Lupus Information for You and Your Patients" is a free CD-ROM from the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases that includes PDF files of ...
Doctor-patient partner guide.(FYI)(Brief article)
Jun 01, 2007 ... The American Medical Association and the AARP (formerly the American Association of Retired Persons) have joined forces to produce a free downloadable pamphlet that outlines shared responsibilities for physicians and patients. The goal ...
Training, information on Drug Abuse.(FYI)(Brief article)
Jun 01, 2007 ... The National Institute on Drug Abuse has launched four Centers of Excellence for Physician Information. The new Centers for Excellence--which will be located at academic medical institutions throughout the country--will target ...
Fact sheet on pain management.(FYI)(Brief article)
Jun 01, 2007 ... The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has published a new fact sheet on providing pain management while avoiding psychological dependence on opioids. To order free ...
Online tutorial on patient safety.(FYI)(Brief article)
Jun 01, 2007 ... The Food and Drug Administration's MedWatch Program is offering an online tutorial to present its goals of safety information dissemination and adverse event reporting. The course takes about I hour to ...
Rx drugs disposal guide.(FYI)(Brief article)
Jun 01, 2007 ... New guidelines on the proper disposal of unused, unneeded, or expired prescription drugs were recently released by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, the ...
Public diabetes prevention initiative.(FYI)(Brief article)
Jun 01, 2007 ... The American Diabetes Association (ADA) has launched CheckUpAmerica, which is aimed at people who are at risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease. The initiative encourages people older than 40 years to have regular checkups and ...
Hypothermia booklet for the elderly.(FYI)
Jun 01, 2007 ... "Stay Safe in Cold Weather" is an easy-to-read booklet on hypothermia, aimed at elderly adults with limited reading skills. The free 12-page publication from the National Institute on Aging explains what ...
Targeting underage drinking.(FYI)(Brief article)
Jun 01, 2007 ... Acting Surgeon General Kenneth Moritsugu issued a call to action against underage drinking that spells out recommendations for government, school ...
Tool for radiation emergencies.(FYI)
Jun 01, 2007 ... The Department of Health and Human Services has released a downloadable tool for diagnosing and treating patients in the case of a mass casualty radiation event. The toolkit provides physicians with information on the ...
Depression information for seniors.(FYI)(Brief article)
Jun 01, 2007 ... The National Institute of Health's Senior Health Web site has added information on depression. Seniors can research causes, risk factors, ...
Web-based EMR service.(PRODUCTS)
Jun 01, 2007 ... A new Web site is offering an Internet-based electronic medical records system that needs no special software purchase ....
Drug for rare blood disorder.(PRODUCTS)(Brief article)
Jun 01, 2007 ... Soliris (eculizumab) is indicated for the treatment of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria. The drug suppresses immunologic ...
Software for assessing fall risk.(PRODUCTS)
Jun 01, 2007 ... The CAPS Lite can help assess older patients' risk of falling by using software that analyzes vestibular, visual, and ...
Germicidal wipes.(PRODUCTS)
Jun 01, 2007 ... Super Sani-Cloth Germicidal Disposable Wipes now kill rotavirus, human corona-virus, extended-spectrum [beta]-lactamase-producing ...
New Twinrix dosing schedule.(PRODUCTS)(Brief article)
Jun 01, 2007 ... The Food and Drug Administration has approved an accelerated dosing schedule for Twinrix (Hepatitis A [inactivated] and Hepatitis B [recombinant] vaccine). Three doses can now be administered at 0, 7, and 21-30 ...
Conception Kit.(PRODUCTS)
Jun 01, 2007 ... Fertility prediction tools, three FDA-approved cervical caps, and semen collectors are all available in the new 3-month Conception Kit ...
Injection port for drug self-delivery.(PRODUCTS)
Jun 01, 2007 ... The I-Port device allows adults and children to inject insulin and other medications without repeated skin punctures. The device is 1.5 inches in ...
Home fertility tests.(PRODUCTS)
Jun 01, 2007 ... Fertell will be available this summer for home assessment of key elements of male and female fertility. The male test measures concentration of motile sperm; the female test measures day 3 follicle-stimulating ...
Tool for identifying billing codes.(PRODUCTS)
Jun 01, 2007 ... The ICD-9/CPT reference helps physicians quickly identify procedural and diagnostic billing codes. Users can search ...
Obstructive sleep apnea linked to risk of atrial fibrillation before age 65.(Cardiovascular Medicine)(Clinical report)
Jun 01, 2007; ... SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. -- Obesity and obstructive sleep apnea are independent risk factors for atrial fibrillation in patients younger than 65 years of age, but not in older patients, according to a retrospective cohort study of 3,542 people who had sleep studies at the Mayo Clinic in ...
Adult-onset asthma boosts women's cardiovascular risk.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
Jun 01, 2007; ... ORLANDO -- Adult-onset asthma was linked to an almost twofold increased rate of coronary heart disease or stroke in women in a study with more than 15,000 people. The mechanism behind this association is unknown but may be explained by an increased level of systemic inflammation ...
FDA panel backs Avalide as first-line HT therapy.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
Jun 01, 2007; ... ROCKVILLE, MD. -- A Food and Drug Administration advisory panel unanimously recommended that the combination antihypertensive product irbesartan and hydrochlorothiazide be approved as a first-line treatment for hypertension. The Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee ...
Depression tied to worse heart failure outcomes.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
Jun 01, 2007; ... NEW ORLEANS -- Depression is common among patients with heart failure and is independently associated with poor outcomes, Dr. Aldo P. Maggioni said at the annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology. He presented a retrospective study involving 18,623 heart failure ...
Analysis ties rosiglitazone to increased MI risk.(Cardiovascular Medicine)(myocardial infarction)(Report)
Jun 01, 2007; ... Rosiglitazone may be associated with an increased risk of myocardial infarction, according to the results of a meta-analysis of 42 published and unpublished randomized trials. Patients who received rosiglitazone (Avandia) were 43% more likely to have an MI than were patients who ...
Herpes zoster vaccine safe in 50- to 59-year-olds.(Infectious Diseases)
Jun 01, 2007; ... BALTIMORE -- The herpes zoster vaccine is as immunogenic in adults aged 50-59 as it is in those aged 60 and older, Santosh C. Sutradhar, Ph.D., reported at a conference on vaccine research sponsored by the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases. Zostavax, manufactured by ...
Use clinical judgment to augment CAP guidelines.(Infectious Diseases)(community-acquired pneumonia)
Jun 01, 2007; ... MONTREAL -- New guidelines for the management of community-acquired pneumonia provide an excellent framework for site-of-care decisions, but they must be augmented with a good dose of clinical judgment, according to Glenn Tillotson, Ph.D. The consensus guidelines from the ...
Biologic marker can help tailor antibiotic use in CAP.(Infectious Diseases)(community-acquired pneumonia)
Jun 01, 2007 ... MONTREAL -- In community-acquired pneumonia, overuse of broad-spectrum antibiotics can be curbed with the help of biologic markers such as procalcitonin, according to Dr. Jean Chastre of the Hopital de la Pitie-Salpetriere, Paris. Blood levels of procalcitonin (PCT) rise in ...
Appropriate antibiotic important in COPD with pneumonia.(Infectious Diseases)(Chronic obstructive lung disease)
Jun 01, 2007 ... MONTREAL -- Exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease may need more aggressive therapy when they co-occur with pneumonia, according to Dr. Charles Chan, professor of medicine at the University of Toronto and head of respirology at University Health Network and Mount Sinai ...
Mix-ups are occurring among several vaccines.(Infectious Diseases)
Jun 01, 2007; ... MIAMI BEACH -- Inadvertent misadministration can occur with several new vaccines that are commonly used, Dr. Larry Pickering said at the annual Masters of Pediatrics conference sponsored by the University of Miami. One potential source of confusion involves the two new tetanus ...