OB GYN News back issues from January 2006:
Letrozole warning true or false?(News)
Jan 01, 2006; ... American and Canadian fertility experts have expressed surprise and disappointment about new warnings concerning the aromatase inhibitor letrozole and its off-label use in fertility treatment. "This is a knee-jerk reaction without a proper review of the data," said Dr. Kutluk ...
Rise in national health expenditures slows.(VITAL SIGNS)
Jan 01, 2006 ... Rise in National Health Expenditures Slows Source: The ...
HT does not ease hot flashes from tamoxifen therapy: quality of life, adherence affected.(News)
Jan 01, 2006; ... SAN ANTONIO -- Hormone therapy isn't effective for hot flashes in women on tamoxifen, Ivana Sestak, Ph.D., reported at a breast cancer symposium sponsored by the Cancer Therapy and Research Center. This was the clear-cut conclusion of a new secondary analysis of the ...
FDA strengthens Paxil's pregnancy warning.(News)
Jan 01, 2006; ... The Food and Drug Administration has stepped up warnings that paroxetine increases the risk of congenital defects, especially cardiovascular malformations. In September, GlaxoSmithKline, which markets paroxetine under the trade name Paxil, had updated the drug's labeling in ...
FDA approves STAN fetal heart monitor.(News)
Jan 01, 2006; ... A fetal heart monitor that provides an analysis of the fetal ECG during labor has won the approval of the Food and Drug Administration almost 4 years after it was originally rejected for use in the United States. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists is ...
Aspirin cuts CV mortality by 25% in women.(News)
Jan 01, 2006; ... DALLAS -- Daily aspirin therapy in postmenopausal women with stable cardiovascular disease was associated with a 25% reduction in the risk of cardiovascular mortality in the Women's Health Initiative Observational Study. That's the good news. The bad news? Aspirin ...
How to read a balance sheet.(GUEST EDITORIAL)
Jan 01, 2006; ... A balance sheet provides an essential picture of your practice's financial health, yet, amazingly, few physicians can make heads or tails of one. That's why you pay an accountant, right? But it's your practice. You can't really get a handle on its finances and how they are ...
Should brain function monitoring be standard during general anesthesia?(PRO & CON)
Jan 01, 2006; ... YES Anesthesia has become an incredibly safe specialty as we in the anesthesia community have successfully overcome many complex patient safety issues. We are now in a position to take on the rare but serious issue of intraoperative awareness. Repeated large-scale ...
Neuroimaging sorts out eclampsia-like conditions.(Obstetrics)
Jan 01, 2006; ... Neuroradiologic studies can provide valuable diagnostic information in women who present during pregnancy or the puerperium with apparent eclampsia or similar neurologic manifestations, British investigators have reported. A host of less common neurologic conditions and ...
Suggest preservation of fertility before chemo or radiation therapy.(Gynecology)
Jan 01, 2006; ... MONTREAL -- Most female cancer patients appear to have normal reproductive capacity before cancer therapy, making them excellent candidates for fertility preservation, according to results of one of the first studies to compare ovarian stimulation outcomes in cancer patients and controls. ...
In vitro fertilization successful following Essure sterilization.(Gynecology)
Jan 01, 2006; ... CHICAGO -- Pregnancy with in vitro fertilization is possible in women who have previously undergone Essure hysteroscopic sterilization, Dr. John F. Kerin said at the annual meeting of the AAGL (formerly the American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists). Four women who had ...
Robotic surgery's applications expanding.(Gynecology)
Jan 01, 2006; ... SAN DIEGO -- When precision matters, robotic surgery offers visual features that are "unparalleled by any other laparoscopic or open operation," William E. Kelley Jr., M.D., said at an international congress of the Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons. But cost and patient ...
Lipophilic statins lower ER-negative breast Ca risk: no therapies were previously known to reduce the risk of estrogen receptor--negative breast cancer.(Gynecology)
Jan 01, 2006; ... SAN ANTONIO -- Women on a lipophilic statin have a markedly reduced likelihood of developing estrogen receptor-negative breast cancer, Dr. Anjali Kumar reported at a breast cancer symposium sponsored by the Cancer Therapy and Research Center. That's extremely welcome news ....
Mifepristone tied to bleeding with progesterone-only IUS.
Jan 01, 2006; ... MONTREAL -- Contrary to its effect with other progesterone-only contraceptives, mifepristone increases breakthrough bleeding in patients using the levonorgestrel intrauterine system, according to a new study. "Mifespristone cannot be recommended as a therapy for breakthrough ...
Continuous oral contraceptives more likely to suppress ovulation.(Gynecology)
Jan 01, 2006; ... MONTREAL -- Continuous oral contraceptive regimens suppress ovulation better than do conventional 21-day regimens, according to research presented at the conjoint annual meeting of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine and the Canadian Fertility and Andrology Society. ...
Fish oil provides added benefits in statin users.(Clinical Rounds)
Jan 01, 2006; ... DALLAS -- Adding high-dose fish oil to a low-dose statin provided a 19% further reduction in major coronary events, compared with statins alone, Dr. Mitsuhiro Yokoyama reported at the annual scientific sessions of the American Heart Association. The clinical benefits of fish oil ...
Imaging agent may cause cardiopulmonary failure.
Jan 01, 2006; ... Palatin Technologies, the manufacturer of NeutroSpec, is voluntarily suspending the sales and marketing of the radiodiagnostic agent in the United States, according to a public health advisory issued by the Food and Drug Administration. The action is being taken "pending review of reported ...
Supplemental glutamine cuts hospital stays.(Clinical Rounds)
Jan 01, 2006; ... SAN FRANCISCO -- Enteral administration of the nutrient glutamine within 8 hours of major surgery boosted antioxidant production and reduced patients' length of stay by a day, according to a Canadian study reported by Dr. Adebola O.E. Obayan at the annual clinical congress of the American ...
Human milk-filled syringe.(PRODUCTS)
Jan 01, 2006 ... Prolact-22 is pasteurized human milk in a prefilled syringe for administration by nasogastric or gastric feeding tube. One 10-mL syringe contains 7.44 calories. Milk ...
Actonel with Calcium approved.(PRODUCTS)
Jan 01, 2006 ... The Food and Drug Administration approved Actonel with Calcium (risedronate sodium plus calcium carbonate) for the prevention and treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis. Each ...
Device monitors vacuum delivery.(PRODUCTS)
Jan 01, 2006 ... The VacuLink is a single-use electronic monitor that hooks up to the fetal monitor and both displays and records the use of the vacuum on a printout during delivery. The device provides ...
Lab coats inhibit microbial spread.(PRODUCTS)
Jan 01, 2006 ... The Doc's Duds line of lab coats are manufactured with yarn treated with a silver ceramic additive, which inhibits the spread of bacterial and fungal nosocomial infections. Three lab coat designs and colors ...
New handle for surgical instruments.(PRODUCTS)
Jan 01, 2006 ... The enTouch handle for AEM laparoscopic instruments has been designed for improved ergonomics, potentially leading to less hand ...
Integrated laparoscopic Videoscope.(PRODUCTS)
Jan 01, 2006 ... The Integrated Operating Videoscope has an all-in-one design that combines camera head, light guide cable, and laparoscope into a single unit. It uses an integrated optical ...
Pap Test identifies breast disease.(PRODUCTS)
Jan 01, 2006 ... The Halo Breast Pap Test System is a noninvasive test to detect abnormal breast cells and to identify breast disease earlier than with mammography or self-examination ....
Soltamox approved for breast cancer.(PRODUCTS)
Jan 01, 2006 ... Soltamox (tamoxifen citrate) oral solution 10 mg/5 mL is indicated for metastatic breast cancer, adjuvant treatment of breast cancer, ductal carcinoma in situ, and the ...
Preoperative skin prep available.(PRODUCTS)
Jan 01, 2006 ... The ChloraPrep 26-mL preoperative skin prep with Scrub Teal tint contains 2% chlorhexidine gluconate, the percentage preferred by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, combined with 70% ...
2006 outlook.(POLICY & PRACTICE)
Jan 01, 2006; ... This year, officials at the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists say that they plan to continue work on a number of the society's top priorities from last year. These ongoing issues include medical liability reform, in particular caps on ...
Medical liability reform.(POLICY & PRACTICE)
Jan 01, 2006; ... Passage of medical liability reform legislation, particularly caps on noneconomic damages, once again failed to gain traction in the Senate in 2005 despite passage of a bill (H.R. 5) in the House. Shifting priorities in the wake of Hurricane Katrina may have contributed to the lack of ...
Physician pay and P4P.(POLICY & PRACTICE)
Jan 01, 2006; ... At press time, physicians were anticipating a 4.3% cut in Medicare payments in 2006. ACOG officials said the college remains opposed to the pay cut and supports a permanent change to the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula used to pay physicians under Medicare. If no changes are made to ...
Imaging.(POLICY & PRACTICE)
Jan 01, 2006; ... Another hot topic carrying on into 2006 is who can perform and be paid for imaging. ACOG plans to push for ob.gyns. to continue to ...
Reproductive health access.(POLICY & PRACTICE)
Jan 01, 2006; ... Access to reproductive health services--in particular, providing information on and access to emergency contraception--also continues to be a top priority at ACOG. Most notably, ACOG continues to support over-the-counter status for the emergency contraceptive Plan B and has condemned the ...
FDA's unusual Plan B review.(POLICY & PRACTICE)
Jan 01, 2006; ... The FDA's decision in 2004 not to approve the emergency contraception product Plan B for over-the-counter sale was not typical of the 67 other prescription-to-OTC switch decisions made by the agency between 1994 and 2004, according to a report from the Government Accountability Office ...
Multiples and mortality.(MASTER CLASS)
Jan 01, 2006; ... Infant mortality is a problem of major concern to the industrialized world, and it continues to be an important marker for assessing the health and welfare of countries. Despite the fact that the United States spends 15% of its gross national product on health care, it ranks 21st in the ...
The art of controlling multiples.(MASTER CLASS)
Jan 01, 2006; ... The most common complication of assisted reproductive technologies is multiple gestation, particularly triplet and higher-order pregnancy. As we all know, multiple gestation leads to an increased risk of complications in both the fetuses and the mother. Ovulation induction ...
MRgFUS relieves fibroid symptoms.(News)(MR-guided focused ultrasound surgery )
Jan 15, 2006; ... CHICAGO -- The first noninvasive therapy for the treatment of uterine fibroids provides symptom relief for 1 year and beyond without serious side effects, according to a clinical trial of MR-guided focused ultrasound surgery presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of ...
Portion of public attaching 'very great' prestige to physicians is rebounding slowly.(VITAL SIGNS)
Jan 15, 2006 ... Portion of Public Attaching 'Very Great' Prestige To Physicians Is Rebounding Slowly Note: Based on a ...
Letrozole following tamoxifen extends breast ca survival.(News)
Jan 15, 2006; ... SAN ANTONIO -- Women with hormone receptor-positive early-stage breast cancer gain substantial clinical benefit from starting an aromatase inhibitor even following a 1- to 5-year hiatus after a 5-year course of adjuvant tamoxifen, according to an updated analysis of the landmark National ...
Trastuzumab's cardio risk can be reduced, avoided.(Gynecology)
Jan 15, 2006; ... SAN ANTONIO -- Just when the use of trastuzumab (Herceptin) as first-line adjuvant therapy in breast cancer is expanding to a vastly larger patient population, investigators have hit on several novel means of avoiding the cardiotoxicity that is the drug's major side effect. ...
FDA issues draft guidance for condom labels.(News)
Jan 15, 2006; ... New guidance from the Food and Drug Administration proposes that latex condom labels inform users that condoms greatly reduce, but do not eliminate, the risk of pregnancy and the risk of contracting or spreading HIV or other sexually transmitted diseases. The draft guidance from ...
Medicare fee cut in effect until Congress returns.(News)
Jan 15, 2006; ... Expect at least a month's worth of Medicare payment reductions until Congress reconciles on the provisions of a spending bill at the end of January. "We got coal in our Christmas stocking," not a positive update or a permanent fix to the formula's sustainable growth rate, Dr ....
Study to assess cardiac risks of NSAIDs, celecoxib.(News)
Jan 15, 2006; ... The Cleveland Clinic Foundation is spearheading a global, head-to-head trial to evaluate the cardiovascular safety of ibuprofen, naproxen, and celecoxib. The study is unique for several reasons, but primarily because it is being paid for by a drug manufacturer and yet will be independently ...
Cerebral palsy linked to perinatal viral exposure.(News)
Jan 15, 2006; ... Newborns whose blood samples showed exposure to potentially neurotropic viral infections were significantly more likely to be diagnosed as having cerebral palsy than were those with no such exposure, reported Catherine S. Gibson, Ph.D., of the University of Adelaide, Australia, and her ...
Defending the drug man.(GUEST EDITORIAL)
Jan 15, 2006; ... <Pre> "The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, But in ourselves, that we are underlings ...." Cassius in Julius Caesar, Act I, Sc. 2, Line 145 --William Shakespeare </Pre> Over the past several years, the pharmaceutical industry has replaced managed care as the Bad Boys of ...
An FDA compromise of patient safety?(LETTERS)(Letter to the Editor)
Jan 15, 2006; ... I was prompted to write after reading Dr. Lazar J. Greenfield's comments about problems that don't seem to be addressed as they should be by the Food and Drug Administration ("Truth Decay at the FDA," Guest Editorial, Sept. 15, 2005, p. 6). At least 10 years ago, I sent an ...
Exercise and realism.(LETTERS)(Letter to the Editor)
Jan 15, 2006; ... Ultradistance running is an example alright, but of what? There is a distinction to be made between health and ultradistance fitness, and I found Dr. Craig Lewis' attempt to equate the two unconvincing ("Setting an Exercise Example," Guest Editorial, Sept. 1, 2005, p. 6). ...
We need real advocacy.(LETTERS)(Letter to the Editor)
Jan 15, 2006; ... To Dr. Gary Annunziata, I would like to say "mega dittos" ("AMA Isn't Helping Physicians," Letters, Sept. 1, 2005, p. 6). Now that I am finished with my training and am in private practice, I have discontinued my memberships in the American Medical Association, the American ...
Corrections.(Correction Notice)
Jan 15, 2006 ... The study reported in "Results for Laparoscopic Hysterectomy Similar" (Nov. 1, 2005, p. 16) was conducted at Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York. Dr. Ali Mahdavi is now at the ...
The FDA advisory on paroxetine.(DRUGS, PREGNANCY, AND LACTATION)
Jan 15, 2006; ... Multiple studies over the past decade have been supportive of the reproductive safety of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) when used during the first trimester; these studies include one recent metaanalysis and other extensive reviews. Particularly reassuring have been ...
Hysteroscopy can shed light on miscarriages.(Obstetrics)(Preevacuation hysteroscopy)
Jan 15, 2006; ... CHICAGO -- Preevacuation hysteroscopy is useful for identifying localized and systemic defects during morphogenesis in patients with unexplained recurring pregnancy loss, said Dr. Artin Ternamian. "We're convinced that preevacuation hysteroscopy can help us understand and maybe ...
Labor induction less successful in morbidly obese.(Obstetrics)
Jan 15, 2006; ... SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. -- The more obese a woman is before becoming pregnant, the lower her chances will be for successful induction of labor, according to researchers who reviewed computerized records of 45,998 pregnancies in a German database. Dr. Rabbie Hanna and his colleagues ...
Carpal tunnel in pregnancy tied to workplace.(Obstetrics)
Jan 15, 2006; ... Pregnant women working outside the home may be more likely than their homemaker counterparts to develop carpal tunnel syndrome, Dr. Glen D. Seidman said at the joint annual meeting of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand and the American Society of Hand Therapists. ...
Yet another reason not to smoke in pregnancy.(Obstetrics)
Jan 15, 2006; ... DALLAS -- Smoking during pregnancy is associated with overweight in the offspring, Dr. Nicholas Stettler reported at the annual scientific sessions of the American Heart Association. His retrospective analysis of prospectively collected prenatal and postnatal data on 20,284 ...
Afinoxifene effective therapy for cyclic mastalgia.(Gynecology)
Jan 15, 2006; ... SAN ANTONIO -- Topical afinoxifene proved effective for the treatment of cyclic mastalgia and also showed potential for reduction of mammographic breast density in separate phase II clinical trials presented at a breast cancer symposium sponsored by the Cancer Therapy and Research Center. ...
Urine test for breast cancer risk shows promise: for high-risk women, early signs of change in status could be detected between scheduled mammograms.(Gynecology)
Jan 15, 2006; ... SAN ANTONIO -- A simple urine test for selected matrix metalloproteinases may provide a novel noninvasive means of assessing a woman's risk of developing breast cancer, Dr. Susan E. Pories reported at a breast cancer symposium sponsored by the Cancer Therapy and Research Center. ...
Protocol eases switch to office-based ablation: guidelines from the ACS, ASA, and liability insurance providers are included in the protocol.(Gynecology)
Jan 15, 2006; ... CHICAGO -- Global endometrial ablation can be performed easily and safely in the office as long as physicians are adequately prepared and strictly adhere to protocols, Dr. Ted Anderson said at the annual meeting of the AAGL (formerly the American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists) ....
Adherence to protocols would cut injury risk in endometrial ablation.(Gynecology)
Jan 15, 2006 ... CHICAGO -- The risk of injury occurring during global endometrial ablation could be greatly reduced if physicians simply followed protocols, Dr. Howard T. Sharp said at the annual meeting of the AAGL (formerly the American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists). An analysis ...
In-office placement of Essure feasible and fast, study shows.(Gynecology)(Essure hysteroscopic sterilization)
Jan 15, 2006 ... CHICAGO -- Essure hysteroscopic sterilization may be performed in an office setting with minimal analgesia, Dr. Gil A. Weiss said at the annual meeting of the AAGL (formerly the American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists). Physicians reported a 94% placement rate, which ...
Noncompliance is key to Essure-related pregnancies.(Gynecology)
Jan 15, 2006; ... CHICAGO -- Data indicate that most pregnancies in women who undergo the Essure hysteroscopic sterilization procedure could be avoided, Dr. John F. Kerin said at the annual meeting of the AAGL (formerly the American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists). There have been no ...
Lifestyle practices key in lowering breast ca risk.(Gynecology)
Jan 15, 2006; ... SAN ANTONIO -- The three most practical public health-type lifestyle interventions at present for reducing breast cancer risk are to encourage breast-feeding, get young girls started exercising regularly to lay the groundwork for a lifelong habit of physical activity, and tackle the ...
Many at-risk women aren't opting for tamoxifen.(Gynecology)
Jan 15, 2006; ... SAN ANTONIO -- Lifestyle approaches to breast cancer risk reduction have assumed considerable importance for the many women who have turned a cold shoulder to tamoxifen for chemoprevention, according to Leslie Bernstein, Ph.D., professor of preventive medicine at the University of ...
For women only: aspirin can reduce first stroke risk by 17%.(Clinical Rounds)
Jan 15, 2006; ... DALLAS -- Aspirin appears to be effective for primary prevention of stroke in women, but not in men, according to the findings of a metaanalysis that was presented by Dr. David L. Brown at the annual scientific sessions of the American Heart Association. "For women with no ...
C. difficile seen in patients lacking usual risk factors.(Clinical Rounds)
Jan 15, 2006; ... The diagnosis of Clostridium difficile--associated disease should be considered in patients with severe diarrhea, even if they don't have traditional risk factors such as recent hospitalization or antimicrobial use, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advised. During ...
Risk of community-aquired C. difficile linked to PPIs.(Clinical Rounds)
Jan 15, 2006; ... The use of gastric acid--suppressive drugs was linked to increased risk of community-acquired Clostridium difficile--associated disease in a population-based case-control study, reported Dr. Sandra Dial of McGill University, Montreal, and her associates. Prior hospitalization, ...
Occurrence of West Nile virus on the increase, CDC reports.(Clinical Rounds)
Jan 15, 2006; ... California reported one-third of the 2005 U.S. total of West Nile virus cases through December 1 and 25% of the cases of the viral neuroinvasive disease, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported. A total of 2,744 human cases of West Nile virus (WNV) disease were ...