Skin & Allergy News back issues from April 2006:
Supplements over sun for vitamin D.(Clinical Rounds)
Apr 01, 2006; ... San Francisco -- The burning issue of how best to make sure that patients get enough vitamin D comes down to this conclusion: Recommending intentional exposure to the sun is inappropriate, Dr. Henry W. Lim said. For patients at risk of vitamin D deficiency, it is better to ...
Hyperhidrosis CPT codes validate Dx; complicate billing: counter new complexity with proactivity.(Dermatologic Surgery)
Apr 01, 2006; ... Wailea, Hawaii -- The newly available CPT codes for botulinum toxin type A injections for hyperhidrosis are truly a good news/bad news story, Dr. David M. Pariser said at the annual Hawaii Dermatology Seminar sponsored by the Skin Disease Education Foundation. The good news is ...
New psoriasis spray aims for higher compliance.(Dermatologic Therapy)
Apr 01, 2006; ... Wailea, Hawaii -- With the plethora of topical clobetasol propionate formulations already on the market, why do physicians and patients need the recently approved Clobex spray that's now reaching pharmacy shelves? "Compliance, compliance, compliance," Dr. Chai Sue Lee said at ...
Avian influenza's spread in Africa worries World Health Officials.(News)
Apr 01, 2006; ... The spread of avian influenza to poultry in Niger confirms officials' fears that conditions in West Africa favor the further spread of the infection, the World Health Organization has reported. There are no human cases of H5N1 viral infection confirmed in Africa. In Nigeria, ...
Panel: give pertussis shot to health care workers: new formulation is expected to decrease exposures, secondary cases in pediatric and adult care settings.(News)
Apr 01, 2006; ... Atlanta -- Health care workers in hospitals or ambulatory care settings and those who have direct patient contact should receive the adolescent/adult formulation of the tetanus-diphtheria-acellular pertussis vaccine, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices of the Centers for ...
FDA panel votes to follow WHO, change flu vaccine strains.(News)
Apr 01, 2006; ... Bethesda, MD. -- A federal advisory panel unanimously voted to change two of the three strains slated to compose the 2006-2007 influenza vaccine. The Food and Drug Administration's Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee recommended the changes based on ...
Tequin associated with hypo- and hyperglycemia.(News)
Apr 01, 2006; ... Results from two large studies of patients aged 66 and older show a strong association between the use of gatifloxacin and inpatient treatment for both hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia. The findings follow close on the heels of the drug's fourth label change, which was based on case reports ...
Tequin labeling now addresses dysglycemia.(News)
Apr 01, 2006; ... Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. has announced labeling changes for Tequin (gatifloxacin) that update the prescription information as a result of continued reports of cases of hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia in patients taking the drug. Tequin is indicated for the treatment of patients ...
Contamination prompts recall of cefazolin.(News)
Apr 01, 2006; ... Hanford Pharmaceuticals Inc. is recalling four lots of cefazolin for injection due to the possibility of microbial contamination, which may pose a serious or life-threatening risk for some patients. The recall affects 379,975 vials (1 g/10 mL) in lots distributed by Sandoz Inc ....
Extended Efalizumab Tx appears well tolerated.(News)
Apr 01, 2006; ... San Francisco -- Efalizumab appears to be well tolerated over the course of up to 60 weeks of treatment, according to a combined analysis of more than 1,000 patients with moderate to severe chronic plaque psoriasis. Common adverse events were similar to those seen in shorter ...
Cardiac device components can cause contact dermatitis.(News)
Apr 01, 2006; ... San Francisco -- Allergy to the materials in an implanted cardioverter defibrillator can cause a contact dermatitis over the implantation site, that may be mistaken for infection, Dr. Margaret Lee-Bellantoni said. Although allergic reactions to implantable cardioverter ...
Senators spar over medicare drug benefit rollout.(News)
Apr 01, 2006; ... Washington -- Does your Medicare patient need a prescription for a drug not on his or her drug plan formulary? Be forewarned: You may have to fill out pages of forms. "There continue to be widespread reports of drug plans requiring prior authorization for beneficiaries to ...
Studies seek data on isotretinoin adverse events.(News)
Apr 01, 2006; ... Wailea, Hawaii -- Most of the reported adverse events associated with the use of isotretinoin for acne--aside from the oral retinoid's long-established teratogenicity risk--don't stand up to scrutiny, Dr. Lee T. Zane said at the annual Hawaii Dermatology Seminar sponsored by the Skin ...
iPledge: dermatologists concerned about patients' privacy.(News)
Apr 01, 2006; ... San Francisco -- The iPledge program for mandatory registration of all patients receiving isotretinoin prescriptions began on March 1, but at a question and answer session at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology on March 6, there were clearly more questions than ...
Older patients should get herpes zoster vaccine.(News)
Apr 01, 2006; ... Atlanta -- Most internists and family physicians would recommend the herpes zoster vaccine to their older patients despite concerns about the vaccine's cost and reimbursement for its administration, Dr. Allison Kempe said at a meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices of ...
Unlicensed product is available for varicella postexposure prophylaxis.(News)
Apr 01, 2006; ... The dwindling U.S. supply of varicella-zoster immune globulin has been replenished with a new unlicensed product made available under a Food and Drug Administration investigational new drug application, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. An expanded ...
CMS says drug firms can continue to offer patient-assistance programs.(News)
Apr 01, 2006; ... Pharmaceutical companies should not end their patient-assistance programs because of Medicare Part D prescription drug program implementation, according to a statement from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Companies can continue to provide free and reduced-cost ...
Private narratives.
Apr 01, 2006; ... It's been said that 36 plot lines cover every dramatic situation. These include "Revenge: Avenger, Criminal" (no. 3); "Famillal Hatred: Two Family Members Who Hate Each Other" (no. 13); and "Adultery: Deceived Spouse, Two Adulterers" (no. 25). On the list of what motivates ...
Topical calcineurin inhibitors and black boxes.(Guest Editorial)
Apr 01, 2006; ... When the Food and Drug Administration posted a Public Health Advisory in March 2005 and then added a black box warning and medication guide to the labeling Jan. 19, 2006, to "inform health care providers and patients about a potential cancer risk from use of Elidel (pimecrolimus) and ...
Bureaucratic Gridlock in Medicine.
Apr 01, 2006; ... As a practicing psychiatrist, I became an unwilling conscript of the information age during the 1980s, as health maintenance organizations began to enter the U.S. health scene. What had taken a few minutes of paperwork in the 1960s and 1970s gradually became an overflowing cornucopia of ...
Defending the drugmakers.(Guest Editorial)
Apr 01, 2006; ... "The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, But in ourselves, that we are underlings." Cassius in Julius Caesar, Act I, Scene 2--William Shakespeare Over the past several years, the pharmaceutical industry has replaced managed care as the Bad Boys of Health Care ....
iPledge trust issues.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
Apr 01, 2006; ... I disagree with Dr. Hilary Baldwin's contention that you cannot trust a 16-year-old who claims that she is sexually abstinent ("iPLEDGE Program Moving Forward Despite the Delays," February 2006, p. 1). The physician-patient relationship should be based on mutual trust. If Dr ....
Dermatology and the Psyche.
Apr 01, 2006; ... When I was in junior high school, I remember a time when I suffered with a set of warts--on both feet. Walking to school day after day was excruciating as the warts grew larger. Finally, I complained to my parents, and my father took me to a doctor for an assessment. The ...
Psoriasis Tx evolution will engender challenges.(Dermatologic Therapy)
Apr 01, 2006; ... Park City, Utah -- The challenges clinicians face in managing psoriasis have not gone away with the introduction of new therapies for the disorder, Dr. Gerald G. Krueger said at a clinical dermatology seminar sponsored by Medicis. Indeed, staying abreast of key developments in ...
Echinacea.(Cosmeceutical Critique)
Apr 01, 2006; ... Echinacea belongs to the Asteraceae (formerly Compositae) family and was traditionally used by Native Americans for sundry indications beginning, according to the earliest archeological evidence, in the 1700s. The conditions for which various tribes used this herb included the ...
T-Cell activation key to targretin gel efficacy: the rexinoid is showing positive data in early-phase studies in several hard-to-manage dermatoses.(Dermatologic Therapy)
Apr 01, 2006; ... Wailea, Hawaii -- What do alopecia areata, psoriasis, severe chronic hand dermatitis, and mycosis fungoides have in common? All are diseases in which T-cell activation figures centrally in the pathogenesis. And all four appear to respond to bexarotene gel (Targretin), Dr ....
Methotrexate treatments may benefit cutaneous lupus patients.(Dermatology Therapy)
Apr 01, 2006; ... Abano Terme, Italy -- Intravenous methotrexate proved to be an effective steroid-sparing treatment for recalcitrant cutaneous lupus, Dr. Joerg Wenzel reported at a congress on skin, rheumatism, and autoimmunity. Dr. Wenzel and his colleagues in the department of dermatology at ...
Knowledge of fusiform, z-plasty aids new Mohs surgeons.(Dermatologic Surgery)
Apr 01, 2006; ... San Diego -- Some closures may be too complex for inexperienced Mohs surgeons, but even novices can successfully close most of their cases if they have an understanding of how skin flaps move and a willingness to see the possibilities in the two simple skin movements--the fusiform and the ...
Zinc paste may enhance Mohs surgery success.(Dermatologic Surgery)
Apr 01, 2006; ... San Diego -- The use of zinc chloride fixative paste may be controversial, but its judicious application can increase the melanoma-clearing properties of Mohs surgery; Dr. Norman A. Brooks said at a meeting sponsored by the American Society for Mohs Surgery. "Zinc chloride ...
Eliminate perineural invasion by taking wider margins.(Dermatologic Surgery)
Apr 01, 2006; ... San Diego -- Tumors travel within the nerve structure, so if a Mohs surgeon has a habit of taking superficial margins, he or she will miss perineural tumors, Dr. Alexander Miller said at a meeting sponsored by the American Society for Mohs Surgery. The nerve structure includes ...
Fat transfer adds volume, takes years off a face.(Disease/Disorder overview)
Apr 01, 2006; ... Orlando -- One way to achieve a more youthful appearance may be to restore volume around the eyes and mouth rather than simply remove excess skin, said Dr. Mark Berman at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery. "The anterior position of the skin on the ...
Stay abreast of specific benefits, limitations as filler choice grows.
Apr 01, 2006; ... Park City, Utah -- The growing number of fillers approved and pending approval in the United States presents cosmetic dermatologists not just with an array of choices, but also of benefits and risks specific to those choices, according to Dr. George J. Hruza. Extra caution is ...
Starting up a medical spa? Get the right equipment.(Dermatologic Surgery)
Apr 01, 2006; ... Orlando -- For those who are thinking about going into the medical spa business, Dr. Mitchel P. Goldman, a dermatologist in private practice in La Jolla, Calif., named the essential services to offer: * Intense pulsed light. "If you can only buy one machine, intense pulsed light ...
Stem cell transplants tame systemic sclerosis.(Clinical Rounds)
Apr 01, 2006; ... Abano Terme, Italy -- Autologous stem cell transplantation has produced durable benefits in a small series of patients with severe systemic sclerosis, based on 2 years of follow-up data, Dr. Irene Miniati reported at a congress on skin, rheumatism, and autoimmunity. Rapidly ...
Metabolic factors may link diabetes and morphea onset.(Clinical Rounds)
Apr 01, 2006; ... Abano, Terme, Italy -- The unexpected finding of increased rates of diabetes among patients with morphea suggests that metabolic factors may be involved in triggering the condition, Dr. Christiane Pfeiffer said in a poster session at a congress on skin, rheumatism, and autoimmunity. ...
Hydrogel Tx improves burn outcomes.(Medical condition overview)
Apr 01, 2006; ... Semipermeable adhesive Film used with a hydrogel is effective for improving medication delivery and outcomes in burn patients, Dr. Enzo Osti of San Dona di Piave, Venice, Italy, reported. This type of therapy was used in a prospective study of 44 patients who presented with a ...
Data raise doubts about D.(Clinical Rounds)
Apr 01, 2006; ... The failure of vitamin D and calcium supplementation to reduce the risks of fracture or colorectal cancer in two recently published placebo-controlled studies generated abundant media coverage and controversy. Both studies had significant limitations, however, and ultimately ...
Prompt cicatricial alopecia diagnosis and treatment may impede scarring.(Clinical Rounds)
Apr 01, 2006; ... NAPLES, FLA. -- Biopsy, diagnose, and treat early--these are three common strategies for the many different clinical presentations of cicatricial alopecia, Dr. Elise A. Olsen advised at a symposium sponsored by the Dermatology Foundation. "There are problems associated with not ...
To prevent melasma relapse, stress sunscreen.(Clinical Rounds)
Apr 01, 2006; ... Park City, Utah -- Melasma is a chronic, relapsing condition occurring across racial groups, Dr. Susan C. Taylor said at a clinical dermatology seminar sponsored by Medicis. Although the pigmentation disorder is seen primarily as a complication of pregnancy, Dr. Taylor said her ...
Community MRSA skyrockets in 1-year period: one emergency department saw 107 first-time MRSA patients in 2004, up from 9 in 2001.(Clinical Rounds)
Apr 01, 2006; ... Washington -- The number of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections has dramatically risen in recent years, and more and more cases are community acquired, at least in one emergency department, Dr. Mary-Claire Roghmann said at the annual Interscience Conference on ...
Admissions screening does not reduce methicillin-resistant S. aureus infections.(Clinical Rounds)
Apr 01, 2006; ... Washington -- Screening acute admissions patients for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and then following a set of infection control measures appeared to have no effect on the number of new cases of infection due to the organism, according to a study from Scotland presented at ...
History of MRSA, chills, and shunts can flag bacteremic patients.(Clinical Rounds)
Apr 01, 2006; ... Washington -- Three clinical characteristics--arteriovenous shunts or grafts, history of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and the presence of chills--were significantly associated with S. aureus bacteremia in a study of 1,015 patients, Dr. Zeina A. Kanafani reported in a poster ...
New clues help to diagnose melanoma vs. Spitz.(Clinical Rounds)
Apr 01, 2006; ... Wailea, Hawaii -- Dermatologists can now draw on two new histologic criteria that have been shown useful in distinguishing malignant melanoma from Spitz nevi, Dr. Clifton R. White Jr. said at the annual Hawaii Dermatology Seminar sponsored by the Skin Disease Education Foundation. ...
Pearls shed light on Tx for dark-skinned children.(Clinical Rounds)
Apr 01, 2006; ... Bal Harbour, Fla. -- When treating skin problems in children of color, do not ignore postinflammatory hyperpigmentation, and be brave in using topical steroids for vitiligo, said Dr. Andrea Trowers at the annual Masters of Pediatrics conference sponsored by the University of Miami. ...
Rise in childhood melanoma underscores need for sun protection.(Clinical Rounds)
Apr 01, 2006; ... Bal Harbour, Fla. -- The strongest risk factor for melanoma in children is the presence of more than 100 nevi that are 2 mm or larger in diameter, Dr. Elizabeth Connelly said at the annual Masters of Pediatrics Conference sponsored by the University of Miami. Despite the ongoing ...
Sleuthing may lead to root of contact dermatitis: children's exposures can be myriad and overlapping; know links between seemingly dissimilar substances.(Clinical Rounds)
Apr 01, 2006; ... Bal Harbour, Fla. -- Tracking the cause of allergic contact dermatitis in children requires investigation of all possible avenues of exposure, from toys and clothes to personal hygiene products and foods. "Patients can receive a dose of allergen in many different ways," Dr ....
Adequate prevention means children won't be bugged by bites.(Clinical Rounds)
Apr 01, 2006; ... Bal Harbour, Fla. -- "The hardest thing to instill in parents is a mind-set of preventing bug bites, [but] prevention is the best treatment," Dr. Elizabeth Connelly said at the annual Masters of Pediatrics conference sponsored by the University of Miami. Patient education about ...
Oral treatment of chronic peripheral diabetic neuropathy.(Drug Update)
Apr 01, 2006; ... Peripheral diabetic neuropathy is believed to affect at least 20% of all adults with type 1 or 2 diabetes mellitus. Optimal glucose control is the key to preventing or delaying its onset. Once neuropathy occurs, establishing good metabolic control and avoiding large fluctuations in glucose ...
Ranexa, Rituxan.(New & Approved)
Apr 01, 2006; ... Ranexa (ranolazine, CV Therapeutics) A novel antianginal drug approved as a second-line treatment for chronic angina, added to conventional therapy in patients who remain symptomatic on other antianginal drugs. Ranexa is the first new type of drug approved for angina ...
Sebaceous carcinoma: a rare but deadly mime: the neoplasm occurs most often in the periocular region and can assume a variety of forms.(Clinical Rounds)
Apr 01, 2006; ... Stowe, Vt. -- Extraocular sebaceous carcinoma is as virulent as its ocular counterpart, and the aggressive metastatic capability of both underscores the need for early recognition and treatment of this rare type of neoplasm, said Dr. Jonathan L. Cook at a dermatology conference sponsored ...
Black dot marks may indicate early basal cell carcinoma.(Clinical Rounds)
Apr 01, 2006; ... Los Cabos, Mexico -- Jet-black dots that resemble marks from a ballpoint pen may be an easily overlooked sign of basal cell carcinoma, Dr. Jennifer L. Vesper said at the annual meeting of the Noah Worcester Dermatological Society. Dr. Vesper first noticed the tiny black dots on ...
Follow-up visits boost adherence to topical Tx.(Clinical Rounds)
Apr 01, 2006; ... Kapalua, Hawaii -- Topical therapies work better if patients use them, Dr. Steven R. Feldman said at the Winter Clinical Dermatology Conference, Hawaii. That may seem obvious, but "about 40% of psoriasis patients report non-compliance. The others are probably lying," according ...
Botox effective for tennis elbow pain.(Clinical Capsules)
Apr 01, 2006 ... Botulinum toxin injections may provide short-term pain relief for patients with lateral epicondylitis, Chinese researchers have reported. A randomized, placebo-controlled trial of botulinum toxin in 60 patients with lateral epicondylitis was conducted at Prince of Wales Hospital ...
Liver toxicity reported with Ketek.(Clinical Capsules)
Apr 01, 2006 ... The Food and Drug Administration is recommending that physicians monitor patients taking telithromycin (Ketek) for signs and symptoms of liver problems, in response to reports of liver toxicity in three patients taking the drug. Telithromycin is the first of the ketolide class ...
Risks of episodic HIV therapy.(Clinical Capsules)
Apr 01, 2006 ... A large, international HIV-1 trial was stopped prematurely because patients who received episodic antiretroviral therapy had more than twice the risk of disease progression and a higher rate of major complications than did those who received continuous antiretroviral therapy, according to ...
Ricin vaccine shows promise in small safety trial.(Clinical Capsules)
Apr 01, 2006; ... Avaccine against the neurotoxin ricin has been found to be safe and effective in its first-ever human trial, which justifies further studies to test the vaccine's effectiveness, according to a report by Ellen S. Vitetta, Ph.D., and her associates at University of Texas Southwestern Medical ...
Personification of drugs compromises therapy: when a patient transfers feelings to a drug, side effects can be exacerbated and distress amplified.(Clinical Rounds)
Apr 01, 2006; ... New York -- People often experience medication as if it were a person, transferring to a drug feelings aroused by the prescriber or important people in the patient's life. This process, if unappreciated, can compromise psychoanalysis and psychotherapy, where analysis of such feelings is ...
Lupus induced by anti-TNF appears to be rare, reversible.(Clinical Rounds)
Apr 01, 2006; ... Abano Terme, Italy -- The occurrence of drug-induced lupus is "extremely rare" among patients being treated with anti-tumor necrosis factor-ex (TNF-[alpha]) agents despite the fact that many patients develop autoantibodies during treatment, Dr. Fabiola Atzeni said at a congress on skin, ...
Statins do not affect cancer risk or mortality, metaanalysis finds.(Clinical Rounds)
Apr 01, 2006; ... Statins neither raise nor lower the risk of cancer or cancer mortality, according to a metaanalysis of 26 randomized clinical trials. Several retrospecuve studies have suggested that statins reduce the risk of developing cancer by as much as 50%. Some researchers have proposed ...
Bill seeks consent for off-label Rx.(Brief article)
Apr 01, 2006; ... A new bill in the California assembly would require physicians and surgeons to get informed consent from their patients before "prescribing, administering, or furnishing" a prescription for off-label use. A failure to adhere to the requirement would be considered a violation of the Medical ...
Botox popularity.(Policy & Practice)
Apr 01, 2006; ... In 2005, the most popular nonsurgical cosmetic treatment was Botox injection, with almost 3.3 million procedures, according to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. Laser hair removal was second, with 1.5 million treatments in 2005. Rounding out the top five: hyaluronic acid ...
MDs preferred for cosmetic Tx.(d)(Brief article)
Apr 01, 2006; ... A still-small but growing number of Americans are electing to have invasive (7% of those polled) and noninvasive (8%) cosmetic treatments even though these procedures are rarely covered by insurance, according to a Wall Street Journal Online/Harris Interactive Health-Care Poll. Noninvasive ...
Lester Crawford, lobbyist.(Policy & Practice)
Apr 01, 2006; ... Former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Lester Crawford, D.V.M., has taken a position at Policy Directions, Inc., a Washington, DC-based lobbying firm with drug, biotechnology and food company clients. Mr. Crawford will be senior counsel. By law, he will be barred from directly ...
Medicare drug prices up?(Policy & Practice)
Apr 01, 2006; ... Several new reports charge that prescription drug prices rose in the first month that Medicare beneficiaries were eligible for coverage under the Part D drug benefit. For example, Consumers Union said it found an average increase of 5%. The group compared prices in the zip codes for ...
Views mixed on benefits of health savings plans.(Practice Trends)
Apr 01, 2006; ... As President Bush puts health savings accounts higher on his agenda, experts continue to debate whether they are a good idea for solving the problems of the uninsured. "The more I think about these proposals, the more troubling I find them to be," Leonard Burman, codirector of ...