MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'infectious'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 01:51:06 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5181810&cid=t_101331_88_f&fid=38129&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Flifeinthefastlane%2FWZHV%2F%7E3%2FsuwvoByosDQ%2F Do you work in an emergency department? Or maybe in an ICU? Or perhaps the prehospital environment? Regardless, of where you look after critically ill patients you MUST click on this LINK now! What will you find there? Two things: The first part of a talk by ‘Early Goal Directed Therapy’ legend Dr Manny Rivers on [...] (Source: Life in the Fast Lane) Life in the Fast Lane blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5181810 Thu, 01 Sep 2011 17:38:31 +0100 5181810 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5181843&cid=t_101331_105_f&fid=34896&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorrw.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F09%2Feffect-of-mrsa-bundle-for-hospitalized.html (Source: Notes from Dr. RW) Notes from Dr. RW blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5181843 Thu, 01 Sep 2011 12:02:00 +0100 5181843 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5181853&cid=t_101331_105_f&fid=34896&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorrw.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F08%2Fcauses-of-death-in-patients.html (Source: Notes from Dr. RW) Notes from Dr. RW blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5181853 Tue, 30 Aug 2011 11:55:00 +0100 5181853 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5181854&cid=t_101331_105_f&fid=34896&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorrw.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F08%2Flinezolid-vs-glycopeptide-antibiotics.html (Source: Notes from Dr. RW) Notes from Dr. RW blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5181854 Tue, 30 Aug 2011 11:50:00 +0100 5181854 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5169703&cid=t_101331_149_f&fid=35776&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpipeline.corante.com%2Farchives%2F2011%2F08%2F26%2Fkibdelomycin_a_new_antibiotic_in_a_way.php We're going to need new antibiotics. Everyone knows this, and it's not like no one's been trying to do anything about it, either, but. . .we're still going to need more of them than we have. I'm not predicting that we're going to go all the way back to a world where young, healthy people with access to the best medical care die because they decided to play tennis without their socks on, but we're certainly in danger of a much nastier world than we have. So I'm always interested to hear of new antibiotic discovery programs, and Merck is out with an interesting paper on theirs. They've been digging through the natural products, which have been the fount from which almost all antibiotics have sprung, and they have a new one called kibdelomycin to report. This one was dug out from an organism... In the Pipeline blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5169703 Fri, 26 Aug 2011 12:32:17 +0100 5169703 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159099&cid=t_101331_105_f&fid=34896&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorrw.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F08%2Fgram-negative-bacteria-which-produce.html (Source: Notes from Dr. RW) Notes from Dr. RW blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159099 Wed, 24 Aug 2011 10:13:00 +0100 5159099 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159799&cid=t_101331_149_f&fid=35776&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpipeline.corante.com%2Farchives%2F2011%2F08%2F22%2Fdracos_new_antivirals_against_pretty_much_everything.php I've been meaning to write about this paper from the RIder group at MIT's Lincoln Labs, which shows some very interesting approaches to killing off a wide variety of viruses. They've dubbed these new agents DRACOs, for Double-stranded RNA Activated Caspase Oligimerizers, which is certainly one of those acronyms with a lot packed into it. So now to unpacking it. The first key point is the double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) part. For a long time, that was thought to be a form that isn't wasn't found in human cells (as opposed to single-stranded stuff). We now know that short dsRNAs (up to twenty-odd base pairs) are part of human biology, but viruses produce much longer strands of it during their replication process - or, more accurately, they hijack human cellular machinery to produce it. (Viruses... In the Pipeline blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159799 Mon, 22 Aug 2011 11:44:07 +0100 5159799 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5139830&cid=t_101331_105_f&fid=34896&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorrw.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F08%2Fupdate-on-cutaneous-fungal-infections.html (Source: Notes from Dr. RW) Notes from Dr. RW blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5139830 Wed, 17 Aug 2011 15:14:00 +0100 5139830 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5139678&cid=t_101331_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FqCxSoSXzlrc%2F Warning Suit: Cigarette manufacturers filed suit in federal court in an attempt to prevent an FDA requirement for graphic cigarette package warnings from going into effect, the WSJ reports. Lorillard, Reynolds American’s R.J. Reynolds, Imperial Tobacco Group’s Commonwealth Brands and Vector Group’s Liggett claim the proposed changes violate their freedom of speech. Philip Morris’s parent company, Altria, meantime, has supported the law that mandated new labels, the New York Times reports. Screening Recommendation: The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force says there isn’t enough evidence to support regular screening for bladder cancer among healthy people with no symptoms of the disease, Reuters reports. There isn’t enough data to show whether the benefits... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5139678 Wed, 17 Aug 2011 12:54:41 +0100 5139678 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5125710&cid=t_101331_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2Fyuvnx5yNOGI%2F Did you know that bats are the primary source of human rabies in the U.S.? Neither did we, until today, when we heard not one, but two bits of bat/rabies related news. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention describes the first reported death by rabies via a vampire bat in the U.S., in 2010. Before you resolve to stay indoors for the rest of your life, though, know that vampire bats aren’t found here (yet) — the transmission of the virus occurred in Mexico. Last summer, a 19-year-old migrant farm worker there was bitten on his left heel. He didn’t seek medical help. According to National Geographic, vampire bats usually stick to pigs, horses and cows but will occasionally go after humans. Ten days later, the man left for the U.S., and ended up on a sugarcane planta... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5125710 Fri, 12 Aug 2011 21:11:49 +0100 5125710 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5107532&cid=t_101331_90_f&fid=34474&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCasesBlog%2F%7E3%2FpQaRPj8pfzs%2Fworldwide-number-of-new-tb-cases-is.html From the 2011 Lancet review: The worldwide number of new TB cases is more than 9 million - higher than at any other time in history. 22 low-income and middle-income countries account for more than 80% of the active cases in the world. Due to the devastating effect of HIV on susceptibility to TB, sub-Saharan Africa has been disproportionately affected and accounts for 4 of every 5 cases of HIV-associated tuberculosis. Management problems include: - In highly endemic areas, TB diagnosis continues to rely on century-old sputum microscopy - No vaccine with adequate effectiveness (although BCG works to some extent). According to a recent report, BCG vaccination not only protects against tuberculosis but the number needed to treat (NNT) is 11. - TB treatment regimens are protracted and hav... Clinical Cases and Images - Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5107532 Tue, 09 Aug 2011 12:41:03 +0100 5107532 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5103338&cid=t_101331_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fresearch-finds-success-in-small-cheap-and-strong-test-for-hiv-and-syphilis%2F2011.08.06 Researchers from Columbia University have developed a “lab on a chip” HIV and syphilis test, and are now reporting the first results from tests in the field conducted in Rwanda. The mChip, as it is called, is the size of a credit card and replicates all steps of an ELISA test, at a lower total material cost and within 20 minutes. After application of a blood sample, the chip is inserted into a $100 battery-powered handheld analyzer. It needs only 1 μl of unprocessed whole blood and does not require any user interpretation of the signal, providing a clear-cut yes or no result. Right now, HIV testing in developing countries either relies on expensive laboratory testing taking a long time, or uses cheaper methods based on lateral flow, which, although very rapid, do not provide very reli... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5103338 Sat, 06 Aug 2011 18:00:08 +0100 5103338 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5096251&cid=t_101331_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F08%2Fhandwashing-in-elementary-schools.html This study showed that after pupils clean their hands with alcohol tissues three times a day that absence fears him and school from risk recovery and gastrointestinal infections decreased significantly. The cost of procedure is far less than the cost of absenteeism both to the schools and parents. It should read replicated the US and if reproducible made a policy. American Journal of Infection Control:  Volume 39, Issue 6, August 2011, Pages 450-455 (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5096251 Thu, 04 Aug 2011 16:35:17 +0100 5096251 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5096153&cid=t_101331_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FNS7lvS4dblo%2F Reviewing Infuse Data: Medtronic will give Yale University $2.5 million to supervise two independent reviews of clinical trial and other data on the company’s controversial spinal-fusion product Infuse Bone Graft, the WSJ reports. In June, a paper published in the Spine Journal raised questions about clinical trials of Infuse, including a failure to report some complications. Infection Rates: Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that some 50,000 Americans become infected each year with HIV, a number that has changed little in a decade and that is prompting discussion about whether government prevention programs are working, the New York Times reports. More infections are being seen in young gay black men, while the number of infections of children by their HI... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5096153 Thu, 04 Aug 2011 12:39:54 +0100 5096153 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5096155&cid=t_101331_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2Fken0xStXN44%2F The bad news is that you’ve got nausea, chills and fever. The somewhat cooler news is that your symptoms were traced to a bacterium that had never before been identified. That’s what happened to 25 people who fell sick with ehrlichiosis in Minnesota and Wisconsin beginning in 2009. Tests showed they weren’t infected by Ehrlichia chaffeensis and E. ewingii, the two species of the bacterium previously implicated as a cause of the disease in humans here in the U.S. Instead, DNA testing at the Mayo Clinic showed the people were infected by a previously unreported, still-unnamed species of Ehrlichia. The identification of the initial four cases traced to the new bacterium is described this week in the New England Journal of Medicine. Ehrlichiosis, which can cause chills, fever... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5096155 Wed, 03 Aug 2011 21:03:49 +0100 5096155 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5094816&cid=t_101331_139_f&fid=38879&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FVirologyBlog%2F%7E3%2F1fw6w28v_7s%2F Thirty years ago this month I did an experiment that set the course of my career, and provided an important step forward for animal virology. I showed that a cloned DNA copy of the poliovirus RNA genome is infectious in mammalian cells. When I arrived as a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of David Baltimore in 1979, the restrictions placed on cloning complete genomes from pathogenic viruses in bacterial plasmid vectors had just been lifted. Consequently David suggested that I construct a full-length DNA copy of the poliovirus RNA genome, decode the genetic information, and determine if the DNA is infectious. By the fall of 1980 I had produced three different plasmids which contained overlapping DNA copies of poliovirus RNA. For most of the next year I worked on deciphering the complet... virology blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5094816 Wed, 03 Aug 2011 17:33:58 +0100 5094816 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5096156&cid=t_101331_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2F_jVNM16eMgA%2F Salmonella is the chief baddie of the food pathogen world, accounting for 35% of foodborne disease hospitalizations in the U.S. and 28% of related deaths each year. And now a particularly nasty, antibiotic-resistant type of the bacteria, Salmonella Heidelberg, has infected 77 people, killing one in California, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Ground turkey is being investigated as the source, the CDC says. The cases were spread across 26 states (see the map below, with the number of cases per state as of Monday) and were reported between March 1 and August 1. Here’s the WSJ story. Health officials homed in on ground turkey because among the 51 people with available information, almost half reported eating it recently, as opposed to 11% of healthy peo... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5096156 Wed, 03 Aug 2011 16:05:57 +0100 5096156 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5096266&cid=t_101331_105_f&fid=34896&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorrw.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F08%2Freduction-of-central-line-infections.html (Source: Notes from Dr. RW) Notes from Dr. RW blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5096266 Wed, 03 Aug 2011 11:55:00 +0100 5096266 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5086170&cid=t_101331_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fwho-report-outlines-problem-of-hospital-acquired-infections%2F2011.08.01 The World Health Organization’s new patient safety envoy will take on health care acquired infections in his new role, he announced last week. Liam Donaldson, England’s former Chief Medical Officer, pointed out in his first report as envoy that patient safety incidents occur in 4% to 16% of all hospitalized patients, and that hospital-acquired infections affect hundreds of millions of patients globally. A WHO report outlined the problem. High-income countries had pooled health care acquired infection rates of 7.6%. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control estimated that 4.1 million Europeans incur 4.5 million health care acquired infections annually. In the U.S. the incidence rate was 4.5% in 2002, or 9.3 infections per 1,000 patient-days and 1.7 million affected ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5086170 Mon, 01 Aug 2011 14:00:00 +0100 5086170 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5086137&cid=t_101331_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FY2g0k-H0Yys%2F Paying Up: Getting a drug approved is only the first step for pharma companies as insurance companies and governments crack down on spending by focusing on the value that a new medication will bring, the WSJ reports. AstraZeneca, for example, will be negotiating with U.S. insurers over the next year, hoping to convince them that the new anti-clotting drug Brilinta is worth the $7.24 per day it plans to charge. That’s a 20% premium over the current gold-standard treatment, Plavix, which will lose patent protection next year, the paper says. “Lab On a Chip”: A report published online by Nature Medicine shows that a small device that can be used in the field accurately detected both HIV and syphilis in a group of Rwandan people, the Washington Post reports. The so-called lab... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5086137 Mon, 01 Aug 2011 12:46:43 +0100 5086137 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5086220&cid=t_101331_105_f&fid=34896&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorrw.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F08%2Fceftaroline-teflaro-whats-its-role.html (Source: Notes from Dr. RW) Notes from Dr. RW blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5086220 Mon, 01 Aug 2011 10:22:00 +0100 5086220 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5086114&cid=t_101331_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F07%2F31%2Fsunday-news-round-up-attack-kitty-edition%2F I haven’t done one of these in a while, having been distracted by the heat, the carless situation, dad’s cancer, mom’s hip replacement re-replacement, work, leveling my first character in Warcraft (now a level 71 undead frost mage – I don’t want to duel you!), and life in general. Tonight, though, I’m at my parents’ house (sitting with mom after said re-replacement), in a town with <30 thousand people that gets really, truly dark at night, World of Warcraft won't run on this computer, and I think I've reached the end of the internet. Might as well do something. The FDA has issued a warning not to use emergency contraception labeled as Evital. The agency says, These products may be counterfeit versions of the “morning after pill” ... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5086114 Mon, 01 Aug 2011 04:40:55 +0100 5086114 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5076972&cid=t_101331_139_f&fid=38879&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FVirologyBlog%2F%7E3%2FJeVr6RW5KD0%2F The Chilean salmon farming industry has been severely affected by disease caused by infectious salmon anemia virus. Salmon eggs shipped from Norway to Chile in 2007 are the cause of the outbreak (New York Times): A virus that has killed millions of salmon in Chile and ravaged the fish farming industry there was probably brought over from Norway, a major salmon producer has acknowledged. Infection salmon anemia virus is a member of the orthomyxovirus family, which also includes influenza virus. The virus causes disease in Atlantic salmon and has caused economic losses on fish farms in Canada, Norway, Scotland and Chile. We discussed the virus on This Week in Virology #41: Fish flu. (Source: virology blog) virology blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5076972 Fri, 29 Jul 2011 17:58:23 +0100 5076972 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5077723&cid=t_101331_105_f&fid=34896&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorrw.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F07%2Fclinical-prediction-rule-may-obviate.html (Source: Notes from Dr. RW) Notes from Dr. RW blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5077723 Fri, 29 Jul 2011 12:47:00 +0100 5077723 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5062217&cid=t_101331_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FWHCDkTaW16s%2F For the Health Blog, the major trauma of the chickenpox was breaking out in itchy blisters mere weeks before the senior prom. But in rare cases, chicken pox can actually kill people, and new research shows how vaccination has helped curb the number of annual deaths from the disease. Writing online in the journal Pediatrics, researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention track the number of annual deaths with varicella — the scientific name for chickenpox — since a vaccine was introduced in 1995. They report that between 1990 and 1994, an average of 105 people died each year directly due to varicella, and for an additional 40, it was listed as a contributing cause. Those deaths have declined over the years, with 14 people dying in 2007 directly due to varicella ... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5062217 Mon, 25 Jul 2011 15:23:12 +0100 5062217 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5062219&cid=t_101331_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FO1ylZZ9OpiQ%2F Ah, summer in the city. If urbanites aren’t contending with a stifling heat wave,  they’re slapping at the aggressive mosquitoes that prefer big-city infrastructure as their hunting grounds. As the WSJ reported last week, two types of mosquitoes inadvertently imported from Asia are settling into new digs in big U.S. cities. In this WSJ video, State University of New York at Albany professor Laura Kramer talks about one of these species, the Asian tiger mosquito. It prefers cities because there are lots of small, artificial containers like tires and cans — its chosen places to breed. And the tightly packed quarters mean more people to bite. Watch the video to learn what kind of viruses these mosquitoes might carry, then comment below on your favorite urban mosquito-fighti... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5062219 Sun, 24 Jul 2011 20:25:40 +0100 5062219 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5050513&cid=t_101331_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FcqXOz0DR0kw%2F PBM Deal: Express Scripts announced it will buy rival pharmacy-benefit manager Medco Health Solutions for $29.1 billion in cash and stock, or $71.36 per share — a 28% premium to yesterday’s closing price –the WSJ reports. Express Scripts CEO George Paz will lead the combined company, which will be based in St. Louis, the paper says. Genetics of Infertility: A study published in Science Translational Medicine finds men with two flawed copies of a certain gene can’t make a sperm-coating protein that seems to play a role in fertility, the New York Times reports. Researchers say it’s too early to tell whether, or to what degree, the common defect delays or prevents couples from conceiving, the paper says. More Earnings: Pharma earnings continue to roll in, with Ro... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5050513 Thu, 21 Jul 2011 12:23:32 +0100 5050513 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5028346&cid=t_101331_105_f&fid=34896&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorrw.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F07%2Fchanging-profile-of-bacterial.html (Source: Notes from Dr. RW) Notes from Dr. RW blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5028346 Thu, 14 Jul 2011 12:21:00 +0100 5028346 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5028201&cid=t_101331_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FFHJ1_9gzNLA%2F The recent outbreak of lethal E. coli in Germany is noteworthy for many reasons. While this time the source was sprouts and the location was Germany, we do not know what or where the next outbreak will be. However, the risk of this or the next outbreak are not equally borne by all in Germany, all in Europe, or all in the U.S.   The heightened impact of E. coli in women means it joins a growing list of diseases and disorders that have distinct effects on women, perhaps for no other reason than her sex.  Women are experiencing more severe illness during the current E. coli outbreak than men and the only explanation being offered is that infected women may be more likely to consume raw vegetables than uninfected women.  But why are women more likely to be hospitalized with severe sympt... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5028201 Mon, 11 Jul 2011 12:12:49 +0100 5028201 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008236&cid=t_101331_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F07%2Fcdc-fears-rising-treatment-resistant-gonorrhea.html According to to the CDC: Neisseria gonorrhoeae is a major cause of pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancy, and infertility, and it can facilitate human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission (1). Emergence of gonococcal resistance to penicillin and tetracycline occurred during the 1970s and became widespread during the early 1980s. More recently, resistance to fluoroquinolones developed. Now Gonorrhea may be losing its susceptibility to cephalosporins, the only available antibiotic class remaining to treat the sexually transmitted infection, the CDC is warning. Comment: when I started medical school in 1947 the medical profession had just started using penicillin to treat gonorrhea and syphilis and mistakenly thought STIs were beaten. Just as with the use of contrace... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008236 Fri, 08 Jul 2011 16:27:38 +0100 5008236 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4992725&cid=t_101331_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F07%2Flet-science-inform-policy.html An editorial in Science today, written by Dr, Anthony Fauci, discusses the value of preventive antiretroviral therapy for non-infected homosexual couples, the value of condoms for males and females and the value of circumcision to prevent the spread of H IV infection. Despite such evidence the City of San Francisco seeks to outlaw circumcision. As State Health Commissioner in the late 1980s I had to help out state legislature avoid testing premarital couples for HIV infection, Luckily the testimony of the scientists on the HIV Advisory committee was accepted by the legislators (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4992725 Fri, 01 Jul 2011 19:53:45 +0100 4992725 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4976193&cid=t_101331_149_f&fid=35776&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpipeline.corante.com%2Farchives%2F2011%2F06%2F27%2Fthe_evolution_of_resistance_are_we_doing_it_wrong.php Here's a paper in PNAS that says that we're probably treating infectious disease the wrong way - and perhaps cancer as well. The authors go over the currently accepted doctrines: multiple-mechanism therapies, when possible, and restricted use to patients who really need antibiotics. But there's a third assumption that they say is causing trouble: A third practice thought to be an effective resistant management strategy is the use of drugs to clear all target pathogens from a patient as fast as possible. We hereafter refer to this practice as “radical pathogen cure.” For a wide variety of infectious diseases, recommended drug doses, interdose intervals, and treatment durations (which together constitute “patient treatment regimens”) are designed to achieve complete pathogen elimina... In the Pipeline blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4976193 Mon, 27 Jun 2011 12:56:39 +0100 4976193 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4952908&cid=t_101331_105_f&fid=34896&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorrw.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F06%2Fprehospital-point-of-care-lactate.html (Source: Notes from Dr. RW) Notes from Dr. RW blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4952908 Fri, 17 Jun 2011 19:07:00 +0100 4952908 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4952856&cid=t_101331_88_f&fid=38129&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Flifeinthefastlane%2FWZHV%2F%7E3%2Fh6TXpOjm4ic%2F At long last there has been a truly European epidemic, or ‘Eurodemic’ (an outbreak of truly EU-ge proportions), to use a term originally coined by Broughton-D’Lirium. (Source: Life in the Fast Lane) Life in the Fast Lane blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4952856 Fri, 17 Jun 2011 07:31:24 +0100 4952856 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4934087&cid=t_101331_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FqECbWDTutb0%2F With growing concern about infectious diseases in donated organs, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is due to release next month draft guidelines for reducing transmission of hepatitis C and HIV through solid organ transplants. While the guidelines are still under review, they are widely expected to reflect the results of a new study led by CDC researchers that concludes the use of a rapid assay known as nucleic acid testing (NAT) could significantly reduce the rate of undetected hepatitis C in deceased donors. The study calculated the prevalence of the two viruses in 13,667 potential donors managed by 17 organ procurement organizations over a five-year period. It estimated that a striking 18.2% of potential donors considered at high risk for hepatitis C and 3.45% of donors co... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4934087 Thu, 16 Jun 2011 12:42:03 +0100 4934087 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4934239&cid=t_101331_105_f&fid=34896&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorrw.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F06%2Fcluster-of-zygomycosis-infections-in.html (Source: Notes from Dr. RW) Notes from Dr. RW blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4934239 Wed, 15 Jun 2011 21:25:00 +0100 4934239 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4934185&cid=t_101331_90_f&fid=34474&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCasesBlog%2F%7E3%2Fk-ToHwMO0e4%2Fmicroscopic-look-at-hotel-hygiene-makes.html From CNN:The microbiologist Philip Tierno doesn't feel comfortable staying in hotels. He knows too much. He travels with an impervious mattress and pillow cover to protect against the unseen debris that guests leave behind. When humans sleep they shed about 1.5 million cells an hour.While the covers were developed for allergy sufferers, Tierno encourages everyone to use them at home and on the road.And definitely ditch the bedspread, he advises. Hotel bedspreads became a hot topic when one featuring bodily fluids from several sources was introduced in boxer Mike Tyson's 1992 rape trial.How hotels clean drinking glassesAn Atlanta TV station used hidden cameras to monitor how the drinking glasses in hotel rooms were cleaned. In one case, a housekeeper appeared to clean a toilet and the glass... Clinical Cases and Images - Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4934185 Wed, 15 Jun 2011 13:06:01 +0100 4934185 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4934233&cid=t_101331_99_f&fid=34589&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2Faetiology%2F%7E3%2FIA0BiO97UVI%2Fnick_kristof_on_our_food_suppl.php Nick Kristof has an op/ed in today's NY Times noting some sober statistics about the food we eat: that it puts 350,00 people in the hospital and kills 5,000 in the U.S. every year. He also cites three of our papers examining MRSA and swine/swine facilities. Read the comments on this post... (Source: Aetiology) Aetiology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4934233 Sun, 12 Jun 2011 15:00:00 +0100 4934233 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4921425&cid=t_101331_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fhow-to-treat-horse-and-donkey-bite-wounds%2F2011.06.09 Earlier this week this tweet from @prsjournal caught my eye Most Popular: Management of Horse and Donkey Bite Wounds: A Series of 24 Cases: No abstract available http://bit.ly/lgNkCS I missed this article when it came out in the June 2010 issue of the Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Journal.  As I have covered fire ant bites, cat bites, and snake bites.  Fellow blogger Bongi has written about hippo bites.  It’s time to cover horse and donkey bites. Dr. Köse, Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Harran University Hospital, Turkey and colleagues presented a retrospective evaluation of 24 patients treated for animal bites (19 horse and five donkey bites) from 2003 to 2009.  The head and neck were the most frequent bite sites (14 cases), followed by the extremities (8 ca... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4921425 Thu, 09 Jun 2011 21:00:00 +0100 4921425 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4921378&cid=t_101331_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FtgVll3fLTEI%2F When it comes to assuaging concerns about vaccines, scientific information is not enough. That point is made by two papers out today. One, appearing in the Lancet as part of a special series, finds that vaccines “are losing public confidence” and that their acceptance (or lack thereof) is “neither driven by scientific nor economic evidence alone, but is also driven by a mix of psychological, sociocultural and political factors, all of which need to be understood and taken into account by policy and other decision makers.” The paper’s lead author, Heidi Larson, is from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Her co-authors work in the U.S. and Finland, and one reports having received funding from Novartis for advisory and trial monitoring work; anot... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4921378 Thu, 09 Jun 2011 15:30:33 +0100 4921378 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4911807&cid=t_101331_149_f&fid=35776&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpipeline.corante.com%2Farchives%2F2011%2F06%2F07%2Fmurine_viruses_and_chronic_fatigue_does_the_story_continue.php Well, one day after writing an obit for the XMRV story comes this abstract from Retrovirology. The authors, from Cornell and SUNY-Buffalo, say that they've detected other murine retrovirus transcripts from CFS patients (but not in most controls), and that these are more similar to those reported in last year's Lo and Alter paper in PNAS than they are to XMRV itself. So perhaps the story continues, and what a mess it is at this point. I continue to think that the XMRV hypothesis itself is in serious trouble, but murine retroviruses as a class are still worth following up on. This is tough work, though, because of the twin problems of detection and contamination, and it's going to be easy for people to fool themselves. Meanwhile, Retraction Watch has more on Science's "Expression of Concer... In the Pipeline blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4911807 Tue, 07 Jun 2011 13:06:52 +0100 4911807 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4902449&cid=t_101331_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F06%2Fis-our-obsession-with-cleanliness-wiping-out-our-immune-system.html Prof Fazekas de St Groth from the Centenary Institute claims that the discovery of a small but absolutely essential subset of T cells within the immune system has been vital. Regulatory T cells or Tregs control unwanted immune responses, such as allergies and autoimmune diseases. Tregs are distributed throughout the body, particularly at points where we are likely to encounter disease-causing microbes. The most important site is the gastrointestinal tract (the GIT) where up to 90% of our immune cells are located. This ties in neatly with the hygiene hypothesis because it explains how an infectious event early in life colonization of the gut with bowel flora) can produce a life-long effect on the immune system. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4902449 Mon, 06 Jun 2011 15:08:15 +0100 4902449 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4902400&cid=t_101331_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FX27KVxPMvOw%2F Tainted Sprouts?: Initial tests suggest that the bean sprouts earlier suspected of being the source of the E. coli outbreak in Europe are not actually contaminated, the WSJ reports. While testing is still underway, the samples analyzed so far have all come up negative for the strain of the bacterium in question. Earlier, the sprouts were pegged as the possible source of the outbreak, which has has killed 22 people in Europe and sickened 2,100, many of them seriously, the paper says. Implementation Funding: The costs for states to implement the federal health-care overhaul law are significant, pushing some states to seek aid from philanthropic foundations, Kaiser Health News reports. The California HealthCare Foundation, for example, is funding two consultants to help the state apply for fe... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4902400 Mon, 06 Jun 2011 12:26:22 +0100 4902400 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4893380&cid=t_101331_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FxszvO1XVIkU%2F We now know that the strain of E. coli implicated in a European outbreak that has sickened more than 1,600 people, many severely, is both rare and very virulent. (That’s the genetic code of the rare strain of the bacteria at right.) But we still don’t know the source of contamination. As the WSJ reports, fresh produce is still the chief culprit, so authorities in Europe are warning against eating raw lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers. Almost everyone who has fallen ill either lived in or recently traveled to Germany. It’s not likely any contaminated produce would reach the U.S. (no shipments of those products have been imported from Germany since January, an FDA official tells the WSJ), but the agency is still increasing its inspections of produce imported from European cou... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4893380 Fri, 03 Jun 2011 13:49:05 +0100 4893380 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4893381&cid=t_101331_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FvIfg8bDkWsA%2F Frosty Reception: The Obama administration’s proposed guidelines governing how hospitals and doctors can form accountable care organizations are unpopular with many health-care providers, who say they won’t participate in the program unless the financial incentives are improved and the regulatory burden reduced, the WSJ reports. ACOs are intended to coordinate care for Medicare patients, with an aim to improving quality while saving the government and providers money. MRSA in Cows: Researchers have discovered a new strain of MRSA — the nasty staph infection that is resistant to certain antibiotics — that can exist in cows as well as humans, the Washington Post’s Checkup blog reports. A researcher at the University of Cambridge said it’s unlikely the stra... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4893381 Fri, 03 Jun 2011 12:31:46 +0100 4893381 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4893338&cid=t_101331_86_f&fid=38272&url=http%3A%2F%2Flaikaspoetnik.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F06%2F02%2Fscience-asks-to-retract-the-xmrv-cfs-paper-it-should-never-have-accepted-in-the-first-place%2F Wow! Breaking! As reported in WSJ earlier this week [1], editors of the journal Science asked Mikovits and her co-authors to voluntary retract their 2009 Science paper [2]. In this paper Mikovits and colleagues of the Whittemore Peterson Institute (WPI) and the Cleveland Clinic, reported the presence of xenotropic murine leukemia virus–related virus (XMRV) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells [...] (Source: Laika's MedLibLog) Laika's MedLibLog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4893338 Thu, 02 Jun 2011 21:34:34 +0100 4893338 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4893383&cid=t_101331_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2F_U6ga7wxmsE%2F The CDC is out with its wrap-up of the 2010-11 flu season and a look ahead at the next one. In its report, the agency says the FDA has recommended that the 2011-12 flu vaccine protect against the same strains as it did this year: H1N1 (aka the swine flu, a type of influenza A virus), another type of influenza A virus (H3N2) and a type of influenza B virus. Having no change in the vaccine components from one year to the next happens occasionally, Lyn Finelli, the CDC’s chief of influenza surveillance, tells the Health Blog. So can you skip the shot if you were vaccinated during the flu season that just passed? Sadly for the needle-phobic, no. “You definitely need to get it. The immunity conferred by the flu shot isn’t very long-lasting,” Finelli says. Since last year... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4893383 Thu, 02 Jun 2011 16:30:08 +0100 4893383 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4893505&cid=t_101331_105_f&fid=34896&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorrw.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F06%2Fearly-goal-directed-therapy-for-sepsis.html (Source: Notes from Dr. RW) Notes from Dr. RW blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4893505 Thu, 02 Jun 2011 14:54:00 +0100 4893505 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4893387&cid=t_101331_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FVIyH4OXNZvY%2F The journal Science has cast doubt on a 2009 paper it published linking the virus XMRV to chronic fatigue syndrome and requested the authors retract the research. Health Blog readers who have been following our coverage of this issue might wonder what this latest development means for another high-profile study reporting a related finding: the discovery of the family of retroviruses to which XMRV belongs in the blood of CFS patients. That paper was published last year by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. PNAS editor-in-chief Randy Schekman tells us he is closely following the scientific debate and what it means for the findings reported in that paper, the authors of which include renowned NIH infectious disease specialist Harvey Alter. The PNAS paper, published last Augu... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4893387 Wed, 01 Jun 2011 16:45:58 +0100 4893387 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4893508&cid=t_101331_105_f&fid=34896&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorrw.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F06%2Fzoonotic-leprosy-in-us.html (Source: Notes from Dr. RW) Notes from Dr. RW blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4893508 Wed, 01 Jun 2011 10:37:00 +0100 4893508 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4883580&cid=t_101331_88_f&fid=38129&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Flifeinthefastlane%2FWZHV%2F%7E3%2FNmMlUs04hTY%2F The LITFL Review is your regular and reliable source for the highest highlights, sneakiest sneak peaks and loudest shout-outs from the webbed world of emergency medicine and critical care. (Source: Life in the Fast Lane) Life in the Fast Lane blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4883580 Mon, 30 May 2011 07:56:03 +0100 4883580 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4872053&cid=t_101331_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2Fo0F-VmVKWyc%2F Study’s Reverberations?: Abbott’s Niaspan setback has implications for Merck and Roche, which are also trying to develop drugs that raise good cholesterol and can be added to statins, which lower the bad kind, the WSJ reports. Merck, for example, is conducting a 25,000-person trial to test its own niacin-based drug tredaptive. A Merck exec tells the WSJ it’s way too early to judge niacin’s potential by these latest results alone. Unifying Records: The Defense Department and Department of Veterans Affairs plan to jointly develop a computerized system to keep military members’ health records in one place throughout their career and retirement, the New York Times reports. Officials say an interoperable system will reduce lost paperwork, speed the delivery of care... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4872053 Fri, 27 May 2011 12:44:45 +0100 4872053 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4872093&cid=t_101331_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Ffrom-the-cdc-top-ten-greatest-public-health-achievements%2F2011.05.27 The Center for Disease Control published the top ten public health achievements from 2001-2010, the first decade of the 21st century.  In no order they are: Vaccine-preventable Diseases – new vaccines for herpes zoster, pneumonia, HPV and rotavirus have saved thousands of lives  When you add in the older vaccines for diptheria, pertussus, tetanus and measles/mumps millions of lives have been saved around the world.  (I saw diptheria in Haiti and it is horrible) Tobacco Control- We have been battling tobacco since 1964 but there is finally progress with more states enacting smoke-free laws and raising cigarette taxes.  By 2010, the FDA banned flavored cigarettes and established restrictions on youth access.  We have a long way to go.  Smoking costs us all about $193 billion... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4872093 Fri, 27 May 2011 11:00:00 +0100 4872093 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4872128&cid=t_101331_105_f&fid=34896&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorrw.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F05%2Fantibiotic-pharmacokinetics-in-critical.html (Source: Notes from Dr. RW) Notes from Dr. RW blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4872128 Thu, 26 May 2011 22:03:00 +0100 4872128 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4872123&cid=t_101331_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F05%2Fpolio-eradication.html A short excellent brand new Video on progress from epidemiologist, Bruce Aylward,   http://www.ted.com/talks/bruce_aylward_how_we_ll_stop_polio.html?utm_source=newsletter_weekly_2011-05-24&utm_campaign=newsletter_weekly&utm_medium=email (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4872123 Thu, 26 May 2011 14:19:23 +0100 4872123 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4862497&cid=t_101331_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FiSWjRayMWTM%2F Gout Drug on Track: According to Novartis, late-stage data shows that the company’s experimental drug for gout, Ilaris, better reduces pain and the incidence of new attacks compared to an injectable steroid, the WSJ reports. Novartis has filed for regulatory approval in the U.S., European Union and elsewhere, and analysts say if approved the drug’s use could be expanded to other forms of arthritis as well as other diseases, the paper says. Sterility Threat?: A new study suggests that Medtronic’s bone-growth protein Infuse may be tied to temporary or permanent sterility in some men whose vertebrae are fused using the product, the New York Times reports. A Stanford surgeon posted the results of his 240-case analysis on a website he edits, The Spine Journal, the paper says. ... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4862497 Wed, 25 May 2011 12:36:06 +0100 4862497 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4862582&cid=t_101331_99_f&fid=34589&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2Faetiology%2F%7E3%2FRJICLc0cGos%2Fmeasles_in_iowa.php We've had pertussis and mumps, so it was only a matter of time. State health officials declared a "public health emergency" Tuesday after a test confirmed a case of measles in an unvaccinated Dallas County baby who apparently picked up the disease in India. They said people who might have been exposed included passengers on an Americans Airline flight from Chicago to Des Moines May 11 and people who were at Mercy Medical Center or a Mercy pediatric clinic in downtown Des Moines May 14. Dr. Patricia Quinlisk, medical director for the Iowa Department of Public Health, said many Americans falsely recall measles as a benign childhood illness. "I get asked by medical students, 'Which disease are you most afraid of?' And they expect me to say Ebola or SARS or something like that - but, it's m... Aetiology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4862582 Wed, 25 May 2011 02:06:00 +0100 4862582 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4862498&cid=t_101331_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FdEjfxIxCcbc%2F Vertex Pharmaceuticals CEO Matt Emmens came by Health Blog HQ today to chat about yesterday’s FDA approval of the hepatitis C drug Incivek and what’s up next for the company. As for that approval, he told us and our WSJ and Dow Jones Newswires colleagues that the first prescriptions were coming in within an hour or so of the announcement. About 100,000 patients have been waiting for the drug, he says, and millions more  — both those who are diagnosed and those unknowingly carrying the virus — are eligible for it. (Here’s the DJN story.) As has been much discussed, Vertex and Merck will be rolling out new hep C drugs — Merck’s Victrelis was approved last week — at the same time. Emmens says there’s plenty of room for both drugs in the m... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4862498 Tue, 24 May 2011 21:08:17 +0100 4862498 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4847980&cid=t_101331_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F05%2Fcdc-identifies-10-public-health-achievements-of-first-decade.html The 10 domestic public health achievements are published in today's issue of CDC's MMWR. “Americans are living longer, healthier, and more productive lives than ever before thanks in part to extraordinary achievements in public health over the past decade," said CDC Director Thomas R. Frieden, M.D., M.P.H. The United States has saved billions of dollars in healthcare costs as a result of these achievements. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4847980 Fri, 20 May 2011 15:52:41 +0100 4847980 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841526&cid=t_101331_105_f&fid=34896&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorrw.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F05%2Ffluid-resuscitation-in-septic-shock.html (Source: Notes from Dr. RW) Notes from Dr. RW blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841526 Thu, 19 May 2011 17:19:00 +0100 4841526 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841528&cid=t_101331_105_f&fid=34896&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorrw.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F05%2Fprophylactic-antibiotics-for-dental.html (Source: Notes from Dr. RW) Notes from Dr. RW blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841528 Thu, 19 May 2011 10:20:00 +0100 4841528 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841530&cid=t_101331_105_f&fid=34896&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorrw.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F05%2Fupdated-guidelines-for-iv-catheter.html (Source: Notes from Dr. RW) Notes from Dr. RW blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841530 Wed, 18 May 2011 16:08:00 +0100 4841530 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841422&cid=t_101331_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2F4S3N0HJCLFw%2F Hepatitis Tie-Up: Roche will promote Merck’s newly approved hepatitis C drug Victrelis alongside two of its own therapies used against the virus as part of a non-exclusive U.S. marketing agreement that could expand to other countries, Dow Jones Newswires reports. The market for hepatitis C drugs is expected to heat up further if the FDA approves a competitor to Victrelis made by Vertex Pharmaceuticals and Johnson & Johnson, which those companies plan to market as Incivek. New ACO Options: The Obama administration proposed some new sweeteners for accountable care organizations, hoping to convince wary hospitals and physicians who fear setting up the groups will will be expensive and burdensome, Kaiser Health News reports. There will be a fast-track “Pioneer” model inte... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841422 Wed, 18 May 2011 12:33:52 +0100 4841422 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841522&cid=t_101331_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F05%2Fseniors-std-rates-up.html The Los Angeles Times reports, "Aging baby boomers are once again busting stereotypes, setting records and breaking rules," with the number of cases of syphilis and chlamydia among those 55 and older reported to the CDC increasing 43 percent between 2005 to 2009, and, "in the Sunbelt where retirees have formed large communities, the rise was even more dramatic." In response, "Medicare is considering providing coverage for STD screenings for seniors." The trend is attributed to longer, healthier lives as well as medications such as Viagra that make more sex possible. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841522 Tue, 17 May 2011 15:06:59 +0100 4841522 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841523&cid=t_101331_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F05%2Fweekly-doses-of-antibiotic-cocktail-may-cure-latent-tb-in-three-months.html Treating "latent tuberculosis normally requires nine months of daily pill-taking," a much shorter "course of medication...works just as well," according to findings presented at the American Thoracic Society meeting. The study compared the typical "daily dose of the drug isoniazid for nine months" with a once-weekly regimen that included taking a higher dose of isoniazid combined with rifapentineor for three months. Over three years, among approximately 8,000 volunteers, there were "seven cases of active TB among those taking the short course and 15 among those taking the traditional one. ... 'This is the biggest breakthrough in the treatment of latent TB since the 1960s,'" said Kevin Fenton, M.D., director of CDC's National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention in a... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841523 Tue, 17 May 2011 15:00:47 +0100 4841523 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841426&cid=t_101331_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FQ5UppqEDA6g%2F Controlling MS: Drugs taken orally to control multiple sclerosis are beginning to hit the market, starting with Novartis’s Gilenya, but while they’re attractive to patients, the price is high and the extent of side effects unknown, the WSJ reports. Gilenya costs about $48,000 a year, compared to about $40,000 for currently available injectable drugs. More oral drugs, from Biogen Idec, Teva and Sanofi, could be on the market in 2012 assuming positive data and FDA approval, the paper says. TB Breakthrough: A large study funded by the CDC finds that a three-month tuberculosis-treatment regimen using two drugs taken weekly works as well as a longer regimen with daily pills, the Washington Post reports. The shorter regimen, at $503, is more than twice as expensive as the longer one,... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841426 Tue, 17 May 2011 12:27:31 +0100 4841426 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4828885&cid=t_101331_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fmorgellons-when-people-mistakenly-believe-they-have-parasites%2F2011.05.16 I saw a patient recently for parasites. I get a sinking feeling when I see that diagnosis on the schedule, as it rarely means a real parasite.  The great Pacific NW is mostly parasite free, so either it is a traveler or someone with delusions of parasitism. The latter comes in two forms: the classic form and Morgellons. Neither are likely to lead to a meaningful patient-doctor interaction, since it usually means conflict between my assessment of the problem and the patients assessment of the problem.  There is rarely a middle ground upon which to meet. The most memorable case of delusions of parasitism I have seen was a patient who  I saw in clinic who, while we talked, ate a raw garlic clove about every minute. “Why the garlic?” I asked. “To keep the parasites at bay,” he told ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4828885 Mon, 16 May 2011 13:00:07 +0100 4828885 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4828845&cid=t_101331_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FQXnRY8uAjCs%2F Paying for Quality: WellPoint’s Blue Cross Blue Shield plans in 14 states will tie hospital reimbursement increases to quality of care, as measured by a 51-indicator test, the WSJ reports. The assessment is based 55% on health outcomes, 35% on measures of patient safety and 10% on patient satisfaction; the company’s chief medical officer tells the paper that using the formula can save both WellPoint and the overall health-care system money. Proposed Changes: Florida’s plans for its Medicaid program involve a $10 monthly premium for all beneficiaries not in nursing homes, plus a $100 charge for using the ER for non-emergency services, Kaiser Health News reports. The Obama administration, however, is likely to reject the proposed changes because they will make it harder for... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4828845 Mon, 16 May 2011 12:37:36 +0100 4828845 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4828943&cid=t_101331_105_f&fid=34896&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorrw.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F05%2Fhigh-tech-hand-hygiene-does-it-help.html (Source: Notes from Dr. RW) Notes from Dr. RW blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4828943 Sun, 15 May 2011 22:37:00 +0100 4828943 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4828934&cid=t_101331_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F05%2Fearly-treatment-with-antiretroviral-therapy-prevents-hiv-transmission.html A UNC-led research study showed the study, which spans nine countries, involved more than 1,700 couples, in which one partner was HIV-positive and the other was not. Each couple was randomly assigned to one of two study groups. In the first group, the partner with HIV began receiving antiretroviral drugs as soon as they enrolled in the study; in the second group, the infected partner started antiretroviral treatment once their CD4+ count — a key measure of immune system health — fell to between 200 and 250 cells/mm3.  However, data gathered so far clearly revealed the benefits of early treatment, prompting health officials to release the results now. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4828934 Sat, 14 May 2011 14:44:07 +0100 4828934 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4821137&cid=t_101331_149_f&fid=35776&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpipeline.corante.com%2Farchives%2F2011%2F05%2F13%2Fprocess_chemistry_makes_the_headlines.php Not a common occurrence, that. But this Wall Street Journal article goes into details on some efforts to improve the synthetic route to Viread (tenofovir) (or, to be more specific, TDF, the prodrug form of it, which is how it's dosed). This is being funded by former president Bill Clinton's health care foundation: The chasm between the need for the drugs and the available funding has spurred wide-ranging efforts to bring down the cost of antiretrovirals, from persuading drug makers to share patents of antiretrovirals to conducting trials using lower doses of existing drugs. Beginning in 2005, the Clinton team saw a possible path in the laboratory to lowering the price of the drugs. Mr. Clinton's foundation had brokered discounts on first-line AIDS drugs, many of which were older and used... In the Pipeline blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4821137 Fri, 13 May 2011 11:14:18 +0100 4821137 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4820804&cid=t_101331_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2Fiaq4Hrvo3Uk%2F New research suggests that contrary to the package label for Merck’s shingles vaccine, it’s not necessary to wait four weeks between that immunization and one against pneumococcal bacteria. Adults aged 60 and up should receive both, according to the CDC. While that agency doesn’t recommend a gap between the two shots, the Zostavax label cites a randomized trial that found a reduced immune response against the virus when it was given at the same time as Merck’s Pneumovax 23, which can protect against pneumonia and meningitis caused by pneumococcal bacteria. But Kaiser Permanente researchers followed two groups of people aged 60 and up: 7,187 who received the vaccines on the same day and 7,179 who received them at different times. Looking at actual cases of shingles, ... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4820804 Thu, 12 May 2011 17:09:30 +0100 4820804 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4813208&cid=t_101331_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F05%2F10%2F2011-tennessee-womens-health-report-card-highlights%2F Today marked the release of the 2011 Tennessee Women’s Health Report Card, a publication which provides a snapshot of the health status of women in our state, and the disparities they experience. It’s a handy resource for anyone interested in making a case – or understanding the need – for improved health services and community programs, and includes statistics that clearly illustrate some of the challenges we face. Among them: 18.4% of us – or almost 1 in 5 – smoked while we were pregnant. The rate is highest (21.4%) among white women, and lower among African American (10.3%) and Hispanic (2.4%) women. African American women experience tremendous disparities in their infant mortality rate, with 16 infant deaths per 1,000 live births, compared to 6 for... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4813208 Wed, 11 May 2011 00:48:20 +0100 4813208 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4803136&cid=t_101331_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fsafe-injection-protocols-are-not-being-followed-by-clinicians%2F2011.05.10 Thanks to Laura Landro for shining light on unsafe injections in her WSJ blog, “Unsafe Injection Practices Persist Despite Education Efforts.” Landro writes: “A new push is underway to eliminate unsafe injection practices, which remain a persistent safety problem despite years of efforts to educate clinicians about the risks of re-using needles, syringes and drug vials. In the U.S., failure to follow safe practices in delivering intravenous medications and injections has resulted in more than 30 outbreaks of infectious disease including hepatitis C, and the notification of more than 125,000 patients about potential exposure just in the last decade, according to health-care purchasing alliance Premier Inc.” As a registered nurse this is unthinkable.  Learning to administer injectio... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4803136 Tue, 10 May 2011 11:00:38 +0100 4803136 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4803005&cid=t_101331_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F05%2F08%2Fsunday-news-round-up-car-freecarless-edition%2F This post is late because I was busy taking the bus to get here.* I wrote several times in 2008 about the case of Juana Villegas, an immigrant in Nashville who was arrested as the result of a traffic stop and ultimately ended up shackled to a hospital bed during labor, separated from her newborn for two days without seeing him, and denied a breast pump or cream for lactating women. This past week, a federal judge ruled in her favor that the shackling during labor and after delivery violated her civil rights. I have a full post up at Our Bodies Our Blog on this topic. I also have a full post up at the OBOS blog on the Skin Deep database, which provides info on the safety and ingredients of skin care and cosmetic products. I spent the last few days at the IHA Health Literacy conference. I... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4803005 Sun, 08 May 2011 17:00:17 +0100 4803005 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4794873&cid=t_101331_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F05%2Fappendicitis-is-surgery-the-best-option.html This article does not show a great difference betwen the two methods (despite statistic analaysis) of treating appendicitis. There is more peritonitis with the medical alternative. There may be limitations with the drug use due to resistance by the infectious organisms. More research is needed, including the surgical methgods used. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4794873 Fri, 06 May 2011 15:50:36 +0100 4794873 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4794835&cid=t_101331_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2Fz7x3d_YWMp0%2F E. coli bacteria. Screening healthy men for signs of prostate cancer using the PSA blood test is controversial –  it’s still unclear whether the potential benefits of identifying cancer early outweigh the risks of treating many cases of the disease that would never threaten a man’s health. Add one more thing to that “risks” column: according to Bloomberg News, the needle biopsies that follow an abnormally high PSA reading are increasingly resulting in infection by antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria such as E. coli. Research shows that the risk of post-biopsy infection — while still small — has more than doubled in less than a decade, BN reports. One Australian physician, Anthony Costello, says that two of every 100 men biopsied will develo... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4794835 Fri, 06 May 2011 13:57:28 +0100 4794835 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4789287&cid=t_101331_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F05%2Fhiv-drug-could-prevent-cervical-cancer.html A widely used HIV drug lopinavir selectively kills HPV-infected, non-cancerous cells, while leaving healthy cells relatively unaffected,” said Dr Ian Hampson, from Manchester’s School of Cancer and Enabling Sciences. “This is a very significant finding as these cells are not cancer cells but are the closest thing to being like the cells found in a pre-cancerous HPV infection of the cervix. In addition we were also able to show that lopinavir kills these HPV-infected cells by re-activating a well-known antiviral system that is suppressed by HPV.” (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4789287 Thu, 05 May 2011 14:55:40 +0100 4789287 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4803145&cid=t_101331_88_f&fid=38129&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Flifeinthefastlane%2FWZHV%2F%7E3%2Fjb3BNUadb9Y%2F Environmental selection pressures are a driving force in the adaptive processes driving adaptive processes in organisms. (Source: Life in the Fast Lane) Life in the Fast Lane blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4803145 Wed, 04 May 2011 16:38:30 +0100 4803145 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4789252&cid=t_101331_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Ffluphone-tracks-super-spreaders-of-disease%2F2011.05.04 “Are you a super-spreader?” That’s the catchphrase for a new study out of the University of Cambridge. However, if you answered “yes”, you may want to stay home and cover your mouth, because the study was designed to track the spread of influenza using cellular phone technology. The study (and accompanying app) is called FluPhone, and it uses cell phones to collect information on social encounters within the study sample of participants in Cambridge. A phone’s Bluetooth antenna detects encounters with other participants and also records the proximity to each other. The built-in GPS chip tracks each user’s location, but this feature was disabled due to recent ethical concerns. Finally, the phone’s 3G/GPRS antenna sends all the proximity data a... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4789252 Wed, 04 May 2011 16:00:55 +0100 4789252 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4762743&cid=t_101331_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2Fiu2hYOVKYb8%2F Drug vs. Drug: Genentech’s cancer drug Avastin may be about as effective in treating a form of macular degeneration as the company’s similar but far more expensive drug Lucentis, which is specifically approved for that use, the WSJ reports, citing two people familiar with a research study comparing the drugs. Complete data are due to be published in the New England Journal of Medicine and may not fully convey potential safety risks of the treatments, the paper says. Genentech says there are differences in the drugs that make Lucentis the better choice for treating the eyes. (The New York Times first reported on the direction of the study’s findings.) Medicaid Makeover: Florida is preparing to remake its Medicaid program using a managed-care model, with state-approved HMOs... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4762743 Thu, 28 Apr 2011 12:28:11 +0100 4762743 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4753702&cid=t_101331_88_f&fid=38129&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Flifeinthefastlane%2FWZHV%2F%7E3%2FJNBrgOGeUfs%2F Back from the Dead highlights the fascinating documentary by Dr Kevin Fong investigating a pioneering technique of extreme cooling that is being used to bring people back from the dead. (Source: Life in the Fast Lane) Life in the Fast Lane blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4753702 Tue, 26 Apr 2011 01:12:47 +0100 4753702 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4747632&cid=t_101331_99_f&fid=34589&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2Faetiology%2F%7E3%2F7hac-inQU94%2Fgreat_response_to_the_jumbotro.php The Times Square Jumbotron ad keeps trucking, and with it frustration from the medical and public health community. The American Academy of Pediatrics sent a letter to CBS Outdoors, asking them to pull the ad, to no avail. Rahul Parikh thinks it's time to do more: We in medicine need more than letters and passive education for parents on a website. What we really need are some Mad Men of our own. If you want guidance, look at what the folks at the the American Legacy Foundation have done with their anti-smoking campaign, The Truth. Who can forget the TV commercial where a truck pulls up to the headquarters of a tobacco company and teenagers jump out, carrying body bags? We need powerful and unforgettable messages that remind us what's at stake here. Have you heard the horrifying whoop of... Aetiology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4747632 Mon, 25 Apr 2011 15:30:00 +0100 4747632 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4747614&cid=t_101331_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fdrug-resistant-bacteria-found-in-half-of-us-meat-and-chicken%2F2011.04.25 Drug-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus were found in nearly half of meat and poultry samples, and were likely from the animal themselves, a study reported. Researchers collected and analyzed 136 samples of 80 brands of beef, chicken, pork and turkey from 26 retail grocery stores in Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and Flagstaff, Ariz. Among the samples, 47% were contaminated with S. aureus, and 52% of the strains were resistant to at least three classes of antibiotics–and some to nine antibiotics. Translational Genomics Research Institute, a non-profit research organization, conducted the study and published results in Clinical Infectious Diseases. DNA testing suggested that the food animals themselves were the major source of contamination. (mo... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4747614 Mon, 25 Apr 2011 11:00:00 +0100 4747614 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4747270&cid=t_101331_139_f&fid=38879&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FVirologyBlog%2F%7E3%2F9ScghR9Ji_c%2F Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, and Rich Condit Vincent, Alan, and Rich discuss growth in culture of newly identified rhinovirus C, vaccinia transmission among wrestlers and martial artists, and results of phase III clinical trial of boceprevir, a new inhibitor of hepatitis C virus replication. Click the arrow above to play, or right-click to download TWiV #130 (45 MB .mp3, 93 minutes). Subscribe to TWiV (free) in iTunes , at the Zune Marketplace, by the RSS feed, by email, or listen on your mobile device with the Microbeworld app. Links for this episode: Growth of newly identified rhinovirus C (Nature Medicine) Global distribution of rhinovirus C (EID) Vaccinia transmission among wrestlers (EID) Vaccine transmission in a martial arts gym (EID) Boceprevir for untreated HCV in... virology blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4747270 Sun, 24 Apr 2011 14:40:35 +0100 4747270 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4771075&cid=t_101331_107_f&fid=38577&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbiosingularity.com%2F2011%2F04%2F22%2Ffda-approves-roches-hpv-test-for-identifying-women-at-highest-risk-for-cervical-cancer%2F US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the cobas HPV (Human Papillomavirus) Test which identifies women at highest risk for developing cervical cancer. This test will help physicians make early, more accurate decisions about patient care, which may prevent many women from developing this deadly disease. The cobas HPV Test is the only FDA-approved [...] (Source: Biosingularity) Biosingularity blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4771075 Fri, 22 Apr 2011 14:45:14 +0100 4771075 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4734038&cid=t_101331_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2F3fspTJ3JIqk%2F Research suggests that men who have difficulty maintaining an erection when they use condoms are (unsurprisingly) less likely to use them consistently and more likely to have unprotected sex. The solution may be to build a better condom. As the WSJ reports, a contraceptive aimed at helping men maintain their erections — developed by U.K. biotech Futura Medical and licensed to the maker of Durex condoms, the brand now owned by consumer-products company Reckitt Benckiser — is nearing approval in Europe. The medical purpose: to cut down on the risk of sexually-transmitted diseases (such as HIV, seen at right). It’s not clear whether the manufacturer plans to apply to the FDA to market the product here, but the agency would certainly require more data reflecting U.S. patients... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4734038 Wed, 20 Apr 2011 15:05:54 +0100 4734038 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4734042&cid=t_101331_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FvIGpHjyB02c%2F HIV Pill Disappointment: A study looking at whether high-risk women in Africa could take oral antiretroviral drugs prophylactically, to prevent rather than treat HIV infection, was stopped early because researchers can’t determine if there is any benefit, the WSJ reports. Last year that strategy showed success in preventing infection in gay and bisexual men; researchers speculate that a lack of adherence or physiological differences between males and females might explain these latest findings. Donor Dilemma: Living organ donors are sometimes considered by insurers to have a pre-existing condition, making it difficult or impossible to find affordable health coverage, Kaiser Health News reports. This, despite research showing that people who donate kidneys or other organs don’t ... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4734042 Tue, 19 Apr 2011 12:35:01 +0100 4734042 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4714715&cid=t_101331_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FQZVbUny7Xfg%2F Medicare Proposals: President Obama’s speech yesterday included plans to cut $480 billion from Medicare and Medicaid over the next 12 years, in part by tightening government spending controls, the WSJ reports. That contrasts with the plan put forth by House Republicans, which would partially subsidize Medicare beneficiaries’ purchase of private insurance. Skin Business Bidding: Sanofi-Aventis is taking bids for its U.S. dermatology business, Bloomberg News reports, citing two people with knowledge of the matter. Initial bids are already in, and the unit could be sold for as much as $433 million, BN says. Sanofi says it is “exploring strategic alternatives” for the business. Cancer Drug Shortage: Production problems at three manufacturers — Hospira, APP Pharmac... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4714715 Thu, 14 Apr 2011 12:20:44 +0100 4714715 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4709206&cid=t_101331_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fibms-new-solution-for-drug-resistant-bacteria-nanotechnology%2F2011.04.13 IBM and the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology in Shanghai have designed a new type of polymer that can detect and destroy antibiotic-resistant bacteria such as MRSA. The polymer nanostructures also prevent bacteria from developing drug resistance. Moreover, because of the mechanism by which the nanostructures work, they don’t affect circulating blood cells, and, unlike most traditional antimicrobial agents, the nanostructures are biodegradable, naturally eliminated from the body rather than remaining behind and accumulating in tissues. From the Nature Chemistry abstract by Nederberg, et al.: (more…) *This blog post was originally published at Medgadget* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4709206 Wed, 13 Apr 2011 15:00:58 +0100 4709206 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4704690&cid=t_101331_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F04%2Fworld-health-day-2011-combat-drug-resistance.html When the first antibiotics were introduced in the 1940s, they were considered the miracles of modern medicine. Widespread infections that killed many millions of people every year could now be cured. The human condition took a turn for the better and life expectancy increased significantly. But resistance to these drugs is growing and is jeopardizing the gains made so far, as Dr Margaret Chan, Director-General of WHO explains: The world is on the brink of losing these miracle cures. The emergence and spread of drug-resistant pathogens has accelerated. More and more essential medicines are failing. The arsenal is shrinking. The speed with which these drugs are being lost far outpaces the development of replacement drugs (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4704690 Mon, 11 Apr 2011 18:29:01 +0100 4704690 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4676835&cid=t_101331_105_f&fid=34896&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorrw.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F04%2Fwhy-did-media-do-such-lousy-job-of.html (Source: Notes from Dr. RW) Notes from Dr. RW blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4676835 Tue, 05 Apr 2011 10:09:00 +0100 4676835 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4676841&cid=t_101331_105_f&fid=34896&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorrw.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F04%2Ffuo.html (Source: Notes from Dr. RW) Notes from Dr. RW blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4676841 Mon, 04 Apr 2011 19:19:00 +0100 4676841 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4676801&cid=t_101331_88_f&fid=38129&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Flifeinthefastlane%2FWZHV%2F%7E3%2FwvgW1BxKpEk%2F The LITFL Review is your regular and reliable source for the highest highlights, sneakiest sneak peaks and loudest shout-outs from the webbed world of emergency medicine and critical care. (Source: Life in the Fast Lane) Life in the Fast Lane blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4676801 Mon, 04 Apr 2011 16:38:26 +0100 4676801 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4676750&cid=t_101331_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FPKNuRYdsR1c%2F Surgery Alternative: A new heart valve that is delivered via a catheter matched open-heart surgery for survival in a study of elderly patients–a finding that could eventually transform care for tens of thousands of heart patients, the WSJ reports. The device, known as a transcatheter valve, is being developed by Edwards Lifesciences Inc. and also came with a higher risk of stroke. Take That, MRSA: Researchers at IBM have developed a nanodrug that shows promise as a new weapon against drug-resistant superbugs like Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, the WSJ reports. More research is necessary before it can be tested in humans. But if successful, it would offer a fresh strategy against possibly deadly bacteria evolving to become impervious to antibiotics. Alzheimer’s Gen... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4676750 Mon, 04 Apr 2011 12:23:02 +0100 4676750 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4676727&cid=t_101331_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F04%2F03%2Fsunday-news-round-up-sunny-day-edition-2%2F The New England Journal of Medicine published a freely available Clinical Practice article, “Care of Transsexual Persons.” It covers hormones, surgery, and adolescents. Note that it does use the problematic gender identity “disorder” language as included in the DSM and it also promotes the standard psychological counseling hoops that transgender persons must jump through prior to obtaining treatment – Julia Serano‘s “Whipping Girl” provides a good primer on why those hoops can be problematic. It might be worth checking out what kinds of materials health care providers are seeing regarding these topics, including how they’re problematic. Relatedly, there’s a possibility that “gender identity disorder” will be renamed &... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4676727 Sun, 03 Apr 2011 23:04:37 +0100 4676727 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4615102&cid=t_101331_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fmolecular-condoms-and-controlling-the-spread-of-hivaids-in-women%2F2011.03.19 National Women and Girls AIDS Awareness Day, a nationwide observance that raises awareness and promotes action in the fight against HIV/AIDS, took place on March 10. As the nation turns its attention to this important cause, women and girls around the world continue to be affected by HIV/AIDS in high numbers. According to reports from the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS, HIV is the leading cause of death and disease among women of reproductive age across the globe. HIV is a virus that can cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, or AIDS, a disease that diminishes the body’s ability to fight off infection. Unprotected intercourse is the primary way HIV is spread, but it can also be shared through IV drug use, blood transfusion or from mother to baby during pregnancy, childbirth ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4615102 Sat, 19 Mar 2011 20:00:00 +0100 4615102 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4605854&cid=t_101331_105_f&fid=34896&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorrw.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F03%2Foral-antibiotic-therapy-for-cellulitis.html (Source: Notes from Dr. RW) Notes from Dr. RW blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4605854 Thu, 17 Mar 2011 12:45:00 +0100 4605854 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4600511&cid=t_101331_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FyHcUPetOUQw%2F The New York State Department of Health alerted hospitals and transplant centers Tuesday that an organ recipient recently contracted the virus that causes AIDS  from a live kidney donor in an unnamed city hospital. It’s the nation’s first documented case of HIV transmission via a transplant from a living donor since a sensitive test for the virus was approved and implemented for donor screening in 1985, according to the health department. A department spokeswoman tells the Health Blog that the hospital followed acceptable protocols in an initial screening of the donor, but that he apparently had “unsafe sex” after the test and prior to donating the organ. “Of course this is a rare case, but we felt like we needed to alert centers to this possibility so the... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4600511 Wed, 16 Mar 2011 21:38:47 +0100 4600511 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4600513&cid=t_101331_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FT1PiniVqcOY%2F Radiation Risk: The existence and extent of the radiation risk to human health in Japan will hinge on whether the nuclear reactors experience a full or partial meltdown and whether the wind blows radiation out to sea or inland, the WSJ reports. Yesterday there was a temporary spike in radiation levels in Tokyo, though the absolute levels were still very small. At this point the workers struggling to cool the reactors are the people most likely to be exposed to harmful radiation, the WSJ reports, though at current levels of exposure and the usual precautions they aren’t expected to get radiation poisoning. Pushing for a Change: Though state insurance commissioners have already said health-insurance brokers’ commissions should be counted as administrative costs for insurers, brok... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4600513 Wed, 16 Mar 2011 12:43:39 +0100 4600513 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4570548&cid=t_101331_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2F5-avoidable-air-travel-health-risks%2F2011.03.10 For those of you planning air travel to your next medical conference (and ACP Internist isn’t too shameless to plug Internal Medicine 2011 — we hope to see you there), TIME reports that there are five health risks that are rare yet have recently happened. Tips on avoiding these maladies include: – E. Coli and MRSA on the tray table. Microbiologists found these two everywhere when they swabbed down flights. Bring your own disinfecting wipes. – Bedbugs in the seat. British Airways fumigated two planes after a passenger posted pictures online about her experience. Wrap clothes in plastic and wash them. – Sick seatmates. Everyone has experienced (or been) this person. Wash your hands. – Deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Tennis star Serena Williams experienced a p... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4570548 Thu, 10 Mar 2011 14:00:00 +0100 4570548 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4565904&cid=t_101331_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fpreventing-hospital-acquired-infections-patients-must-be-safety-partners%2F2011.03.09 This is a guest post by Dr. Julia Hallisy. Serious infections are becoming more prevalent and more virulent both in our hospitals and in our communities. The numbers are staggering: 1.7 million people will suffer from a hospital-acquired infections each year and almost 100,000 will die as a result. When our late daughter, Kate, was diagnosed with an aggressive eye cancer in 1989 at five months of age, our life became consumed by doctor visits, MRI scans, radiation treatments, chemotherapy — and fear. My husband and I assumed that our fight was against the ravages of cancer, but almost eight years later we faced another life-threatening challenge we never counted on — a hospital-acquired infection. In 1997, Kate was infected with methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRS... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4565904 Wed, 09 Mar 2011 18:00:43 +0100 4565904 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4560229&cid=t_101331_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FbxXZX6nV0sY%2F In the ongoing effort to understand XMRV and related retroviruses, a key concern has been assessing whether a risk exists to the nation’s blood supply. In separate reports published online in the journal Transfusion, two task forces working on the issue say there’s still no conclusive answer. The task forces were set up in the wake of a study published in 2009 in the journal Science that found the retrovirus XMRV in 67% of 101 patients with chronic fatigue syndrome. XMRV was also found in around 4% of the healthy people in the same study, raising the possibility that people who had the virus but were not sick might donate blood. Subsequent studies have led to conflicting results, with some labs not able to find XMRV or related viruses in either CFS patients or healthy controls. The ... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4560229 Mon, 07 Mar 2011 22:16:23 +0100 4560229 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4554608&cid=t_101331_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Ftravelers-diarrhea-the-basics%2F2011.03.06 This is a guest post by Dr. Erik McLaughlin. ********** Traveler’s Diarrhea: The Basics Known around the world by many names including “Montezuma’s revenge,” “Delhi belly” and “mummy tummy,” traveler’s diarrhea (TD) is the most common illness faced by travelers. Nothing can slow down a fun trip as easily as TD — and it can also have serious health implications. TD typically lasts four to six days, and 90 percent of cases occur within the first two weeks of travel. Anatomy You Need to Know The gastrointestinal tract starts at the mouth and ends at the anus. After food enters the mouth, it passes through the esophagus to the stomach, where it sits for approximately 45 minutes. After being broken down by gastric secretions, food matter enters the small intestine (d... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4554608 Sun, 06 Mar 2011 13:00:00 +0100 4554608 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4554610&cid=t_101331_88_f&fid=38129&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Flifeinthefastlane%2FWZHV%2F%7E3%2FX62M5exw-jM%2F We echo the ZDOggMD crew's call to IMMUNIZE! (Source: Life in the Fast Lane) Life in the Fast Lane blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4554610 Sun, 06 Mar 2011 12:19:58 +0100 4554610 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4544937&cid=t_101331_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2Fj96A288CV-g%2F Researchers searching for MRSA, the drug-resistant staph bacteria, couldn’t find it in three community gyms — at least not in the places they looked. A new study by researchers from the University of Florida College of Medicine looked at a local high-school gym, a large university rec facility and a high-volume private gym in the Gainesville area, where staph is prevalent. The report, published in the American Journal of Infection Control, was intended to look for the bacteria, and also to see if disinfection would protect equipment from becoming contaminated. So on three different occasions, researchers swabbed two separate gym mats, benches, dumbbells, cardio machines and weight machines in each gym at various times during the day, before and after the equipment was cleaned. ... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4544937 Thu, 03 Mar 2011 15:29:24 +0100 4544937 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4544938&cid=t_101331_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2F3huZJMH5SQI%2F A child is vaccinated against polio in Democratic Republic of Congo in 2001. The effort to wipe out polio began some 20 years ago and continues today. Eradicating a virus is tough; this century, there has been only one success — smallpox — out of six attempts, according to Bruce Aylward, head of the World Health Organization’s Global Polio Eradication Initiative. Certain aspects of polio make it more difficult to eliminate than smallpox, said Aylward during a talk at the TED2011 conference. The talk was moderated by Bill Gates, whose foundation has pledged hundreds of millions of dollars to the polio-eradication effort. For one, Aylward said, the polio virus has been found in locations impacting as many as 4 billion people, whereas smallpox was contained in pockets that aff... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4544938 Thu, 03 Mar 2011 14:44:03 +0100 4544938 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4532208&cid=t_101331_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fdoctors-garments-and-bacterial-contamination%2F2011.03.01 Bacterial contamination of physicians’ newly laundered uniforms occurs within three hours of putting them on, making them no more or less dirty than the traditional white coats, researchers reported. Researchers sought to compare bacterial and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus contamination of physicians’ white coats to freshly laundered short-sleeved uniforms, and to determine the rate at which bacterial contamination happens. They reported results in the Journal of Hospital Medicine. ACP Internist‘s blog recently took up the debate as well. The issue has cropped up over the years, assessing not only the cleanliness but the professionalism inherent in the white lab coat. Researchers conducted a prospective, randomized, controlled trial among 100 residents and h... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4532208 Tue, 01 Mar 2011 14:00:00 +0100 4532208 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4532186&cid=t_101331_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FwC4Mu6Ya-Ys%2F   Here’s the trajectory of a communicable disease in an era of jet travel: A woman infected with measles travels from the U.K. into Dulles Airport in Virginia on Feb. 20. Two days later she flies from Baltimore Washington International Airport to Denver, where she transfers to another flight to Albuquerque. Now, according to the CDC, local and state health departments are trying to find people she might have exposed to measles during her travels. The unidentified 27-year-old woman wasn’t immunized against the disease, according to the Associated Press. If you think you might have been on her flight, or at the airport at the same time she was, and are experiencing symptoms including a fever or a blotchy rash, get thee to a doctor. According to the CDC, symptoms generally s... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4532186 Mon, 28 Feb 2011 17:21:50 +0100 4532186 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4532187&cid=t_101331_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FmBjIywxbYIE%2F What’s Essential?: Regulators are working on definitions of the “essential” medical care that must be offered by insurance plans under the health-care overhaul law, the WSJ reports. The law defines ten categories of care that must be provided, but the specifics are sparking debate — for example, which so-called habilitative services, such as behavioral therapy for autistic kids, should be defined as essential. Question Mark: The CDC may have issued interim guidance on how to use Gilead’s drug Truvada to prevent HIV infection in certain men at high risk for contracting the virus, but the drug’s high price and side effects are keeping many doctors and patients on the sidelines, Bloomberg News reports. According to Bloomberg data, use of the drug has increa... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4532187 Mon, 28 Feb 2011 13:42:50 +0100 4532187 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4522104&cid=t_101331_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fcough-and-cold-meds-the-good-and-the-bad%2F2011.02.25 Want to try to avoid a visit to the doctor for that cough or cold? Why not go to the pharmacy to get an over-the-counter (OTC) medicine? In this video from local TV news, I talk about the good and bad of OTC cough and cold meds. Will that medicine from the pharmacy actually help you get better faster?   *This blog post was originally published at Doctor Anonymous* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4522104 Fri, 25 Feb 2011 22:00:00 +0100 4522104 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4522131&cid=t_101331_105_f&fid=34896&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorrw.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F02%2Fvancomycin-mic-and-outcomes-in-mrsa.html (Source: Notes from Dr. RW) Notes from Dr. RW blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4522131 Fri, 25 Feb 2011 11:44:00 +0100 4522131 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4518260&cid=t_101331_10_f&fid=35345&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.GIDEONonline.com%2F2011%2F02%2F25%2Fmeasles-outbreak-in-turkey%2F An ongoing outbreak in Istanbul reminds us that measles rates in Turkey have decreased significantly only during the past five years, in parallel with achievement of >90 vaccination coverage in the country (WHO estimates) [1,2] In the attached graph, measles rates (green line) are contrasted with vaccination coverage estimates. References: 1. Berger SA. Infectious Diseases of Turkey, 2011. 420 pp. Gideon e-books, http://www.gideononline.com/ebooks/country/infectious-diseases-of-turkey/ 2. Berger SA. Measles: Global Status, 2011. 386 pp. Gideon e-books, http://www.gideononline.com/ebooks/disease/measles-global-status/ (Source: GIDEON blog) GIDEON blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4518260 Fri, 25 Feb 2011 10:37:44 +0100 4518260 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4517194&cid=t_101331_105_f&fid=34896&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorrw.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F02%2Feleanor-roosevelts-miliary-tuberculosis.html (Source: Notes from Dr. RW) Notes from Dr. RW blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4517194 Thu, 24 Feb 2011 14:53:00 +0100 4517194 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4512372&cid=t_101331_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FO7-_PXIOmuo%2F Bull’s eye rash characteristic of Lyme disease. Researchers who analyzed the spinal fluid of people with chronic fatigue syndrome and post-treatment Lyme disease were able to find proteins that were specific to each disorder — and different from proteins in the spinal fluid of healthy people. The discovery, published today in the journal PLoS One, opens up the possibility of finding diagnostic tests for the puzzling and controversial conditions. Scientists still do not know what causes CFS or post-treatment Lyme disease, a condition affecting people diagnosed with and treated for Lyme disease whose symptoms persist long after finishing antibiotic treatment. Doctors sometimes consider patients who don’t recover from Lyme disease despite treatment to have a form of chronic fat... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4512372 Wed, 23 Feb 2011 22:02:44 +0100 4512372 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4501603&cid=t_101331_105_f&fid=34896&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorrw.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F02%2Ffluoroquinolone-usage-and-tuberculosis.html (Source: Notes from Dr. RW) Notes from Dr. RW blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4501603 Mon, 21 Feb 2011 12:02:00 +0100 4501603 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4501604&cid=t_101331_105_f&fid=34896&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorrw.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F02%2Fmycoplasma-pneumoniae-severe-vap-and.html (Source: Notes from Dr. RW) Notes from Dr. RW blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4501604 Mon, 21 Feb 2011 11:58:00 +0100 4501604 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4495206&cid=t_101331_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fapp-tracking-the-flu%2F2011.02.18 As a part of the TheraFlu campaign, Novartis has developed free Android, Blackberry and iPhone applications for tracking flu outbreaks in the U.S. These days it’s become inevitable to develop free apps on all platforms in order to promote your product. From Novartis: Keep up-to-date on the most active cold and flu reports around the country. The WheresFlu™ app follows sickness incidence levels from week to week and keeps track of the current top 5 affected cities in the nation. The WheresFlu™ app will find your current location and provide you with results for that area. Or you can enter a ZIP code to get information for that area. If you’re wondering how it actually works and how it differs from Google Flu Trends, here it is: WheresFlu™ measures weekly activity for cold ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4495206 Fri, 18 Feb 2011 14:00:39 +0100 4495206 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4498267&cid=t_101331_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FIae1yfOaJAw%2F The debate over what XMRV may do to humans continues. But at least in a small group of monkeys, one thing is clear, according to a new study. “The virus causes chronic, persistent infection,” says Robert Silverman of the Cleveland Clinic, a co-author of the paper, which was published online yesterday in the Journal of Virology. Moreover, the new research suggests that in these monkeys, at least, the virus can be difficult to detect in blood, even though it’s taken root in the body. This is a tantalizing finding because it raises the prospect that someone could be infected with XMRV but show no clinical symptoms of disease until years, possibly decades, later. The study involved five macaque monkeys who were infected intravenously with XMRV. Researchers were studying the m... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4498267 Thu, 17 Feb 2011 16:05:55 +0100 4498267 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4477762&cid=t_101331_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Ffugus-an-unwanted-yoga-partner%2F2011.02.14 Yoga is good for your mind and body, including your skin. Yoga mats, on the other hand, might not be. Using someone else’s yoga mat for an hour could lead to an infection. Fungal infections are common and appear as athlete’s foot, toenail fungus, and ringworm. Unfortunately, the fungus can survive on surfaces like mats long after the infected person has left. Although most people blame the gym locker room when they develop athlete’s foot, you can catch the fungus from a variety of places anytime you walk barefoot. Fortunately, even if the fungus comes into contact with your skin, it doesn’t always lead to infection. Dry, cracked skin, or soft, wet skin disrupt your primary defense against the fungus — the densely packed barrier of skin cells, oils and proteins on your healthy... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4477762 Mon, 14 Feb 2011 23:00:35 +0100 4477762 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4477789&cid=t_101331_105_f&fid=34896&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorrw.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F02%2Finvasive-pulmonary-aspergillosis-in.html (Source: Notes from Dr. RW) Notes from Dr. RW blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4477789 Mon, 14 Feb 2011 12:59:00 +0100 4477789 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4459937&cid=t_101331_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FSl2kn6-AfSI%2F At eight hours into the work day, researchers took samples from breast pocket, sleeve cuff and skin of the wrist, then let them incubate. (Source: WSJ.com: Health Blog) WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4459937 Thu, 10 Feb 2011 14:27:29 +0100 4459937 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4455287&cid=t_101331_105_f&fid=34896&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorrw.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F02%2Fidsa-fever-and-neutropenia-guidelines.html (Source: Notes from Dr. RW) Notes from Dr. RW blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4455287 Wed, 09 Feb 2011 13:02:00 +0100 4455287 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4450315&cid=t_101331_105_f&fid=34896&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorrw.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F02%2Fadenosine-deaminase-and-interferon.html (Source: Notes from Dr. RW) Notes from Dr. RW blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4450315 Tue, 08 Feb 2011 12:28:00 +0100 4450315 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4445772&cid=t_101331_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FqsDlNS6NbgU%2F Three cases of cholera -- in people who traveled to the Dominican Republic for a wedding -- were confirmed in NYC. (Source: WSJ.com: Health Blog) WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4445772 Mon, 07 Feb 2011 14:11:15 +0100 4445772 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4429032&cid=t_101331_105_f&fid=34896&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorrw.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F02%2Fpacemaker-and-aicd-related-infections.html (Source: Notes from Dr. RW) Notes from Dr. RW blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4429032 Wed, 02 Feb 2011 13:08:00 +0100 4429032 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4419137&cid=t_101331_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fbook-review-deadly-choices-how-the-anti-vaccine-movement-threatens-us-all%2F2011.01.31 A friend suggested she was tired of hearing about vaccines. Her comment and our subsequent conversation seemed to reflect an important shift in parent sentiment: The conversation about vaccines is beginning to get somewhere. While much of this was born of the mainstream media’s newfound realization that the vaccine-autism connection was cooked, some of this is due to the tireless work of those like the Children’s Hospital of Philedelphia’s Dr. Paul Offit who get the story right. As part of his passionate agenda to expose vaccine truths, he’s published “Deadly Choices: How the Anti-vaccine Movement Threatens Us All” (Basic Books, 2011). For those looking to understand the origins of anti-vaccine sentiment, read this book. What struck me is the deep history beh... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4419137 Mon, 31 Jan 2011 21:00:50 +0100 4419137 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4419164&cid=t_101331_105_f&fid=34896&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorrw.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F01%2Fnew-mrsa-guidelines.html (Source: Notes from Dr. RW) Notes from Dr. RW blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4419164 Mon, 31 Jan 2011 11:24:00 +0100 4419164 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4411524&cid=t_101331_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fteleporting-the-dna-of-hiv%2F2011.01.28 Luc Montagnier received the 2008 Nobel Prize for his discovery of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), but now he’s come up with a more-than-strange theory. He thinks DNA can teleport from one tube to another via electromagnetic signals. Is this the so-called “Nobel disease?” French virologist Luc Montagnier stunned his colleagues at a prestigious international conference when he presented a new method for detecting viral infections that bore close parallels to the basic tenets of homeopathy. Although fellow Nobel prize winners — who view homeopathy as quackery — were left openly shaking their heads, Montagnier’s comments were rapidly embraced by homeopaths eager for greater credibility. Montagnier told the conference last week that solutions containing the DNA o... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4411524 Sat, 29 Jan 2011 00:00:35 +0100 4411524 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4411662&cid=t_101331_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FKTP5HC5JeyA%2F Thanks to the recent midterm elections and this week’s State of the Union address, health care and health care reform has made its way into the headlines more often over the past few months. But one topic we haven’t seen covered very often is the frequency of health care-associated infections (or HAIs), which are any infection that patients develop at a hospital or other patient care facility that they didn’t have prior to treatment, like ventilator-related pneumonia and surgery site infections. We were shocked to learn that HAIs are one of the top ten causes of death in the U.S., with an estimated two million patients being affected by an HAI every year. But one company, Kimberly-Clark Health Care, which manufactures tubes and other sterile products used in hospitals, is... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4411662 Fri, 28 Jan 2011 17:33:47 +0100 4411662 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4399548&cid=t_101331_105_f&fid=34896&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorrw.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F01%2Fcolistin-resistance-in-carbapenem.html (Source: Notes from Dr. RW) Notes from Dr. RW blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4399548 Wed, 26 Jan 2011 17:43:00 +0100 4399548 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4399549&cid=t_101331_105_f&fid=34896&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorrw.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F01%2Fshould-red-cell-transfusion-be.html (Source: Notes from Dr. RW) Notes from Dr. RW blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4399549 Wed, 26 Jan 2011 11:52:00 +0100 4399549 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4394482&cid=t_101331_105_f&fid=34896&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorrw.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F01%2Fhcap-guideline-adherence-associated.html (Source: Notes from Dr. RW) Notes from Dr. RW blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4394482 Mon, 24 Jan 2011 12:55:00 +0100 4394482 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4394484&cid=t_101331_105_f&fid=34896&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorrw.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F01%2Ftuberculous-pleural-disease.html (Source: Notes from Dr. RW) Notes from Dr. RW blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4394484 Mon, 24 Jan 2011 11:33:00 +0100 4394484 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4386287&cid=t_101331_105_f&fid=34896&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorrw.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F01%2Fwill-my-dogs-make-me-sick.html (Source: Notes from Dr. RW) Notes from Dr. RW blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4386287 Sat, 22 Jan 2011 20:14:00 +0100 4386287 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4377548&cid=t_101331_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2Fxkw-VuYSUJU%2F One of the key challenges is figuring out how the infection might work in blood donors who turn out to be asymptomatic carriers of XMRV. (Source: WSJ.com: Health Blog) WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4377548 Thu, 20 Jan 2011 22:17:19 +0100 4377548 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4377589&cid=t_101331_105_f&fid=34896&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorrw.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F01%2Fwhats-level-of-evidence-behind-idsa.html (Source: Notes from Dr. RW) Notes from Dr. RW blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4377589 Thu, 20 Jan 2011 11:29:00 +0100 4377589 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4349532&cid=t_101331_105_f&fid=34896&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorrw.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F01%2Fcan-we-prevent-ventilator-associated.html (Source: Notes from Dr. RW) Notes from Dr. RW blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4349532 Fri, 14 Jan 2011 12:42:00 +0100 4349532 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4343127&cid=t_101331_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Finfluenza-its-not-just-the-flu%2F2011.01.13 One of our readers suggested that I review the book The Great Influenza: The Epic Story of the Deadliest Plague in History, by John M. Barry. It’s not a new book (it was published in 2004) but it is very pertinent to several of the issues that we have been discussing on this blog, especially in regards to the current anti-vaccine movement. It’s well worth reading for its historical insights, for its illumination of the scientific method, and for its accurate reporting of what science has learned about influenza. In the great flu epidemic of 1918, influenza killed as many people in 24 weeks as AIDS has killed in 24 years. It’s hard to even imagine what that must have been like, but this book helps us imagine it. It tells horror stories: Children found alone and starving beside the cor... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4343127 Thu, 13 Jan 2011 20:00:51 +0100 4343127 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4337983&cid=t_101331_105_f&fid=34896&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorrw.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F01%2Feleanor-roosevelts-tuberculosis.html (Source: Notes from Dr. RW) Notes from Dr. RW blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4337983 Wed, 12 Jan 2011 12:45:00 +0100 4337983 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4330986&cid=t_101331_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2F6s_jsnR34dk%2F Vaccines are perpetually victims of their own success, the author says. (Source: WSJ.com: Health Blog) WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4330986 Tue, 11 Jan 2011 15:22:45 +0100 4330986 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4331217&cid=t_101331_149_f&fid=35776&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpipeline.corante.com%2Farchives%2F2011%2F01%2F11%2Fxmrv_its_ugly_but_thats_science.php How's the XMRV / chronic fatigue syndrome connection holding up? Not real well. Science has a roundup of the latest news in the area, and none of it looks encouraging. There are four studies that have come out in the journal Retrovirology that strongly suggest that earlier positive test results for the virus in CFS samples are just artifacts. For one thing, when you look closely, it turns out that the sequences from cell-cultured XMRV samples are quite a bit more diverse than the ones taken from widely separated patients at different times. And that's just not right for an infectious agent; it's the opposite of what you should see. A number of supposedly XMRV-specific primers that have been used in such assays also appear to amplify other murine viral sequences as well, and samples that s... In the Pipeline blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4331217 Tue, 11 Jan 2011 13:29:56 +0100 4331217 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4322529&cid=t_101331_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F01%2Fbritish-medical-journal-declares-mmr-study-an-elaborate-fraud----autism-claims-likened-to-piltdown-m.html (January 6, 2011) -- The British Medical Journal has declared the 1998 Lancet paper that implied a link between the MMR vaccine and autism "an elaborate fraud." Comment: It is unfortunate than a number of major journals still print articles with very poor research data and later have to retract the article. What is even worse is the cost to national health programs around the world that then have to prove to the populations they serve that immunizations work and do not have these unanticipated side effects. I know that when I was Commissioner of health for Virginia we had to perform a number of studies that took away from services to the general population because legislators wanted to know that the activist statements were all crap it were not correct. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4322529 Fri, 07 Jan 2011 19:16:34 +0100 4322529 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4318304&cid=t_101331_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2F-IeaRViAYco%2F An editorial in BMJ accompanies a lengthy article by journalist Brian Deer that spells out the problems with the research, which was led by Andrew Wakefield. (Source: WSJ.com: Health Blog) WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4318304 Thu, 06 Jan 2011 15:14:51 +0100 4318304 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4318384&cid=t_101331_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F01%2Fquality-certification-for-primary.html " On Sunday, the quasi-governmental organization, Quality Control of India, will introduce the accreditation process with the first stop of healthcare for most consumers: neighbourhood doctors. “Once the government passes the Clinical Establishments Act, it will be binding on all healthcare providers to seek accreditation,’’ said QCI secretary general Dr Giridhar Gyani. How will Cliniq 21st help patients ? It will mean that a doctor with the brand has been attending continued medical education (CME) lectures, he or she will provide health checkups for his/her staff and the clinic will have minimum required emergency care equipment and the place will be fumigated once a week. “Once patients or their relatives see this Cliniq 21st board outside a doctor’s chamber or a clinic, they ... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4318384 Thu, 06 Jan 2011 11:02:00 +0100 4318384