Dentistry Today

Methotrexate Shortages Not Currently Affecting MD Anderson Pediatric Patients

Stephanie Preece — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 12:24:21 +0000

A news story recently in the New York Times has unveiled a growing concern among pediatric oncologists and health care institutions at large. The injectable form of preservative free methotrexate, commonly used to treat pediatric patients with leukemia and osteosarcoma, is in short supply. Drug shortages are an increasingly frequent and serious problem affecting health care organizations across the country. “A number of contributing factors are causing these shortages, such as raw material unavailability, manufacturing difficulties and regulatory issues, voluntary recalls related to manufacturing problems, changes in medication formulation, and industry consolidations and economic decisions,” says Wendy Heck, Pharm.D., manager of drug information and drug use policy at MD Anderson Cancer Center.Regardless of the cause, drug shortages create great frustration for everyone involved, including purchasing agents, pharmacists, nurses, physicians, and patients. Get more…

Department Of Public Health Issues Subpoena To Charter Oak Health Center

Angelina Arundale — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 08:45:59 +0000

HARTFORD The financial and daily operations of the Charter Oak Health Center have come under scrutiny by state public health officials, who subpoenaed the Hartford facility for financial and other records and have ordered operational changes by next week.

The state Department of Public Health’s actions follow reports and concerns about the management of an active case of tuberculosis at the center earlier this month specifically, conflicting statements about when the case was reported.

“As part of our regulatory role, we have issued a subpoena for records, and we have staff on site,” said William Gerrish, a spokesman for the health department.

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Injured boomers beware: Know when to see doctor

Alica Sleath — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 14:28:44 +0000

CHICAGO (AP) – It happened to nurse Jane Byron years after an in-line skating fall, business owner Haralee Weintraub while doing “men’s” push-ups, and avid cyclist Gene Wilberg while lifting a heavy box.

“It” is that pop, strain or suddenly swollen joint that reminds active older adults they aren’t as young as they’d like to think.

Even among the fittest baby boomers, aging bodies just aren’t as nimble as young ones, and they’re more prone to minor damage that can turn serious if ignored or denied. But not every twist or turn needs medical attention, and knowing when it’s OK to self-treat pays off in the long run, in dollars and in health.

Costly knee replacements have more than tripled in people aged 45-64 in recent years and a study released last week found that nearly 1 in 20 Americans older than 50 have these artificial joints. Get more…

Fasting Plus Chemo May Help in Cancer Fight: Study

Stephanie Preece — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:24:38 +0000

WEDNESDAY, Feb.

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Strutting the Catwalk in Red, Stars Promote ‘The Heart Truth’

Alica Sleath — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 11:59:29 +0000

THURSDAY, Feb. 9 The star power gathered on the runway was impressive and so were the red-hot designer frocks, all on display at the 10th annual “The Heart Truth” Red Dress Collection fashion show, held in New York City on Wednesday night.

The Red Dress Collection, sponsored by the U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, hopes to “get women to recognize that everyone carries some degree of heart disease risk,” explained Dr.

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Dads Are Capable of Being Parents Too

Angelina Arundale — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:55:35 +0000

I woke up this morning and could have sworn it was 2012. Yet, after reading this guy’s fearful article about his wife leaving town for a few days , I’m thinking some people might still be blissfully unaware of this new thing called “equality.” A fresh reminder that not everyone believes men and women are both capable of taking care of the children hit me again as I dropped off my kids at school. For some reason it’s surprising when people see my husband — the father of our children — dropping off the kids on occasion. You know, because he’s a man and must have much more important things to do than I.

I don’t get it.

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Pain is top concern in Ohio and the nation

Stephanie Preece — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 22:58:21 +0000

View full sizeChris Morris, The Plain Dealer

CLEVELAND, Ohio — High costs and the alarmingly high number of accidental deaths linked to prescription pain pills have made pain treatment a central issue in health care across Ohio and the nation.

A recent report by the Institute of Medicine underlined the urgency of developing better pain-management strategies in the United States,where chronic pain affects more than 116 million people and costs as much as $650 billion yearly in direct medical treatment and lost productivity.

“Pain is a major driver for visits to physicians, a major reason for taking medications, a major cause of disability, and a key factor in quality of life and productivity,” the report stated.

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PRODUCT REVIEW: Soy Protein Isolate

Alica Sleath — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 23:22:50 +0000

Soy protein is a nutritional supplement that has been used for ages in Asia as a source of nutrient and as a medicine. Soy Protein isolate as developed in the 1960s made it possible for a product to be developed that didn’t have some of the gastrointestinal issues associated with the original varieties.In the late 1990s, soy protein powder manufacturers benefited from the decision by the FDA to allow them to label their products as helping to decrease heart disease risk amongst users. When this happened, soy protein powders can really be said to have taken off.The question remains of course whether or not soy protein powders can live up to this original hype.Soy protein powders do provide the essential amino acids needed by the body. These can help with growth, cellular maintenance and coping with stresses and strains. Soy protein is actually the most complete protein of all the various vegetable based proteins. As such, soy protein comes closest to the animal derived varieties.Whey protein does however score higher when it comes to looking at the digestibility but only of a difference between 1 (for soy protein) and 1.14 for whey protein.Both soy protein and proteins derived from milk and meat are found to be very easily digestible in human clinical studies. Sources of soy protein include tofu, soy milk, miso and soy flour. You can eat these in these forms or even now as soy burgers, cheeses, yogurts and various other soy products. Using soy supplements and protein powders can also help provide you with some of the amino acids in higher amounts than your regular whey protein formula. As such, some experts suggest mixing the two in order to get the most out of each.Using both a whey protein powder and a soy protein powder can therefore give benefits than either alone lacks. Most importantly though for those who are lactose intolerant, a soy protein formula offers a great alternative. Make sure to check labels though as some soy supplements may still utilize milk proteins.

A Look at Google Wallet’s Security

Stephanie Preece — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 04:28:37 +0000

Imagine being able to pay with your phone. Instead of fumbling with cash or deciding which card to use, you could store all your accounts on one device. You are probably wondering What if that device is hacked or stolen Lets consider the safety aspects of Google Wallet.

Before we go into the security details, lets quickly review the basics of how Google Wallet works.

Google Wallet will function as a free app on your Android phone. As of its introduction, it can store eligible Citi Mastercards or be used with a Google Prepaid Card, which can be funded with any credit or debit card.

If you want to pay using Google Wallet at a store that supports PayPass, you can do so just by tapping your phone on the PayPass terminal.

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Lawsuit Charges That Tolland Boy Lost His Eyesight After Doctor Failed To Diagnose Meningitis

Angelina Arundale — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 20:18:07 +0000

A Tolland boy’s family has sued his pediatrician, charging that she failed to diagnose his bacterial meningitis, resulting in his losing his eyesight.

The boy, Adam Mlodzinski, and his mother, Katherine Mlodzinski, say the then-7-year-old’s complaints went nowhere when presented to Healthwise Medical Associates, doing business as Vernon Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, and Dr. Judy Huang-Bulger, who has a Manchester office, according to the four-page complaint filed Jan. 9 at Superior Court in Hartford.

Instead of recognizing that Adam had life-threatening bacterial meningitis — an inflammation of the membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord as a result of a bacterial infection — Huang-Bulger first diagnosed Adam with an ear infection, the suit charges.

“The doctor blew off basically the severe headache that Adam had,” said Joel Faxon, the family’s lawyer. “Th

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Crusading HIV-Positive Senior Dies at 78

Alica Sleath — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 18:32:44 +0000

Dr. Robert Franke, who fought to live in a retirement home that rejected him because of his HIV status, died December 26. He was 78. Franke wanted to be closer to daughter Sara Franke Bowling in Little Rock, Ark., so he applied to live at Fox Ridge, an assisted-living facility. He moved in after fulfilling residency requirements, but after it was discovered that he is HIV-positive, Franke was abruptly ejected from his home. After working with Lambda Legal, he settled with the facility’s operators in 2010. Scott Schoettes, Lambda Legal HIV project director, called Franke “courageous” and added that his crusade paved the way for more seniors living with HIV as they seek elder care. Get more…

Low-Dose Aspirin to Prevent First Heart Attack or Stroke? Not So Fast

Stephanie Preece — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 02:10:52 +0000

Modest benefits might not outweigh bleeding risk, evidence review suggests.

By Denise MannHealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, Jan. 9 (HealthDay News) — For years, people have been told that low-dose aspirin can help reduce their risk of dying from a heart attack, stroke or cancer even if they are healthy. Now, a new evidence review calls this advice into question.

Low-dose daily aspirin therapy does not reduce risk of dying from cardiovascular disease or cancer, according to a new study in the Jan. 9 online edition of the Archives of Internal Medicine.

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Could A Nicotine Patch Slow Dementia?

Angelina Arundale — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 06:32:14 +0000

It’s hard to escape the warnings of the dangers of smoking, but one component of cigarettes – nicotine – might actually have a therapeutic use, preliminary research suggests.

A small study, published Monday in the journal Neurology, finds that using a nicotine patch may help symptoms of mild cognitive impairment, a condition characterized by a noticeable memory problem. Many, but not all, patients with mild cognitive impairment will go on to develop Alzheimer’s disease; scientists are still working on predicting who is most at risk.

A nicotine patch releases nicotine slowly over a number of hours. Get more…

N.C. to recommend money for sterilization victims

Alica Sleath — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 01:31:34 +0000

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) – It’s a question that has not been answered before and doesn’t have an easy solution: How do you repay people for taking away their ability to have children?

North Carolina’s Eugenics Compensation Task Force is the first in the nation to tackle that question and is set on Tuesday to recommend how much to pay victims of forced sterilization, along with whether the victims’ descendants are eligible for the money.

“If we all agree that there is no amount that restore somebody’s loss of ability to procreate, then it’s understood that the ultimate figure is an attempt to put out an active apology instead of a verbal apology,” said task force member Demetrius Worley Berry, a Greensboro attorney. Get more…

U.S. Heart Attack Patients Readmitted Most Often: Study

Alica Sleath — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 23:22:37 +0000

TUESDAY, Jan. 3 People who have heart attacks in the United States are far more likely to be readmitted to the hospital within 30 days than people in 16 other countries, a new study indicates.

Researchers suspect that the average length of stay, which was just three days in the United States compared with at least six days in other countries, is the main reason for the higher readmission rates. When they completed an analysis that adjusted the data for length of stay, they found that location was no longer a predictor of readmission.

“We found two striking predictors of 30-day readmission. Having multi-vessel disease and being in the U.S. This difference is probably multifactorial, but the length of stay is the shortest in the U.S.

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