Skin & Allergy News articles from October 2003

Skin & Allergy News archives from October 2003

Physician extenders: pushing the limits? Poor supervision worries some.(use of physician assistants and nurse practitioners)
October 1, 2003... The amount of responsibility, supervision, and training that dermatologists give their physician extenders is bound primarily by how comfortable a dermatologist feels in delegating responsibility, several dermatologists and physician extenders...

Panel unanimously backs efalizumab for adult psoriasis: biologic therapy: the FDA advisory panel recommended further studies to assess long-term safety.
October 1, 2003... GAITHERSBURG, MD. -- The biologic agent efalizumab has earned a federal advisory panel's unanimous backing for approval as a treatment for adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. Although the panel had concerns about some adverse...

FDA panel: thumbs down to cream/PDT for BCC: methyl aminolevulinate: Metvix plus light called 'a niche product.'.(rejection of approval of methyl aminolevulinate cream (Metvix) for basal cell carcinoma treatment)
October 1, 2003... GAITHERSBURG, MD. -- A Food and Drug Administration advisory panel voted to not recommend for approval methyl aminolevulinate cream used in conjunction with photodynamic therapy for the treatment of superficial and nodular basal cell carcinoma....

Athletes wrestle with rising MRSA infection rates: playing dirty.(News)(methicillin-resistant S. aureus )
October 1, 2003... No longer limited to health-care institutions, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus has invaded locker rooms. A recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reviewed several reported clusters of skin and soft...

Study: high volumes of polidocanol foam safe: for sclerotherapy.(News)
October 1, 2003... SAN DIEGO -- A study comparing low, medium, and high volumes of polidocanol foam for sclerotherapy in venous insufficiency revealed no increase in adverse events even with volumes up to 46 cc, reported Dr. Nick Morrison at a meeting of the...

How much time do you spend with patients?(Vital Signs)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... How much time do you spend patients? Mean Time In Minutes Psychiatry 32.4 Cardiovascular Diseases 22.2 Internal Medicine 19.4 Family...

CMS may pay less to physicians for Medicare drugs: injected and infused drugs.(News)(Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services)
October 1, 2003... Medicare wants to reduce what it pays for certain drugs under Part B, but increase what it pays physicians to administer those drugs. Although some physicians' groups applaud the proposal to hike reimbursement for administering the drugs,...

That's no-show biz.(Under My Skin)(medical humor)
October 1, 2003... By noon last Wednesday, nine patients hadn't shown up. You could hardly blame them for forgetting to come. We hadn't confirmed their appointments since Tuesday afternoon. It may have been the weather, which was warm and sunny. I learned...

Pain relievers.(Opinion)
October 1, 2003... "Oh, I'm not sick, but I just love their commercials." [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Dress rehearsal for disaster.(chronicle of Lenox Hill Hospital in New York functioned during the Blackout of 2003)
October 1, 2003... When the lights suddenly went out in the late afternoon at Lenox Hill Hospital, a 652-bed community hospital in Manhattan's Upper East Side, nobody knew what had happened. By the time the Blackout of 2003 ended for us, more than 24 hours...

Defending the physical.( )(Editorial)
October 1, 2003... Medicine is, among other things, a mystery story. Who dunnit? Which is the guilty organ? Where is the pathology? Why does it hurt? Or, in an asymptomatic patient, where will it hurt? Does it make sense to fragment the crime scene by...

Is HIPAA helping in any way?(Pro and Con)(Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 )
October 1, 2003... YES One of the positive things about the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) is that the statute outlines a set of minimum national requirements that people can follow. The statute makes it possible for...

Correction.(Correction Notice)
October 1, 2003... In "UV Exposure at Age 18 Is Only 23% of Lifetime UV" (August 2003, p. 40), Dr. Howard Cyr should have been identified as acting branch chief of the radiation biology branch at the Food and Drug Administration's Center for Devices and...

Gloves and glutaraldehyde.(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2003... In the article "Latex Allergy: Immediate Hypersensitivity Is on the Decline," Dr. Curtis P. Hamann said that glutaraldehyde readily penetrates gloves currently in use in the medical field (April 2003, p. 4). A 2% solution of glutaraldehyde...

Sun safety is for kids.( )(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2003... I am writing in response to the article "UV Exposure at Age 18 Is Only 23% of Lifetime Exposure" (August 2003, p. 40). I congratulate Dianne E. Godar, Ph.D., and her associates on their findings, which I believe are accurate, but I strongly...

Never say nevi?( )(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2003... Dr. Clay J. Cockerell's comments on dysplastic nevi are politically correct, but offer no help to the continual confusion regarding this "entity" ("Histopathology Doesn't Tell All in Dysplastic Nevus," July 2003, p. 48). The first bone of...

IMNG founder Jack Scher dies.(International Medical News Group)(Brief Article)(Obituary)(Biography)
October 1, 2003... Jack O. Scher, founding publisher of the six medical specialty newspapers that became the building blocks of the INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL NEWS GROUP, died on June 4 at his home in Faber, Va. He was 76 years old. Mr. Scher launched his first...

Lessons of malpractice litigation.( )(Editorial)
October 1, 2003... Malpractice can happen to any of us, even if we practice great medicine. Consider what happened to me. Early in my medical career I had a patient who, although only in her mid-60s, was very frail owing to multiple illnesses. "Anna" had...

Cosmeceutical critique: Calendula.(Dermatologic Therapy)
October 1, 2003... Popularly known as pot marigold or garden marigold, Calendula officinalis is a bright, flowering herb native to Asia, Central and Southern Europe, and the Mediterranean region. Like many other members of the Compositae, or Asteraceae,...

Many women mum about botanical use: dietary supplements.(Dermatologic Therapy)
October 1, 2003... SCHAUMBURG, ILL. -- More than 79% of 500 surveyed women said they regularly take some form of botanical dietary supplement, but nearly three-fourths of them don't tell their doctors about it. The respondents, all of whom were patients at...

H1 receptor antagonists Tx of choice for urticaria: experiment with agents.(Dermatologic Therapy)
October 1, 2003... LAS VEGAS -- Nonsedating H1 receptor antagonists should be frontline therapy in treating chronic idiopathic urticaria, Dr. Eugene Conte said at the annual meeting of the Pacific Dermatologic Association. As for which agent works best,...

MPFF speeds leg ulcer healing, lessens pain: reduced ulcer area.(Dermatologic Therapy)(micronized, purified flavonoid fraction )
October 1, 2003... SAN DIEGO -- Micronized, purified flavonoid fraction is an effective adjunct to conventional therapy in the treatment of venous leg ulcers, according to a metaanalysis presented by Dr. Peter Gloviczki at a meeting of the International Union of...

D-dimer testing is thrifty screening tool for thrombosis: retrospective study.(Dermatologic Therapy)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... SAN DIEGO -- D-dimer testing represents a useful screening tool for patients suspected of having deep vein thrombosis, reported Dr. Jeffrey E. Friedman at a meeting of the International Union of Phlebology. The retrospective chart review...

Beyond biologics: new psoriasis Tx on the horizon: two experimental approaches.(Dermatologic Therapy)
October 1, 2003... NEW YORK -- If" you're impressed with the current crop of targeted biologic therapies for psoriasis, wait until you see what the investigative dermatologists come up with next. The research effort that led to the first generation of...

Levitra.(New & Approved)
October 1, 2003... (vardenafil, Bayer, GlaxoSmithKline) A phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE-5) inhibitor for erectile dysfunction (ED), the second oral impotence therapy approved. The first was Viagra (sildenafil), also a PDE-5 inhibitor, approved in 1998. *...

Enbrel.(New & Approved)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... (etanercept, Amgen) A blocker of tumor necrosis factor (TNF), an inflammatory cytokine, for treating active ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Previously approved for treating rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriatic arthritis, and juvenile RA. ...

How to nail nondermatophytic mold infections: culprit in 16% of cases.(Dermatologic Therapy)(onychomycosis)
October 1, 2003... LAS VEGAS -- Onychomycosis caused by nondermatophytic mold infection is on the rise worldwide, and it's the culprit in an estimated 16% of cases Dr. Antonella Tosti sees in her Bologna, Italy-based dermatology practice. Suspect mold when...

Onychomycosis defies attempt to predict Tx outcomes via clinical appearance: looks can be deceiving. (treatment).(Dermatologic Therapy)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Clinical appearance is a poor predictor of onychomycosis treatment success, according to a randomized study that set out to define factors that would help predict the outcome of oral antifungal treatment. In fact, dermatologists' success...

Voriconazole effective against fungal infections: not yet approved for children.(Dermatologic Therapy)
October 1, 2003... ASPEN, COLO. -- Voriconazole, a newly approved systemic triazole antifungal, appears to treat a broad spectrum of fungal infections in children, Dr. Mark J. Abzug said at a conference on pediatric infectious diseases sponsored by Children's...

Surpass PASI and measure patients' quality of life: psoriasis management. (Psoriasis Area and Severity Index).(Dermatologic Therapy)
October 1, 2003... NEW YORK -- The Psoriasis Area and Severity Index is a fine research tool, allowing for reliable quantification of the extent of psoriasis and its improvement following treatment. But does it really reflect the impact of psoriasis on an...

Consider linezolid for treatment of resistant gram-positive infections: three formulations.(Dermatologic Therapy)
October 1, 2003... ASPEN, COLO. -- Linezolid has a place in the treatment of resistant gram-positive infections, even though safety, efficacy, and dosing have not been formally established in children, Dr. Mark J. Abzug said at a conference on pediatric...

Are new biologics crowding out still-effective psoriasis therapies? Methotrexate, cyclosporine, retinoids.(Dermatologic Therapy)
October 1, 2003... NEW YORK -- The targeted biologics are getting most of the attention on the psoriasis front these days, but there are still many situations in which the old standbys of psoriasis therapy--methotrexate, cyclosporine, and the retinoids--still...

Psoriasis results similar for MTX, cyclosporine: two meds, one outcome. (methotrexate).(Dermatologic Therapy)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Methotrexate and cyclosporine yielded similarly successful results in patients with moderate to severe psoriasis, said Dr. Vera M.R. Heydendael and her associates at the University of Amsterdam. In a randomized study of 85 patients aged 18...

In utero isotretinoin exposure may cause latent disabilities: maladaptive behaviors.(Dermatologic Therapy)
October 1, 2003... TAMPA, FLA. -- Children who were exposed to isotretinoin in utero but appear normal at birth are still at risk for later appearance of cognitive impairment and difficulties in psychosocial functioning, Dr. Jennifer Anne Lantz Gavin said at a...

FDA targets Web-based purveyors of illegal Accutane: unapproved and mislabeled.(Dermatologic Therapy)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... The Food and Drug Administration last month began cracking down on illegal sales over the Internet of what the agency calls "unapproved, mislabeled" versions of the teratogenic acne drug isotretinoin. The FDA hit five U.S. Web site...

New contraceptives mean better options for adolescent girls: include abstinence as a choice.(Dermatologic Therapy)
October 1, 2003... HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. -- New contraceptive technologies are providing a wider array of options for sexually active adolescent girls, Dr. Linda Grant said at a meeting on clinical pediatrics sponsored by Boston University. New delivery...

Tazaroten improved acne, hyperpigmentation: efficacy for darker skin.(Dermatologic Therapy)
October 1, 2003... PHILADELPHIA -- Daily treatment with 0.1% tazarotene cream led to substantial improvements in postinflammatory hyperpigmentation and acne vulgaris in a controlled study with 53 patients. Tazarotene formulated into a 0.1% cream may be a...

Hydroquinone creams effective for melasma: 1,260 patients.(Dermatologic Theraphy)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... CHICAGO -- Creams containing 4% hydroquinone are effective against melasma with minimal side effects, according to a study presented at the American Academy of Dermatology's Academy 2003 meeting. A mixture of 4% hydroquinone, 0.01%...

Spot HIV regimen resistance early to prevent Tx failure: keep options open. (treatment).(Dermatologic Therapy)
October 1, 2003... MIAMI -- Clinicians considering modification of therapy in people with HIV infection need a good sense of timing and early recognition of resistance, Dr. Joel E. Gallant said at a meeting sponsored by the American Foundation for AIDS Research....

Standard chemo plus radiation can mean sustained remission for invasive anal cancer in HIV: increasing incidence anticipated.(Dermatologic Therapy)
October 1, 2003... BETHESDA, MD. -- HIV-positive patients who develop invasive anal carcinoma generally tolerate the standard regimen of chemotherapy plus radiation and can achieve sustained remission of the cancer, Dr. Scot C. Remick reported at an international...

HIV and heavy drinking can trigger brain loss: despite antiviral Tx. (treatment).(Dermatologic Therapy)
October 1, 2003... TORONTO -- HIV-infected patients have progressive loss of brain tissue, even if they have undetectable plasma levels of virus on combination antiviral therapy, according to results from a preliminary study of 72 patients. Also, heavy...

Acne pundits: light-based Tx still not first choice: is photodynamic therapy in the future? (treatment).(Dermatologic Surgery)
October 1, 2003... GLENEDEN BEACH, ORE. -- Light-based therapy for acne is an excellent adjunct to traditional treatment of acne, but for now it remains just that, a treatment to turn to when the prescription pad fails, according to laser experts who spoke at a...

Clinical jury is still out on combined IPL-RF device: resurfing and hair removal. (intense pulsed light-radiofrequency).(Dermatologic Surgery)
October 1, 2003... GLENEDEN BEACH, ORE. -- The concept of combining intense pulsed light and radiofrequency technology to perform hair removal and skin resurfacing is an intriguing one. Despite the Food and Drug Administration's recent approval of such a...

Operators, not lasers, may be causing eye injuries: laser safety.(Dermatologic Surgery)
October 1, 2003... GLENEDEN BEACH, ORE. -- The eye injuries that are causing rising concern in the laser medicine community are probably occurring because operators are not using proper safety devices, Dr. Brian S. Biesman said at a symposium on cutaneous laser...

Postlaser cold-air cooling: benefit seems limited to topical analgesia: lessened purpura.(Dermatologic Surgery)
October 1, 2003... GLENEDEN BEACH, ORE. -- Cold-air cooling of the skin surface during certain laser procedures may diminish effectiveness but deliver some analgesic benefit, according to studies presented at a symposium on cutaneous laser surgery, sponsored by...

Hypopigmentation? Results temporary in light-based Tx: may work for vitiligo. (treatment).(Dermatologic Surgery)
October 1, 2003... GLENEDEN BEACH, ORE. -- Laser and light treatment will darken hypopigmented skin such as scars and striae, but the effect is temporary--and that significantly diminishes its practicality, according to speakers at a symposium on cutaneous laser...

Routine chest x-rays don't help boost melanoma survival rates: retrospective study.(Dermatologic Surgery)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... CHICAGO -- Finding asymptomatic pulmonary metastases in patients with melanoma with routine chest x-rays did not help keep the patients alive, a retrospective study of x-rays at Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, showed. Examination of...

Consider pain, variable results when using RF: thermacool. (radiofrequency).(Dermatologic Surgery)
October 1, 2003... GLENEDEN BEACH, ORE. -- Radiofrequency skin tightening hurts a lot, but recent experience may be convincing some avowed skeptics that the technology has a future as a modality for treating skin laxity, according to speakers at a symposium on...

The well-tempered derm 'gadget': from cotton swabs to buttons.(Dermatologic Surgery)
October 1, 2003... LAS VEGAS -- When it comes to running a dermatology practice, never underestimate the power of a good "widget." Speaking at the annual meeting of the Pacific Dermatologic Association, Dr. Edward Yob discussed the following "gadgets and...

Alcohol-based immersion fluids offer best visibility, fewest air bubbles in dermatoscopy: seven fluids tested.(Dermatological Surgery)
October 1, 2003... Alcohol-based immersion fluids applied with an eyedropper provide the best visibility for dermatoscopy and incorporate the fewest air bubbles, Dr. A.J. Gewirtzman and colleagues at University Hospital Geneva reported. In a comparison of...

Photodynamic therapy uses may be widening: novel uses include acne, resurfacing.(Dermatologic Surgery)
October 1, 2003... GLENEDEN BEACH, ORE. -- Has photodynamic therapy hit its stride? Not quite, according to some laser experts. Currently, the lone indication for the only topical photosensitizing agent available in the United States--20% aminolevulinic acid...

Complications occur even after simple procedures: 'terrible tetrad'.(Dermatologic Surgery)
October 1, 2003... SANTA BARBARA, CALIF. -- Most complications arising from dermatologic surgery fall into the "terrible tetrad" of bleeding, infection, necrosis, or dehiscence--and they may arise even from simple procedures, according to Dr. Stuart Salasche. ...

Basal cell carcinoma of the antihelix? Don't be afraid to excise: beware recurrence after cryotherapy.(Dermatologic Surgery)
October 1, 2003... LAS VEGAS -- A patient presents to your office with a basal cell carcinoma of the antihelix. Do you treat with a topical medication such as imiquimod? Do you freeze it? Excise it? Use Mohs surgery? "Don't be afraid to go...

Average surgeon/physician fees for cosmetic procedures, 2002.(Data Watch)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... DATA WATCH Average Surgeon/Physician Fees For Cosmetic Procedures, 2002 National Procedure Average Fee Botox injection $422 Cellulite treatment $352...

Polidocanol beats STS for foam sclerotherapy: 10-year randomized trial. (sodium tetradecyl sulfate).(Dermatologic Surgery)
October 1, 2003... SAN DIEGO -- A 10-year randomized study comparing foam sclerotherapy using polidocanol and sodium tetradecyl sulfate has demonstrated that polidocanol is significantly more effective and better tolerated, said Dr. Gianni Belcaro at a meeting of...

Radiofrequency ablation treats sapheous vein reflux: 4-year follow-up.(Dermatologic Surgery)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... SAN DIEGO -- Midterm follow-up data have demonstrated that radiofrequency ablation is effective for treating saphenous vein reflux, reported Dr. Robert F. Merchant at a meeting of the International Union of Phlebology. Dr. Merchant, of the...

Subfascial endoscopic perforator best for older, larger venous leg ulcers: compared with ambulatory compression.(Dermatologic Surgery)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... SAN DIEGO -- Subfascial endoscopic perforator surgery plus ambulatory compression proved to be better for certain patients with advanced chronic venous insufficiency than ambulatory compression alone, said Dr. W.B. van Gent at a meeting of the...

Sclerosis for insufficient perforator veins greatly aids Tx of leg ulcers: randomized study. (treatment).(Dermatologic Surgery)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... SAN DIEGO -- Foam sclerosis of insufficient perforator veins leads to a significant improvement in venous leg ulcers, said Dr. Zbigniew Rybak at a meeting of the International Union of Phlebology. Dr. Rybak, of Wroclaw, Poland, studied 40...

Top dermatologic surgery procedures, 2003.(Data Watch)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... DATA WATCH Top Dermatologic Surgery Procedures, 2003 Number Procedure Of Procedures Skin cancer treatment 1,611,014 Laser and light-based...

Thrombosis? Think thrombolysis, thrombectomy: successful in lower limbs.(Dermatologic Surgery)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... SAN DIEGO -- A combination of regional thrombolySis and thrombectomy proved successful in treating acute venous lower-limb thrombosis, reported Dr. Werner Blattler at a meeting of the International Union of Phlebology. Venous potency and...

Compression stockings prevent postthrombotic ills: metaanalysis.(Dermatologic Surgery)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... SAN DIEGO -- A metaanalysis confirms that the use of elastic compression stocking after deep vein thrombosis can effectively prevent the appearance of postthrombotic syndrome, reported Dr. Dinanda N. Kolbach at a meeting of the International...

Science of nonablative laser Tx has holes to fill: nonablative rejuvenation. (treatment).(Dermatologic Surgery)
October 1, 2003... GLENEDEN BEACH, ORE. -- The field of nonablative laser resurfacing is rife with hype and short on credible clinical data, according to speakers at a symposium on cutaneous laser surgery sponsored by SkinCare Physicians of Chestnut Hill. ...

Pairing microdermabrasio with bleaching cream improved melasma over years: series of 50 patients.(Dermatologic Surgery)
October 1, 2003... PHILADELPHIA -- A dual-therapy regimen of microdermabrasion and a skin-bleaching cream led to substantial improvements in melasma in a series of 50 patients over a 2-year period. Other steps that can cut the severity of melasma are sun...

Longer wave lasers may improve port-wine stain Tx: as well as telangiectasias. (treatment).(Dermatologic Surgery)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... GLENEDEN BEACH, ORE. -- The key to improving results in treating telangiectasias and angiomas such as port-wine stains may lie in the understanding of what happens to hemoglobin when it absorbs energy, Serge Mordon, Ph.D., said at a symposium...

Pulses and passes critical to vascular laser therapy: laser dermatology.(Dermatologic Surgery)
October 1, 2003... GLENEDEN BEACH, ORE. -- Understanding the energy spikes in vascular lasers and how time between passes with a laser affects tissue dynamics can help dermatologists avoid purpura and improve treatment, Dr Emil Tanghetti said at a symposium on...

Preoperative steroids cut surgical complications in asthmatics: less bronchospasm.(Dermatologic Surgery)
October 1, 2003... DENVER -- Corticosteroids can safely be given to asthmatics before surgery to improve lung function and reduce pulmonary complications, Dr. Fanny W. Su said at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology. ...

Rare syndrome easily mistaken for psoriasis: paraneoplastic acrokeratosis.(Clinical Rounds)
October 1, 2003... CHICAGO -- Psoriasiform lesions limited to the nasal tip or the ear helix should raise suspicion that one may not be seeing psoriasis, Dr. Warren W. Piette said at the American Academy of Dermatology's Academy 2003 meeting. Psoriasis,...

Psychiatric morbidity's link to skin underestimated: survey of 46 dermatologists.(Clinical Rounds)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Dermatologists may be underestimating the psychiatric morbidity associated with their patients' skin diseases, Italian researchers reported. In a study by Dr. F. Sampogna and colleagues at the Dermatological Institute IDI-IRCCS, Rome, 46...

Look for skin signs of steroid use in athletes: patients rarely admit use.(Clinical Rounds)
October 1, 2003... LAS VEGAS -- If an athlete presents with a sudden breakout of comedones, sebaceous cysts, or cystic acne, think about abuse of anabolic androgenic steroids as the potential culprit, Dr. Michael J. Scott III advised at the annual meeting of the...

Coumadin necrosis may occur later: usually takes 3-10 days.(Clinical Rounds)
October 1, 2003... CHICAGO -- Necrotic skin lesions on a 49-year-old man confused diagnosticians because they didn't fit the usual timing seen with necrotic reactions to Coumadin therapy, Dr. Jeffrey P. Callen said at the American Academy of Dermatology's Academy...

Lupus erythematosus 10-year survival rate now reaches 93%: disease better understood.(Clinical Rounds)
October 1, 2003... LISBON -- Ten-year survival with systemic lupus erythematosus now stands at 93%, an achievement that is a testament to multiple advances in medical therapy and a rapidly increasing understanding of the pathogenesis of the disease. Factors...

Guidelines call for aggressive approach to heart disease risk factors in lupus patients: hypertension, lipids, obesity.(Clinical Rounds)
October 1, 2003... MANCHESTER, ENGLAND -- Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus should have their cardiovascular disease risk factors managed just as aggressively as patients with established heart disease or diabetes mellitus, Dr. Ian N. Bruce said at the...

Atherosclerosis more frequent with SLE: occurs earlier. (systemic lupus erythematosus).(Clinical Rounds)
October 1, 2003... WASHINGTON -- Coronary artery calcification, an independent predictor of coronary heart disease, occurred earlier and more frequently in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus than in matched controls, Dr. Yu Asanuma reported at the annual...

Medical reference: UpToDate.(Digital Assistance)(Brief Article)(E-book Review)
October 1, 2003... Overview: UpToDate is a comprehensive, concise medical reference available for use on desktop and Pocket PC handheld computers. Facilitated search capabilities and a continually updated, evidence-based database are its most impressive features....

Pregnancy raises risk of varicose veins: population-based study.(Clinical Rounds)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... SAN DIEGO -- The more pregnancies a woman has, the more likely she is to develop telangiectases and varicose veins, said Dr. Eberhard Rabe at a meeting of the International Union of Phlebology. Dr. Rabe of the University of Bonn (Germany)...

H. pylori infection tied to rosacea severity: case-series study. (Helicobacter).(Clinical Rounds)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... The severity of inflammatory rosacea may be associated with Helicobacter pylori infection, reported Dr. Camilo Diaz of City Hospital NHS Trust, Birmingham, England, and associates. In a case-series pilot study of 49 patients, 15 of 33 (46%)...

Elderly now urged to get [B.sub.12] from supplements: NAS shift. (National Academy of Sciences).(Clinical Rounds)
October 1, 2003... ALBUQUERQUE -- In a departure from its longstanding position that nutrients should come from food rather than pills, the National Academy of Sciences is urging older people to meet their recommended dietary allowance of vitamin [B.sub.12]...

Tinea pedis.(Drug Update)
October 1, 2003... Tinea pedis--athlete's foot--is usually caused by Trichophyton rubrum, and in the mildest form, it presents with red, scaly, itchy skin on the sole and toe webs. Because self-treatment with over-the-counter medications is common,...

Sunbathers may be addicted to tanning rays: survey of 146 beachgoers.(Clinical Rounds)
October 1, 2003... CHICAGO -- When a devoted sunbather claims to be addicted to tanning, that might not be an exaggeration. That's the conclusion of Dr. Richard F. Wagner Jr. of the University of Texas, Galveston. He presented a poster at the American...

Limited childhood sun exposure linked to MS: case-control study. (multiple sclerosis).(Clinical Rounds)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Increased sun exposure between the ages of 6 and 15 years may reduce the risk of multiple sclerosis later in life, said Ingrid van der Mei of the University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia, and her associates. Insufficient ultraviolet...

Saliva in sex acts may raise Kaposi's sarcoma risk: may transmit herpesvirus 8.(Clinical Rounds)
October 1, 2003... BETHESDA, MD. -- Homosexual men often use saliva as a lubricant during sex, apparently unaware that this is a likely mode for transmission of human herpesvirus 8, which causes Kaposi's sarcoma, Lisa M. Butler, Ph.D., reported at an...

Skin biopsies don't help diagnose Rx reaction: step-by-step approach offered. (drug).(Clinical Rounds)
October 1, 2003... SAN FRANCISCO -- Analysis of skin biopsy will not help in the diagnosis of a cutaneous drug reaction, Dr. Jeffrey P. Callen said at the American Academy of Dermatology's Academy 2003 meeting. A biopsy can be useful in describing the...

No smallpox shot for health care staff with infants: one hospital's plan.(Clinical Rounds)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... BALTIMORE -- No member of the Johns Hopkins University hospital staff who lives with a child under age 1 year can be immunized against smallpox to be a first responder in case of an outbreak, Dr. Timothy Townsend said at a meeting on pediatric...

Allostatic load measures stress, strain of living: may predict individual health outcomes.(Clinical Rounds)
October 1, 2003... ASPEN, COLO. -- The concept of allostatic load is generating a broader view of stress and its role in expression of physical as well as mental disease. It has long been appreciated that acute stressors and major life events create...