Family Practice News articles from January 2006

Family Practice News archives from January 2006

Quick clinics: at a CVS near you!(Practice Trends)
January 1, 2006... They're coming whether we like it or not, so you might as well get used to them. That seems to be the feeling of family physicians when it comes to retail health clinics that are popping up in drugstores and supermarkets across the...

Surgical biopsy for breast ca 'strongly discouraged': needle evaluation results are far superior.(Women's Health)
January 1, 2006... SAN ANTONIO -- Needle biopsy for the initial evaluation of breast abnormalities leads to outcome benefits so superior to those of open surgical biopsy that the needle biopsy rate at a medical center or in a surgeon's practice may be a useful...

CPR guidelines emphasize chest compression quality.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
January 1, 2006... Improving the quality of cardiopulmonary resuscitation skills among both the lay public and health care professionals is the central theme of the American Heart Association's new guidelines--and optimizing chest compression is the means to that...

FDA strengthens label warning on paroxetine; riskier pregnancy category.(News)
January 1, 2006... The Food and Drug Administration has stepped up warnings that paroxetine increases the risk of congenital defects, especially cardiovascular malformations. In September, GlaxoSmithKline, which markets paroxetine under the trade name Paxil, had...

Target pregnant women for exercise pep talks.(News)
January 1, 2006... Pregnant women perform fewer intense physical activities, with less duration and frequency than nonpregnant women, and only 16% of pregnant women and 27% of nonpregnant women meet physical activity recommendations, said Ann M. Petersen, Ph.D.,...

Metaanalysis: [beta]-blockers not first line for HTN: the risk of stroke is 16% higher with [beta]-blocker treatment than with other medications.(News)
January 1, 2006... Compared with placebo, [beta]-blockers decrease the risk of stroke by only 19% when used to treat primary hypertension--about half the decrease in risk determined by some previous studies that proved highly influential in the creation of...

C-section rate hits all-time high at 29%, VBAC rate sinks.(News)
January 1, 2006... Cesarean sections constituted 29% of all births in the United States in 2004---a record high for the country, government officials have said. The increase reflects an 8% hike in primary cesareans and a 13% decrease in vaginal birth after...

Medicare investing in pay-for-performance demo programs.(News)
January 1, 2006... WASHINGTON -- Provider groups are behind the curve when it comes to anticipating acceptance of pay-for-performance programs, Jeff Flick said at a health care congress sponsored by the Wall Street Journal and CNBC. Take, for instance, the...

Two new vaccines in 2006.(News)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... The 2006 Recommended Childhood and Adolescent Immunization Schedule for the United States adds two newly licensed vaccines and expands the use of another. Meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV4) is now shown with two bars indicating that it...

Recommended childhood and adolescent immunization schedule: United States * 2006.
January 1, 2006... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES * CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION Recommended Childhood and Adolescent Immunization Schedule UNITED STATES * 2006 Age * 1 2 4 ...

Recommended immunization schedule for children and adolescents who start late or who are more than 1 month behind: United States * 2006.
January 1, 2006... Recommended Immunization Schedule for Children and Adolescents Who Start Late or Who Are More Than 1 Month Behind UNITED STATES * 2006 The tables below give catch-up schedules and minimum intervals between doses for children who...

National study confirms sharp rise in C. difficile.(News)
January 1, 2006... SAN FRANCISCO -- A sharp uptick in the prevalence and severity of Clostridium difficile colitis among hospital patients nationwide suggests that the trend extends beyond documented cases in focused regions of the United States and Canada, Dr....

Fluoroquinolones may be fostering newer, more virulent C. difficile strains.(News)
January 1, 2006... Fluoroquinolone use may be driving the emergence of newer and more virulent strains of Clostridium difficile, Dr. John G. Bartlett and Dr. Trish M. Perl said in an editorial accompanying two simultaneous reports in the New England Journal of...

When diarrhea is severe, consider C. difficile Dx.(News)
January 1, 2006... The diagnosis of Clostridium difficile-associated disease should be considered in patients with severe diarrhea, even if they don't have traditional risk factors such as recent hospitalization or antimicrobial use, the Centers for Disease...

How to read a balance sheet.(Guest Editorial)
January 1, 2006... A balance sheet provides an essential picture of your practice's financial health, yet, amazingly, few physicians can make heads or tails of one. Medical schools don't teach that stuff, of course, but most doctors don't see a reason to learn...

Is nesiritide safe and effective for acute heart failure?(Pro & Con)
January 1, 2006... YES Nesiritide is identical to endogenous B-type natriuretic peptide. How could a naturally occurring peptide that promotes vasodilation, facilitates natriuresis, and reduces neurohormonal activation be unsafe? We as clinicians should...

Shortened CPR training course shown effective.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
January 1, 2006... DALLAS -- The American Heart Association has begun marketing a stripped down 22-minute program in adult basic life support CPR designed to replace the standard 4-hour course for nonmedical trainees. The self-guided video program is a key...

ACE inhibitor post CABG may do more harm than good.(Cardiovascular Medicine)(coronary artery bypass graft surgery)
January 1, 2006... STOCKHOLM -- The initiation of ACE inhibitor therapy within 7 days of coronary artery bypass graft surgery does not improve clinical outcomes in low-risk patients without a conventional indication for it, Dr. Wiek H. van Grist, said at the...

Nesiritide: no benefit seen in stable HF patients.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
January 1, 2006... BOCA RATON, FLA. -- The brain natriuretic peptide, nesiritide, which is used to treat acute heart failure symptoms, did not facilitate diuresis or protect renal function in a small study of stable hospitalized patients. Many clinicians...

Resynch HF patients with atrial fibrillation.(Cardiovascular Medicine)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... BOCA RATON, FLA. -- Heart failure patients with atrial fibrillation who receive cardiac resynchronization devices experience benefits similar to those in patients without the condition, according to data presented at the annual meeting of the...

Smaller heart assist devices may help women.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
January 1, 2006... BOCA RATON, FLA. -- A new and smaller left ventricular assist device now in clinical trials is appropriate for most women and provides similar outcomes, compared with a larger device already used for patients with heart failure, according to a...

Second MIs are becoming rarer, less deadly.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
January 1, 2006... STOCKHOLM -- The marked decline in the incidence of first MI and the improved rate of survival after its occurrence constitute one of the great medical success stories of recent decades. But what about second MIs? Are they also decreasing in...

All NSAIDs increase mortality in MI survivors.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
January 1, 2006... DALLAS -- The use of NSAIDs--whether cyclooxygenase-2-selective or not--in patients who've had an acute MI increases their risk of mortality, especially in higher doses, according to data from the Danish National Patient Registry. To...

Proteinuria boosts mortality after myocardial infarction.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
January 1, 2006... STOCKHOLM -- Patients with proteinuria following a myocardial infarction had significantly worse outcomes than did patients without proteinuria, Powell O. Jose reported in a poster presentation at the annual meeting of the European Society of...

Subclinical hypothyroidism linked to CHF in elderly.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
January 1, 2006... Elderly patients with subclinical hypothyroidism have a higher rate of congestive heart failure than do those who are euthyroid, according to Dr. Nicolas Rodondi, of the University of California, San Francisco, and associates. Overt...

Fish oil augments the cardiac benefits of statins.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
January 1, 2006... DALLAS -- Adding high-dose fish oil to a low-dose statin provided a 19% further reduction in major coronary events, compared with statins alone, Dr. Mitsuhiro Yokoyama reported at the annual scientific sessions of the American Heart...

Diet key to managing cholesterol levels in kids.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
January 1, 2006... WASHINGTON -- Attention to diet successfully manage cholesterol in many children, especially young ones, said Dr. Samuel S. Gidding of the Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Del. "Cholesterol levels are determined by...

ECG screening of newborns backed by 50,000-infant study.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
January 1, 2006... STOCKHOLM -- A policy of ECG screening of all neonates is a highly cost-effective means of detecting potentially lethal yet treatable genetic arrhythmogenic disorders, according to an interim analysis of an ongoing 50,000-infant Italian...

Levemir, Trileptal.(New & Approved)
January 1, 2006... Levemir (insulin detemir [rDNA origin] injection, Novo Nordisk Inc.) The Food and Drug Administration approved Levemir (insulin detemir [rDNA origin] injection) for adult and pediatric patients with type 1 diabetes. * Recommended...

Gestational diabetes flags cardiovascular risk.(Metabolic Disorders)
January 1, 2006... DALLAS -- Women with a history of gestational diabetes are at increased cardiovascular risk and deserve specific targeting for risk factor reduction, Kathleen King, Ph.D., said at the annual scientific sessions of the American Heart...

Lactation lowers maternal type 2 diabetes risk rate.(Metabolic Disorders)
January 1, 2006... The longer a woman breast-feeds her offspring, the less likely she is to develop type 2 diabetes, Dr. Alison M. Stuebe, and her colleagues have reported. Their analysis of more than 157,000 women concluded that every year of lactation...

Hopes for Fenofibrate in diabetics dashed, primary end point unmet.(Metabolic Disorders)
January 1, 2006... DALLAS -- Expectations were high for a big positive result in the Fenofibrate Intervention and Event Lowering in Diabetes (FIELD) study, the largest-ever randomized prospective trial of cardiovascular intervention in type 2 diabetes. Many...

Arteries show signs of early aging in young PCOS patients.(Metabolic Disorders)
January 1, 2006... SAN DIEGO -- Young women with polycystic ovary syndrome have evidence of endothelial dysfunction and low-grade, chronic inflammatory markers characteristic of much older patients, researchers reported at the annual meeting of the Endocrine...

Statins improve endocrine, metabolic aspects of PCOS.(Metabolic Disorders)
January 1, 2006... MONTREAL -- The addition of simvastatin to an oral contraceptive regimen significantly reduces hirsutism and elevated levels of total testosterone in women with polycystic ovary syndrome, according to a study conducted by Dr. Antoni J. Duleba,...

Treating apnea may lower cortisol levels in PCOS.(Metabolic Disorders)
January 1, 2006... SAN DIEGO -- A small but intriguing study has found that treating obstructive sleep apnea in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome lowered their cortisol levels not only at night, but during the daytime as well. Obstructive sleep apnea...

Fitness attenuates metabolic syndrome mortality in women.(Metabolic Disorders)
January 1, 2006... DALLAS -- Physical fitness cancels out the excess mortality risk associated with the metabolic syndrome in asymptomatic women, Dr. Martha Gulati, said at the annual scientific sessions of the American Heart Association. This finding from...

Low pertussis immunity in teen Hispanic mothers.(Infectious Diseases)
January 1, 2006... SAN FRANCISCO -- Low levels of immunity to pertussis in adolescent Hispanic mothers and their newborns may help explain their overrepresentation in pertussis cases and in deaths from the disease, Dr. C. Mary Healy said in a poster presentation...

One hospital: myositis, pyomyositis on the rise.(Infectious Diseases)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... SAN FRANCISCO -- An increase in community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus over the past 5 years was accompanied by an increase in myositis and pyomyositis in children at one hospital, reported Dr. Pia S. Pannaraj. ...

Rapid strep detection tests may obviate backup cultures.(Infectious Diseases)
January 1, 2006... CAMBRIDGE, MASS. -- Backup throat cultures following negative rapid group A strep detection tests may no longer be necessary in some practices, Dr. Michael Pichichero said at a conference on pediatric infectious diseases. To determine...

HIV/AIDS incidence falls in blacks, IV drug users.(Infectious Diseases)
January 1, 2006... The annual incidence of HIV/AIDS among African Americans dropped significantly between 2001 and 2004, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported. As a result of advances in treatment with highly active antiretroviral therapy,...

FDA proposes changes to condom labels.(Infectious Diseases)
January 1, 2006... New guidance from the Food and Drug Administration proposes that latex condom labels inform users that condoms greatly reduce, but do not eliminate, the risk of pregnancy and the risk of contracting or spreading HIV or other sexually...

Derm DX.(Skin Disorders)
January 1, 2006... A 5-year-old Hispanic girl presented with an 18-month history of non-healing, slightly painful, firm, 1- to 4-cm plaques on her left arm, and a sinus draining serosanguineous fluid. She had been living in Mexico at the time of onset and had no...

New actinic keratoses therapy casts a wide net.(Skin Disorders)
January 1, 2006... LAS VEGAS -- New data based on the use of confocal microscopy confirm that treating actinic keratoses with imiquimod stimulates immune activation, Dr. Roger I. Ceilley said at the Fall Clinical Dermatology Conference. Dr. Ceilley said that...

Color change can be earliest sign of melanoma.(Skin Disorders)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... VANCOUVER, B.C. -- Color change, in addition to color variegation, often heralds melanoma, thus bolstering the need for adding an E to the ABCD mnemonic for melanoma detection, Dr. Robert J. Friedman said at the Sixth World Congress on...

Statins to prevent melanoma? No clear answer yet.(Skin Disorders)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... The jury is still out, but for now there is no clear evidence that statins or fibrates can decrease the risk of melanoma, according to a new review of studies conducted by The Cochrane Collaboration. Investigators for the international...

Tool helps spot onset of bipolar disorder in kids.(Mental Health)
January 1, 2006... TORONTO -- Many children with bipolar disorder experience a lengthy prodromal phase of clinically significant symptoms before their first manic episode; in almost 70% of these children, the prodrome begins with a drop in school functioning,...

Ziprasidone may be helpful in childhood bipolar disorder.(Mental Health)
January 1, 2006... TORONTO -- Ziprasidone holds promise as a treatment for childhood bipolar disorder, Dr. Joseph Biederman reported in a poster at the joint annual meeting of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and the Canadian Academy of...

Bipolar disorder.(Drug Update)
January 1, 2006... Patients with bipolar I disorder, who typically alternate between mania and depression over several months or years, usually present to primary care physicians in the depressed phase. Misdiagnosis and treatment with an antidepressant alone...

Concurrent thyroid, breast screening advised.(Women's Health)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... CHICAGO -- Routine concurrent sonographic breast and thyroid examinations are useful in detecting small thyroid cancers in women, Dr. Jeong Seon Park said at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America. The two tests...

Oocyte cryopreservation results have 'arrived'.(Women's Health)
January 1, 2006... MONTREAL -- Preliminary results from an ongoing study of oocyte cryopreservation show "the highest pregnancy rates so far reported," making egg freezing "a viable clinical option," according to Dr. John K. Jain, the principal investigator. ...

In vitro fertilization still best bet for those considering future fertility.(Women's Health)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... MONTREAL -- Women who freeze their eggs at age 33 hoping to pause their biological clocks are actually no better off than if they simply underwent a fresh IVF cycle--if necessary--at age 42, according to new research. The first...

Inhaled corticosteroids and fetal growth.(Drugs, Pregnancy, And Lactation)
January 1, 2006... The widespread prescribing of corticosteroids in medicine includes many clinical situations during pregnancy, which naturally raises concerns about the safety of these drugs in pregnant women. Over the past-several years, information on this...

Lung impairment lasts long after cat exposure.(Clinical Rounds)
January 1, 2006... CHICAGO -- For the first time, researchers have shown that lung function remains impaired in people with asthma for up to 22 hours after exposure to cat allergens, even after outward symptoms have abated. High-resolution computed tomography...

Quick pictorial tool flags kids with uncontrolled asthma.(Clinical Rounds)
January 1, 2006... ANAHEIM, CALIF. -- A simple, seven-question pictorial tool can give a pediatrician an instant snapshot of whether a patient's asthma is well controlled at the time of an office visit. Children aged 4-11 years and their caregivers can...

Imported rubella case seen in N.H.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... Consider congenital rubella syndrome in infants with compatible signs, particularly immigrants from countries without rubella control programs, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advised. In 2004, a 10-week-old infant born to a...

Gargling and URTIs.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... Water gargling may be effective for preventing upper respiratory tract infections, reported Dr. Kazunari Satomura of Kyoto (Japan) University, and colleagues. In a randomized, controlled trial involving 387 healthy volunteers aged 18-65...

Flu shots a must in kids with NNMD.(Clinical Capsules)(neuromuscular diseases )(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... Flu shots are dc rigueur for children with neurologic and neuromuscular diseases given their high risk of influenza-related respiratory failure. "Children with pulmonary disease, cardiac disease, or NNMD [neurologic and neuromuscular...

IQ and mental disorders.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... Low premorbid IQ scores in young men appear to be associated with the development of mental disorders, reported Erik Lykke Mortensen of the University of Copenhagen and his associates. In a Danish study of 3,289 men who had an IQ exam when...

Rehabilitating an injured shoulder.(Exercise Rx)
January 1, 2006... The common term "rotator cuff" actually describes four small muscles in the shoulder: supraspinatus, infraspinatus, subscapularis, and teres minor. They hold the ball-and-socket shoulder joint in place while allowing the arm to rotate. Anyone...

Exercises for the Rotator Cuff.(Clinical Rounds)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... * External rotator strengthener. Lie on a bed on the side opposite the injured side, supporting your head on your uninjured hand. Hold a 1-pound weight in your right hand at waist level with the right elbow bent 90 degrees. In one motion, raise...

Vitamin D status trumps calcium intake for bones.(Clinical Rounds)
January 1, 2006... Vitamin D sufficiency appears to be more important for bone health than is high calcium intake, according to Laufey Steingrimsdottir, Ph.D., of the Public Health Institute of Iceland, Reykjavik, and associates. Both nutrients are known to...

Fractures in childhood may be marker for osteoporosis later.(Clinical Rounds)
January 1, 2006... NASHVILLE, TENN. -- A history of fracture in childhood and adolescence may be a marker for osteoporosis later in life, suggest study findings presented at the annual meeting of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research. Girls with...

Ample sun exposure does not guarantee adequate vitamin D.(Clinical Rounds)
January 1, 2006... NASHVILLE, TENN. -- Physicians may need to rethink their advice to patients to get some casual sun to ensure vitamin D sufficiency, according to new data presented at the annual meeting of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research. ...

FDA aims to improve drug safety, development.(Practice Trends)
January 1, 2006... Officials at the Food and Drug Administration are planning to reorganize its Center for Drug Evaluation and Research in an effort to improve the agency's approach to drug safety and to help improve drug development. The FDA plans to...

Support for heel injuries.(Products)
January 1, 2006... The Thermoskin Heel Jack provides support for a wide variety of conditions, including Achilles tendinitis, heel spurs, apophysitis, heel bruises, and Achilles tendon ruptures. For more information, contact Swede-O Inc. by calling 866-317-5678...

Hypothermia prevention kit.(Products)
January 1, 2006... The PREVENT Hypothermia campaign is aimed at heightening awareness about the relationship between unintended hypothermia and surgical site infections. The campaign kit includes an informational brochure and how-to guides for preventing...

Generic to Bactroban approved.(Products)
January 1, 2006... Mupirocin Ointment (USP, 2%) is approved for the topical treatment of impetigo. The ointment is the bioequivalent of GlaxoSmithKline's Bactroban Ointment, 2%. For more information, contact Taro Pharmaceuticals U.S.A. Inc. by visiting...

Pap test identifies breast disease.(Products)
January 1, 2006... The Halo Breast Pap Test System is a noninvasive test to detect abnormal breast cells and to identify breast disease earlier than with mammography or self-examination. The test cytologically assesses breast duct fluid or nipple aspirate fluid....

Steroid lotion approved for kids.(Products)
January 1, 2006... Cutivate (fluticasone propionate) lotion, 0.05%, a midpotency steroid lotion, is approved for the relief of the inflammatory and pruritic manifestations of atopic dermatitis in patients 1 year of age or older. For more information, contact...

Dermatitis/psoriasis shampoo.(Products)
January 1, 2006... Bandruff (hydrocortisone, 1%) shampoo is indicated for the treatment of scalp seborrheic dermatitis and psoriasis. For more information, contact Pure USA by visiting www.pureusalabs.com or by calling 800-787-3872.

Lab coats inhibit microbial spread.(Products)
January 1, 2006... The Doc's Duds line of lab coats are manufactured with yarn treated with a silver ceramic additive, which inhibits the spread of bacterial and fungal nosocomial infections. Three lab coat designs and colors are available for women (sizes 4-18)....

Human milk-filled syringe.(Products)
January 1, 2006... Prolact-22 is pasteurized human milk in a prefilled syringe for administration by nasogastric or gastric feeding tube. One 10-mL syringe contains 7.44 calories. Milk donations are taken from healthy donors, who have been screened. For more...

Blood glucose monitoring system.(Products)
January 1, 2006... The FreeStyle Connect blood glucose monitoring system interfaces with any point-of-care data management system. The monitoring system provides results in about 15 seconds and requires only 0.3 [micro]L of blood. For more information, contact...

Error prevention packages.(Products)
January 1, 2006... Novo Nordisk Inc. has initiated changes in packaging for NovoLog Mix 70/30 premixed insulin analog and Novolog rapid-acting insulin analog to help avoid dispensing errors. The box for Novolog Mix 70/30 remains white with a blue band. Packaging...

Corticosteroid approved for psoriasis.(Products)
January 1, 2006... Vanos (fluocinonide) cream, 0.1%, is approved for the treatment of plaque-type psoriasis affecting up to 10% of body surface area. The cream is a new class I topical corticosteroid. For more information, contact Medicis by visiting www.medicis....

Auto-adjusting system for OSA.(Products)
January 1, 2006... The BiPAP Auto is an auto-adjusting bilev[TEXT UNREADABLE IN ORIGINAL SOURCE.] positive airway pressure sleep system for adults who have obstructive sleep apnea. For more information, contact Respironics Inc. by visiting...

Outlook 2006.(POLICY & PRACTICE)
January 1, 2006... Facing yet another year with an unfixed sustainable growth rate that threatens to reduce Medicare payments, primary care physicians in 2006 will continue to focus on the developing pay-for-performance initiative, while advocating for funds to...

Pay for performance.(POLICY & PRACTICE)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... Getting Congress and the federal government to understand the physician's point of view on pay for performance is a goal for primary care groups in 2006. The American Academy of Family Physicians plans to work with the Centers for Medicare and...

Resolving coding concerns.(POLICY & PRACTICE)
January 1, 2006... CMS should make changes to its new voluntary reporting program, which has fueled concerns about using unfamiliar G codes to measure physician performance. Until changes are made, the AAFP plans to educate its members on the voluntary reporting...

Health information technology.(POLICY & PRACTICE)
January 1, 2006... The AAFP has made headway regarding the information technology boom--use of electronic records have increased among its members from 7% in 2003 to 30% in 2005, "a tribute to the academy's diligence," Dr. Fields said. The federal government and...

Medical liability reform.(POLICY & PRACTICE)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... Sen. Frist has promised to have a medical liability reform bill on the floor in 2006, specifically one that includes a cap on noneconomic damages, Dr. Fields said. "What happens every year is the House passes a fairly reasonable bill and the...

Help for low-income patients.(POLICY & PRACTICE)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... More states should adopt North Carolina's approach to Medicaid reform, Dr. Fields said. Changes brought about by the state have improved Medicaid for patients and physicians by providing beneficiaries with a medical home. "It's been shown that...

Medicare drug changes in 2007.(POLICY & PRACTICE)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... The U.S. Pharmacopeia recently issued draft revisions to the voluntary model guidelines used by Medicare Part D prescription drug plans. The revisions will apply to formularies for 2007. The revised guidelines contain the same number of unique...

Two bits, four bits, six bits: give lipitor!(Indications)
January 1, 2006... We at the Bureau of Indications want to be the first to say that cheerleaders have received the short end of the stick in terms of appreciation as cultural icons. Movies and skit writers on NBC's "Saturday Night Live" have portrayed them...