Family Practice News articles from March 2006

Family Practice News archives from March 2006

Palliative care gets to a 'tipping point'.
March 1, 2006... The number of palliative care programs in U.S. hospitals grew from 632 in 2000 to 1,027 in 2003, an increase of 63%, according to results from a large study. The study "demonstrates the increasing recognition by hospitals in the United...

FDA panel backs stronger warnings on ADHD drugs; voted 8-7 to add black box on cardio risks.(attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder)
March 1, 2006... GAITHERSBURG, MD. -- The best way to inform physicians, adults with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, and parents of children with ADHD about the potential cardiovascular risks of the drugs used to treat the disorder is under...

ABFM tweaks certification rules, starts 10-year cycle.(American Board of Family Medicine)
March 1, 2006... A 10-year cycle and off-line self-assessment module options are two of the changes the American Board of Family Medicine has made in its maintenance of certification process--changes that drew praise from some critics who were upset by its...

Colon cancer regimens extend survival.(News)
March 1, 2006... SAN FRANCISCO -- Patients with advanced colorectal cancer clearly live longer if they receive three chemotherapeutic drugs during the course of their treatment. Moreover, the addition of a biologic agent holds the promise of even longer...

Approved, Rotateq awaits nod from ACIP, AAP.(News)(Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices)(American Academy of Pediatrics)
March 1, 2006... ROCKVILLE, MD. -- The Food and Drug Administration has approved the first oral vaccine against rotavirus, and the first since a previous vaccine was withdrawn from the market in 1999. Merck & Co. said it is already taking orders for its...

Low-fat diet fails to cut cancer, CVD risk.(News)
March 1, 2006... Eating a low-fat diet did not affect rates of cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease, stroke, or colorectal cancer in the largest-ever long-term randomized trial of a dietary intervention in postmenopausal women. The study showed a...

AHRQ report casts doubt on diagnosing breast ca noninvasively.(News)(Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality)
March 1, 2006... Noninvasive techniques should not be used to avoid a biopsy for patients in whom mammography has identified a suspicious growth, according to a new report from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. In a review of the relevant...

CDC-developed rapid avian flu detection test gets FDA nod.(News)(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... A rapid test to detect human infection with avian influenza provides preliminary results in just 4 hours instead of the standard 23 days, according to officials with the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and...

Slashing accounts receivable, Part II.(Guest Editorial)
March 1, 2006... I knew my December 2005 column, which suggested asking each patient for a credit card number and billing balances to the card account as they come in, was an idea whose time had come. But I was quite unprepared for the huge volume of feedback....

Putting: herbal therapies to the test.(Guest Editorial)(Editorial)
March 1, 2006... As interest in herbs and phytomedicines continues to grow, physicians and patients alike may wonder which products can be considered reliable, based on their quality and/or their clinical efficacy. At least four organizations have...

The crux of clinical trials.(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Dr. David Orentlicher and Dr. Thomas Kintanar tackled a provocative topic, but missed some important points ("Should patients be required to take part in comparative clinical trials?" Pro & Con, Dec. 1, 2005, p. 12). Refusal by eligible...

Pill splitting means irregular dosing.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2006... Both Dr. Michael P. Cecil and Dr. Paul Antony missed the point in their discussion of pill splitting ("Should physicians encourage pill splitting as a way to help patients save money?" Pro 84 Con, Jan. 15, 2006, p. 15). Pills do not split...

Bypass grafting trumps PCI for coronary disease.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
March 1, 2006... CHICAGO -- Bypass grafting is superior to percutaneous intervention for the treatment of severe coronary artery disease, according to a large retrospective study presented at the annual meeting of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons. The...

Manage statin-associated myopathy concerns.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
March 1, 2006... SNOWMASS, COLO. -- When starting patients on statin therapy, it's important to acquaint them with the characteristic ways in which statin-associated myopathy differs from everyday aches and pains, Dr. Robert A. Vogel said at conference...

Time to rethink adult congenital heart disease.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
March 1, 2006... One morning a few months ago, Dr. Dan Murphy was awakened at 3 a.m. with news of a tragic case. The patient, a 38-year-old man, had been operated on twice during childhood for a heart defect--once to get him stable and then again to fix...

Dyspnea in diabetics should trigger close CVD work-up.(Metabolic Disorders)(cardiovascular diseases)
March 1, 2006... SNOWMASS, COLO. -- The complaint of shortness of breath in a diabetic patient without known coronary artery disease is a red flag that should trigger an extensive cardiovascular work-up including stress myocardial perfusion imaging, Dr. George...

Intensive insulin control cut morbidity, not death in ICU.(Metabolic Disorders)
March 1, 2006... Targeting blood glucose levels to below 110 mg/dL with insulin therapy prevented morbidity but did not significantly reduce mortality among patients in a medical intensive care unit, said Dr. Greet Van den Berghe and her associates, of Catholic...

Rapid glycemic control may complicate cataract surgery.(Metabolic Disoders)
March 1, 2006... Rapid glycemic correction before cataract surgery should be avoided in patients with moderate to severe diabetic retinopathy because it might increase the risk of retinopathy or maculopathy progression. Blood glucose levels that are quickly...

Morbid obesity complicates intubation.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Despite attempts at optimal positioning, it's significantly more difficult to intubate patients who are morbidly obese than those of normal weight, according to a poster presentation by Dr. Thomas C. Mort at the annual congress of the Society...

Birth control and weight gain.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Use of depot medroxyprogesterone acetate was associated with increasing weight gain in obese girls during an 18-month prospective study, reported Dr. Andrea E. Bonny of Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland. Of 450 girls aged 12-18...

Obesity and IUI outcomes.(Clinical Capsules)(intrauterine insemination)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Obese, ovulatory women can achieve similar pregnancy rates with intrauterine insemination, compared with women of normal weight, but obese women require higher doses of gonadotropins for adequate ovarian stimulation, according to Dr. William C....

Alendronate increases bone density, trial confirms.(Metabolic Disorders)
March 1, 2006... SAN DIEGO -- Postmenopausal women with low bone density who received once-weekly alendronate 70 mg had significantly greater increases in bone mineral density and reductions in markers of bone turnover over a 2-year period, compared with those...

Counsel select travelers on malaria prevention.(Infectious Diseases)
March 1, 2006... WASHINGTON -- Long-term travelers to countries with high risk for malaria should use personal protective measures and chemoprophylactic regimens based on the risk factors they are likely to encounter, Patricia Schlagenhauf-Lawlor, Ph.D., said...

Few American travelers bother with hepatitis B prevention.(Infectious Diseases)
March 1, 2006... WASHINGTON -- Most American travelers to regions endemic for hepatitis B do not receive pretravel health advice and are underimmunized, according to an anonymous survey of 618 adult travelers to such areas. In the survey of people who...

Value of early meningococcal symptoms debated.(Infectious Diseases)
March 1, 2006... Recognition of the early meningococcal disease features of leg pain, old hands and feet, and abnormal skin color may help get children to the hospital faster than classic symptoms that occur later in the illness, reported Dr. Matthew J....

MRSA colonization may affect up to 2.3 million: the CDC recommends not just antimicrobials, but a 'multipronged" strategy.(Infectious Diseases)
March 1, 2006... WASHINGTON -- As many as 2.3 million people in the United States carry methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Dr. Daniel B. Jernigan reported at the annual Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. The...

Skin lesions rare in neonatal herpes, assess activity levels.(Infectious Diseases)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... LAS VEGAS -- Most cases of disseminated neonatal herpes and CNS neonatal herpes do not present with skin lesions, Dr. M. Jeffrey Maisels noted at a meeting sponsored by the American Academy of Pediatrics" California Chapters 1, 2, 3, and 4 and...

'When in doubt, biopsy' nail pigment streaks.(Skin Disorders)
March 1, 2006... SAN DIEGO -- A longitudinal pigmented streak beneath the nail could either be a benign melanonychia striata or a far-from-benign subungual melanoma, but despite the vast difference in prognosis, the two conditions are very difficult to tell...

Don't ignore changing skin lesions during pregnancy.(Skin Disorders)
March 1, 2006... SAN DIEGO -- A pregnant patient's suspicious or changing skin lesion should be investigated as promptly and as thoroughly as the same lesion in a nonpregnant patient, Dr. Dina Massry said at a melanoma update sponsored by the Scripps Clinic....

FDA approves once-daily topical combo of steroid, vitamin D for psoriasis Tx.(Skin Disorders)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... The Food and Drug Administration in January approved Taclonex, a new topical therapy for psoriasis. The combined steroid and vitamin D3 analogue ointment adds both choice and convenience to the currently available first-line treatments for...

Derm Dx.(Skin Disorders)(eosinophilic fasciitis )
March 1, 2006... 56-year-old woman presented with a 7-month history of discolored, painful, tender round marks on her legs and neck that rapidly increased in size to cover large areas of her trunk and legs. Arthralgias and diffuse hair loss ensued. What's your...

Viewing addiction as a syndrome will open doors.(Mental Health)
March 1, 2006... COLORADO SPRINGS -- All addictions, whether chemical or behavioral, should be viewed as different manifestations of an underlying addiction syndrome-and addiction recovery programs will fail to achieve optimal outcomes until their protocols...

Alcohol dependence.(Drug Update)
March 1, 2006... The medications approved to treat alcohol dependence are severely underused despite evidence of their efficacy. It's estimated that less than 1% of people with alcohol dependence and abuse receive medication as part of their treatment. That's...

U.S. surveys show paths to addiction treatment.(Mental Health)
March 1, 2006... BETHESDA, MD. -- Treatment for substance use disorders continues to be out of reach for many people who need it at a time in which funding for treatment and health plan coverage of substance abuse remains stagnate, Constance M. Horgan, Sc.D.,...

Consider ethnicity when screening for depression.(Mental Health)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... SANTA ANA PUEBLO, N.M. -- Different populations may require different screening instruments for depression, according to investigators who compared the accuracy of methods for detecting depression in 209 terminally ill cancer patients in Japan....

Watch for growth slowdown with stimulants.(Mental Health)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... NEW YORK -- Significant growth slowdown during treatment with stimulants may occur in a small subset of children who require closer monitoring and referral, Dr. Harold E. Carlson said at a psychopharmacology update sponsored by the American...

Fetal pulse oximetry fails to lower C-section rate.(Women's Health)
March 1, 2006... MIAMI -- Fetal pulse oximetry failed to significantly decrease the cesarean delivery rate or to improve neonatal outcomes in a randomized, multicenter study of more than 5,000 women, Dr. Steven L. Bloom said at the annual meeting of the Society...

New sterilization device nears market.(Women's Health)
March 1, 2006... The Adiana transcervical sterilization system appears to be easy to use, safe, and effective, according to phase III data, Dr. Alan Johns reported at the annual meeting of the AAGL (formerly the American Association of Gynecologic...

GI Agents: Part II.(Drugs, Pregnancy, And Lactation)
March 1, 2006... The second part of this three-part series examines the safety of drugs used to treat several gastrointestinal diseases that cause significant morbidity in pregnant women. * Helicobacter pylori infection: The bacteria H. pylori are...

Strength training slows knee osteoarthritis.(Musculoskeletal Disorders)
March 1, 2006... BOSTON -- Lower-extremity strength training may do more to stave off the incidence and progression of knee osteoarthritis symptoms in older individuals than do conventional range-of-motion exercises, said Steven A. Mazzuca, Ph.D., at the 10th...

Bisphosphonate shown to ease some knee OA.(Musculoskeletal Disorders)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... SAN DIEGO -- Risedronate treatment preserved trabecular bone in patients with advanced medial compartment knee osteoarthritis, and at a high dose even appeared to build it, Christopher Buckland-Wright, Ph.D., said at the annual meeting of the...

Seniors need strong abdominal muscles.(Exercise Rx)
March 1, 2006... Abdominal strength is important for everyone, but especially for older patients. The abdominal muscles consist of several layers of overlapping fibers: the rectus abdominus, which runs from the ribs to the pelvis, the internal and external...

How to help parents prevent obesity in toddlers.(Obesity)
March 1, 2006... WASHINGTON -- Recognize parenting strategies that hinder or support the development of healthy eating patterns, and you can help prevent obesity in toddlers, Jennifer Orlet Fisher, Ph.D., and Susan L. Johnson, Ph.D., said in a presentation at...

Six tips for averting obesity in youngsters.(Obesity)
March 1, 2006... LAS VEGAS -- There are at least six behavior change strategies physicians can recommend to prevent child and adolescent obesity, Dr. William H. Dietz said at a meeting sponsored by the American Academy of Pediatrics" California Chapters 1, 2,...

Tap self management to help youths fight obesity.(Obesity)
March 1, 2006... LAS VEGAS -- Posing an open-ended question is the best way to approach the topic of treatment options when talking with an obese child or adolescent and the patient's family, Dr. William H. Dietz advised at a meeting sponsored by the American...

Study exonerates high carbs, low fats as weight gain cause.(Obesity)
March 1, 2006... Diets that are low in fat and high in carbohydrates from vegetables, fruits, and whole grains do not cause weight gain in postmenopausal women, reported Barbara V. Howard, Ph.D., and her associates in the Women's Health Initiative Dietary...

Think 'bronchiectasis' in frequent antibiotic users.(Pulmonary Medicine)
March 1, 2006... KEYSTONE, COLO. -- Anybody who needs two or more courses of antibiotics within a year for respiratory tract infections deserves to be evaluated for bronchiectasis, Dr. Gwen A. Huitt asserted at a meeting sponsored by the National Jewish Medical...

Ralstonia found in more Vapotherm devices, recall launched.(Pulmonary Medicine)
March 1, 2006... Vapotherm respiratory gas administration devices are being voluntarily recalled, following federal government reports that twenty-nine hospitals in 16 states found Ralstonia organisms colonizing the devices, and cultures from approximately 40...

Direct low-literacy patients to cancer screening.(Clinical Rounds)
March 1, 2006... WASHINGTON -- Physician-directed interventions can increase rates of colorectal cancer screening in patients with low literacy skills, Dr. Charles Bennett reported at a conference on health literacy sponsored by the American College of...

Drug adds 6 months to colorectal cancer survival.(Clinical Rounds)
March 1, 2006... SAN FRANCISCO -- Adding oxaliplatin to a standard, two-drug chemotherapy regimen led to a 30% improvement in median survival among patients with metastatic colorectal cancer, according to early results from an Italian study. Furthermore,...

Evaluate apnea patients for coexisting rhinitis.(Clinical Rounds)
March 1, 2006... KEYSTONE, COLO. -- All patients with obstructive sleep apnea should be evaluated and treated for rhinitis, an extremely common coexisting condition, Dr. Robert Ballard said at a meeting sponsored by the National Jewish Medical and Research...

Age doesn't play into cochlear implant outcomes.(Clinical Rounds)
March 1, 2006... Patient age has little effect on postoperative outcomes for recipients of cochlear implants, reported Janice Leung and her associates at Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore. In their study of 749 patients with profound hearing loss, patients...

Stuffy noses in infants are not always benign.(Clinical Rounds)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... RANCHO MIRAGE, CALIF. -- Infants with nasal obstructions due to upper airway infections tend to experience frequent oxygen desaturations during sleep, according to a poster presented by Dr. Henning Wulbrand at a conference on sleep disorders in...

'Back to sleep' doesn't apply in presence of apnea.(Clinical Rounds)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Young children with sleep apnea showed more respiratory disturbance when they slept on their backs than in all other positions combined, according to new findings from a chart review. Dr. Kevin D. Pereira and his associates at the...

Headache, sleep disturbance comorbid in kids.(Clinical Rounds)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... RANCHO MIRAGE, CALIF. -- Twenty percent of children with episodic headaches have at least one symptom of sleep disturbance, according to a poster presented by Dr. Lenora M. Lehwald at a conference on sleep disorders in infancy and childhood,...

CIND estimated in 23% of U.S. elderly.(Clinical Rounds)(cognitive impairment not classified as dementia)
March 1, 2006... ORLANDO -- Preliminary findings suggest a 23% prevalence of cognitive impairment not classified as dementia in the U.S. population older than 70, according to results presented at the annual meeting of the Gerontological Society of America. ...

Aspirin cuts first stroke risk by 17%, but for female patients only.(Clinical Rounds)
March 1, 2006... DALLAS -- Aspirin appears to be effective for primary prevention of stroke in women, but not in men, according to the findings of a metaanalysis presented by Dr. David L. Brown, at the annual scientific sessions of the American Heart...

Warfarin, monitoring still top choice for stroke prevention.(Clinical Rounds)
March 1, 2006... DALLAS -- Oral anticoagulation with warfarin proved superior to clopidogrel plus aspirin for prevention of stroke and other vascular events in patients with atrial fibrillation in the massive Atrial Fibrillation Clopidogrel Trial With...

Data back supplements for pediatric ailments.(Clinical Rounds)
March 1, 2006... LA JOLLA, CALIF. -- Interest in natural supplements is just as strong in pediatrics as it is in adult medicine, Dr. Paula Gardiner said a meeting on natural supplements in evidence-based practice sponsored by the Scripps Clinic. "Kids are...

PPIs vs. peptic ulcer bleeding.(Clinical Capsules)(proton pump inhibitors)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Treatment with proton pump inhibitors reduces the risk of bleeding and abdominal surgery in patients with peptic ulcers, and also reduces mortality among Asian patients with peptic ulcers, according to an updated metaanalysis of 24 randomized...

Manometry makes all the difference.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Esophageal manometry provided new information leading to a change in patient management in up to 60% of cases in a prospective study, Dr. Brian E. Lacy said at the annual meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology. The study...

Girth predicts CVD risk in women.(Clinical Capsules)(cardiovascular diseases)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Waist circumference of at least 35 inches correlated with several major cardiovascular and metabolic risk factors in a nationwide screening program for women, reported Dr. Lori Mosca, director of preventive cardiology at New York-Presbyterian...

Program helps hospitals launch palliative care.(Practice Trends)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... A California program has helped hospitals establish palliative care services, according to a recent study evaluating the program 1 year after its completion. Given that more than half of people in the United States die in a hospital,...

Malpractice concerns eat up 10% of premiums.(Practice Trends)
March 1, 2006... WASHINGTON -- The costs of malpractice insurance and defensive medicine account for about 10 cents of every dollar spent on health care premiums, several speakers said at a press briefing sponsored by America's Health Insurance Plans. ...

Bill halts 4.4% cut.(Policy & Practice)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Congress' long-awaited passage of the budget reconciliation package (also called the Deficit Reduction Act) put a freeze on a 4.4% Medicare pay cut that physicians experienced in the month of January. The congressional action stopped any...

And on to the 2007 budget.(Policy & Practice)
March 1, 2006... The President's 2007 budget request for the Department of Health and Human Services--$698 billion--is a $58 billion increase from 2006, but contains cost containment measures that would whittle down or eliminate certain programs. Medicare...

Not so sure on quarantines.(Policy & Practice)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Americans are in favor of quarantines as a protection against infectious diseases--but when it comes to the enforcement and monitoring of quarantines, they're not as receptive as people in other countries, according to a Web-exclusive Health...

CVD awareness rises.(Policy & Practice)(cardiovascular disease)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... More women are aware of cardiovascular disease, and that knowledge is causing them to take positive preventive health steps for themselves and family members, according to a recent study published in the journal Circulation. A survey of more...

Take five steps to appeal Medicare Part B denials.(Practice Trends)
March 1, 2006... LAS VEGAS -- On Jan. 1, Medicare officials implemented a new five-step process for appealing Medicare Part B claims. The changes apply to Part B initial claim determinations issued and mailed on or after that date, Edward R. Gaines III,...

Targeting groups for new drugs questioned.(Practice Trends)
March 1, 2006... WASHINGTON -- Drugs like BiDil that target a particular racial or ethnic group do not represent the best approach for looking at health disparities, Dr. Francis S. Collins said at a meeting sponsored by the Department of Health and Human...

Providers need to own up to health disparities.(Practice Trends)
March 1, 2006... WASHINGTON -- Health disparities won't go away until the people and institutions that play a role in creating them are held accountable, Dr. Anne C. Beal said at a meeting sponsored by the Department of Health and Human Services and the Office...

Ten states accounted for 55% of all physicians in 2004.(DATA WATCH)(Brief article)(Statistical data)
March 1, 2006... Ten States Accounted for 55% of All Physicians in 2004 California 105,766 11.9% New York 81,716 9.2% Texas 52,060 5.9% Florida 51,025 5.8%...

Laughed? I thought I'd exercised.(Indications)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... No need to work up a sweat in order to kick the old circulation up a notch. Laughter improves blood flow as much as a run through the park, according to an online report of research findings from the University of Maryland Medical Center in...

Is there a comic in the house?(Indications)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... It's like the realtors always say: location, location, location. An elderly man attending a fund-raiser for the American Heart Association under way in Santa Barbara, Calif., chose the exactly ideal location to collapse from cardiac arrest--in...

What a piece of work is man.(Indications)(William Shatner's kidney stone goes to Habitat for Humanity)
March 1, 2006... Praise generosity and pass the cottage cheese. Habitat for Humanity may build dwellings with such materials as wooden two-by-fours, drywall, and vinyl siding, but at least some of its funding comes from stone--kidney stone that is. The kidney...

Arms are for hugging, not dinner.(Indications)
March 1, 2006... The Donner family was framed. Historical archaeologists now have established that a broken axle stranded the 21 members of the families of George and Jacob Donner along Alder Creek, in Oregon, 6 miles away from the Sierra Nevada site where...

RotaTeq's adoption by FPs uncertain.(News)
March 15, 2006... ATLANTA -- Rotavirus immunization may be back. At a meeting of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), the committee voted to recommend that all infants receive Merck & Co.'s...

ACIP: immunize 2- to 5-year-olds against the flu: outpatient, ED visits spurred the decision.(Infectious Diseases)
March 15, 2006... ATLANTA -- All children aged 2-5 years should be immunized annually against influenza, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommended unanimously at its winter meeting. The new...

Risks of hormone therapy dwarfed benefits in WHI.(Women's Health)
March 15, 2006... BETHESDA, MD. -- In retrospect, perhaps the most startling thing about the hormone therapy study of the Women's Health Initiative was how wrong most experts had been beforehand about the benefits of estrogen in postmenopausal women. Before...

Gatifloxacin tied to hospitalizations for treatment of hyper- and hypoglycemia.(News)
March 15, 2006... Results from two large studies how a strong association between the use of gatifloxacin and hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia. Patients treated on an inpatient basis for hyperglycemia were almost 17 times (OR 16.7) more likely to have been...

Label changes address dysglycemia.(News)(Brief article)
March 15, 2006... Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. has announced labeling changes for Tequin (gatifloxacin) that update the prescription information as a result of continued reports of cases of hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia in patients taking the drug. Tequin is...

Tdap vaccine advised for all health care workers.(News)
March 15, 2006... ATLANTA -- Health care workers in hospitals or ambulatory care settings and those who have direct patient contact should receive the adolescent/adult formulation of the tetanus-diphtheria-acelular pertussis vaccine, the Advisory Committee on...

Glucosamine, chondroitin fail in knee OA trial.(News)
March 15, 2006... The dietary supplements glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate failed to show overall efficacy for pain relief in osteoarthritis of the knee in a large double-blind trial, but questions concerning their potential benefits in patients with more...

Medicare covers abdominal aortic aneurysm screen for highest risk.(News)
March 15, 2006... While welcomed as a potentially life-saving preventive service, the abdominal aortic aneurysm screening benefit recently approved for addition to the Welcome to Medicare physical will further strain limited time for prevention, said family...