Internal Medicine News articles from December 2004

Internal Medicine News archives from December 2004

Propofol sedation faces obstacles.(News)
December 1, 2004... ORLANDO, FLA. -- Concerns about staffing, safety, and reimbursement have emerged as potential barriers to wider use of propofol sedation during endoscopic procedures. Many endoscopists have embraced propofol (Diprivan) in recent years as...

Internal medicine residents graduating from ACGME-accredited specialty programs.(VITAL SIGNS)(Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education )(Illustration)
December 1, 2004... Internal Medicine Residents Graduating From ACGME-Accredited Specialty Programs Men Women 1999 63% 37% 2001 61% 39% 2003 61% 39% Notes: Besed on a survey of 7,040 program directors who confirmed the status...

Carvedilol excels for hypertensive diabetic patients: glycosylated hemoglobin held steady with carvedilol but rose 0.15% with metoprolol.(News)
December 1, 2004... NEW ORLEANS -- Carvedilol provided compelling metabolic advantages over metoprolol when used in combination with a renin-angiotensin system blocker in hypertensive diabetic patients in a landmark clinical trial. Carvedilol improved aspects...

Inhaled insulin performs well in type 2 diabetes: Hb[A.sub.1c] levels lower than with oral agents.(News)
December 1, 2004... QUEBEC CITY -- Inhaled insulin outperformed oral hypoglycemic agents and rosiglitazone and was as effective as subcutaneous insulin in improving Hb[A.sub.1c] levels in three phase III trials. The studies, funded by Pfizer Inc, and Aventis...

ICD registry scheduled to start on Jan. 1.(News)(implantable cardioverter defibrillators)
December 1, 2004... The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services says that its registry of patients receiving implantable cardioverter defibrillators will be up and running by the first of the year. The assertion comes despite a statement by two of the groups...

Californians back $3 billion stem cell research initiative.(News)
December 1, 2004... California voters sent a clear message in support of embryonic stem cell research last month when they approved a measure to spend nearly $3 billion on this research over the next 10 years. Proposition 71 establishes and funds the...

COX-2 inhibitors continue to come under fire.(News)
December 1, 2004... As the fallout from the rofecoxib withdrawal escalated--with Merck & Co. facing questions from federal prosecutors and the Securities and Exchange Commission--a larger question emerged: Is the cardiovascular risk a class effect common to all...

WHI detects no rapid bone loss after hormone therapy.(News)(Women's Health Initiative)
December 1, 2004... SEATTLE -- Women who used active estrogen-progestin therapy in the Women's Health Initiative continued to have a reduced rate of bone fracture in the first year after the trial was halted, Rebecca D. Jackson, M.D., said at the annual meeting of...

Warding off False Claims Actions.(GUEST EDITORIAL)
December 1, 2004... Action under the federal False Claims Act is emerging as a potentially more devastating threat to a physician's practice than is malpractice liability. Despite laws that provide specific penalties for medical fraud, the federal government...

Are caps the answer to the malpractice crisis?(PRO & CON)
December 1, 2004... YES Multiple fires are burning in our health care system, but the malpractice insurance crisis is among the most serious, and ironically, the one that can be most easily remedied. Caps on noneconomic damages are a critical first step. ...

EHRs save time and money.(LETTERS)(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2004... I just read the letter to the editor by Adam Gladstone, M.D. ("Barriers to EHRs," Nov. 1, 2004, p. 14). I am a solo ob.gyn. Four years ago, I had a staff of 12 employees--including a nurse practitioner--and a 10-by-10-foot chart room. In...

Offending words.(LETTERS)(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2004... I found the opinion piece by Tom Connally, M.D., in "Health Care 2004: You Decide," offensive ("The Kerry Proposal Presented," Oct. 1, 2004, p. 7). While I am accustomed to a difference of opinion in many position statements, I do not...

Who causes high costs?(LETTERS)(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2004... The chart "Distribution of National Health Expenditures" is misleading (Vital Signs, Sept. 1, 2004, p. 1). When one talks about the health care industry in recent years, it appears as though the insurance companies identify themselves as...

Correction.(Correction Notice)
December 1, 2004... One of the six risk factors linked to predicted benefit from an implantable cardioverter defibrillator ("ICDs Unlikely to Reduce Mortality," Nov. 1, 2004, p. 7) was incorrect; it should have specified a QRS interval of 140 milliseconds or more....

Basic science and clinical medicine.(GUEST EDITORIAL)(Editorial)
December 1, 2004... Internal medicine is particularly satisfying and challenging because it requires the application of both basic and clinical science principles to individual patients who have human needs and aspirations. The culture of basic science differs...

Noninvasive system that ablates uterine fibroids gains FDA approval: the FDA expedited review of ExAblate 2000 but is requiring postmarket study of safety, effectiveness.(Women's Health)
December 1, 2004... Negotiations with insurers are underway and some physicians' hopes for maximal efficacy are high now that the Food and Drug Administration has approved the first noninvasive therapy for symptomatic uterine fibroids. In a statement...

Some fibroids should be left untreated.(Women's Health)
December 1, 2004... MONTREAL -- Asymptomatic subserous or intramural uterine fibroids should be left untreated, even if a patient desires pregnancy, two experts said at the 18th World Congress on Fertility and Sterility. "Most studies show that these fibroids...

Lymph nodes dissected without axillary incision.(Women's Health)
December 1, 2004... NEW YORK -- A new endoscopy-supported operative technique in which lymph nodes are dissected without axillary incision is feasible, safe, and appears to result in both fewer lymph seromas and dramatically improved arm mobility for breast cancer...

Ductal lavage not a sensitive screening tool for breast Ca.(Women's Health)
December 1, 2004... The sensitivity of ductal lavage in detecting breast cancer was so low in a recent study that it cannot be recommended as a screening tool, investigators have reported. "Ductal lavage should not be recommended to high-risk women as a...

Breast Ca mortality tied to age at Dx, stage.(Women's Health)
December 1, 2004... Women diagnosed with breast cancer before age 50, or at an advanced stage at any age, are more likely to die from that cancer than from any other cause of death, according to a study of more than 400,000 breast cancer patients. Black women...

Low DHEA-S levels, low libido strongly linked.(Women's Health)
December 1, 2004... NEW ORLEANS -- A low serum dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate level is dramatically associated with low libido in premenopausal women, and appears to be a more accurate marker of decreased sexual interest than testosterone, Susan Davis, M.D., said...

Interstitial cystitis joins other culprits in chronic pelvic pain.(Women's Health)
December 1, 2004... NEW YORK -- Interstitial cystitis often coexists with adenomyosis, just as it does with endometriosis, Stephen A. Grochmal, M.D., said at an international congress of the Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons. "How many patients do we have...

Doctors underestimate severity of acute cystitis symptoms.(Women's Health)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... ORLANDO, FLA. -- A perception gap exists between women with acute cystitis and their physicians in terms of assessment of symptom severity, Richard Colgan, M.D., said at Wonca 2004, the conference of the World Organization of Family Doctors....

Sacral neuromodulation may alleviate chronic pelvic pain.(Women's Health)
December 1, 2004... NEW YORK -- Sacral neuromodulation appears effective in modulating pelvic pain in patients who have both refractory chronic pelvic pain and irritable voiding symptoms, Jackie S. Shriver, a nurse-practitioner, said at an international congress...

Stress UI more common in white women than blacks.(Women's Health)(Urinary incontinence)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... SAN DIEGO -- White women aged 40-69 have a nearly threefold greater risk of stress urinary incontinence, compared with blacks in the same age group, according to a large population study. "These results suggest that there are additional...

Landmark Alzheimer's study to start in 2005: unique collaboration will seek to identify an AD marker that works like cholesterol for heart disease.(Geriatrics)
December 1, 2004... Government agencies, industry, academia, and advocacy groups are working together in a unique collaboration to undertake what could be the Framingham Study of Alzheimer's disease. The Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative, headed by...

Cholinesterase inhibitors underused.(Geriatrics)
December 1, 2004... TORONTO -- Neurologists are more likely than are primary care physicians or psychiatrists to prescribe a cholinesterase inhibitor for a patient with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease, but even they fall short of meeting goals in clinical...

Comparing effects of Alzheimer's drugs.(Geriatrics)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... The acetylcholinesterase inhibitors used to treat Alzheimer's disease have similar efficacy and safety through a range of dosages, except for minor differences, reported Craig W. Ritchie, M.B., of University College London and his associates....

Exercise classes improve function in seniors with chronic conditions.(Geriatrics)
December 1, 2004... ORLANDO, FLA. -- Elderly patients with chronic health conditions can curb and even reverse declining functional status through participation in seniors' physical fitness classes, Mary Jo Hessert said at Wonca 2004, the conference of the World...

Mini-Mental State Exam may not be best choice for memory problems in elderly.(Geriatrics)
December 1, 2004... PHILADELPHIA -- The Mini-Mental State Examination, often the first choice of primary care physicians to assess memory in elderly patients, may miss many cases of memory impairment. Amy E. Kane reported in a poster presentation at the Ninth...

Oral vitamin [B.sub.12] is just as effective as [B.sub.12] injections.(Geriatrics)
December 1, 2004... ORLANDO, FLA. -- The utility of oral vitamin [B.sub.12] as an alternative to intramuscular [B.sub.12] injections in patients with serum vitamin [B.sub.12] deficiency is "one of medicine's best kept secrets," Josep Vidal-Alaball, M.D., said at...

Dermatoses are often the first sign of APS.(Dermatology)(Antiphospholipid syndrome)
December 1, 2004... DUSSELDORF, GERMANY -- Antiphospholipid syndrome, the set of conditions that is marked by vascular thrombosis or recurrent miscarriages, manifests as a skin disease up to half the time, according to a French group. Early recognition of...

Catastrophic scars may result from natural 'cancer salves'.(Dermatology)
December 1, 2004... NEW YORK -- Internet "cures" for superficial nonmelanoma skin cancers sometimes result in excruciating and disfiguring sequelae, proving far more destructive than any modality offered by conventional dermatologists, John K. Geisse, M.D., said...

Psoriasis strongly linked to comorbid conditions.(Dermatology)
December 1, 2004... PARIS -- Psoriasis is highly associated with several diseases, including arterial hypertension, type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus, and alcoholism--a finding with profound implications for monitoring patients and choosing medications, Ulrich...

Wide number of biologics for psoriasis complicates therapy.(Dermatology)
December 1, 2004... SPOKANE, WASH. -- With four biologic therapies on the market and a promising fifth in the pipeline, decisions about treating psoriasis are not easy. Craig L. Leonardi, M.D., who has treated nearly 400 patients with these drugs, offered...

More young adults abusing prescription drugs.(Adolescent Medicine)
December 1, 2004... WASHINGTON -- Prescription drug abuse continues to rise among young adults, though fewer youths are smoking marijuana and using other illicit drugs, a federal substance abuse survey showed. From 2002 to 2003, lifetime nonmedical use of...

Conduct disorder risk defined by interaction of genes, environment.(Adolescent Medicine)
December 1, 2004... ASPEN, COLO. -- A large twin registry study has replicated the findings of an earlier landmark New Zealand study showing that polymorphisms of the monoamine oxidase A gene modify the risk of antisocial behavior in boys exposed to familial...

Research supports new treatment options for bulimia nervosa.(Adolescent Medicine)(Family-based therapy )
December 1, 2004... ORLANDO, FLA. -- Family-based therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy with guided self-help both show promise for the treatment of adolescents with bulimia nervosa, according to data presented at an international conference sponsored by the...

Intervention vital in eating disorders.(Adolescent Medicine)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Few differences in symptoms exist between adolescents who meet diagnostic criteria for bulimia nervosa and adolescents with fewer symptoms of disordered eating, said Daniel le Grange, Ph.D., and his colleagues at the University of Chicago...

Confidential care: balance state law and HIPAA; HIPAA gives parents full rights to their children's medical records, but state laws have precedence.(Adolescent Medicine)
December 1, 2004... BALTIMORE -- One way to improve the health of your adolescent patients is to offer confidential care, Ann Bruner, M.D., said at a meeting on pediatric trends sponsored by Johns Hopkins University. Research indicates that adolescents rank...

Rise in incidence of toxic shock syndrome prompts concern.(Adolescent Medicine)
December 1, 2004... LA JOLLA, CALIF. -- An apparent rise in the number of cases of tampon-related toxic shock syndrome, especially in adolescents, warrants extra vigilance by physicians, who should report cases to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,...

Estrogen use in teen girls tied to later infertility.(Adolescent Medicine)
December 1, 2004... High-dose estrogen therapy for tall stature in adolescent girls appears to reduce fertility later in life, according to results of a retrospective cohort study. Estrogen has been used for years in the United States, Europe, and Australia...

Cardiovascular disease likely to occur in COPD patients.(Pulmonary Medicine)
December 1, 2004... SEATTLE -- Patients treated for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease had a two- to threefold increased risk of hospitalizations and deaths due to cardiovascular disease, compared with a group of age-matched controls, results from a large study...

HIV infection, smoking may increase risk of obstructive lung disease.(Pulmonary Medicine)
December 1, 2004... SEATTLE -- A diagnosis of obstructive lung disease is more likely in HIV-positive veterans than in HIV-negative veterans, results from a multicenter study have shown. The findings--which also suggest that smoking may contribute to the...

[beta]-blockers appear safe in HF patients who have obstructive lung disease.(Pulmonary Medicine)
December 1, 2004... SEATTLE -- The long-term use of [beta]-blockers in heart failure patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and/or asthma did not increase the risk of respiratory complications, results from a large retrospective study have shown. ...

Some asthmatics lose sleep over their symptoms: the routine care of patients with asthma should incorporate objective measures of sleep quality.(Pulmonary Medicine)
December 1, 2004... SEATTLE -- About 30% of patients with asthma report that their sleep quality is either "fairly bad" or "bad," according to one of the largest studies to use objective sleep measurements in this patient population. "Sleep quality is...

Pulmonary artery pressure dropped with sildenafil.(Pulmonary Medicine)
December 1, 2004... SEATTLE -- A 12-week course of sildenafil citrate in adults with pulmonary arterial hypertension significantly improved 6-minute walking distance and mean pulmonary artery pressure, and had favorable effects on New York Heart Association...

Fewer confirmatory tests performed for COPD than for heart failure.(Pulmonary Medicine)(Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
December 1, 2004... SEATTLE -- Patients diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were less likely to have a confirmatory test than were patients diagnosed with heart failure, according to results from a study conducted at a Boston-based hospital. ...

Studies offer support for low-carbohydrate diets.(Endocrinology)
December 1, 2004... ORLANDO, FLA. -- Low-carbohydrate ketogenic diets promote greater weight loss and improve certain serum lipids, compared with low-calorie diets, according to a literature review. Low-carbohydrate strategies for weight loss, such as the...

Loss of motility predicts vision loss in Graves'.(Endocrinology)
December 1, 2004... VANCOUVER, B.C. -- Reduced eye motility in more than two directions is the most important clinical predictor of subsequent loss of vision in patients with severe Graves' ophthalmopathy, Peter Laurberg, M.D., said at the annual meeting of the...

Bone, muscle benefit from treating subclinical hyperthyroidism.(Endocrinology)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... VANCOUVER, B.C. -- Treatment of hyperthyroidism in women, regardless of whether the disease is subclinical or overt, results in significantly improved bone mineral density and muscle mass, Laura J.S. Greenlund, M.D., reported at the annual...

How many biopsies are enough in patient with multinodular goiter?(Endocrinology)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... VANCOUVER, B.C. -- In a euthyroid patient with a multinodular goiter, the most appropriate initial approach is fine-needle aspiration biopsy of the dominant or largest nodule, Sarah Kwong, M.D., said at the annual meeting of the American...

Surgeon volume affects resection extent in thyroid cancer.(Endocrinology)
December 1, 2004... VANCOUVER, B.C. -- Most thyroid cancer surgery is done by low-volume operators, who are less likely to perform a total thyroidectomy than are high-volume surgeons, Philip I. Haigh, M.D., reported at the annual meeting of the American Thyroid...

Genetic diabetes responds to tailored therapy.(Endocrinology)
December 1, 2004... QUEBEC CITY -- The identification of patients with genetic forms of diabetes is is pointing the way to more effective treatments for many of these patients, according to Ewan Pearson, M.D. "Research in the last year has enabled us to...

Expert predicts expanding role for genomics.(Clinical Rounds)
December 1, 2004... ORLANDO, FLA. -- The completion of the human genome sequence last year is just the end of the beginning of a genomics revolution that will change the face of medicine, said Francis Collins, M.D., director of the National Institutes of Health's...

A hot list of PDA essentials.(DIGITAL ASSISTANCE)(Personal Digital Assistance software )
December 1, 2004... For the past 2 years, Digital Assistance has presented useful PDA software, accessories, and Web sites. With enthusiasm, we've taken on the interesting--and at times daunting--challenge of reviewing the newest in handheld technology for the...

Many diseases still elude genetic risk prediction.(Clinical Rounds)
December 1, 2004... VIENNA -- Genetics has been enthusiastically oversold as a potential predictor of individual future risk of developing serious common diseases, Nicholas Hastie, Ph.D., declared at the annual meeting of the European Society for Dermatological...

Many Americans don't want to pay more for genetically personalized health care.(DATA WATCH)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Many Americans Don't Want to Pay More for Genetically Personalized Health Care No 35% Yes 57% Don't know 8% Are you willing to be genetically tested? No 57% Yes ...

Better diet equals fewer CHD deaths in Finland: the WHO estimates that 60% of all deaths in the world are due to chronic noncommunicable diseases.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
December 1, 2004... ORLANDO, FLA. -- The physician credited with leading Finland to an 82% reduction in age-adjusted coronary heart disease mortality in the working-age population during the last 30 years says it never could have happened without the active...

Stable angina poses CV risk in men and women over 20-year period.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
December 1, 2004... MUNICH -- Stable angina is a far cry from the relatively benign condition that it's typically portrayed as, Niamh Murphy, M.D., said at the annual congress of the European Society of Cardiology. "In fact, we've shown that two-thirds of men...

HDL drop may be 'normal metabolic response' to diet.(Cardiovascular Medicine)(high-density lipoprotein)
December 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- A declining plasma concentration of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol induced by a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet may well be a cardiovascular-risk red herring, according to a Canadian researcher. Although conventional...

Nurses can do elective cardioversion.(CLINICAL CAPSULES)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Specially trained nurses can safely perform elective electrical cardioversion in outpatient medical settings with the patient under general anesthesia or sedation, according to Mary P. Currie, a nurse at Bromley Hospitals, London, and her...

Endovascular aneurysm repair.(CLINICAL CAPSULES)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Endovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms is preferable to the conventional open surgical approach because of its lower operative mortality and lower complication rate, according to Monique Prinssen, M.D., and her associates in the...

Treating basilar artery occlusion.(CLINICAL CAPSULES)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Intravenous thrombolysis is as good as, if not better than, the recommended intraarterial approach for basilar artery occlusion, according to Perttu J. Lindsberg. M.D., and associates at Helsinki (Finland) University Central Hospital. ...

Collateral circulation lower in elderly.(CLINICAL CAPSULES)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Aging decreases collateral circulation to infarct-related arteries, which may explain why the elderly have a particularly poor short-term prognosis after acute MI, said Toshiya Kurotobi, M.D., of Osaka Minami National Hospital, Kawachinagano,...

White coat hypertension: relatively benign?(Cardiovascular Medicine)
December 1, 2004... ORLANDO, FLA. -- White coat hypertension conveys significantly less risk than the combination of raised clinic and ambulatory blood pressure, according to the results of a 7-year follow-up study. In a cohort of nearly 6,000 primary care...

BP assessment for trauma patients found lacking.(Cardiovascular Medicine)(blood pressure)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... ATLANTA -- Patients presenting to the emergency department with a traumatic injury may not receive adequate blood pressure assessment, results of a retrospective study suggested. Many patients whose hypertension might otherwise be...

Screening systemic sclerosis patients allows earlier PAH diagnosis, treatment.(Cardiovascular Medicine)(Pulmonary arterial hypertension)
December 1, 2004... MUNICH -- Systematic screening of patients with systemic sclerosis for pulmonary arterial hypertension can identify patients with this life-threatening complication when it is less severe, based on a screening study with 617 patients. ...

Many clinicians aren't heeding hypertension treatment guidelines.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
December 1, 2004... ORLANDO, FLA. -- Many clinicians do not follow clinical guidelines for treating high blood pressure, resulting in a "disturbing pattern of poor-quality hypertensive treatment in the United States," said James Gill, M.D. Despite the recent...

Horse chestnut seed extract for chronic venous insufficiency.(AN EVIDENCE-BASED APPROACH)
December 1, 2004... History and Rationale for Use Extracts of the Aesculus hippocastanum seed have been used in Europe since the 19th century in the treatment of chronic venous insufficiency, varicose veins, and hemorrhoids. The leaves have been used for...

Intradermal flu vaccine packs a promising punch.(Infectious Diseases)
December 1, 2004... Intradermal injection of a reduced dose of influenza vaccine may be as effective as intramuscular administration of the normal dose, at least for adults up to age 60, according to two reports. The intradermal approach could be a way to...

Misconceptions lead Medicare recipients to miss flu shots.(Infectious Diseases)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... A lack of knowledge about the need for influenza vaccination, misconceptions about the flu, and misconceptions about the vaccine and its side effects were the most common reasons cited by people aged 65 years and older when asked why they had...

Antibiotic prescribing often questionable in home health care.(Infectious Diseases)
December 1, 2004... BOSTON -- A substantial proportion of patients in home health care receive antimicrobial therapy for infections without a documented pathogen, according to research conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Two patient...

Bacterial meningitis in adults.(THE EFFECTIVE PHYSICIAN)
December 1, 2004... Background Rapid recognition and institution of appropriate antibacterials are required to minimize morbidity from bacterial meningitis. The Infectious Diseases Society of America recently released guidelines for treatment of this...

Owners of exotic pets risk serious infection.(Infectious Diseases)
December 1, 2004... ORLANDO, FLA. -- A growing number of Americans choose exotic animals as pets without knowing that even handling these unusual creatures may result in serious dermatologic diseases, Ted Rosen, M.D., said at the annual meeting of the Florida...

Two new anti-HIV drugs provide effective combo.(Infectious Diseases)
December 1, 2004... WASHINGTON -- The best strategy for using two of the newest anti-HIV drugs, tipranavir and enfuvirtide, may be to use them together because each appears to work better when coupled with at least one other active anti-retroviral drug, several...

New protease inhibitor controls HIV when other agents fail.(Infectious Diseases)
December 1, 2004... WASHINGTON -- A new protease inhibitor, tipranavir, was effective for controlling HIV infection in patients who had failed treatment with the standard protease inhibitors now on the U.S. market, in a phase III study with 620 patients. ...

Take blame out of HIV prevention efforts, activist says.(Infectious Diseases)
December 1, 2004... MIAMI -- For HIV-prevention messages to be effective, a shift in strategy is needed, said Terje Anderson of National Association of People With AIDS, Washington. "We've built up this whole culture of assigning blame. So much of the...

Annual flu revaccination.(CLINICAL CAPSULES)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Annual influenza revaccination reduces all-cause mortality in community-dwelling elderly persons, a study suggests. In 26,071 elderly adults, a first vaccination was associated with a 10% annual mortality reduction, which was not...

Imported leishmaniasis.(CLINICAL CAPSULES)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Increasing travel to Central and South America could be associated with a rise in imported cases of mucocutaneous leishmaniasis. A travel history should be obtained in any patient presenting with unusual skin lesions or chronic...

Anthrax vaccination ruling.(CLINICAL CAPSULES)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia issued an injunction against the Department of Defense involuntary anthrax vaccination program, citing a failure on the part of the Food and Drug Administration to properly solicit additional...

Syphilis and oral sex.(CLINICAL CAPSULES)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Syphilis transmission patterns appear to be changing, with more cases being reported among men who have sex with men, and with a substantial proportion being attributed to oral sex, according to a report by the Centers for Disease Control and...

Bacterial conjunctivitis.(DRUG UPDATE)
December 1, 2004... Bacterial conjunctivitis is a rare, generally self-limiting condition in adults. It is distinguished from viral or allergic conjunctivitis by its thick, mucopurulent discharge and absence of pruritus. Treatment is usually with...

Clear communication is Rx for dispensing errors.(Rx)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Inadvertent dispensing of the oral blood glucose-lowering drug Amaryl instead of the Alzheimer's drug Reminyl has resulted in cases of severe hypoglycemia and other serious adverse events, including one fatality. Amaryl is the trade name...