Internal Medicine News articles from November 2003

Internal Medicine News archives from November 2003

SARS crisis led to mental trauma: PTSD in 58% of Toronto cases.(posttraumatic stress disorder)
November 1, 2003... CHICAGO -- The Toronto outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome led to many cases of posttraumatic stress disorder--both in infected patients and in the health care professionals providing care for them, researchers reported at the annual...

Asymptomatic type 2 diabetics: silent ischemia in 22%, abnormalities on SPECT imaging, American Diabetes Association guidelines are missing many of these patients.
November 1, 2003... PARIS -- Silent myocardial ischemia is present in more than one in five asymptomatic type 2 diabetic patients, Dr. Frans J. Th. Wackers reported at the 18th International Diabetes Federation Congress. Data from the Detection of Ischemia in...

Acarbose cuts CV events in glucose intolerance: lower postprandial glucose: event rate was 2.3% at 3.3 years, vs. 5.7%.(cardiovascular)
November 1, 2003... VIENNA -- Treatment of patients with impaired glucose tolerance with acarbose led to a substantial drop in the incidence of cardiovascular events during 3.3 years of follow-up in a controlled study with about 1,400 patients. "This is the...

Top 10 lessons learned from Toronto SARS outbreak: a model for preparedness.
November 1, 2003... SAN DIEGO -- With respiratory disease season underway, make sure to have plans in place to prepare for a possible reemergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome, Dr. Daniel R. Lucey advised in an interview during a poster session at the...

Pharmacy law boosts adult vaccination rates in Oregon: influenza, pneumococcal vaccines.
November 1, 2003... CHICAGO -- An Oregon law allowing pharmacists to administer influenza and pneumococcal vaccinations to adults resulted in large numbers of people receiving vaccines over a 2-year period, said David T. Bearden, Pharm.D., of Oregon State...

SARS response called historic milestone: genome sequenced in 1 week.
November 1, 2003... CHICAGO -- Severe acute respiratory syndrome--and the often-heroic medical response to it--deserve acceptance as among the most extraordinary events in the history of medicine, Dr. John G. Bartlett asserted at a satellite symposium held in...

Panel backs osteoporosis indication for PremPro: discussion of WHI data. (Women's Health Initiative).(News)
November 1, 2003... BETHESDA, MD. -- An independent expert panel convened by the Food and Drug Administration has agreed that the revised osteoporosis indication for PremPro--changed earlier this year to reflect the findings of the Women's Health Initiative--is...

CDC urges physicians to get influenza shots: Medicare paying more for vaccine.(News)
November 1, 2003... WASHINGTON -- Getting more physicians and other health care professionals vaccinated against the flu is a key element in efforts by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to prevent transmission of the disease to vulnerable patients....

Gene transfer offers hope for muscular dystrophy: coaxing protein production.(News)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... WASHINGTON -- French researchers have successfully used gene transfer to coax the muscle tissue of patients with muscular dystrophy into producing the protein they lack, holding out the promise of one day treating the debilitating condition....

FDA advises against consuming star anise tea: 40 reports of illness.(News)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Tea made with star anise can cause illness ranging from seizures to jitteriness, according to a Food and Drug Administration advisory warning all consumers to avoid drinking teas containing the Asian spice. Approximately 40 individuals,...

Bridging the provider-payer gap.(Editorial)
November 1, 2003... If providers and payers do not work together to improve the health care system, politicians will do it for us. Physicians, hospitals, health plans, and others should join forces and lobby together for medical liability reform. Tort reform...

Correction.('Postexercise HT May Flag Increased Risk of Elevated Left Ventricular Mass,' in Sept. 15, 2003 issue)(Correction Notice)
November 1, 2003... In the table accompanying the article "Postexercise HT May Flag Increased Risk of Elevated Left Ventricular Mass" (Sept. 15, 2003, p. 29), the numbers given for the mass index (mean) were transposed. The value for HTNRE should have been 103...

Primary mental health care.(Editorial)
November 1, 2003... Screening effectively for depression, particularly older patients, requires a gentle and sensitive approach. I use several tools and strategies that vary depending on the patient. When asking patients how they feel, I use words that I...

Do you refer some asymptomatic patients for electron beam CT assessment of coronary calcium levels?(Talk Back Online)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Do you refer some asymptomatic patients for electron beam CT assessment of coronary calcium levels? NO 29% YES 71% To Talk Back, visit www.einternalmedicinenews.com Note: Table made from pie chart.

Should the patient take the lead in the treatment of depression?(Pro & Con)
November 1, 2003... YES An astute clinician often is the one who diagnoses depression, but that is only the beginning of a process that should be driven by the patient. I tell all of my patients that the best I can do is to help them help themselves. Having a...

Lower fasting glucose cutoff, more prediabetes: diagnostic threshold set at 100 mg/dL.(Clinical Rounds)
November 1, 2003... New guidelines from the American Diabetes Association will place even more people into the "pre-diabetes" category. The ADA's Follow-up Report on the Diagnosis of Diabetes Mellitus reduces the lower limit for the diagnosis of "impaired...

Prediabetes screening likely to be cost effective: adults aged 45-74 years.(Clincial Rounds)
November 1, 2003... PARIS -- Screening for and treating prediabetes in adults aged 45-74 years is likely to be cost effective, Ping Zhang, Ph.D., said at the 18th International Diabetes Federation Congress. Most currently available screening methods could...

How to control chronic conditions.(Clinical Rounds)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... "Five Steps for Success: How Patients Can Manage Their Chronic Condition" is a brochure for patients that outlines how they can improve their success in managing chronic illnesses. The brochure is based on the results of a survey sponsored...

Education is crucial in the type 2 diabetes capital: rural south.(Clinical Rounds)
November 1, 2003... If you think your type 2 diabetes caseload is overwhelming, talk to Dr. Scott Nelson. "In Sunflower County, Miss., where I practice, we have the dubious honor of having the highest incidence of diabetes in the country," said the Cleveland,...

Glycemic control slips too often in type 2 diabetics: respond quickly.(Clinical Rounds)
November 1, 2003... NEW ORLEANS -- Failure to respond to deteriorating glycemic control in type 2 diabetes is common, Gregory A. Nichols, Ph.D., reported at the annual scientific sessions of the American Diabetes Association. In a retrospective study, he and...

Montelukast outcomes appear equal to fluticasone: persistent asthma.(Clinical Rounds)
November 1, 2003... VANCOUVER, B.C. -- All analysis of health care claims data for inpatient and emergency department visits suggests that montelukast can control persistent asthma as well as inhaled fluticasone, Felicia C. Allen-Ramey, Ph.D., said at the World...

Boswellia as an anti-inflammatory.(Alternative medicine: an evidence-based approach)
November 1, 2003... * Traditional use and in vitro studies suggest that extracts of Boswellia serrata have potent anti-inflammatory properties. * Initial studies are showing benefits in osteoarthritis, asthma, and colitis, and preliminary research suggests...

Risedronate therapy preserves bone quality: values unchanged at 5 years.(Clinical Rounds)
November 1, 2003... MINNEAPOLIS -- Long-term risedronate therapy appears to preserve bone quality, according to the findings of a small, industry-sponsored study presented at the annual meeting of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research. Together...

Raloxifene for 4 years is not linked to gallbladder disease: posthoc analysis.(Clinical Rounds)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... MIAMI BEACH -- Raloxifene therapy for 4 years was not associated with any increase in new-on-set gallbladder disease or worsening of existing gallbladder disease in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis, Dr. Deborah Grady reported in a poster...

Thyroid replacement Rx should be lifelong: subclinical hypothyroidism. (drug therapy).(Clinical Rounds)
November 1, 2003... PALM BEACH, FLA. -- Women with subclinical hypothyroidism should receive thyroid hormone replacement for life, based on a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Thyroid Association. Subclinical hypothyroidism can have...

Smoking is trigger for severe forms of Graves' disease: acropachy and dermopathy.(Clinical Rounds)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... SAN DIEGO -- Patients with two of the most serious manifestations of Graves' disease--acropachy and dermopathy--are three times more likely to have a history of tobacco use and are five times more likely to be current smokers than patients with...

Hormone therapy: no big rise in ovarian ca risk, bone benefits don't outweigh risks. (cancer).(Clinical Rounds)
November 1, 2003... Two new Women's Health Initiative final analyses have concluded that combination hormone therapy may result in a slight but insignificant increase in ovarian cancer. Also, despite offering fracture protection to healthy postmenopausal...

Attitudes about value of hormone therapy vary by specialty: internists cite lack of knowledge and time.(Clinical Rounds)
November 1, 2003... MIAMI BEACH -- Although about 60% of physicians overall remain comfortable offering their patients hormone therapy for relief of menopausal symptoms, internists and family physicians are far more cautious about its prescribing than ob.gyns.,...

Extended-use oral contraceptives pose 'educational challenge': warn about breakthrough bleeding.(Clinical Rounds)
November 1, 2003... LA JOLLA, CALIF. -- Suppressing menstrual periods with extended-use hormonal contraceptives such as the recently approved Seasonale sounds great, but isn't that unhealthy? "The answer is a resounding 'no,'" Dr. Andrew Kaunitz said at the...

EC pills likelier to be used when supplied in advance: prescription isn't enough. (emergency contraceptive).(Clinical Rounds)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... NEW ORLEANS -- Women with an advance supply of emergency contraceptive pills are significantly more likely to use them than women who receive just an advance prescription, preliminary results of a randomized study suggest. Providing a...

The transdermal contraceptive patch.(Bottom Line)
November 1, 2003... Because of improved compliance, use of the transdermal contraceptive patch results in greater cost savings and reductions in pregnancy, compared with use of combination oral contraceptives, results of an analysis suggest. The cost savings...

Drinking history linked to breast cancer risk: BMI under 25. (body mass index).(Clinical Rounds)
November 1, 2003... WASHINGTON -- Lifetime consumption of alcohol averaging about one to two drinks per day was associated with a 40% increase in breast cancer risk in women and was particularly strong among those with a body mass index of less than 25 and a gene...

Volunteers sought for fulvestrant trial.(Clinical Rounds)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Researchers are recruiting participants for a randomized, doubleblinded phase III trial to assess the efficacy and tolerability of fulvestrant (Faslodex) injection. EFECT (Evaluation of Faslodex vs. Exemestane Clinical Trial) aims to...

FDA panel approves memantine for moderate to severe Alzheimer's: NMDA receptor antagonist.(Rx)
November 1, 2003... BETHESDA, M. D. -- The Food and Drug Administration has approved memantine, the first drug to treat moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease. Memantine was approved last year in Europe for moderate to severe Alzheimer's. Its approval in the...

Memantine plus donepezil stops cognitive decline: severe Alzheimer's.(Rx)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... A combination therapy of memantine plus donepezil halts the cognitive decline of patients with moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease more than donepezil plus placebo, according to a poster presented at the annual meeting of the American...

Duloxetine appears to ease pain of diabetic neuropathy in nondepressed patients.(Rx)
November 1, 2003... WAIKOLOA, HAWAII -- Duloxetine, a dual reuptake inhibitor of serotonin and norepinephrine, appears to affect descending pain modulatory systems independent of its effect on mood, as shown by significant pain reduction in diabetic neuropathy...

Duloxetine may alleviate stress incontinence: drug under FDA review.(Rx)
November 1, 2003... HOLLYWOOD, FLA. -- Significantly more women with urodynamic stress incontinence reported improvement and reconsidered surgery after 8 weeks of duloxetine treatment, compared with those taking a placebo, in a study of 109 women. This is the...

Drug update: overactive bladder.(Rx)
November 1, 2003... Health professionals increasingly recognize that an overactive bladder (OAB) presents significant quality-of-life problems for patients and warrants aggressive treatment. More medications are now available for treatment, including a transdermal...

Efalizumab may be next biologic agent for psoriasis: FDA advisory panel gives ok.(Rx)
November 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 Food and Drug Administration's...

FDA reviews fixed topical combo for psoriasis: potential first-line TX. (treatment).(Rx)
November 1, 2003... NEW YORK -- A fixed topical combination of calcipotriol and betamethasone may soon be available in the United States for the treatment of psoriasis, Dr. Knud Kragballe said at the Ninth International Psoriasis Symposium. The product is...

Intranasal flu vaccine.(Products)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... FluMist (influenza virus vaccine live, intranasal) is now available for the 2003-2004 flu season. The vaccine is administered nasally and is approved for the prevention of illness caused by influenza A and B viruses in healthy children and...

Insulin pump software.(Products)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Solutions Software 5.0 transforms insulin, carbohydrate, and blood glucose information from selected insulin pumps and blood glucose meters into charts and graphs. For more information, contact Medtronic MiniMed, 800-MINIMED, www.minimed.com.

Rythmol SR approved.(Products)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Rythmol SR (propafenone hydrochloride) is approved to prolong the time to recurrence of symptomatic atrial fibrillation in patients without structural heart disease. For more information, contact Abbott Laboratories, 800-633-9110, FAX...

Cozaar hypertension indication.(Products)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Cozaar (losartan potassium) tablets are indicated to reduce the risk of stroke in patients with hypertension and left ventricular hypertrophy, but there is evidence that this benefit does not apply to black patients. For more information,...

Fosamax oral solution.(Products)
November 1, 2003... Fosamax (alendronate sodium) oral solution is approved for treatment and prevention of postmenopausal osteoporosis, treatment of Paget's disease of bone, treatment to increase bone mass in men with osteoporosis, and treatment of...

Iressa approved.(Products)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Iressa (gefitinib) is approved as a monotherapy for the treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer after failure of both platinum-based and docetaxel chemotherapies. For more information, contact...

Oral moisturizer.(Products)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Salivart is an over-the-counter oral moisturizer for the relief of dry mouth often associated with antidepressant use. For more information, contact Gebauer Co., 800-321-9348, www.gebauerco.com.

Extended-release Wellbutrin.(Products)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Wellbutrin XL (bupropion hydrochloride) extended-release tablets are available for the treatment of major depressive disorder in patients aged 18 and older. They are supplied in 150-mg and 300-mg strengths. For more information, contact...

New etanercept indication.(Products)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Etanercept (Enbrel) is indicated to inhibit the progression of structural damage of active arthritis in patients with psoriatic arthritis. For more information on the new indication for etanercept, contact Amgen Inc., 888-436-2735,...

Lumbar support.(Products)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... The Thermoskin lumbar support brace uses heat and compression to relieve pain in patients' lower back. For more information on this support brace, contact United Pacific Inc., 800-706-1520, www.thermoskin.com.

Saliva-based ovulation test.(Products)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... The OvuLook ovulation test uses saliva to help women predict ovulation. For more information, contact TCI Optics, 866-688-5284, www.ovulook.com.

Patient education brochures.(Products)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Four patient education brochures are available from the Medical Letter on Drugs and Therapeutics. The brochures discuss cholesterol drugs, dietary supplements, smallpox vaccine, and insect repellants. A package of 100 copies of a single topic...

Assess patients.(Products)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... The BHI 2 (Battery for Health Improvement 2) assessment is a self-report tool to help psychologists and medical professionals determine presurgical readiness, develop treatment plans, evaluate treatment effectiveness, and monitor clinical...

New guidelines to urge wider use of [beta]-blockers: Heart Failure Society.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
November 1, 2003... LAS VEGAS -- New treatment guidelines from the Heart Failure Society of America will take a "broadened, more aggressive approach to recommendations for [beta]-blocker therapy," J. Herbert Patterson, Pharm.D., said in a preview of the guidelines...

Angiotensin receptor blockers cut atrial fibrillation nearly 40%: CHF left ventricular hypertrophy. (congestive heart failure).(Cardiovascular Medicine)
November 1, 2003... VIENNA -- Angiotensin receptor blocker therapy reduces the incidence of new-onset atrial fibrillation by nearly 40% in patients with congestive heart failure or ECG evidence of left ventricular hypertrophy, according to new secondary analyses...

Pentoxifylline may also benefit heart failure patients: large study needed.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
November 1, 2003... VIENNA -- Pentoxifylline may be more than just a blood thinner. When added to a standard regimen to treat patients with ischemic, left ventricular dysfunction and heart failure, pentoxifylline was associated with substantial improvements in...

'Hypertriglyceridemic waist' signals CHD risk: metabolic syndrome marker. (coronary heart disease).(Cardiovascular Medicine)
November 1, 2003... NEW YORK -- The "hypertriglyceridemic waist" is a simple screening approach to identify individuals who are at increased risk for coronary heart disease, according to Jean-Pierre Despres, Ph.D. The hypertriglyceridemic waist...

Late PCI still does the job. (percutaneous coronary intervention).(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Primary angioplasty is superior to immediate fibrinolysis even when MI patients must be transferred from a local hospital to a facility with angioplasty capabilities, said Dr. Henning R. Andersen of Aarhus (Denmark) University Hospital and...

Hypertension and hypokalemia.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Patients undergoing diagnostic testing for refractory hypertension and unexplained hypokalemia do not need to go off their antihypertensive medication to have adrenocortical scintigraphy, said Dr. Hajime Nakahama and associates at the National...

Exercise testing in women.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Exercise testing predicts all-cause and cardiovascular risk in asymptomatic women who have low or intermediate Framingham risk scores, said Dr. Samia Mora of Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, and associates. The use of...

CMV in atherosclerotic arteries. (cytomegalovirus).(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Cytomegalovirus infection in the arteries themselves may contribute to atherosclerosis, reported Dr. R.Z. Chen of Fudan University, Shanghai, China, and associates. They studied arterial tissue samples and sera from 75 patients with...

Rosuvastatin reduces non-HDL levels: statins compared.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
November 1, 2003... VIENNA -- Rosuvastatin is the statin with the greatest impact upon non-HDL cholesterol, according to results of the largest-ever trial of statins' comparative efficacy. Non-HDL cholesterol--the atherogenic portion of blood cholesterol--has...

Cholestyramine cuts ezetimibe's bioavailability by about 55%: space doses apart.(Cardiovascular Medicine)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... VIENNA -- The cholesterol-lowering drugs ezetimibe and cholestyramine interact so as to decrease the bioavailability of ezetimibe by roughly 55%, Dr. Teddy Kosoglou reported at the annual congress of the European Society of Cardiology. As...

Cholesterol guidelines: STAT cholesterol.(Digital Assistance)(Product/Service Evaluation)
November 1, 2003... Overview: STAT Cholesterol is a Palm OS handheld computer application that helps health care providers quantify cardiac risk and provides management guidelines based on calculated risk level. Physicians concerned with cardiovascular preventive...

Syphilis cases rising among homosexual men: multiple outbreaks.(Infectious Diseases)
November 1, 2003... OTTAWA -- The great imitator is resurgent in cities throughout North America and Europe, and is defeating public health efforts to contain it. New York City is a case in point. The city recently experienced a fivefold increase in the...

High-dose, short-term therapy tackles CAP: 'a seminal study'. (community-acquired pneumonia).(Infectious Diseases)
November 1, 2003... CHICAGO -- Results of a major new clinical trial herald the approach of an era of higher-dose, shorter-duration therapy for community-acquired pneumonia, Dr. Thomas M. File Jr. predicted at a satellite symposium held in conjunction with the...

Latest resistance trends in respiratory pathogens: mixed news: S. pneumoniae resistance leveling off. (Streptococcus).(Infectious Diseases)
November 1, 2003... CHICAGO -- There is both good and bad news regarding the latest trends in Streptococcus pneumoniae antimicrobial resistance, Daniel E. Sahm, Ph.D., announced at a satellite symposium held in conjunction with the annual Interscience Conference...

'Penlac weekend' keeps onychomycosis at bay: safe, easy to administer.(Infectious Diseases)
November 1, 2003... MAUI, HAWAII -- The "Penlac weekend" is a worthwhile ongoing component of any onychomycosis treatment regimen, Dr. William P. Werschler said at the annual Hawaii dermatology seminar sponsored by the Skin Disease Education Foundation. ...

Hepatitis A vaccination.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Healthy people who receive the hepatitis A primary vaccination course receive long-term immunity and do not require booster vaccination, an international consensus panel concluded. The panel evaluated reports published between 1990 and 2002...

Campylobacter risks.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Five independent risk factors accounting for about 69% of cases of campylobacter infection were identified in a retrospective cohort study. In a survey of 1,357 patients with gastrointestinal symptoms, 213 had campylobacter infections. The...

Aspergillosis and asthma.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Early diagnosis and treatment may determine whether asthma patients have mild, moderate, or severe allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA), a relatively common hypersensitivity disorder in this population, recent study findings suggest....

Invasive pneumococcal risk.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Alcohol consumption and smoking each significantly increase the risk of invasive pneumococcal disease, and the combination of the two increases the risk sixfold, reported Dr. Thomas L. Benfield of the Copenhagen University Hospital. He...

Laryngopharyngeal reflux tests limited: sensitivity, specificity, reproductivity.(Gastroenterology)
November 1, 2003... SAN FRANCISCO -- Laryngoscopy and esophagoscopy can detect abnormalities associated with laryngopharyngeal reflux, but the diagnostic value of such studies is limited because of deficiencies in sensitivity, specificity, and reproducibility, Dr....

Lifestyle, not rabeprazole, may spell relief from acid reflux: study of 42 patients.(Gastroenterology)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... ORLANDO, FLA. -- Proton pump inhibitor therapy may not add much symptom relief for patients who make recommended lifestyle changes aimed at reducing acid reflux, Dr. David Steward said at the annual meeting of the American Academy of...

Barrett's esophagus.(The Effective Physician)
November 1, 2003... Background Significant advances in the understanding of the pathogenesis and significance of Barrett's esophagus have occurred in the last several years. Last year, the American College of Gastroenterology released guidelines for the...

Dietary fiber alone may not block colorectal ca: good news on fruit fiber. (cancer).(Gastroenterolgy)
November 1, 2003... WASHINGTON -- Dietary fiber alone may not keep colorectal cancer at bay. Data from a multiethnic cohort study failed to confirm the protective effect of dietary fiber against colorectal cancer that an earlier study suggested. But the study...

Albumin may predict response to metronidazole: vancomycin candidates.(Gatreonterology)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... SAN DIEGO -- An albumin level of less than 2.5 g/dL could identify patients likely to fail metronidazole therapy for Clostridium difficile colitis and may be an indicator that oral vancomycin should be used at the outset, Dr. Girish Anand...

HCV and HBV outbreaks. (hepatitis C and B viruses).(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Four large viral hepatitis outbreaks in outpatient health care settings in 2000-2002 could have been prevented by adherence to basic principles of aseptic technique, reported the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Two separate...

Long-term antisecretory drugs.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Patients with peptic ulcers who have eradicated Helicobacter pylori with antisecretory drugs continue to take these drugs long term, reported Dr. Annmarie Lassen and her associates at Odense (Denmark) University Hospital. During a 7-year...

Hepatopulmonary syndrome.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Hepatopulmonary syndrome is an independent predictor of survival in patients with cirrhosis, reported Dr. Peter Schenk and his colleagues at the University of Vienna (Austria). In a prospective study, 27 patients with hepatopulmonary...

Peptic ulcer rebleeding.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... A scheduled second endoscopy after an initial endoscopy for peptic ulcer bleeding can prevent a significant amount of rebleeding in patients, said Dr. P.W.Y. Chiu and colleagues at the United Christian Hospital, Hong Kong. With ulcers with...

Data bank tracks fraud convictions, exclusions: federal effort.(Practice Trends)
November 1, 2003... Think the government is only tracking your malpractice convictions? Think again. For nearly 4 years, the Department of Health and Human Services has been building a data bank of information on any person or entity involved with health...

HIPAA privacy enforcement.(Policy & Practice)
November 1, 2003... Complaints fried under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 privacy regulation are coming in at about 75 per week to the Department of Health and Human Service's Office for Civil Rights (OCR). As of September 16, OCR...

Medicaid spending slowdown.(Policy & Practice)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Medicaid spending growth has slowed for the first time in 7 years, as states continue to grapple with fiscal stress, the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured indicates. Kaiser's third annual survey of the 50 states and the District...