USA TODAY articles from October 2005

USA TODAY archives from October 2005

Plastic surgeons on front lines in Iraq.(Battlefield Trauma)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... When most people think of plastic surgeons, they imagine facelifts, liposuction, and tummy tucks--but ask a soldier injured in Iraq and he or she will tell a different story, relates the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, Arlington Heights,...

New "spearing" rule for college football.(Sports Injuries)
October 1, 2005... A large number of serious spinal and head traumas, coupled with a lack of penalty-calling by referees, has resulted in tougher restrictions concerning the use of helmets in NCAA games. According to the National Collegiate Athletic...

Why people want plastic surgery.(Cosmetic Procedures)
October 1, 2005... Potential patients for plastic surgery come from every economic level and age range, suggests a study by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, Arlington Heights, Ill. Moreover, maintain researchers, motivations are personal, but not vanity...

Deformities handicap mentally disabled kids.(Plastic Surgery)
October 1, 2005... Reconstructing severe facial deformities in children with mental disabilities can be a hard decision for parents. Insurance companies may consider some operations to be for cosmetic purposes only and refuse to cover them. However, craniofacial...

New target found to fight Parkinson's.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Neuroscientists have described for the first time how rotenone, an environmental toxin linked specifically to Parkinson's disease, selectively destroys the neurons that produce dopamine, the neurotransmitter critical to body movement and muscle...

Diseases that are transmitted human to human are more of a concern for health officials in New Orleans than those spread by insects and other animals, maintains an epidemiologist at the Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine, West Lafayette, Ind.(HEALTH BEAT)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Diseases that are transmitted human to human are more of a concern for health officials in New Orleans than those spread by insects and other animals, maintains an epidemiologist at the Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine, West...

Obesity drives up the cost of health care by increasing the incidence of diabetes, hypertension, and a wide variety of expensive chronic health conditions, many of which are significant risk factors for other serious diseases, say researchers at Emory University, Atlanta.(HEALTH BEAT)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Obesity drives up the cost of health care by increasing the incidence of diabetes, hypertension, and a wide variety of expensive chronic health conditions, many of which are significant risk factors for other serious diseases, say researchers...

During dental or surgical procedures, bacteria that reside in the mouth or upper respiratory tract can travel to an in-office computer keyboard and survive as long as 24 hours.(HEALTH BEAT)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... During dental or surgical procedures, bacteria that reside in the mouth or upper respiratory tract can travel to an in-office computer keyboard and survive as long as 24 hours. Viruses can live on them for one hour or more, depending on...

Up to 98,000 individuals die as a result of medical errors each year.(HEALTH BEAT)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Up to 98,000 individuals die as a result of medical errors each year. In an effort to avert further tragedies, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, Oakbrook Terrace, Ill., has developed guidelines "for enhancing...

Doctors are not following the recommended asthma guidelines and are underprescribing controller medications while overprescribing rescue drugs for patients who visit the emergency room, suggests a nationwide study by the American College of Chest Physicians, Northbrook, Ill.(HEALTH BEAT)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Doctors are not following the recommended asthma guidelines and are underprescribing controller medications while overprescribing rescue drugs for patients who visit the emergency room, suggests a nationwide study by the American College of...

A nine percent decline in illicit drug use among American youth between the ages of 12-17 from 2002-04 has been announced by the Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C.(HEALTH BEAT)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... A nine percent decline in illicit drug use among American youth between the ages of 12-17 from 2002-04 has been announced by the Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C. Moreover, marijuana use declined by seven percent among...

The revised guidelines for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension caution against the use of calcium channel blockers--used to combat high blood pressure--in unstable patients.(HEALTH BEAT)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... The revised guidelines for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension caution against the use of calcium channel blockers--used to combat high blood pressure--in unstable patients. "When they are used in patients with PAH whose narrowed...

Asthma and allergies may reduce risk.(Brain Cancer)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Having asthma, hay fever, or another allergic condition may reduce the risk of developing one fatal form of brain cancer, suggests a study from Ohio State University, Columbus. New evidence for this relationship is found in the normal variation...

New MRI aids early detection.(Pancreatic Cancer)
October 1, 2005... A new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique has proved quite successful for early detection of pancreatic cancer, report physicians at the University of North Carolina Hospitals, Chapel Hill. "The essence of this work is that very early...

Less invasive biopsy for large tumors.(Breast Cancer)
October 1, 2005... New breast cancer research shows for the first time that even women with large breast tumors can benefit from a less invasive biopsy method that has been reserved until now for those with smaller lumps. Lymphatic mapping and sentinel node...

Implants not implicated in cancer recurrence.(Breast Reconstruction)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Women interested in immediate breast reconstruction after mastectomy should not worry that their implants could cause, hinder detection of, or affect treatment of cancer recurrence, stresses a study by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons,...

Breast Cancer Awareness Month.(Medical Research)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... The York Peppermint Pattie with the dark chocolate outside and well-known peppermint center will debut a new color in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month--pink. The Limited Edition York Peppermint Patties feature pink centers and pink...

Redheads remain more susceptible.(Skin Cancer)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Differences in how ultraviolet light affects the photochemistry of human pigments may explain why redhaired people are more prone to skin cancer than those with black locks. John Simon, professor of chemistry at Duke University, Durham,...

Emotional factors can worsen symptoms.(Skin Conditions)
October 1, 2005... Emotional factors can trigger skin conditions, or they may worsen symptoms. While heredity, bacteria, viruses, hormones, and chemical irritants play a clear role in many skin difficulties, mind and body always do an intricate dance together. If...

Can new drug stop infant infections?(Heart Surgery)(Neuprex)
October 1, 2005... An experimental drug for infants undergoing heart surgery--to see whether it can help them avoid potentially lethal infections and improve their chances of survival--has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for exclusive use at the...

Smooth muscle cells may hold key.(Coronary Disease)
October 1, 2005... A basic mechanism by which smooth muscle cells that line blood vessels can grow--sometimes abnormally--has been discovered by researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, suggesting methods of treatment for a...

Stressed-out victims of Katrina.(Psychology)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... The Hurricane Katrina catastrophe will produce many forms of suffering in all of its victims, young and old, indicates Catherine Cottone. assistant professor of psychology, University at Buffalo (N.Y.). "The traumas that these victims...

Common complication following surgery.(Irregular Heartbeat)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... The evidence-based clinical practice guidelines for the prevention and management of postoperative atrial fibrillation (AF) after cardiac surgery have been released by the American College of Chest Physicians, Northbrook, Ill. They offer...

The art of medicine in Ancient Egypt.(Remedies)
October 1, 2005... THE ANCIENT EGYPTIANS inhabited a perilous land. In addition to the dangerous animals with which they came into regular contact--including lions, hippopotami, crocodiles, snakes, and scorpions--they were subject to diseases with causes that...

Predictors different among sexes, races.(Heart Disease)
October 1, 2005... A protein in the blood that is considered to be a key indicator of future heart disease may vary considerably among women and men, as well as blacks and whites, concludes research at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas....

Childhood poverty indicator for women.(Heart Attacks)
October 1, 2005... Women with disadvantaged childhoods are more likely to have a heart attack in old age, but men who grow up under similar conditions are not, indicates a study by sociologists from Duke University, Durham, N.C. The link between childhood...

Bottom line bolstered by branding.(Mental Health)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Public funding cuts and aging baby boomers are just two reasons why the mental health industry is pursuing the benefits associated with branding, indicates Jay Wang, assistant professor of marketing communication at Purdue University, West...

Exercise alleviates anorexia and bulimia.(Eating Disorders)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Anorexic patients who participated in healthy exercise as part of treatment gained 40% more weight compared to those who did not exercise, reveals a study by the Renfrew Center Foundation, Philadelphia. "This news may come as a shock to medical...

Are workouts best remedy?(Depression)
October 1, 2005... Exercise decreases the risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, and the susceptibility to various cancers; lowers blood pressure; improves metabolism; reduces complications related to diabetes; assists in the maintenance of bone density; and...

Disease linked to amino acid deficiency.(Sickle Cell Anemia)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... An amino acid deficiency in sickle cell anemia patients is the result of hemolysis, a process where red blood cells rupture and release their contents into the bloodstream, reports a study from Children's Hospital & Research Center, Oakland,...

Does chlorination lead to miscarriage?(Pregnancy)
October 1, 2005... Fears that chemical by-products resulting from purifying drinking water with chlorine boost the chances that pregnant women will miscarry are not supported by the results of a major study conducted by the University of North Carolina at Chapel...

Injuries higher among the obese.(Body Mass Index)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Extremely obese people are more likely than normal-weight individuals to injure themselves, contends Huiyun Xiang, an investigator with the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Columbus (Ohio) Children's Research Institute. ...

Recovering users mourn "lost love".(Drug Addiction)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Heroin addicts trying to kick the habit often profoundly grieve their lost "relationship" with the needles they use to inject the drug, maintains a study by a University at Buffalo (N.Y.) doctoral student. This intense personal connection with...

Shame, not guilt linked to addiction.(Substance Abuse)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... It is important to distinguish between feelings of shame and guilt when providing treatment for substance abuse and in developing substance-abuse prevention programs, indicate findings from a collaboration between scientists at the University...

Admissions up on all drug fronts.(Methamphetamine Treatment)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Admissions to substance abuse treatment involving methamphetamine and narcotic pain medications have increased sharply, indicate data released by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Rockville, Md. In a recent 12-month...

Ways to avoid foot problems.(Podiatry)
October 1, 2005... One in every six persons has trouble with his or her feet, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, Rosemont, Ill. The main cause is very preventable--shoes that do not fit properly. Estimates show that foot problems in the...

Doctors' neckties can make patients sick.(Infections)
October 1, 2005... The next time your doctor wears a necktie, feel free to compliment him on his taste, but immediately ask him to tuck it in his shirt and then wash his hands. Neckties are the carriers of a myriad of germs and bacteria. If the tie rubs against...

Nanotubes help broken bones mend.(Osteoporosis)
October 1, 2005... Osteoporosis sufferers and victims of broken bones may have the tiniest of friends in carbon nanotubes, say researchers at the University of California, Riverside. The strength, flexibility, and light weight of carbon nanotubes--structures...

Therapists at highest risk for asthma.(Respiratory Ailments)
October 1, 2005... Respiratory therapists are at an increased risk of developing asthma and asthma-related symptoms due to their involvement in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with these conditions. A study shows that respiratory therapists have an...

Essential fats may prevent bone loss.(Menopause)
October 1, 2005... Maintaining a proper balance of dietary fats may ward off much of the bone loss associated with postmenopausal osteoporosis, states a study by scientists at the Indiana University School of Medicine, Bloomington, and Purdue University, West...

Head lice hit most school districts.(Hygiene)
October 1, 2005... When a child comes home from school with head lice and a note from the school nurse, parents usually experience a variety of emotions. According to a survey by Harris Interactive for SafeTek Lice Removal Kit, 54% of women indicated they were...

Man and beast both at risk.(Zoonotic Diseases)
October 1, 2005... The arrival of autumn does not lessen the threat from West Nile virus or other zoonotic illnesses--diseases that can affect people and animals--but scientists from Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind., say most are avoidable and treatable....