OB GYN News articles from December 2004

OB GYN News archives from December 2004

FDA approves fibroid tx system.(News)
December 1, 2004... Negotiations with insurers are underway and some physicians' hopes for maximal efficacy are high now that the Food and Drug Admin-istration has approved the first noninvasive therapy for symptomatic uterine fibroids. In a statement...

Office visits by specialty, 2002.(VITAL SIGNS)
December 1, 2004... Office Visits by Specialty, 2002 Note: Based on an estimated 890 million office visits. Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Vaccine prevents HPV 16-linked CIN 2 and 3: no cases of HPV-related CIN occurred in any vaccine recipient during this 3.5-year study.(News)
December 1, 2004... WASHINGTON -- An experimental monovalent vaccine against human papillomavirus strain 16 prevents cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grades 2 and 3 in young women, Constance Mao, M.D., reported at the annual Interscience Conference on...

Prospective trial OKs oral contraceptives in lupus: not associated with severe disease flares.(News)
December 1, 2004... SAN ANTONIO -- Clinicians at last have evidence that oral contraceptives can be prescribed to carefully selected women with systemic lupus erythematosus without triggering disease flares, according to the results of a prospective trial...

Two studies support the practice of single blastocyst transfer.(News)
December 1, 2004... PHILADELPHIA -- Results of two U.S. studies may help dispel fears that single blastocyst transfer results in poor pregnancy success rates. The studies were presented at the annual meeting of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. ...

Infertility diagnoses among couples who had ART cycles using fresh nondonor eggs or embryos.(DATA WATCH)
December 1, 2004... Infertility Diagnoses Among Couples Who Had ART Cycles Using Fresh Nondonor Eggs or Embryos. Uterine factor 1.3% Male factor 19% Multiple factors (female and male) 18.2% Tubal factor ...

Venlafaxine studied as PMDD therapy.(News)
December 1, 2004... Premenstrual use of venlafaxine appears to be an effective and well-tolerated treatment for premenstrual dysphoric disorder in a small preliminary trial, according to Lee S. Cohen, M.D., of Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, and...

Fewer malpractice claims than feared.(News)
December 1, 2004... WASHINGTON -- Malpractice claims against obstetricians are much less common than most of them fear, based on results of a survey of almost 700 ob.gyns, Suneet Chauhan, M.D., reported at the annual meeting of the Central Association of...

A plan for better access.(GUEST EDITORIAL)
December 1, 2004... With the passage of the Medicare prescription drug benefit, this country has a certain amount of momentum going toward getting all Americans better access to health benefits. In that spirit, I would like to make three concrete proposals to help...

Is liability the reason for the flu vaccine shortage?(PRO & CON)
December 1, 2004... YES There is strong evidence that our nation's culture of lawsuit abuse is a contributing factor to the current flu vaccine crisis--a crisis that undermines public health and threatens public safety. This shortfall in flu vaccine will...

Liability insurance reform.(LETTERS)(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2004... The suggestion of Paul B. Bartulica, M.D., that physicians should organize to gain political clout is meritorious, but futile ("Rx for Civil Justice System," Letters, September 1, 2004, p. 5). If physicians were as organized as the...

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," Oct. 15, 2004, p. 8). 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. 11). While I am accustomed to a difference of opinion in many position statements, I do not...

Amniotic fluid volume called 'weak' predictor.(Obstetrics)
December 1, 2004... WASHINGTON -- Ultrasound estimations of amniotic fluid volume do not correlate with perinatal outcomes, and low volume is a "particularly weak" predictor of fetal morbidity or death, William J. Ott, M.D., reported. "Alterations in amniotic...

Antinausea drug appears safe in pregnancy.(Obstetrics)
December 1, 2004... Ondansetron is increasingly prescribed off label for nausea and vomiting in pregnancy, and a new study suggests it is safe for this indication. In the prospective observational study, the drug, which is typically used for treating nausea...

Worksheet helps in poststillbirth counseling: decision support document has a question-and-answer format, addresses concerns of grieving parents.(Obstetrics)
December 1, 2004... BOSTON -- There are several ways physicians can offer support to parents after a fetal death, Ruth C. Fretts, M.D., said at a meeting cosponsored by Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital. She offered several suggestions...

Predelivery factors contribute to postpartum incontinence.(Obstetrics)
December 1, 2004... WASHINGTON -- Pregnancy itself, not just delivery, contributes to the development or worsening of postparturn anorectal problems, including incontinence, Lt. Cmdr. Amy L. O'Boyle, MC, USNR, reported. "Pregnancy produces significant...

Study finds early cessation of magnesium is safe in preeclampsia.(Obstetrics)
December 1, 2004... WASHINGTON -- It appears to be safe to discontinue magnesium therapy for severe preeclampsia once diuresis is achieved, rather than maintaining the treatment for 24 hours after delivery, M. Todd Fontenot, M.D., reported. Currently, there...

Third-trimester nausea may flag acute fatty liver.(Obstetrics)
December 1, 2004... WASHINGTON -- Acute fatty liver of pregnancy must be ruled out in any woman who presents in the third trimester with nausea, vomiting, epigastric pain, or malaise, Michael F. Fesenmeier, M.D., said at the annual meeting of the Central...

Transfusions in sickle cell pregnancies.(Obstetrics)
December 1, 2004... WASHINGTON -- Pregnant women with severe sickle cell disease may develop fewer intrapartum complications if they undergo exchange transfusions during the pregnancy, Jerrie Refuerzo, M.D., said at the annual meeting of the Central Association of...

Breast-feeding may reduce mother's RA risk.(Obstetrics)
December 1, 2004... Mothers who breast-feed for at least a year have a reduced risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis a decade or so later, according to a major longitudinal study. Results from the Nurses' Health Study, a prospective cohort study of 121,700...

Ultrasound helps predict placenta accreta.(Obstetrics)
December 1, 2004... WASHINGTON -- Characteristic findings on transabdominal ultrasound and color mapping help predict placenta accreta, Thomas C. Woodring, M.D., said at the annual meeting of the Central Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. ...

Teen maternal smoking is up in ten states.(Obstetrics)
December 1, 2004... The overall rate of U.S. women who smoke during pregnancy significantly declined between 1990 and 2002, but 10 states reported recent increases in the number of pregnant teenagers who smoke, according to a federal report. For the analysis,...

Brachial plexus injury rate unchanged in 20 years.(Obstetrics)
December 1, 2004... WASHINGTON -- The rate of brachial plexus injury, as well as that of permanently disabling brachial plexus injury, hasn't changed in 20 years, Suneet P. Chauhan, M.D., said at the annual meeting of the Central Association of Obstetricians and...

CISH advocated for women with benign disease.(Gynecology)
December 1, 2004... NEW YORK -- Classic intrafascial supracervical hysterectomy should be considered the procedure of choice when hysterectomy is indicated for benign disease, John E. Morrison Jr., M.D., said at an international congress of the Society of...

Liquid adhesive beats sutures for closing incisions.(Gynecology)
December 1, 2004... NEW YORK -- Dermabond adhesive is significantly faster than sutures for trocar incision closure and comparable in terms of pain and cosmesis in gynecologic surgery, Marlan Schwartz, M.D., said at an international congress of the Society of...

PH testing may cut postsurgical infection.(Gynecology)
December 1, 2004... ST. LOUIS -- The presence of bacterial vaginosis at the time of pelvic surgery can be easily detected if a patient's vaginal pH is checked in the operating room on the day of surgery, according to S. Robert Kovac, M.D. "BV is associated...

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

Two studies link SSRIs to substantial bone loss: patients taking the antidepressants had bone loss comparable to that associated with glucocorticoid tx.(Gynecology)
December 1, 2004... SEATTLE -- Use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors is associated with bone loss comparable to that associated with glucocorticoid therapy, according to the findings of two studies. In the first study (involving nearly 6,000 men), the...

Antibody outperforms alendronate in bone density.(Gynecology)
December 1, 2004... SEATTLE -- An experimental treatment for osteoporosis that requires only semiannual administration was at least as effective as weekly alendronate at improving bone mineral density, according to a yearlong, placebo-controlled study. The...

Alendronate reported safe, well tolerated after 10 years of use.(Gynecology)
December 1, 2004... SEATTLE -- Increases in bone mineral density tend to plateau after 5 years of alendronate treatment for osteoporosis, but bone density loss rapidly resumes following cessation of the bisphosphonate, according to the findings of an extension...

ASRM: egg cryopreservation still experimental; Egg, ovarian tissue cryopreservation should not be marketed to healthy women, according to a new report.(Gynecology)
December 1, 2004... PHILADELPHIA -- Egg and ovarian tissue freezing should not be marketed or offered to healthy women as a means to defer reproductive aging, according to a new report issued by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Although the...

Investigators identify racial differences in IVF outcomes.(Gynecology)
December 1, 2004... PHILADELPHIA -- Asian women and black women seem to start out with a 5-year disadvantage when they seek in vitro fertilization. A pair of retrospective studies presented at the annual meeting of the American Society for Reproductive...

Letrozole, low-dose FSH lead to IVF pregnancy.(Gynecology)
December 1, 2004... PHILADELPHIA -- Researchers at New York's Cornell University have announced the first pregnancy after in vitro fertilization in a breast cancer patient whose ovaries were stimulated with letrozole and low-dose follicle stimulating hormone. ...

Ca metastases detected in frozen ovarian tissue.(Gynecology)
December 1, 2004... PHILADELPHIA -- Israeli researchers have detected microscopic cancer metastases in frozen ovarian tissue destined for transplantation. The patient, a cancer survivor who had previously frozen her ovarian tissue for fertility preservation...

Online ovarian Ca resources available.(Gynecology)
December 1, 2004... The Gynecologic Cancer Foundation publishes two listing information and support resources for patients with ovarian cancer. "You Were Just Diagnosed With Ovarian Cancer," which is sponsored by Ortho Biotech Products and GlaxoSmithKline, and...

FDA approves extended-release hydromorphone for pain.(Clinical Rounds)
December 1, 2004... The approval of an extended-release formulation of the potent opioid agonist hydromorphone was accompanied by a risk management plan aimed at reducing abuse and minimizing diversion of the drug, a notorious problem with the controlled-release...

MRSA emerging as cause of community-acquired infections, studies show.(Clinical Rounds)
December 1, 2004... BOSTON -- Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus is rearing its ugly head outside of the hospital, causing record numbers of skin infections in children, necrotizing fasciitis in otherwise healthy adults, and severe pneumonia among some...

Social anxiety disorder.(WOMEN'S HEALTH ADVISER)
December 1, 2004... Social phobia, or social anxiety disorder, is a chronic, disabling fear of public situations that can limit one's personal, academic, and professional potential. Researchers think the disorder has both biochemical and societal...

Strength and flexibility for older patients, part 2.(EXERCISE RX)
December 1, 2004... The neck and shoulders are made up of versatile, but vulnerable, muscles. Patients may present with a variety of complaints related to the neck and shoulders, including headaches, numbness, radiating pain, stabbing pain, dull aching pain, and...

Mixed results in medical liability ballot initiatives: voters approve caps in Nevada but not in Oregon or Wyoming; Florida limits attorney contingency fees.(Practice Trends)
December 1, 2004... Physicians got mixed results when they took the issue of medical liability reform to the voters this year. Voters approved caps on noneconomic damages and other reforms in Nevada and passed limits on attorney contingency fees in Florida, but...

Lack of health care providers exacerbates terrorist threat.(Practice Trends)
December 1, 2004... SAN DIEGO -- The urban areas faced with the highest threat of being attacked by terrorists are also the areas with the highest shortages of health care providers, Ivan C.A. Walks, M.D., said at the annual meeting of the National Medical...

Embryo adoption.(POLICY & PRACTICE)
December 1, 2004... The Christian Medical Association, the National Embryo Donation Center, and other groups have received a total of $304,000 in federal funding to educate the public about embryo adoption. Over the next year or so, the money will be spent on...

Family planning coverage.(POLICY & PRACTICE)
December 1, 2004... States that have extended Medicaid coverage to include family planning services have been most successful at meeting the needs of low-income women, according to a study published in the September/October issue of Perspectives on Sexual and...

Gender discrimination?(POLICY & PRACTICE)
December 1, 2004... Male ob.gyns. are getting a raw deal in many popular women's-interest magazines, according to a study published in the November issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology. The study author examined six magazines--Cosmopolitan, Fitness, Glamour, Good...

Defensive medicine.(POLICY & PRACTICE)
December 1, 2004... Obstetricians who have had malpractice claims that lead to large payouts increase their risk-adjusted cesarean rates by about 1%, according to a study published in the summer issue of Inquiry: The Journal of Health Care Organization, Provision,...

Internet medical journal launched.(POLICY & PRACTICE)
December 1, 2004... The Public Library of Science, a coalition of researchers and physicians founded 4 years ago by Nobel Prize winner and former National Institutes of Health director Harold Varmus, M.D., has launched PLoS Medicine, a free online medical journal....

U.S. patients face high costs, access barriers.(Practice Trends)
December 1, 2004... WASHINGTON -- Patients in the United States face some of the highest health care costs and barriers to primary care access, according to a study that compares the U.S. system with four other countries. "There are shortfalls both in...

Electronic health records don't slow clinics.(Practice Trends)
December 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- Adopting an electronic health records system reduced the mean length of visits at five outpatient clinics by 4 minutes per patient, a difference that was not statistically significant but that should allay physicians' fears...

CMS to review medicare drug formularies.(Practice Trends)
December 1, 2004... WASHINGTON -- Drug plans that participate in the new Medicare prescription drug benefit in 2006 will face higher hurdles than just meeting the formulary guidelines being set by the U.S. Pharmacopeia. "It's only the beginning of the review...

Medicaid reform in 2005: downsizing not the answer.(Practice Trends)
December 1, 2004... WASHINGTON -- To keep Medicaid viable, policymakers need to focus on the plight of dual eligibles and on Medicaid's burden of providing long-term care, Matt Salo said at a meeting on Medicare and Medicaid sponsored by America's Health Insurance...

Window to the womb.(THE MASTER CLASS)
December 1, 2004... The modern success of a nation is often judged on the basis of its infant mortality rate. In the United States, our infant mortality rate hovers around 6 or 7 deaths per 1,000 live births. Our world ranking certainly deserves improvement. ...

Magnetomyography: a noninvasive measure of uterine contractions and fetal well-being.(THE MASTER CLASS)
December 1, 2004... Modern obstetrics has long been plagued with an inability to accurately measure fetal neurologic integrity, and with a limited ability--through fetal heart rate monitoring--to consistently and accurately assess overall fetal well-being. The...

New indication for docetaxel.(PRODUCTS)
December 1, 2004... Taxotere (docetaxel) concentrate for injection, in combination with doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide, is indicated for the adjuvant treatment of operable node-positive breast cancer. For more information, contact Aventis Pharmaceuticals Inc.,...

Extra-large germicidal wipes.(PRODUCTS)
December 1, 2004... Sani-Cloth germicidal disposable wipes are now available in an extra-large 8-by-14-inch size. For more information, contact Professional Disposables International, 800-999-6423, www.pdipdi.com.

Safety container for sharps.(PRODUCTS)
December 1, 2004... Horizontal-entry sharps containers offer hands-free disposal, helping to reduce needlestick injuries. The containers come in 4-, 8-, and 14-quart sizes. Contact Health Care Logistics Inc., 800-848-1633, www.healthcarelogistics.com.

Overactive bladder treatment.(PRODUCTS)
December 1, 2004... Sanctura (trospium chloride tablets) are now available for the treatment of over-active bladder with symptoms of urge urinary incontinence, urgency, and urinary frequency. For more information, contact Odyssey Pharmaceuticals Inc.,...

UFE failure rate pegged at 10.7%.(News)
December 15, 2004... PHILADELPHIA -- Uterine fibroid embolization had a failure rate of 10.7% in the largest patient series to examine long-term failure rates associated with the procedure. "Based on our findings, gynecologists should offer uterine fibroid...

Residents who pursue additional training.(VITAL SIGNS)
December 15, 2004... Residents Who Pursue Additional Training Note: Based on a survey of 7,040 program directors who confirmed the status of 94.6% of residents. Source: JAMA 2004;292:1032-7

MgS[O.sub.4] does not raise disability risk in children: follow-up study of Magpie Trial participants also shows no increased risk of death.(News)
December 15, 2004... VIENNA -- The use of magnesium sulfate for the treatment of preeclampsia does not appear to increase the long-term risk of death or neurosensory disability in children. Lelia Duley, M.D., reported at the 14th World Congress of the International...

Three deaths prompt new warnings for mifepristone; FDA: no causation proved in any events.(News)
December 15, 2004... In the wake of three deaths in women who had taken mifepristone to terminate an early pregnancy, the Food and Drug Administration has called on the manufacturer to strengthen the warnings in the drug's labeling, including the black box warning....

Surveys show divergence in care priorities.(News)
December 15, 2004... WASHINGTON -- Physicians and consumers appear divided on their health care priorities for 2005, according to several polls released at a forum sponsored by the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association and Forbes magazine. Although physicians...

ASCO: aromatase inhibitor can replace tamoxifen.(News)
December 15, 2004... Postmenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer can take an aromatase inhibitor instead of tamoxifen as adjuvant therapy, the American Society of Clinical Oncology concluded in a technology-assessment statement. Aromatase...

Medicare expands coverage for cancer patients.(News)
December 15, 2004... Medicare has launched a more aggressive program to expand coverage for screening tests and treatments for cancer patients. Under these new initiatives, "seniors will have faster access to innovative cancer treatments that clearly work, and...

Testosterone patch significantly improved low sexual interest in menopausal women.(News)
December 15, 2004... PHILADELPHIA -- A testosterone patch significantly improved low sexual interest in naturally menopausal women with hypoactive sexual desire disorder, according to study results presented at the annual meeting of the American Society for...

Physicians should adopt electronic health records.(GUEST EDITORIAL)
December 15, 2004... Information technology can make a difference in the quality of health care. It's not the whole story; it's not a panacea, but it can help us deliver better care. The evidence that electronic health records offer benefits falls in several...

Does every physician's office need an automated external defibrillator?(PRO & CON)
December 15, 2004... YES Much like a fire extinguisher, an automated external defibrillator belongs in every physician's office. While it may be used more frequently in a cardiologist's office than in a dermatologist's office, an AED is useful and cost...

Wrong birth weight no basis for shoulder dystocia suits.(Obstetrics)
December 15, 2004... WASHINGTON -- Underestimating fetal birth weight is just as rare in cases of shoulder dystocia as it is in normal deliveries, so it should not be used as a basis for litigation in shoulder dystocia cases, Shobha Mehta, M.D., said at the annual...

Ectopic pregnancy twice as likely with infertility history.(Obstetrics)
December 15, 2004... PHILADELPHIA -- Women who reported a history of infertility had higher rates of ectopic pregnancies, miscarriages, and stillbirths, according to a new analysis of data from the Women's Health Initiative. The findings suggest that women who...

Bipolar disorder drugs.(DRUGS, PREGNANCY, AND LACTATION)
December 15, 2004... Two of the agents widely used to treat bipolar illness are established teratogens. Lithium is associated with a 0.05% risk of Ebstein's anomaly, a modest teratogenic effect. Sodium valproate is associated with a risk as high as 8% for major...

IBD therapy appears to be safe in pregnancy.(Obstetrics)
December 15, 2004... ORLANDO, FLA. -- Pregnancy does not cause relapse in patients with inflammatory bowel disease, and standard IBD treatments during pregnancy do not increase the risk of adverse fetal outcomes, a prospective case-control study suggests. The...

Uninsured, insured women see same neonatal outcomes.(Obstetrics)
December 15, 2004... WASHINGTON -- Neonatal outcomes were the same for uninsured mothers as for those who had health insurance in a study of nearly 8,000 births in Tennessee, Mark F. Sewell, M.D., reported at the annual meeting of the Central Association of...

High birth weight, induction boosted shoulder dystocia risk.(Obstetrics)
December 15, 2004... PHOENIX, ARIZ. -- Rates of several traditional obstetric risk factors for shoulder dystocia, such as maternal diabetes, epidural use, and multiparity, were not significantly higher among shoulder dystocia cases than among normal births in a...

Mothers who received early and adequate prenatal care, 1999-2001.(DATA WATCH)
December 15, 2004... Mothers Who Received Early and Adequate Prenatal Care, 1999-2001 Note: Early and adequate prenatal care is a measure combining the month prenatal care began and the total number of prenatal care visits adjusted for the length of the...

FPO studied in broader range of deliveries.(Obstetrics)
December 15, 2004... WASHINGTON -- The use of fetal pulse oximetry failed to decrease the cesarean rate or improve neonatal outcomes in a broader range of deliveries than has been studied previously. Chad K. Klauser, M.D., said at the annual meeting of the Central...

Ask about lost desire after surgical menopause.(Gynecology)
December 15, 2004... PHILADELPHIA -- Surgically menopausal women under the age of 50 deserve special attention with regard to sexual desire disorder, results of a new study suggest. "Physicians should routinely inquire about sexual function both pre- and...

FDA targets online 'natural' product for ED.(Gynecology)
December 15, 2004... A significant amount of sildenafil, the active ingredient of the erectile dysfunction drug Viagra, has been detected in a dietary supplement that is promoted as a "100% natural" treatment for sexual enhancement for men, according to a Food and...

BMD loss prompts black box for Depo-Provera.(Gynecology)
December 15, 2004... The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has added a black box warning to Depo-Provera to emphasize the potential for bone mineral density loss with long-term use of the injectable contraceptive. Depo-Provera has been used throughout the world...

Less frequent dosing improved bisphosphonate compliance.(Gynecology)
December 15, 2004... SEATTLE -- Monthly dosing of the bisphosphonate ibandronate appears to be just as effective as daily dosing, according to the findings of a controlled study presented at the annual meeting of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research....

Essure safe in combo with endometrial ablation.(Gynecology)
December 15, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- The Essure sterilization procedure can be used in combination with two methods of endometrial ablation, according to studies presented at the annual meeting of the American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists. The...

Cystoscopic privileges essential for incontinence surgeons.(Gynecology)
December 15, 2004... ST. LOUIS -- Gynecologists performing surgical incontinence treatments must have cystoscopy privileges at their hospitals, Robert S. Kovac, M.D., said at the 14th International Pelvic Reconstructive and Vaginal Surgery Conference. The...

Incontinence doctors must learn to transcend their subspecialties.(Gynecology)
December 15, 2004... ST. LOUIS -- Strict subspecialization in the field of female incontinence neglects the patient as a whole and ignores the pelvic floor, Niall Galloway, M.D., said at the 14th International Pelvic Reconstructive and Vaginal Surgery Conference....

Alert issued on patients who wake during surgery.(Gynecology)
December 15, 2004... The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations has put hospitals on notice that they need to develop and put into place a policy that educates staff about the potential for "anesthesia awareness." In issuing its alert,...

OR exposure may promote addiction in anesthesiologists.(Gynecology)
December 15, 2004... WASHINGTON -- Exposure to fentanyl in the operating room may fuel the consistently high rates of substance abuse among anesthesiologists. Mark S. Gold, M.D., reported at the annual conference of the Association for Medical Education and...