OB GYN News articles from February 2006

OB GYN News archives from February 2006

Breast tomosynthesis shines in early study.(News)
February 1, 2006... CHICAGO -- Breast tomosynthesis was equivalent or superior to conventional diagnostic mammography in 9 of 10 women in a preliminary study of 98 women. "In a screening capacity, we estimate about a 40% decrease in screening mammography,...

Needle biopsy to evaluate breast Ca has best outcomes: surgical biopsy is 'strongly discouraged.'.(News)
February 1, 2006... SAN ANTONIO -- Needle biopsy for the initial evaluation of breast abnormalities has downstream consequences for breast cancer care so superior to those of open surgical biopsy that the needle biopsy rate at a medical center or in a surgeon's...

Little-used ovarian cancer therapy boosts survival.(Gynecology)
February 1, 2006... A clinical announcement issued by the National Cancer Institute on intraperitoneal chemotherapy for ovarian cancer should win the treatment widespread and overdue acceptance, predict physicians who have administered the treatment for years. ...

Switch to anastrozole raises overall breast Ca survival.(News)
February 1, 2006... SAN ANTONIO -- Switching postmenopausal women with hormone-responsive breast cancer from adjunctive tamoxifen to anastrozole after 2-3 years has now for the first time been shown to result in significantly improved overall survival compared...

Asia responds to avian influenza.(News)
February 1, 2006... All accumulated evidence suggests that infections in humans have resulted from close contact with diseased birds; there is no evidence to suggest changes in the transmission pattern of the H5N1 virus, Dr. Guenael Rodier, WHO Special Adviser on...

Vaccine prevents genital warts as well as CIN.(News)
February 1, 2006... WASHINGTON -- A human papillomavirus vaccine developed by Merck & Co. is 100% effective in preventing genital warts in women in addition to preventing cervical cancer, Dr. John T. Schiller reported at the annual meeting of the Interscience...

All physicians not up on latest HPV information.(News)
February 1, 2006... WASHINGTON -- When it comes to human papillomavirus, U.S. clinicians who see the most patients with it are aware of the basics, but they aren't always up on the latest information, Dr. Nidhi Jain reported in a poster at the annual Interscience...

Single-day double dose of famciclovir shortens genital herpes outbreaks.(News)
February 1, 2006... WASHINGTON -- A single-day treatment of famciclovir taken by a patient within 6 hours of a genital herpes outbreak can significantly speed the time to healing, Dr. Fred Y. Aoki reported at the annual Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial...

Korean research scandal staggers scientists.(GUEST EDITORIAL)
February 1, 2006... The world of biomedical research is being rocked by another South Korean research scandal. The controversy surrounds a paper published in Science (May 2005;308:1777-83), which seemed to demonstrate a major breakthrough in "therapeutic...

Letters.(Opinion)(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2006... Details on Adverse Events It would be very useful to get a bit more detail on the adverse events connected to the maternal use of citalopram during pregnancy reported to the Food and Drug Administration since 1998 ("Maternal Citalopram Tx...

Anal sphincter lacerations underreported in hospitals.(Obstetrics)(services of The Pelvic Floor Disorders Network)(annual meeting of the Central Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists)
February 1, 2006... SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. -- Anal sphincter laceration during childbirth is not accurately coded in many hospital discharge records and may be underestimated as a result. The Pelvic Floor Disorders Network found mistakes in a about one-quarter of...

Early-onset group B strep down 31% in 2004.(Obstetrics)
February 1, 2006... The incidence of early-onset neonatal group B streptococcal disease in the United States has dropped by a third since guidelines for universal screening of pregnant women were issued, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported. ...

Imported congenital rubella syndrome case seen in N.H.(Obstetrics)
February 1, 2006... Consider congenital rubella syndrome in infants with compatible signs, particularly immigrants from countries without rubella control programs, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advised. In 2004, a 10-week-old infant born to a...

CDC reports a small increase in number of abortions in 2002.(Obstetrics)
February 1, 2006... There was a slight uptick in the number of abortions reported in 2002, according to figures published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The number of abortions increased by 637 to 854,122 between 2001 and 2002. But the...

Get 24-hour urine in suspected preeclampsia.(Obstetrics)
February 1, 2006... BIG ISLAND, HAWAII -- Don't rely on dipsticks to detect proteinuria in pregnant patients with suspected preeclampsia, Dr. Michael A. Belfort said at a conference on obstetrics, gynecology, perinatal medicine, neonatology, and the law. ...

Imaging is often helpful in diagnosing CVT.(Gynecology)
February 1, 2006... Without the information provided by imaging, the differential diagnosis of cerebral venous thrombosis is fairly broad, said Dr. Andrew D. Perron, residency program director in the department of emergency medicine at Maine Medical Center in...

Nitrofurantoin comeback for uncomplicated UTI.(Gynecology)(annual Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy)
February 1, 2006... WASHINGTON -- Nitrofurantoin should be considered as a fluoroquinolonesparing agent for women with mild to moderate symptoms of uncomplicated cystitis, Dr. Thomas M. Hooton said at the annual Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and...

Atypical lobular hyperplasia has higher breast Ca risk than ductal.(Gynecology)
February 1, 2006... SAN ANTONIO -- All women with atypical hyperplasia in a benign breast biopsy are at significantly increased risk of developing breast cancer, but the magnitude of risk is greater when the pathology involves atypical lobular hyperplasia than it...

Letrozole surpasses tamoxifen in head-to-head breast Ca trial.(Gynecology)
February 1, 2006... The aromatase inhibitor letrozole compares favorably with tamoxifen as an adjuvant treatment for hormone receptor-positive breast cancer in postmenopausal women, reported Dr. Beat Thurlimann and associates in the Breast International Group 1-98...

FDA panel backs shingles vaccine for 60 and older.(Clinical Rounds)
February 1, 2006... BETHESDA, MD. -- The available data clearly support the safety and effectiveness of a herpes zoster vaccine for people aged 60 and older, the age group that made up most of the participants in clinical trials, a 14-member federal advisory panel...

Several types of contraceptives safe in lupus.(Clinical Rounds)
February 1, 2006... Women with stable systemic lupus erythematosus can use with relative safety any one of three forms of birth control--a combined oral contraceptive, a progestin-only contraceptive, or the copper intrauterine device--according to the findings of...

HIV entry inhibitors having trouble in trials.(Clinical Rounds)
February 1, 2006... SAN FRANCISCO -- Efforts to develop entry inhibitors, which constitute the first new class of anti-HIV drugs in years, have hit snags that could delay the entry of these novel agents into the pharmaceutical marketplace. The debut of entry...

Wrongful death lawsuit.(POLICY & PRACTICE)
February 1, 2006... Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Johnson & Johnson, makers of the Ortho Evra contraceptive patch, are facing a nearly $150 million lawsuit in the 2003 death of 17-year-old Ashley Lewis. The lawsuit, filed in the 22nd Judicial Circuit Court...

Sexual assault treatment guidelines.(POLICY & PRACTICE)
February 1, 2006... The U.S. Department of Justice is once again under fire for its 2004 guidelines for the treatment of sexual assault survivors. Planned Parenthood Federation of America and the American Civil Liberties Union criticized the Justice Department for...

Challenge to Illinois contraceptive rule.(POLICY & PRACTICE)
February 1, 2006... The Illinois regulation mandating that pharmacies that carry contraceptives must dispense all valid prescriptions for contraceptives, including emergency contraception, is being challenged in court. The American Center for Law and Justice filed...

Teen pregnancy legislation.(POLICY & PRACTICE)
February 1, 2006... The latest effort to prevent teen pregnancy is new legislation, introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives last December, which would create grants to develop programs aimed at delaying sexual activity and helping parents communicate with...

Ban on false information.(POLICY & PRACTICE)(information management and laws of Health and Human Services Department )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... The Health and Human Services Department may not deliberately disseminate false or misleading scientific information under a recent federal law. The provision, part of the fiscal 2006 HHS appropriations law, also prohibits the questioning of...

The challenges of caring for an aging parent.(THE REST OF YOUR LIFE)(Column)
February 1, 2006... Now in his fifth year of dementia, 86-year-old Leonard Winakur doesn't know what day it is. If he's not sleeping when his son Dr. Jerald Winakur drops by for a visit (as Dr. Winakur does nearly every day), sometimes he'll engage his son in...

Size doesn't have to count.(MASTER CLASS)
February 1, 2006... Despite a trend toward minimally invasive gynecologic surgery, nearly 75% of hysterectomies in the United States are still performed via open laparotomy. The most common reason an open approach is selected by the gynecologic surgeon is concern...

Vaginal hysterectomy is underused.(MASTER CLASS)
February 1, 2006... Hysterectomy remains the most common major gynecologic procedure in the United States, and it should be performed--whenever possible--with a minimally invasive procedure that results in the least morbidity, the fewest complications, and the...

Physician-rating game fraught with difficulty.(Practice Trends)
February 1, 2006... WASHINGTON -- The lists of "best doctors" published in magazines may not be all they're cracked up to be, several speakers said at a health care competition conference sponsored by Health Affairs journal and the Center for Studying Health...

Electronic Stethoscope.(PRODUCTS)
February 1, 2006... The Littmann Model 3000 Electronic Stethoscope can reduce ambient noise by an average of 75% and offers amplification of critical body sounds up to 18 times greater than that of acoustic stethoscopes. For more information, contact 3M Health...

Make better decisions about dystocia.(PRODUCTS)
February 1, 2006... The CALM Shoulder Screen is a software program for assessing the risk of shoulder dystocia with injury at or before the onset of labor. The program provides analysis of labor progression to help clinicians determine whether a cesarean section...

Terminal estimates payment due.(PRODUCTS)
February 1, 2006... The MedCom Terminal System helps clarify a patient's maximum financial responsibility for an office visit and facilitates payments for those charges. The system has access to more than 300 payers and plans. For more information, contact MedCom...

'Keyhole' hysterectomy instruments.(PRODUCTS)
February 1, 2006... The EndoLink line of articulating surgical instruments is now available for total laparoscopic hysterectomy using minimally-invasive "keyhole" surgery. The single-use, handheld instruments provide six degrees of articulating freedom. For more...

Support for smokers to quit.(PRODUCTS)
February 1, 2006... The Committed Quitters Web site offers tools, tips, and information and is designed to help smokers deal with the challenges associated with quitting the habit. The site is sponsored by GlaxoSmithKline, the company that manufactures the...

Automate the office.(PRODUCTS)(Virtual Billing System Pro )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... Virtual Billing System Pro is an Internet-based system that allows insurance billing to be performed on any computer (PC, Mac, Linux). The software does not require printer alignment or setup to accommodate medical forms. The software setup fee...

Dietary Guidelines explained.(FYI)(A Healthier You)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has released "A Healthier You." It is based on the "Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2005" and is intended to help people in the United States interpret and use the newest dietary...

Help patients plan for surgery.(FYI)
February 1, 2006... The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has released a publication designed to help patients make informed decisions when planning for surgery. "Having Surgery? What You Need to Know" is available for download at...

Pinpoint palpable mass in breast.(Gynecology)
February 15, 2006... KAILUA KONA, HAWAII -- Inform the radiologist about the specific location of any palpable mass in a patient's breast that prompted you to order a mammogram, Dr. R. James Brenner said at a meeting on medical negligence and risk management. ...

Primary care ob.gyns. per 100,000 population.(VITAL SIGNS)
February 15, 2006... Primary Care Ob.Gyns. per 100,000 Population Note: The District of Columbia has 35.6 ob.gyns. per 100,000 population. Sources: 2004 data, American Medical Association, U.S. Census Bureau RICHARD FRANKI, RESEARCH/DESIGN

C-section numbers unaffected by fetal pulse oximetry: neonatal outcomes also failed to improve.(Obstetrics)
February 15, 2006... MIAMI -- Fetal pulse oximetry failed to significantly decrease the cesarean delivery rate or to improve neonatal outcomes in a randomized, multicenter study of more than 5,000 women, Dr. Steven L. Bloom said at the annual meeting of the Society...

Perineal massage reduces likelihood of episiotomy.(Obstetrics)
February 15, 2006... Prenatal perineal massage started after 34 weeks of pregnancy was associated with a 15% reduction in episiotomies and a reduction in reported pain after childbirth, compared with women who did not do the massage, in an Australian review of...

New FDA guidance allows small studies in humans before phase I safety testing.(News)(investigational new drug studies)
February 15, 2006... Researchers now have a pathway for conducting early clinical testing of drugs in a small number of human subjects under new guidance from the Food and Drug Administration. Officials at the FDA finalized guidance on exploratory...

Two Brazilian diet supplements test as tainted.(News)(Emagrece Sim and Herbathin)(Brief article)
February 15, 2006... Two popular diet pills from Brazil that are being marketed as natural dietary supplements may be laced with prescription and controlled substances, according to a warning that has been issued by the Food and Drug Administration. Tests of...

FDA panel backs OTC orlistat, with some concern: the advisory panel was troubled about the drug's interactions with warfarin and cyclosporine.(News)
February 15, 2006... BETHESDA, MD. -- The advisory panel that gave near-unanimous support for making orlistat available without a prescription also voiced several concerns about the drug's potential for interactions with cyclosporine and warfarin, its limited...

Should PCOS be treated with insulin sensitizers or oral contraceptives?(POINT/COUNTERPOINT)
February 15, 2006... Insulin Sensitizers Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is characterized by androgen excess and oligoovulation. It is the most common cause of infertility in the United States and affects more than 5 million women. Oral contraceptives...

A case of Medicare-induced dyspepsia.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
February 15, 2006... Our real problem with Medicare is that patients are unaware that they are not allowed to pay what they can for medical services ("Physicians Make Final Plea to Fix Fee Schedule," Dec. 1, 2005, p. 7). The prohibition on balance billing...

FDA's scientific integrity questioned.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
February 15, 2006... I couldn't agree more with Dr. Chen's letter in which he questions the scientific integrity of the FDA ("FDA Decisions Raise Concerns," Dec. 1, 2005, p. 8). Evidence is mounting that the Food and Drug Administration's recent decisions and...

The true crux of clinical trials.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
February 15, 2006... Dr. David Orentlicher and Dr. Thomas Kintanar tackled a provocative topic, but missed some important points ("Should patients be required to take part in comparative clinical trials?" Pro & Con, Nov. 15, 2005, p. 5). Refusal by eligible...

Pregnancy is no protection against depression relapse.(Obstetrics)
February 15, 2006... Women who discontinue antidepressant medication when they become pregnant have nearly a 70% rate of depression relapse during the course of the pregnancy, reported Dr. Lee S. Cohen of Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, and his associates....

Lamotrigine-birth defect link seen only in valproate combo.(Obstetrics)
February 15, 2006... WASHINGTON -- There is no evidence that lamotrigine monotherapy increases the risk of major congenital malformations in infants exposed prenatally to the drug, according to updated data from the International Lamotrigine Pregnancy Registry. ...

GERD during pregnancy is common--and often overlooked.(Obstetrics)
February 15, 2006... SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. -- Gastroesophageal reflux disease may be significantly underreported and undertreated in pregnant women, according to a poster presented at the annual meeting of the Central Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. ...

Just a few sentences can persuade pregnant women to use seat belts.(Obstetrics)
February 15, 2006... KAILUA KONA, HAWAII -- Tell pregnant patients to wear seat belts when in a car, and chances are that they'll do it, Dr. William G. Barsan said at a meeting on medical negligence and risk management. One study found that 92% of mothers who...

GI agents: Part II.(DRUGS, PREGNANCY, AND LACTATION)
February 15, 2006... The second part of this three-part series examines the safety of agents used to treat several gastrointestinal diseases that cause significant morbidity in pregnant women. * Helicobacter pylori infection: The bacteria H. pylori are...

Prenatal anatomy lesson may avert dystocia suit.(Obstetrics)
February 15, 2006... KAILUA KONA, HAWAII -- Many people--and many jurors--assume that a large pregnant woman has a large birth canal. If shoulder dystocia during delivery leads to neurologic injury of the baby, they reason that the physician must have done...

Axillary radiotherapy may be a safe alternative.(Gynecology)
February 15, 2006... SAN ANTONIO -- Axillary radiotherapy appears to be a safe and vastly less morbid alternative to the standard axillary node dissection in clinically node-negative breast cancer patients who have a positive sentinel lymph node, Dr. Michele A....

Local complications common with postmastectomy implants.(Gynecology)
February 15, 2006... Local complications are common after post-mastectomy reconstructive breast implantation, with an adverse event rate of 31% in one large prospective study, reported Dr. Trine F. Henriksen of the Danish Registry for Plastic Surgery of the Breast,...

HSV-2 infection may raise risk for pelvic inflammatory disease.(Gynecology)
February 15, 2006... WASHINGTON -- Herpes simplex virus type 2 infection in women may be associated with an increased risk of pelvic inflammatory disease, Dr. Thomas L. Cherpes reported in a poster at the annual Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and...

Higher IPIP safe in laparoscopy of healthy obese.(Gynecology)
February 15, 2006... CHICAGO -- Higher intraperitoneal insufflation pressures at trocar entry appear to safely establish appropriate pneumoperitoneum in otherwise healthy obese women undergoing laparoscopic surgery, Dr. Basim Abu-Rafea said at the annual meeting of...

CT enteroclysis finds colorectal endometriosis.(Gynecology)
February 15, 2006... CHICAGO -- Multislice CT with enteroclysis is an effective method to detect colorectal involvement in patients with endometriosis, Dr. Ennio Biscaldi reported at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America. Women...

Genetic assay predicts risk of local and regional recurrence.(Gynecology)
February 15, 2006... SAN ANTONIO -- A commercially available genetic assay has proved to be a potent predictor of the risk of local and regional recurrence of breast cancer, Dr. Terry Mamounas reported at a breast cancer symposium sponsored by the Cancer Therapy...

Value of routine radiotherapy confirmed in ductal carcinoma.(Gynecology)
February 15, 2006... SAN ANTONIO -- Radiotherapy as part of breast-conserving treatment for patients with ductal carcinoma in situ reduced the 10-year risk of local recurrence by 47% in a large European randomized trial, Dr. Nina Bijker reported at a breast cancer...

Emerging resistance threatens influenza control.(Clinical Rounds)
February 15, 2006... Evidence of widespread resistance of influenza to amantadine and rimantadine has prompted calls for restraint in antiviral use in order to preserve the therapeutic value of these adamantanes as well as newer generation agents. ...

Morbidity, mortality still high in patients with APS.(Clinical Rounds)
February 15, 2006... SAN DIEGO -- Morbidity and mortality remain high in patients with antiphos-pholipid syndrome despite current therapy with anticoagulants and low-dose aspirin, Dr. Ricard Cervera reported in a late-breaking poster session at the annual meeting...

Body discontent during puberty worse in whites.(Clinical Rounds)(Brief article)
February 15, 2006... WASHINGTON -- Pubertal changes were more likely to trigger body dissatisfaction in white girls than in African American girls in a study of 331 girls, reported Tiffany Floyd, Ph.D., in a poster presented at the annual meeting of the Association...

Dementia study identifies target prevention group.(Clinical Rounds)
February 15, 2006... ORLANDO -- Preliminary findings suggest a 23% prevalence of cognitive impairment not classified as dementia in the U.S. population older than 70, according to results presented at the annual meeting of the Gerontological Society of America. ...

Statins didn't change cancer risk in large metaanalysis.(Clinical Rounds)
February 15, 2006... Statins neither raise nor lower the risk of cancer or cancer mortality, according to a metaanalysis of 26 randomized clinical trials. Several retrospective studies have suggested that statins reduce the risk of developing cancer by as much...

Potentially inappropriate drugs may cause problems for the elderly.(Clinical Rounds)
February 15, 2006... ORLANDO -- Up to 39% of geriatric patients are taking potentially inappropriate medications, and this trend is associated with increased drug-related problems and health care costs in the United States, according to a new study. The...

Patients, physicians struggle with Part D rollout.(Practice Trends)
February 15, 2006... As Medicare beneficiaries grapple with the new prescription drug benefit that went into effect on Jan. 1, physicians report that they are spending valuable clinical time explaining the benefit, rewriting prescriptions, and navigating drug...

Wisconsin physicians fight to restore damage cap.(Practice Trends)
February 15, 2006... Wisconsin physicians are continuing to push for the reinstatement of a medical liability damage cap despite recent legal and legislative setbacks. "I think our legislature clearly understands that something has to be done," said Dr. Susan...

Grading the cervical cancer fight.(POLICY & PRACTICE)
February 15, 2006... Most U.S. states have improved their efforts to eliminate cervical cancer, but state officials are still missing critical screening opportunities, according to Women in Government's second annual report, "The 'State' of Cervical Cancer...

Revisiting parental notice on abortion.(POLICY & PRACTICE)
February 15, 2006... The U.S. Supreme Court has returned to the lower court a case involving New Hampshire's law requiring parental notification prior to an abortion. Ayotte v. Planned Parenthood of Northern New England was sent back to the lower court so the court...

Youth health trends brighten.(POLICY & PRACTICE)
February 15, 2006... Health trends among adolescents and young adults appear to be improving, Claire Brindis, Dr.P.H., codirector of the Center for Reproductive Health Research and Policy at the University of California, San Francisco, reported during a National...

Minority women and HIV/AIDS.(POLICY & PRACTICE)
February 15, 2006... Federal officials need to take a closer look at the growing rates of HIV infection among minority women in the United States, women's health advocates said at a Capitol Hill briefing last month. The rates of HIV infection among women of color...

Infertility treatment coverage sought.(POLICY & PRACTICE)
February 15, 2006... RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association is renewing its call for increased insurance coverage for medically necessary infertility treatment. Currently, only 15 U.S. states offer some level of insurance reimbursement for infertility...

Pet peeves.(CLINICAL PEARLS)(opinions of physicians)(Column)
February 15, 2006... Several months ago, we published a column on "the words we hate to hear." For example, whenever a recovery room nurse calls and says, "Doctor, we're having trouble getting a blood pressure on your patient," that tends to get your adrenaline...