OB GYN News articles from January 2006

OB GYN News archives from January 2006

Letrozole warning true or false?(News)
January 1, 2006... American and Canadian fertility experts have expressed surprise and disappointment about new warnings concerning the aromatase inhibitor letrozole and its off-label use in fertility treatment. "This is a knee-jerk reaction without a proper...

Rise in national health expenditures slows.(VITAL SIGNS)
January 1, 2006... Rise in National Health Expenditures Slows Source: The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation KEVIN FOLEY, RESEARCH/DESIGN

HT does not ease hot flashes from tamoxifen therapy: quality of life, adherence affected.(News)
January 1, 2006... SAN ANTONIO -- Hormone therapy isn't effective for hot flashes in women on tamoxifen, Ivana Sestak, Ph.D., reported at a breast cancer symposium sponsored by the Cancer Therapy and Research Center. This was the clear-cut conclusion of a new...

FDA strengthens Paxil's pregnancy warning.(News)
January 1, 2006... The Food and Drug Administration has stepped up warnings that paroxetine increases the risk of congenital defects, especially cardiovascular malformations. In September, GlaxoSmithKline, which markets paroxetine under the trade name Paxil,...

FDA approves STAN fetal heart monitor.(News)
January 1, 2006... A fetal heart monitor that provides an analysis of the fetal ECG during labor has won the approval of the Food and Drug Administration almost 4 years after it was originally rejected for use in the United States. The American College of...

Aspirin cuts CV mortality by 25% in women.(News)
January 1, 2006... DALLAS -- Daily aspirin therapy in postmenopausal women with stable cardiovascular disease was associated with a 25% reduction in the risk of cardiovascular mortality in the Women's Health Initiative Observational Study. That's the good...

How to read a balance sheet.(GUEST EDITORIAL)
January 1, 2006... A balance sheet provides an essential picture of your practice's financial health, yet, amazingly, few physicians can make heads or tails of one. That's why you pay an accountant, right? But it's your practice. You can't really get a...

Should brain function monitoring be standard during general anesthesia?(PRO & CON)
January 1, 2006... YES Anesthesia has become an incredibly safe specialty as we in the anesthesia community have successfully overcome many complex patient safety issues. We are now in a position to take on the rare but serious issue of intraoperative...

Neuroimaging sorts out eclampsia-like conditions.(Obstetrics)
January 1, 2006... Neuroradiologic studies can provide valuable diagnostic information in women who present during pregnancy or the puerperium with apparent eclampsia or similar neurologic manifestations, British investigators have reported. A host of less...

Suggest preservation of fertility before chemo or radiation therapy.(Gynecology)
January 1, 2006... MONTREAL -- Most female cancer patients appear to have normal reproductive capacity before cancer therapy, making them excellent candidates for fertility preservation, according to results of one of the first studies to compare ovarian...

In vitro fertilization successful following Essure sterilization.(Gynecology)
January 1, 2006... CHICAGO -- Pregnancy with in vitro fertilization is possible in women who have previously undergone Essure hysteroscopic sterilization, Dr. John F. Kerin said at the annual meeting of the AAGL (formerly the American Association of Gynecologic...

Robotic surgery's applications expanding.(Gynecology)
January 1, 2006... SAN DIEGO -- When precision matters, robotic surgery offers visual features that are "unparalleled by any other laparoscopic or open operation," William E. Kelley Jr., M.D., said at an international congress of the Society of Laparoendoscopic...

Lipophilic statins lower ER-negative breast Ca risk: no therapies were previously known to reduce the risk of estrogen receptor--negative breast cancer.(Gynecology)
January 1, 2006... SAN ANTONIO -- Women on a lipophilic statin have a markedly reduced likelihood of developing estrogen receptor-negative breast cancer, Dr. Anjali Kumar reported at a breast cancer symposium sponsored by the Cancer Therapy and Research Center....

Mifepristone tied to bleeding with progesterone-only IUS.
January 1, 2006... MONTREAL -- Contrary to its effect with other progesterone-only contraceptives, mifepristone increases breakthrough bleeding in patients using the levonorgestrel intrauterine system, according to a new study. "Mifespristone cannot be...

Continuous oral contraceptives more likely to suppress ovulation.(Gynecology)
January 1, 2006... MONTREAL -- Continuous oral contraceptive regimens suppress ovulation better than do conventional 21-day regimens, according to research presented at the conjoint annual meeting of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine and the Canadian...

Fish oil provides added benefits in statin users.(Clinical Rounds)
January 1, 2006... DALLAS -- Adding high-dose fish oil to a low-dose statin provided a 19% further reduction in major coronary events, compared with statins alone, Dr. Mitsuhiro Yokoyama reported at the annual scientific sessions of the American Heart...

Imaging agent may cause cardiopulmonary failure.
January 1, 2006... Palatin Technologies, the manufacturer of NeutroSpec, is voluntarily suspending the sales and marketing of the radiodiagnostic agent in the United States, according to a public health advisory issued by the Food and Drug Administration. The...

Supplemental glutamine cuts hospital stays.(Clinical Rounds)
January 1, 2006... SAN FRANCISCO -- Enteral administration of the nutrient glutamine within 8 hours of major surgery boosted antioxidant production and reduced patients' length of stay by a day, according to a Canadian study reported by Dr. Adebola O.E. Obayan at...

Human milk-filled syringe.(PRODUCTS)
January 1, 2006... Prolact-22 is pasteurized human milk in a prefilled syringe for administration by nasogastric or gastric feeding tube. One 10-mL syringe contains 7.44 calories. Milk donations are taken from healthy donors, who have been screened. For more...

Actonel with Calcium approved.(PRODUCTS)
January 1, 2006... The Food and Drug Administration approved Actonel with Calcium (risedronate sodium plus calcium carbonate) for the prevention and treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis. Each prescription package contains 4 weeks of therapy; each week...

Device monitors vacuum delivery.(PRODUCTS)
January 1, 2006... The VacuLink is a single-use electronic monitor that hooks up to the fetal monitor and both displays and records the use of the vacuum on a printout during delivery. The device provides real-time information and a permanent record of the events...

Lab coats inhibit microbial spread.(PRODUCTS)
January 1, 2006... The Doc's Duds line of lab coats are manufactured with yarn treated with a silver ceramic additive, which inhibits the spread of bacterial and fungal nosocomial infections. Three lab coat designs and colors are available for women (sizes 4-18)....

New handle for surgical instruments.(PRODUCTS)
January 1, 2006... The enTouch handle for AEM laparoscopic instruments has been designed for improved ergonomics, potentially leading to less hand fatigue for surgeons. For more information, contact Encision Inc. by calling 303-444-2600 or by sending an e-mail to...

Integrated laparoscopic Videoscope.(PRODUCTS)
January 1, 2006... The Integrated Operating Videoscope has an all-in-one design that combines camera head, light guide cable, and laparoscope into a single unit. It uses an integrated optical system without traditional interfaces, to improve image quality. For...

Pap Test identifies breast disease.(PRODUCTS)
January 1, 2006... The Halo Breast Pap Test System is a noninvasive test to detect abnormal breast cells and to identify breast disease earlier than with mammography or self-examination. The test cytologically assesses breast duct fluid or nipple aspirate fluid....

Soltamox approved for breast cancer.(PRODUCTS)
January 1, 2006... Soltamox (tamoxifen citrate) oral solution 10 mg/5 mL is indicated for metastatic breast cancer, adjuvant treatment of breast cancer, ductal carcinoma in situ, and the reduction of breast cancer incidence in high-risk women. For more...

Preoperative skin prep available.(PRODUCTS)
January 1, 2006... The ChloraPrep 26-mL preoperative skin prep with Scrub Teal tint contains 2% chlorhexidine gluconate, the percentage preferred by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, combined with 70% isopropyl alcohol for immediate and residual...

2006 outlook.(POLICY & PRACTICE)
January 1, 2006... This year, officials at the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists say that they plan to continue work on a number of the society's top priorities from last year. These ongoing issues include medical liability reform, in particular...

Medical liability reform.(POLICY & PRACTICE)
January 1, 2006... Passage of medical liability reform legislation, particularly caps on noneconomic damages, once again failed to gain traction in the Senate in 2005 despite passage of a bill (H.R. 5) in the House. Shifting priorities in the wake of Hurricane...

Physician pay and P4P.(POLICY & PRACTICE)
January 1, 2006... At press time, physicians were anticipating a 4.3% cut in Medicare payments in 2006. ACOG officials said the college remains opposed to the pay cut and supports a permanent change to the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula used to pay...

Imaging.(POLICY & PRACTICE)
January 1, 2006... Another hot topic carrying on into 2006 is who can perform and be paid for imaging. ACOG plans to push for ob.gyns. to continue to provide imaging to patients and to be paid for that service. Some radiology organizations want to restrict who...

Reproductive health access.(POLICY & PRACTICE)
January 1, 2006... Access to reproductive health services--in particular, providing information on and access to emergency contraception--also continues to be a top priority at ACOG. Most notably, ACOG continues to support over-the-counter status for the...

FDA's unusual Plan B review.(POLICY & PRACTICE)
January 1, 2006... The FDA's decision in 2004 not to approve the emergency contraception product Plan B for over-the-counter sale was not typical of the 67 other prescription-to-OTC switch decisions made by the agency between 1994 and 2004, according to a report...

Multiples and mortality.(MASTER CLASS)
January 1, 2006... Infant mortality is a problem of major concern to the industrialized world, and it continues to be an important marker for assessing the health and welfare of countries. Despite the fact that the United States spends 15% of its gross national...

The art of controlling multiples.(MASTER CLASS)
January 1, 2006... The most common complication of assisted reproductive technologies is multiple gestation, particularly triplet and higher-order pregnancy. As we all know, multiple gestation leads to an increased risk of complications in both the fetuses and...

MRgFUS relieves fibroid symptoms.(News)(MR-guided focused ultrasound surgery )
January 15, 2006... CHICAGO -- The first noninvasive therapy for the treatment of uterine fibroids provides symptom relief for 1 year and beyond without serious side effects, according to a clinical trial of MR-guided focused ultrasound surgery presented at the...

Portion of public attaching 'very great' prestige to physicians is rebounding slowly.(VITAL SIGNS)
January 15, 2006... Portion of Public Attaching 'Very Great' Prestige To Physicians Is Rebounding Slowly Note: Based on a nationwide survey of 1,217 adults conducted Aug. 9-16, 2005. Source: Harris Interactive KEVIN FOLEY, RESEARCH

Letrozole following tamoxifen extends breast ca survival.(News)
January 15, 2006... SAN ANTONIO -- Women with hormone receptor-positive early-stage breast cancer gain substantial clinical benefit from starting an aromatase inhibitor even following a 1- to 5-year hiatus after a 5-year course of adjuvant tamoxifen, according to...

Trastuzumab's cardio risk can be reduced, avoided.(Gynecology)
January 15, 2006... SAN ANTONIO -- Just when the use of trastuzumab (Herceptin) as first-line adjuvant therapy in breast cancer is expanding to a vastly larger patient population, investigators have hit on several novel means of avoiding the cardiotoxicity that is...

FDA issues draft guidance for condom labels.(News)
January 15, 2006... New guidance from the Food and Drug Administration proposes that latex condom labels inform users that condoms greatly reduce, but do not eliminate, the risk of pregnancy and the risk of contracting or spreading HIV or other sexually...

Medicare fee cut in effect until Congress returns.(News)
January 15, 2006... Expect at least a month's worth of Medicare payment reductions until Congress reconciles on the provisions of a spending bill at the end of January. "We got coal in our Christmas stocking," not a positive update or a permanent fix to the...

Study to assess cardiac risks of NSAIDs, celecoxib.(News)
January 15, 2006... The Cleveland Clinic Foundation is spearheading a global, head-to-head trial to evaluate the cardiovascular safety of ibuprofen, naproxen, and celecoxib. The study is unique for several reasons, but primarily because it is being paid for by a...

Cerebral palsy linked to perinatal viral exposure.(News)
January 15, 2006... Newborns whose blood samples showed exposure to potentially neurotropic viral infections were significantly more likely to be diagnosed as having cerebral palsy than were those with no such exposure, reported Catherine S. Gibson, Ph.D., of the...

Defending the drug man.(GUEST EDITORIAL)
January 15, 2006... "The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, But in ourselves, that we are underlings...." Cassius in Julius Caesar, Act I, Sc. 2, Line 145 --William Shakespeare Over the past several years, the pharmaceutical industry has...

An FDA compromise of patient safety?(LETTERS)(Letter to the Editor)
January 15, 2006... I was prompted to write after reading Dr. Lazar J. Greenfield's comments about problems that don't seem to be addressed as they should be by the Food and Drug Administration ("Truth Decay at the FDA," Guest Editorial, Sept. 15, 2005, p. 6)....

Exercise and realism.(LETTERS)(Letter to the Editor)
January 15, 2006... Ultradistance running is an example alright, but of what? There is a distinction to be made between health and ultradistance fitness, and I found Dr. Craig Lewis' attempt to equate the two unconvincing ("Setting an Exercise Example," Guest...

We need real advocacy.(LETTERS)(Letter to the Editor)
January 15, 2006... To Dr. Gary Annunziata, I would like to say "mega dittos" ("AMA Isn't Helping Physicians," Letters, Sept. 1, 2005, p. 6). Now that I am finished with my training and am in private practice, I have discontinued my memberships in the...

Corrections.(Correction Notice)
January 15, 2006... The study reported in "Results for Laparoscopic Hysterectomy Similar" (Nov. 1, 2005, p. 16) was conducted at Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York. Dr. Ali Mahdavi is now at the University of California, Irvine Medical Center. An incorrect...

The FDA advisory on paroxetine.(DRUGS, PREGNANCY, AND LACTATION)
January 15, 2006... Multiple studies over the past decade have been supportive of the reproductive safety of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) when used during the first trimester; these studies include one recent metaanalysis and other extensive...

Hysteroscopy can shed light on miscarriages.(Obstetrics)(Preevacuation hysteroscopy)
January 15, 2006... CHICAGO -- Preevacuation hysteroscopy is useful for identifying localized and systemic defects during morphogenesis in patients with unexplained recurring pregnancy loss, said Dr. Artin Ternamian. "We're convinced that preevacuation...

Labor induction less successful in morbidly obese.(Obstetrics)
January 15, 2006... SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. -- The more obese a woman is before becoming pregnant, the lower her chances will be for successful induction of labor, according to researchers who reviewed computerized records of 45,998 pregnancies in a German database. ...

Carpal tunnel in pregnancy tied to workplace.(Obstetrics)
January 15, 2006... Pregnant women working outside the home may be more likely than their homemaker counterparts to develop carpal tunnel syndrome, Dr. Glen D. Seidman said at the joint annual meeting of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand and the...

Yet another reason not to smoke in pregnancy.(Obstetrics)
January 15, 2006... DALLAS -- Smoking during pregnancy is associated with overweight in the offspring, Dr. Nicholas Stettler reported at the annual scientific sessions of the American Heart Association. His retrospective analysis of prospectively collected...

Afinoxifene effective therapy for cyclic mastalgia.(Gynecology)
January 15, 2006... SAN ANTONIO -- Topical afinoxifene proved effective for the treatment of cyclic mastalgia and also showed potential for reduction of mammographic breast density in separate phase II clinical trials presented at a breast cancer symposium...

Urine test for breast cancer risk shows promise: for high-risk women, early signs of change in status could be detected between scheduled mammograms.(Gynecology)
January 15, 2006... SAN ANTONIO -- A simple urine test for selected matrix metalloproteinases may provide a novel noninvasive means of assessing a woman's risk of developing breast cancer, Dr. Susan E. Pories reported at a breast cancer symposium sponsored by the...

Protocol eases switch to office-based ablation: guidelines from the ACS, ASA, and liability insurance providers are included in the protocol.(Gynecology)
January 15, 2006... CHICAGO -- Global endometrial ablation can be performed easily and safely in the office as long as physicians are adequately prepared and strictly adhere to protocols, Dr. Ted Anderson said at the annual meeting of the AAGL (formerly the...

Adherence to protocols would cut injury risk in endometrial ablation.(Gynecology)
January 15, 2006... CHICAGO -- The risk of injury occurring during global endometrial ablation could be greatly reduced if physicians simply followed protocols, Dr. Howard T. Sharp said at the annual meeting of the AAGL (formerly the American Association of...

In-office placement of Essure feasible and fast, study shows.(Gynecology)(Essure hysteroscopic sterilization)
January 15, 2006... CHICAGO -- Essure hysteroscopic sterilization may be performed in an office setting with minimal analgesia, Dr. Gil A. Weiss said at the annual meeting of the AAGL (formerly the American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists). ...

Noncompliance is key to Essure-related pregnancies.(Gynecology)
January 15, 2006... CHICAGO -- Data indicate that most pregnancies in women who undergo the Essure hysteroscopic sterilization procedure could be avoided, Dr. John F. Kerin said at the annual meeting of the AAGL (formerly the American Association of Gynecologic...

Lifestyle practices key in lowering breast ca risk.(Gynecology)
January 15, 2006... SAN ANTONIO -- The three most practical public health-type lifestyle interventions at present for reducing breast cancer risk are to encourage breast-feeding, get young girls started exercising regularly to lay the groundwork for a lifelong...

Many at-risk women aren't opting for tamoxifen.(Gynecology)
January 15, 2006... SAN ANTONIO -- Lifestyle approaches to breast cancer risk reduction have assumed considerable importance for the many women who have turned a cold shoulder to tamoxifen for chemoprevention, according to Leslie Bernstein, Ph.D., professor of...

For women only: aspirin can reduce first stroke risk by 17%.(Clinical Rounds)
January 15, 2006... DALLAS -- Aspirin appears to be effective for primary prevention of stroke in women, but not in men, according to the findings of a metaanalysis that was presented by Dr. David L. Brown at the annual scientific sessions of the American Heart...

C. difficile seen in patients lacking usual risk factors.(Clinical Rounds)
January 15, 2006... The diagnosis of Clostridium difficile--associated disease should be considered in patients with severe diarrhea, even if they don't have traditional risk factors such as recent hospitalization or antimicrobial use, the Centers for Disease...

Risk of community-aquired C. difficile linked to PPIs.(Clinical Rounds)
January 15, 2006... The use of gastric acid--suppressive drugs was linked to increased risk of community-acquired Clostridium difficile--associated disease in a population-based case-control study, reported Dr. Sandra Dial of McGill University, Montreal, and her...

Occurrence of West Nile virus on the increase, CDC reports.(Clinical Rounds)
January 15, 2006... California reported one-third of the 2005 U.S. total of West Nile virus cases through December 1 and 25% of the cases of the viral neuroinvasive disease, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported. A total of 2,744 human cases...

Study results suggest physicians reluctant to diagnose obesity.(Clinical Rounds)
January 15, 2006... QUEBEC CITY -- Society may be willing to label anyone who is not rail thin as being overweight, but the results of a new study suggest that physicians are loath to do so, even with the obese. Researchers randomly identified 486 obese or...

Step aside, MRSA, here comes Acinetobacter.(Clinical Rounds)
January 15, 2006... WASHINGTON -- The United States may be poised on the brink of the next drug-resistant infection epidemic, with outbreaks of Acinetobacter baumannii already appearing in hospitals here, according to experts speaking at the annual Interscience...

Treating multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter is a challenge.(Clinical Rounds)
January 15, 2006... WASHINGTON -- Multidrug resistance poses a serious problem for the treatment of Acinetobacter baumannii infections, and one expert offered his thoughts on the choice of therapy at the annual Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and...

Wisconsin Ob.Gyns. help each other manage call.(Practice Trends)
January 15, 2006... SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. -- A telephone survey of 66 physicians, each representing an obstetric group in Wisconsin, found that most groups did not have formal rules regarding call responsibilities or provisions for physicians to recover after being on...

Physicians face a costly challenge with Medicare's new 'e-prescribing' rule.(Practice Trends)
January 15, 2006... Without the proper technology, physician practices may find it difficult to participate in Medicare's new "e-prescribing" standards under the Part D drug benefit, physician groups claim. "Most primary care physicians will be unable to...

Physicians can ease switch to EHR with a step-by-step approach.(Practice Trends)(electronic health record )(Brief Article)
January 15, 2006... WASHINGTON -- Physicians are often reluctant to leap into an electronic health record system because of its complexity and the expense involved, Dr. Daniel Sands said at a health care congress sponsored by the Wall Street Journal and CNBC. ...

Teen communication with parents.(POLICY & PRACTICE)
January 15, 2006... Most adolescent girls who have been to publicly funded family planning clinics report having had conversations with their parents about sex. Nearly 42% of the girls said they had talked a "great deal" with their parents about how to say no to...

Umbilical cord stem cell bill.(POLICY & PRACTICE)
January 15, 2006... President Bush last month signed into law a bill that would provide for the collection and maintenance of human cord blood stem cells for the treatment of patients and use in research. The Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Act of 2005 (H.R....

Breast implant investigation.(POLICY & PRACTICE)
January 15, 2006... Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) have asked the Food and Drug Administration to investigate claims of safety problems with the Mentor silicone breast implants. A former employee of the company has alleged...

Teen health curriculum.(POLICY & PRACTICE)(Adolescent Reproductive Health Education Project)(Brief Article)
January 15, 2006... The Physicians for Reproductive Choice and Health have launched a nationwide educational project aimed at teaching physicians more about teens and sexual health. The Adolescent Reproductive Health Education Project is a curriculum that offers...

Addressing underage drinking.(POLICY & PRACTICE)
January 15, 2006... The Century Council, a not-for-profit organization funded by leading distilled spirits manufacturers, has launched a public awareness campaign aimed at improving communication between mothers and daughters about underage drinking. "Girl Talk:...

FDA reorganizing to improve drug safety, development.(Practice Trends)
January 15, 2006... Officials at the Food and Drug Administration are planning to reorganize its Center for Drug Evaluation and Research in an effort to improve the agency's approach to drug safety and to help improve drug development. The FDA plans to...

Who sponsors clinical trials?(DATA WATCH)
January 15, 2006... Who Sponsors Clinical Trials? Universities/organizations 46% NIH/other federal agency 30% Industry 24% Note: Based on nearly 14,000 international clinical trials currently recruiting as of Dec. 1, 2005....

Update on fetal monitoring.(CLINICAL PEARLS)
January 15, 2006... First of all, Happy New Year! I hope this will be a great year for all of you. Long-time readers know that this column includes tips from doctors all over the country, but I frequently sneak some of my own pearls into the mix. For this issue,...