OB GYN News articles from January 2009

OB GYN News archives from January 2009

Brachytherapy averts capsular contraction.(NEWS)
January 1, 2009... CHICAGO -- Image-guided multicatheter brachytherapy produces excellent cosmesis and a low complication rate--including a minimal risk of capsular contracture--in women with early-stage breast carcinoma who have undergone mammoplasty...

PEM not hindered by breast density, hormonal status: indicated for women with breast cancer.(NEWS)
January 1, 2009... CHICAGO -- Positron emission mammography appears not to be adversely affected by either breast density or a woman's hormonal status--two common limitations in mammography and breast MRI. In a prospective, single-site study of 208 women with...

FDA panel gives nod to updated female condom.(NEWS)
January 1, 2009... GAITHERSBURG, MD. -- In a unanimous decision, the second-generation Reality female condom was recommended for approval by the Obstetrics and Gynecology Devices Panel of the Food and Drug Administration. After much spirited deliberation, the...

Preclampsia paper urges team approach.(NEWS)
January 1, 2009... A new position paper on preeclampsia urges a stepped-up team approach between obstetricians and hypertension experts to managing the disorder, which complicates up to 7% of all pregnancies and is responsible for nearly one-third of all...

eSET tied to dramatic drop in Swedish multiple birth rate.(NEWS)(elective single-embryo transfer )(Report)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... SAN FRANCISCO -- The introduction of elective single-embryo transfer for patients undergoing in vitro fertilization in Sweden in recent years has resulted in a substantial reduction in the multiple birth rate without adversely affecting the...

Number of people active physician by specialty, 2007.(VITAL SIGNS)
January 1, 2009... Number of People Active Physician By Specialty, 2007 (In thousands) Endocrinology, diabetes & metabolism 55 Obstetrics and gynecology 8 Pediatrics 6 Family medicine/general practice ...

Breast-specific gamma imaging spots occult ca.(NEWS)
January 1, 2009... CHICAGO -- Breast-specific gamma imaging can detect unsuspected, additional breast cancers missed by mammograophy and physical examination in women with newly diagnosed breast cancer. In a retrospective study in 159 women with at least one...

Laser acupuncture may aid implantation in IVF: the rate of implantation was 34% in the laser acupuncture group vs. 25%-30% in other groups.(NEWS)
January 1, 2009... SAN FRANCISCO -- Laser acupuncture before and after embryo transfer significantly improved implantation rates in a randomized, placebo-controlled, multiarm trial of in vitro fertilization. In 1,000 women undergoing in vitro fertilization...

Staying with IVF may be best for low responders.(NEWS)(in vitro fertilization )(Report)
January 1, 2009... SAN FRANCISCO -- The likelihood of a clinical pregnancy in patients who were converted from in vitro fertilization to intrauterine insemination because of low response was just 5% in a retrospective review of 362 patients. These results...

HSV shedding found to be consistent, persistent.(NEWS)
January 1, 2009... WASHINGTON -- People infected with the herpes simplex virus shed virus no matter how long they have been infected or how frequently they have outbreaks, according to data from adults aged 18 years and older with newly acquired and long-term...

Should elective single-embryo transfer be done in first-time IVF patients under age 37?(POINT/COUNTERPOINT)
January 1, 2009... It can prevent multiples and prematurity. Medical professionals have a responsibility to work toward prevention of prematurity. The data clearly show that woman who become pregnant with multiples are at increased risk of premature delivery....

Quality of care in obstetrics.(MASTER CLASS)(Clinical report)
January 1, 2009... Patient safety has become an emphasized area of medicine in recent years. This is not to suggest that the issue of patient safety is new to medicine. Historically, it has been assumed to be a natural part of good medicine and the provision of...

Near-miss reporting and the OB Right program.(MASTER CLASS)
January 1, 2009... Hospital safety issues have been widely reported and have received significant attention recently. However, solutions have been slow in coming. Thus, the ongoing challenge of creating the safest labor and delivery environments possible has been...

Early, late preeclampsia may be hemodynamically distinct.(MASTER CLASS)
January 1, 2009... CHICAGO -- A retrospective study of 1,300 women at 24 weeks' gestation suggests that early preeclampsia and late preeclampsia may be two different hemodynamic forms of disease. Early preeclampsia was associated with normal prepregnancy BMI,...

Waveforms for endometrial ablation compared: when using the rollerball, cutting and coagulation are equally effective, a first-ever study concludes.(GYNECOLOGY)(Clinical report)
January 1, 2009... LAS VEGAS -- Cutting and coagulation waveforms are equally effective for hysteroscopic endometrial ablation using the rollerball, results from the first clinical study of its kind demonstrated. An in vitro study from the early 1990s showed...

Tips for diagnosis, treatment of vulvar lichen sclerosis.(GYNECOLOGY)
January 1, 2009... San Francisco -- If left untreated, lichen sclerosis can lead to scarring, destruction of normal vulvar architecture, and even skin cancer, but if caught early and treated properly, complete remission is possible. "It's a wonderful disease...

Framingham score predicts raloxifene's stroke risk.(GYNECOLOGY)
January 1, 2009... Orlando -- The Framingham stroke risk score can predict a high-risk postmenopausal woman's likelihood of a future cerebrovascular event with raloxifene use, according to new analysis of data from the Raloxifene Use for the Heart (RUTH) study....

Behavioral screening effective for HSV-2 in young women.(GYNECOLOGY)
January 1, 2009... WASHINGTON -- Behavioral and demographic factors were more predictive of herpes simplex virus type 2 than were clinical symptoms in a study of 127 adolescents, approximately one-third of whom were infected with the disease. Data from...

One-year follow-up: nonsurgical approach beneficial in SUI.(GYNECOLOGY)
January 1, 2009... Las Vegas -- A nonsurgical approach to treating stress urinary incontinence that strengthens transurethral collagen by denaturing it with heat provided measurable durable improvement at 12 months, according to preliminary results from a...

Remaining smokers need aggressive intervention.(CLINICAL ROUNDS)
January 1, 2009... PHILADELPHIA -- American smokers have, on average, become significantly more nicotine dependent since 1989--which means that more aggressive interventions are needed to help them quit. That's because most of the smokers who could more...

Rise in liver ensymes after rapid weight loss is deemed transient.(CLINICAL ROUNDS)
January 1, 2009... PHOENIX -- Increases in liver enzymes after substantial weight loss are common, transient, and not cause for alarm, suggest study results presented at the annual scientific meeting of the Obesity Society. Dr. James W. Anderson assessed...

Thyroid disease rates much higher in whites and women.(CLINICAL ROUNDS)
January 1, 2009... CHICAGO -- The prevalence of thyroid cancer and other forms of thyroid disease in the United States is markedly greater among whites and females, according to preliminary data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey for...

Fate of frozen embryos explored.(POLICY & PRACTICE)
January 1, 2009... Couples undergoing fertility treatment would rather store their cryopreserved embryos for future pregnancy attempts or donate them for research than discard them or give them to another couple, according to a survey of more than 1,000...

Give the gift of women's health.(POLICY & PRACTICE)
January 1, 2009... Planned Parenthood of Indiana has stirred up controversy by offering holiday gift certificates for services at its centers. The gift certificates can be purchased on-line in $25 increments. The idea is to help the 800,000 uninsured residents of...

Defensive medicine $1.4B in mass.(POLICY & PRACTICE)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... Defensive medicine--physicians ordering tests, procedures, referrals, hospitalizations, or prescriptions because of fear of being sued--is widespread and adds a minimum of $1.4 billion per year to the cost of health care in Massachusetts,...

Group calls for cancer action.(POLICY & PRACTICE)
January 1, 2009... A coalition of cancer organizations has put together a six-item to-do list for the incoming Obama administration. The tasks include increasing the availability of vaccines shown to prevent cancer-causing infections, promoting culturally...

Workers have uninsured children.(POLICY & PRACTICE)
January 1, 2009... Approximately 8.6 million children in the United States are uninsured, and most of these are in working families, according to a report from the advocacy group Families USA. In fact, almost 90% of uninsured children are in families where one...

CMS clarifies bariatric surgery coverage criteria.(PRACTICE TRENDS)
January 1, 2009... Medicare will not cover bariatric surgery for beneficiaries who have type 2 diabetes but do not have a body mass index greater than 35 kg/[m.sup.2], according to a proposed decision memo issued last month. "While recent medical reports...

HT--breast cancer linkage reaffirmed.(NEWS)
January 15, 2009... SAN ANTONIO -- Two new statistical analyses of Women's Health Initiative data persuasively indicate that the recent abrupt decline in breast cancer incidence in the United States is attributable to a dramatic drop in the use of...

Lasofoxifene cut breast ca by 81% in phase III trials: fractures decreased 24% at 0.5 mg/day.(NEWS)
January 15, 2009... SAN ANTONIO -- The investigational selective estrogenreceptor modulator lasofoxifene is shaping up as a pearl of a drug for the prevention of breast cancer, clinical trial results indicate. Lasofoxifene (Fablyn) slashed the incidence of...

Policy changes expected in reproductive health.(NEWS)
January 15, 2009... Observers expect that one of President Barack Obama's early moves may be to stop action on a controversial federal abortion regulation. The regulation, issued last month by the Bush administration, withholds federal payment and funding...

Early elective C-sections found common, harmful.(NEWS)(Report)
January 15, 2009... More than a third of elective repeat cesarean deliveries are performed before 39 weeks, and these early births carry an increased risk of adverse neonatal outcomes, according to a report in the New England Journal of Medicine. ...

Study: HT cuts breast cancer mortality 47%.(NEWS)
January 15, 2009... SAN ANTONIO -- Breast cancer patients who used menopausal hormone therapy before their diagnosis had a reduced breast cancer mortality, compared with never-users of hormone therapy in the large epidemiologic California Teachers Study. ...

Epilepsy drug warnings to add suicidal ideation.(NEWS)
January 15, 2009... The Food and Drug Administration has directed physicians to inform patients taking anticonvulsant medications that the drugs have the potential to increase suicidal thoughts and behavior. Families and caregivers should also be notified of this...

Denosumab up for approval for AI-related bone loss.(NEWS)
January 15, 2009... SAN ANTONIO -- The investigational anti--bone-loss agent denosumab achieved significant gains in bone mineral density across the skeleton, compared with placebo for breast cancer patients on adjuvant aromatase inhibitor therapy in a 24-month...

Physician groups hopeful on health care reform.(NEWS)
January 15, 2009... Early signals from the Obama administration have many physicians feeling optimistic about the chances for comprehensive health care reform. The economy is one reason that health care reform may have a greater chance for success now than it...

Infant mortality by age of mother.(DATA WATCH)
January 15, 2009... Infant Mortality by Age of Mother Source: 2005 data, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

After years of decline, RA on the rise in women.(NEWS)
January 15, 2009... SAN FRANCISCO -- An unexpected, significant uptick in rheumatoid arthritis incidence in women may point to increased exposure to hormonal and environmental risk factors, although investigators are unsure of a clear explanation. "What we...

The quest for health care reform.(EDITORIAL)
January 15, 2009... As the 17th Surgeon General of the United States (2002-2006) and chairperson of the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease (www.fight-chronicdisease.org), I have been working for nearly 2 years with the presidential candidates' policy teams to...

Miscarriages, terminations rise after RA onset.(OBSTETRICS)
January 15, 2009... SAN FRANCISCO -- Women who got pregnant after the onset of rheumatoid arthritis had a slightly higher risk of miscarriage, compared with pregnant women as a whole, according to a study of 1,461 pregnancies in 636 women with rheumatoid...

Reports on birth outcomes in autoimmune diseases from the ACR meeting.(OBSTETRICS)
January 15, 2009... Several posters at the annual meeting of the American College of Rheumatology reported on the following pregnancy outcomes for women who had autoimmune diseases or were taking drugs for autoimmune diseases: * Lupus. A study of 198 women...

50,000 women aged 18-45 have bariatric surgery each year.(OBSTETRICS)
January 15, 2009... An estimated 50,000 women of childbearing age undergo inpatient bariatric surgery each year, and an unknown number have outpatient bariatric procedures, according to a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association. ...

In utero drug exposure and the media.(DRUGS, PREGNANCY, AND LACTATION)
January 15, 2009... Over the past several decades, media coverage of medical journal studies has played a powerful role in perpetuating the bias against the use of certain medications during pregnancy. As physicians, we read medical journals and other...

Early data on compounded transdermal HT.(GYNECOLOGY)
January 15, 2009... NEW ORLEANS -- Compounded transdermal hormone therapy relieves menopausal symptoms while improving cardiovascular risk factors and inflammatory and thrombotic biomarkers, according to a preliminary study. "By replacing the hormone that's...

Soy matches HT on menopause symptoms, but not on lipids.(GYNECOLOGY)
January 15, 2009... LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLA. -- Soy supplements improved somatic and urogenital symptoms of menopause to the same degree as did low-dose combination hormone therapy in a small, randomized, double-blind controlled trial. A total of 60 women who...

Menopause experience differs by ethnic group.(GYNECOLOGY)
January 15, 2009... LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLA. -- Menopause symptoms vary significantly by ethnic group, based on data emerging from a longitudinal study. The acculturation of women immigrants to the United States, as well as their socioeconomic status, are two...

Long-term OCs can prevent endometrioma recurrence.(GYNECOLOGY)(Clinical report)
January 15, 2009... LAS VEGAS -- After laparoscopic cystectomy, the long-term use of oral contraceptives can effectively prevent recurrence of ovarian endometrioma, based on results from a single-center study. In the 2-year study of 217 patients, two groups...

Patient history drives metformin efficacy in IGT: lifestyle changes and metformin were equally effective in women with a history of GDM.(CLINICAL ROUNDS)
January 15, 2009... Both intensive lifestyle changes and metformin can significantly reduce the risk of diabetes in women with impaired glucose tolerance who have had gestational diabetes mellitus, a subanalysis of the Diabetes Prevention Program has concluded....

Expert: herbs, lifestyle changes can be effective in diabetes.(CLINICAL ROUNDS)
January 15, 2009... SAN DIEGO -- Use of natural herbs along with a holistic approach of diet, exercise, stress management, and a variety of nutritional supplements should serve as frontline treatment for diabetes whenever possible, according to a specialist in the...

Medicare patients face rising costs for ca drugs.(PRACTICE TRENDS)
January 15, 2009... WASHINGTON -- A new study shows that Medicare beneficiaries will be paying more out of pocket for cancer therapies in 2009, and also will have more restrictions on access than they had in the past. The American Cancer Society's Cancer...

Coalition urges quick pick for FDA.(POLICY & PRACTICE)
January 15, 2009... The next Food and Drug Administration commissioner should be a proven manager who can rise above politics, according to a coalition of a patient advocacy groups. The group of more than 30 organizations, including the Society for Women's Health...

ACOG supports abortion access.(POLICY & PRACTICE)
January 15, 2009... The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists is calling on medical schools and ob.gyn. residency programs to integrate family planning and abortion education into physician training as a way to ensure that women have access to a full...

Consequences of EC access.(POLICY & PRACTICE)(Brief article)
January 15, 2009... Some women with unrestricted access to emergency contraception (EC) will substitute it for their usual methods of birth control, according to data from a randomized, controlled trial. Women who had EC on hand were about three times as likely as...

FTC alleges price gouging.(POLICY & PRACTICE)
January 15, 2009... The Federal Trade Commission has alleged that a pharmaceutical company acted illegally in buying the only two medicines approved to treat a deadly congenital heart defect in premature babies and then raising the prices for the drugs by nearly...

Teen health care reform urged.(POLICY & PRACTICE)
January 15, 2009... Current health services for adolescents are fragmented and poorly designed to meet the needs of the nation's adolescents, according to a report from the National Research Council and the Institute of Medicine. Although most U.S. adolescents are...

When things get stuck.(CLINICAL PEARLS)(Report)
January 15, 2009... Under the "dictations gone bad" heading, Dr. Robin Cole of Seattle had a patient with a stenotic cervix who needed a hysteroscopy and D&C. The doctor dictated that the patient should take a misoprostol pill orally, the night before...