OB GYN News articles from June 2000

OB GYN News archives from June 2000

Ultrasound Finds Occult Breast Ca.
June 1, 2000... SAN FRANCISCO -- Adding ultrasound to mammography screening greatly improves the ability to detect cancers in women with dense breasts, Dr. Thomas M. Kolb said at the annual meeting of the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine. In a...

Periodontitis Is Strongly Linked To Preterm Birth.
June 1, 2000... Women with generalized disease had a ninefold spike in prematurity risk. WASHINGTON -- New evidence linking periodontal disease and preterm birth shows for the first time a significant relationship between severity of the oral infection...

Gene Reduces Endometrial Ca Deaths Among Whites.
June 1, 2000... Protective mutation less common in blacks. SAN DIEGO -- African Americans are less likely than whites to have a genetic mutation that improves survival from advanced endometrial cancer, Dr. Andrew Berchuck and his associates reported at the...

History Matters.
June 1, 2000... Even with evidence-based medicine and instantaneous Internet access to the latest medical literature, you can't become a truly good doctor by sitting in front of a computer screen. Making correct decisions in labor and delivery and in the...

PRO & CON.
June 1, 2000... Should sexually active teenage girls have yearly Pap smears? YES The American College YES of Obstetricians and Gynecologists' Committee on Adolescent Health has recommended that sexually active teens undergo a yearly Pap smear as a...

LETTERS.
June 1, 2000... Work Now, Sleep Later I have about had it with residents whining over working too many hours ("Pro & Con: Do residents work too many hours?" March 15, 2000, P. 9). I am not one of those elderly physicians who claims to have walked to...

Crossing the Line.
June 1, 2000... When discussing a fringe treatment, diet book, or borderline practitioner with a patient, my response used to be: "We in medicine are different from others who want to sell you something." I used to explain that expertise and wisdom are a...

Follow-Up of Sickle Cell Infants Needed.
June 1, 2000... PALM SPRINGS, CALIF. -- A system for following infants with sickle cell disease is needed to evaluate whether newborn screening programs are making a difference, Dr. Sophia S. Wang said at a meeting sponsored by the American College of Medical...

Routine Newborn DNA Screening Coming Soon.
June 1, 2000... PALM SPRINGS, CALIF. -- Routine DNA newborn screening is not far off, and it will likely be used first to detect three conditions: cystic fibrosis, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, and deafness. That was the prediction of Dr. Edward R....

Elevated Extracellular Fetal DNA Another Marker for Certain Aneuploid Fetuses.
June 1, 2000... CHICAGO -- There are elevated levels of extracellular fetal DNA in the blood of women carrying certain aneuploid fetuses, Dr. Sinuhe Hahn reported at the annual meeting of the Society for Gynecologic Investigation. "This may eventually...

Low Levels of Enzyme May Be Behind Some Miscarriages.
June 1, 2000... Some early miscarriages of genetically normal embryos may result from insufficient levels of the enzyme anandamide hydrolase, suggested Mauro Maccarrone, Ph.D., of the University of Rome Tor Vergata. The enzyme anandamide hydrolase degrades...

Nitric Oxide May Curb Neonatal Brain Damage.
June 1, 2000... CHICAGO -- Transdermal nitric oxide administered to women with growth-retarded fetuses may improve neonatal neurologic outcomes, according to a poster presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Gynecologic Investigation. "This is a...

Always Refer Triplet Pregnancies to a Specialist.
June 1, 2000... CHICAGO -- Triplet pregnancies should always be considered high risk--not just for babies, but also for the mother--and should always be referred to a maternal-fetal medicine specialist with expertise in this field, Dr. Fergal Malone said at...

No Advantage to Delayed Pushing in 2nd Stage.
June 1, 2000... MIAMI BEACH - Contrary to popular wisdom, delaying pushing during the second stage of labor does not spare the patient anal sphincter damage, Dr. Myra Fitzpatrick said at the annual meeting of the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine. In...

Antihypertensives.
June 1, 2000... Chronic hypertension during pregnancy--hypertension that is present before conception or develops during the first 20 weeks of gestation--is a common problem, affecting an estimated 1%-5% of women giving birth in the United States. Although...

Half-Dose Methotrexate Ends Ectopic Pregnancy.
June 1, 2000... CHICAGO -- Terminating an ectopic pregnancy with half the standard dose of systemic methotrexate is just as effective as the standard whole dose and may cause less liver toxicity, Dr. Tamer Yalcinkaya said at the annual meeting of the Society...

Home Visits to Pregnant Women Boosts Outcomes.
June 1, 2000... Visits by nurses to the homes of pregnant, poor, and unmarried women improve both their pregnancy outcomes and the course of their lives over the next few years, reported Harriet Kitzman, Ph.D., of the University of Rochester (N.Y) Dr....

Blastomere Biopsy Ups IVF Implantation Rates.
June 1, 2000... CHICAGO -- Blastomere biopsy of IVF embryos to perform preimplantation genetic analysis may decrease spontaneous abortions due to abnormal karyotype, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Gynecologic...

Blastocyst Transfer Not Always Best for Some Patients.
June 1, 2000... CHICAGO -- For some patients blastocyst transfer would really be no more successful than older in vitro fertilization methods but a lot more stressful, according to an expert at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. "We do not do...

Cauterization Rivals More Costly Salpingectomy.
June 1, 2000... ST. PETERSBURG, FLA. - Cauterization of hydrosalpinges before in vitro fertilization is comparable to salpingectomy in improving pregnancy rates, according to the results of a small prospective trial. Hydrosalpinges are thought to hinder...

Female Age a Big Factor in Pregnancy Rate After Reversal of Long-Term Vasectomies.
June 1, 2000... RANCHO MIRAGE, CALIF.-- Female age plays a major role in the ability of vasectomy reversal procedures to enable pregnancy Dr. Richard Burt reported at the annual meeting of the Pacific Coast Reproductive Society. In a retrospective study...

Data Back Chlamydia Antibody Testing During Infertility Exams.
June 1, 2000... RANCHO MIRAGE, CALIF.- Serologic testing for past chlamydial exposure should be a standard part of infertility exams as a means of detecting tubal pathology Dr. Laura M. Doherty advised at the annual meeting of the Pacific Coast Reproductive...

Race Plays Predictive Role in Incontinence Subtypes.
June 1, 2000... NEW ORLEANS -- Race appears to be an important predictor of incontinence subtype in patients who present with symptoms of the urinary form of the disorder, Dr. Veronica Mallett said at the annual meeting of the Society of Gynecologic Surgeons....

Hereditary Ovarian Ca Less Deadly Than Sporadic Cancer.
June 1, 2000... Women with hereditary ovarian cancers associated with mutations in the BRCA genes had a better prognosis than women with sporadic ovarian cancers, in a single center series of 189 patients. This finding supports prior reports that have...

Older Age Portends More Favorable Breast Tumor Biology, Better Survival Rates.
June 1, 2000... Advanced age is associated with more favorable tumor biology among women with breast cancer, reported Dr. Sami G. Diab of Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers, Aurora, Cob:, and her associates. In addition, it appears that the impact of breast...

Nucleotide Ups Breast Ca Risk in BRCA1, 2 Carriers.
June 1, 2000... SAN FRANCISCO -- A specific nucleotide polymorphism has been associated with more than a threefold increased risk of breast cancer in women who carry BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutations, researchers have found. If confirmed by larger studies, the...

Chemotherapy Tied to Cognitive Deficits in Long-Term Ca Survivors.
June 1, 2000... TAMPA, FLA. -- Long-term cancer survivors treated with systemic chemotherapy appear to have more cognitive problems than similar patients treated with local therapy. Patients often report subtle problems with memory, simple math, and...

Dose HRT to Mimic Normal Onset of Puberty.
June 1, 2000... ATLANTA -- Few data exist regarding hormone replacement therapy for estrogen-deficient girls, but there are good arguments for providing the therapy Dr. Susan M. Coupey said at the annual meeting of the North American Society for Pediatric and...

Chlamydia Screening of Young Women Still Low.
June 1, 2000... Seven years after an official recommendation to regularly screen sexually active adolescent girls and young women for Chlamydia trachomatis genital infection, only about one-third of primary care physicians have made screening a part of their...

Check for Musculoskeletal Causes Of Pelvic Pain in Adolescents.
June 1, 2000... ATLANTA -- Pelvic pain is common in adolescence and often is the result of musculoskeletal problems that respond well to physical therapy, Dr. Betsy L. Schroeder said at the annual meeting of the North American Society for Pediatric and...

Educate Teens on Downsides Of Vaginal Douching.
June 1, 2000... ATLANTA -- It might be time to spell out the downsides of vaginal douching to adolescent ob.gyn. patients, Dr. Bertrand Foch suggested at the annual meeting of the North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology. In a survey...

Medical Abortion Found Safe for Young Women.
June 1, 2000... ATLANTA -- Medical abortion using methotrexate and misoprostol is just as effective, safe, and satisfactory in adolescents and young women as it is in older patients, according to findings from a 1,973-patient study conducted at 34 Planned...

Adolescents Need Reminders of Next Depo-Provera Injection.
June 1, 2000... ATLANTA -- Injectable birth control methods may eliminate day-to-day noncompliance problems among young women, but many adolescents who use Depo-Provera are unaware of when their next shot is due, Linda M. Kollar, R.N., reported at the annual...

Atypical Presentation of Genital Herpes Increasing, Expert Observes.
June 1, 2000... ATLANTA -- Genital herpes in women doesn't always involve genital ulcers. Increasingly, patients are presenting with small tears in the genital area and complaints of dryness and tingling, Dr. Kimberly A. Workowski said at the annual...

Cancer Death Rates Continue to Fall.
June 1, 2000... During the 1990s, the age-adjusted mortality rate for all cancers in the United States fell. Yet, the population of the United States continued to increase. Since most cancers occur in individuals over age 65, the increasing. percentage of...

Try Hysterosonography to ID Abnormal Bleeding.
June 1, 2000... SAN FRANCISCO -- Women with abnormal bleeding and normal transvaginal sonographic findings probably should be examined with hysterosonography just to be safe, Dr. Michael Nimaroff recommended at the annual meeting of the American Institute of...

Effect of Vitamins E, C On Endometriosis Probed.
June 1, 2000... VAIL, CoLo. -- Researchers from Emory University in Atlanta have started a 1-year study funded by the National Institutes of Health on the effects of vitamins C and E on endometriosis and fertility. "We have already described endometriosis...

Hysterosonography Proves Useful Adjunct.
June 1, 2000... SAN FRANCISCO -- Consider using both transvaginal ultrasound and hysterosonography to monitor the endometrium of breast cancer survivors taking tamoxifen, Dr. Phebe Chen said at the annual meeting of the American Institute of Ultrasound in...

Ultrasound Reliably Diagnoses Endometriomas.
June 1, 2000... SAN FRANCISCO -- When an experienced sonographer thinks that an adnexal mass seen on endovaginal ultrasound is an endometrioma, it usually is, Dr. Kiran A. Jain said at the annual meeting of the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine. ...

Radiotherapy Improves Control of Endometrial Ca.
June 1, 2000... Postoperative radiotherapy in early-stage endometrial carcinoma improves locoregional control but has no impact on overall survival, according to results from the largest randomized, controlled trial yet to address this issue. The finding...

Asthmatics' Long-Term Steroid Use Hard on Bone.
June 1, 2000... Long-term use of high doses of inhaled corticosteroids may predispose asthmatics to osteoporosis, according to results from a study of nearly 200 patients conducted by investigators in England. The finding supports using the lowest doses of...

Correction.
June 1, 2000... In a story about Dr. Steven R. Cummings's comments on bone mineral density loss after treatment, 92% of those who lost BMD lost over 4% BMD in the first year but gained an average of 5% in the second year. ("BMD Loss in First Year of Tx? Don't...

Bone Densitometry May Mislead Physicians About Osteoporosis Care.
June 1, 2000... BETHESDA, MD. -- Bone densitometry has "revolutionized the understanding and prevention of osteoporosis," but it has also confused osteoporosis treatment and monitoring, Dr. Steven R. Cummings said at a meeting on bone densitometry sponsored by...

Alendronate's Effect on LongTerm Bone Strength Questioned.
June 1, 2000... SEATTLE -- Physicians should think twice before prescribing alendronate long term in women younger than 65 for the prevention of osteoporosis, Dr. Susan Ott advised at a meeting on drug therapy sponsored by the University of Washington. ...

Fluoridated Water Not Tied To Hip Fracture.
June 1, 2000... Ingestion of highly fluoridated drinking water does not correlate with an increased rate of hip fracture, reported Dr. Sharon Hillier of the University of Southampton (England) and her associates. In a case-control, population-based study...

Independent Risk Factors for Wrist Fractures Identified.
June 1, 2000... ORLANDO, FLA. -- The major risk factors for distal radius fractures in postmenopausal women have been identified in a large multi-center trial sponsored by the National Institutes of Health. According to the findings of the study...

Racial Gap in Cervical Ca Death Rates Due to Care.
June 1, 2000... SAN DIEGO -- Higher death rates from cervical cancer in African Americans, compared with whites, disappear or at least diminish with equal access to care and treatment, according to two studies presented at the annual meeting of the Society of...

Brief Phone Reminder Boosts Mammography.
June 1, 2000... A brief telephone reminder to schedule a mammogram appointment was as effective as a longer, "motivational" phone call in prompting women to get screened, reported Dr. Stephen H. Taplin and his associates at the Group Health Cooperative of...

Physical Activity Reduces Breast Ca Risk by 60%.
June 1, 2000... BETHESDA, MD. -- Having consistently high levels of recreational physical activity dramatically reduces the risk of breast cancer in older women, Rosalind Breslow, Ph.D., said at the annual meeting of the American Society of Preventive...

Discuss Breast Ca Options With Healthy Women.
June 1, 2000... BETHESDA, MD. -- Healthy women need to be better informed about treatment options for breast cancer, so they are prepared to make the difficult choice between lumpectomy and mastectomy if they ever develop the disease, Dr. DeAnn Lazovich said...

IVF Success Drops Greatly At Age 34.
June 1, 2000... RANCHO MIRAGE, CALIF. -- The potential for a successful pregnancy following in vitro fertilization drops sharply at 34 years as a result of reduced implantation rates, and again at 39 years because of impaired blastocyst formation. Those...

Add Hyperthermia to Radiation Tx in Cervical Ca.
June 1, 2000... Adding hyperthermia to standard radiation therapy improves both local control of advanced cervical cancer and patient survival, reported Dr. Jacoba van der Zee and associates at the Academic Medical Centre, Amsterdam. They analyzed the...

Symptoms Precede Ovarian Ca Diagnosis.
June 1, 2000... BETHESDA, MD. -- Most women with ovarian cancer notice abdominal symptoms and fatigue in the months preceding their diagnosis, while healthy women do not report such symptoms, Dr. Laura Mignone said at the annual meeting of the American Society...

SUPREME COURT ABORTION CASE.
June 1, 2000... The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in April on the constitutionality of a Nebraska law that attempts to outlaw a particular form of late-term abortion. Proponents of the law argue that it only covers a certain late-term procedure known as...

PROFESSIONAL COURTESY REPRIEVE.
June 1, 2000... The Health Care Financing Administration won't be cracking down on "professional courtesy" waivers for physician visit fees, according to new regulations. The regulations lay out penalties emanating from the Health Insurance Portability and...

TELEMEDICINE TRAFFIC.
June 1, 2000... The number of telemedicine consults grew by 24% in 1998, according to a recent report from the Association of Telehealth Service Providers, Portland, Ore. There were 52,000 telemedicine consultations--defined as both doctor/patient and...

SOCIOECONOMICS OF HRT.
June 1, 2000... Women with high incomes, more education; and more frequent gynecologic visits were counseled more often regarding postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy, according to the North American Menopause Society. The Gallup Organization surveyed...

HERPES MISCONCEPTIONS.
June 1, 2000... Many adults who actually have a high risk of acquiring herpes consider themselves to be at no risk, according to a survey of 1,400 people conducted for the American Social Health Association. Researchers found that 46% of men and 39% of women...

Weight Loss Is Telling.
June 1, 2000... Weight loss or gain in older hypertensive patients is strongly predictive of subsequent mortality, Dr. Grant W. Somes reported at the annual meeting on cardiovascular epidemiology and prevention sponsored by the American Heart Association. ...

Quality Coming to HT Care.
June 1, 2000... Next year health care quality assurance will turn its spotlight on office management of hypertension when the Health Plan Employer Data and Information Set measures of quality will include reporting on physician diagnosis and control of...

Colorectal Ca Screening.
June 1, 2000... Routine colorectal cancer screening should be recommended for patients age 50 and older, experts advised at an annual meeting for science writers sponsored by the American Cancer Society. Public knowledge about the third most common cancer...

Eating Right After Age 30.
June 1, 2000... Regardless of the composition of patients diets up to the age of 30, if they improve their diets thereafter, they will reduce their risk of colorectal adenomas, Dr. Brian C. Chiu said at the annual meeting of the American Society of Preventive...

Substance Abuse? Look at Hx.
June 1, 2000... Screen everyone receiving substance abuse treatment for a history of childhood abuse and neglect. That's the first step in breaking the cycle of abuse in these individuals, according to new guidelines from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health...

When to Refer Familial Hives.
June 1, 2000... Familial chronic urticaria is associated with thyroid autoimmunity, according to results of a study of two siblings and a third family member. The finding underscores the importance of taking a careful family history and seeking laboratory...

Referring Acute Rhinosinusitis.
June 1, 2000... Consider referring patients with recurrent acute rhinosinusitis to an otolaryngologist, Dr. Howard L. Levine said at a meeting on treating the difficult headache patient. These patients may have a deviated septum or another anatomic...

Types of Fat More Important Than Total Fat Intake.
June 1, 2000... The federal government is preparing to release new dietary guidelines that will urge Americans to pay more attention to the types of fat they eat than to the total amount of fat in their diet. In an effort to reshape the public's...

Drug Update: NSAIDs for Rheumatoid Arthritis.
June 1, 2000... Cyclooxygenase-2--specific inhibitors are the new NSAIDs on the block. Unlike traditional NSAIDs, which are nonspecific cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitors, the COX-2 inhibitors selectively block production of pain-mediating prostaglandins while...

Expanded Flu Shot Recommendations Debated.
June 1, 2000... ATLANTA -- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices may lower the age of universal pneumococcal immunization from 65 to 50. Alternatively, the committee could vote to place greater...

Cipro Works Well for Acute Pyelonephritis.
June 1, 2000... Women with acute uncomplicated pyelonephritis may fare better if they are treated with 7-day ciprofloxacin rather than 14-day trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, said Dr. David Talan of the University of California, Los Angeles. Patients taking...

Time Smoking Cessation to Menstrual Cycle.
June 1, 2000... Women who attempt to quit smoking during the follicular phase of their menstrual cycle may experience less severe withdrawal symptoms than those who quit during the luteal phase, reported Dr. Kenneth A. Perkins of the University of Pittsburgh,...

Laser With Fewer Side Effects.
June 1, 2000... The Vbeam pulsed dye laser system provides treatment for a variety of leg lesions without the side effects of purpura commonly seen with earlier versions of pulsed dye lasers. It can treat leg veins, facial spider veins, scars, warts, rosacea,...

Online Patient Scheduling.
June 1, 2000... Scheduling.com enables providers to schedule patients and resources via the Internet. Its offers online patient registration; room, equipment, and staff scheduling, referral requests and authorizations; and patient reminders sent by e-mail,...

Patient Record Software.
June 1, 2000... The ChartMaker computerized medical record system has been integrated with Dragon Naturally Speaking Medical Suite voice recognition software. Information is spoken into a hand-held dictation recorder for later conversion to text, according to...

Site-Prepping System.
June 1, 2000... The Betadine PrepStick PLUS applicator is a single-use antiseptic that combines povidone-iodine 10% with alcohol for faster drying of the prepped site. The applicator consists of a 4-inch-long swab handle filled with the antiseptic solution and...

Ultrasound Software.
June 1, 2000... The 5.0 software upgrade to the Sonoline Elegra ultrasound system includes DICOM features for the integration of text and image data into existing hospital information and picture archiving systems. The system links the images directly to other...

Ultrasound Breast Cancer Probe.
June 1, 2000... The 3D Breast Probe generates ultrasound scans that aid in the diagnosis of breast, thyroid, and other cancers, as well as improve the visualization of enlarged axillary nodes and musculoskeletal lesions. The scans can also facilitate needle...

Menopause Raises Sleep Apnea Risk.
June 15, 2000... TORONTO -- Women undergoing menopause have a nearly eightfold greater risk of sleep apnea, compared with premenopausal women, Terry Young, Ph.D., reported at the annual American Lung Association/American Thoracic Society International...

Study Finds No Link Between PCOS, CAD Events.
June 15, 2000... An unknown cardioprotective mechanism may outweigh heart disease risk factors. VICTORIA, B.C. -- Women with polycystic ovary syndrome don't experience increased coronary mortality or morbidity with aging, despite their very high levels of...

Metaanalyses Home In on Preterm Labor Management.
June 15, 2000... U.S. agency analyzes 1966-1999 studies. Metaanalyses sponsored by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality found no benefit in two methods of managing preterm labor but saw potential usefulness in three other methods. Acute...

Patient Visits per Day to Office-Based Physicians in 1999 [*].
June 15, 2000... VITAL SIGNS Patient Visits per Day to Office-Based Physicians in 1999 [*] PEDIATRICS 21.5 FAMILY PRACTICE 19.6 OB. GYN. 18.2 DERMATOLOGY ...

High-Normal BP in Women Declared a CVD Threat.
June 15, 2000... VICTORIA, B.C. -- Middle-aged women with blood pressures traditionally considered normal are actually at significantly increased risk of cardiovascular events, Dr. Elizabeth A. Jackson reported at an international conference on women, heart...

Apnea Symptoms Differ in Men, Women.
June 15, 2000... TORONTO -- Sleep apnea in women may be different from that in men. An analysis of questionnaire responses from more than 2,700 patients seen at a sleep laboratory showed that men were more likely to have traditional apnea symptoms, such as...

Obese Women With PCOS Face Higher Sleep Apnea Risk.
June 15, 2000... TORONTO -- Obese women with polycystic ovary syndrome face an increased risk of sleep apnea and should be asked about symptoms of the disorder, Dr Robert B. Fogel said at the annual American Lung Association/American Thoracic Society...

HRT Not Protective Against Peripheral Artery Disease in Women With CAD.
June 15, 2000... VICTORIA, B.C. -- Estrogen and progestin don't reduce peripheral arterial events in women with coronary heart disease, Dr. Judith Hsia reported at an international conference on women, heart disease, and stroke. This new finding from the...