October 31, 2011
No testing of anthrax vaccine on children _ for now _ federal advisory board tells regulators
Should the anthrax vaccine be tested in children? It will be a while longer before the government decides. (Washington Post)
Monthly Archives: October 2011
October 31, 2011
Obesity Fuels Custody Fights
The nation’s waistline is expanding, and so too is the role of obesity in child-custody battles in the U.S. (Wall Street Journal)
October 31, 2011
World population hits 7 billion on Oct. 31, or thereabouts
It took only a dozen years for humanity to add another billion people to the planet, reaching the milestone of 7 billion Monday — give or take a few months (LA Times)
October 31, 2011
Stem-cell find breathes new life into lung repair
There is new hope for heavy smokers, people with asthma and those with chronic lung scarring. Stem cells have been discovered that rapidly rebuild alveoli, the tiny air sacs in lungs – a finding that could herald new treatments for … Read More
October 31, 2011
A Child in Time
The entryway to the neonatal intensive-care unit in my hospital, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, in Boston, is lined with photographs of children who were born prematurely. Jeremiah, delivered at twenty-four weeks, sixteen weeks early, weighed one pound six ounces. … Read More
October 31, 2011
Obama to order FDA to help ease drug shortages
President Barack Obama will sign an executive order Monday aimed at easing shortages of prescription drugs, according to a White House official. (MSNBC)
October 28, 2011
New Issue of Journal of Medical Ethics is Now Available
Journal of Medical Ethics (Volume 37, Issue 11, November 1, 2011) is now available by subscription only. Articles include: “The Gettier Problem in Informed Consent” by Shlomo Cohen, 642-645. “Futile Treatment, Junior Doctors and Role Virtues” by Rosalind McDougall, 646-649. … Read More
October 28, 2011
IVF May Be Tied To Ovarian Tumors Later In Life
A Dutch study suggests that stimulating the ovaries to produce eggs for in vitro fertilization or IVF, may increase the risk of developing ovarian tumors, some of which may become cancerous, later in life. (Medical News Today)
October 28, 2011
NYC man pleads guilty to kidney trafficking
A New York man pleaded guilty Thursday to what experts said was the first ever proven case of black-market organ trafficking in the United States. (Associated Press)
October 28, 2011
Surrogate Mom Stuck With a $200,000+ Medical Bill
Carrie Mathews of Windsor, Colo., said she became a surrogate because she just wanted to provide a couple with children. (ABC News)
October 28, 2011
Gene therapy used in a bid to save a man’s sight
Researchers in Oxford have treated a man with an advanced gene therapy technique to prevent him from losing his sight. (BBC News)
October 28, 2011
When breast cancer tests get it wrong
Imagine going in for a cancer screening, and the technician turns to you and says, “We’re finished, but if I push this button over here, the machine can detect even smaller cancers. But here’s the hitch: You have to pay … Read More
October 28, 2011
Pharma giants open up drug patents in new collaboration
Pharmaceutical giants and the UN intellectual property agency launched Wednesday a collaboration to share certain patented drug information with public organisations. (AFP)
October 28, 2011
Do All Women Need Genetic Testing Before Pregnancy?
For two years, a bunch of medical geneticists in Maryland and New Jersey sifted through 1,000 different genetic mutations. They looked for cellular changes that are fatal and ones that are treatable. (TIME)
October 27, 2011
New Issue of International Journal of Technology is Now Available
International Journal of Technology (Volume 27, Issue 4, October 2011) is now available by subscription only. Articles include: “Cost-effectiveness of a Cervical Screening Program with Human Papillomavirus Vaccine” by Elizaveta Sopina, Toni Ashton, 290-297. “Coverage with Evidence Development: Merit for … Read More
October 27, 2011
Artificial blood could be used within next decade
Clinical trials using blood created from adult stem cells are set to begin within the next two or three years, raising the prospect it could soon become routinely used where real blood is unavailable. (Telegraph)
October 27, 2011
Quality incentives become bigger factor in physician compensation
The percentage of organizations offering physicians a salary combined with a bonus structure has stopped increasing after several years of growth. These plans are placing a greater emphasis on factors that probably will play a role in reimbursement under health … Read More
October 27, 2011
Push for ‘Personhood’ Amendment Represents New Tack in Abortion Fight
A constitutional amendment facing voters in Mississippi on Nov. 8, and similar initiatives brewing in half a dozen other states including Florida and Ohio, would declare a fertilized human egg to be a legal person, effectively branding abortion and some … Read More
October 27, 2011
What keeps healthy 100-year-olds going? Scientists to scour DNA for hints on resisting disease
George Eberhardt turned 107 last month, and scientists would love to know how he and other older folks like him made it that far. So he’s going to hand over some of his DNA. (Washington Post)
October 27, 2011
How to Test the Anthrax Vaccine in Children
Later this week, a Federal advisory committee, the Health and Human Service Department’s National Biodefense Science Board will recommend whether and how the anthrax vaccine should be tested in children. Why is the board, all MDs and PhDs, being consulted … Read More
October 26, 2011
New Issue of The New England Journal of Medicine is Now Available
The New England Journal of Medicine (Volume 365, Issue 16, October 20, 2011) is now available on-line and by subscription only. Articles include: “The Role of Cost-Effectiveness in U.S. Vaccination Policy” by J.J. Kim, available on-line. “Defining Essential Health Benefits … Read More
October 26, 2011
Cancer’s most isolated patients
She has had four surgeries to remove her thyroid, parathyroid and vocal cord nerve, along with muscle and tissue. (LA Times)
October 26, 2011
Panel Endorses HPV Vaccine for Boys of 11
Boys and young men should be vaccinated against human papillomavirus, or HPV, to protect against anal and throat cancers that can result from sexual activity, a federal advisory committee said Tuesday. (NY Times)
October 26, 2011
Should Preschoolers Take Ritalin and Other Stimulants?
Diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been steadily on the rise in the past few decades, and so has the use of drugs to treat it. But now even younger children might be considered prime targets for prescriptions … Read More
October 26, 2011
Wounded Syrian protesters being tortured in hospital, claims Amnesty
Protesters wounded in anti-government rallies in Syria have been tortured and abused inside hospitals, and in some cases deliberately refused medical treatment, according to a damning report by Amnesty International. (Guardian)
