Bioethics & Health News
February 7

February 7, 2006

Face Transplant Patient Displays Features

The Frenchwoman who received the world’s first partial face transplant showed off her new features Monday, and her scar: a faint, circular line of buckled skin around her nose, lips and chin. But where she once had a gaping hole caused by a dog bite, she now has a face.
(AP)

When Death Is on the Docket, the Moral Compass Wavers

Burl Cain is a religious man who believes it is only for God to say when a person’s number is up. But in his job as warden and chief executioner at the Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola, Mr. Cain is the one who gives the order to start a lethal injection, and he has held condemned inmates’ hands as they died.
(New York Times)

Alzheimer’s disease may be mostly genetic

The largest study to date of twins and Alzheimer’s disease indicates that inheritance may play a role in nearly 80 percent of cases, researchers said on Monday.
(Reuters)

Many Care Homes ‘Fail on Drugs’

Nearly half of England’s nursing and care homes fail to meet minimum medication standards, inspectors say.
(BBC)

Mentally Ill Shaken by New Medicare Plan

Even among the incident reports crossing Craig Knoll’s desk weekly now, this one stood out: A 43-year-old client of Knoll’s mental health agency, a man who suffers from bipolar disorder, had come from his pharmacy frustrated to the point of meltdown. There were snags in his new Medicare drug plan. Of his four medicines, it would fill only two.
(Washington Post)

Rare Chlamydia Strain Infecting Gay Men

A particularly bad strain of chlamydia not usually seen in this country appears to be slowly spreading among gay and bisexual men, an infection that can increase their chances of getting or spreading the AIDS virus.
(AP)