Week of July 14 - In Case You Missed It...TOMF Medical News Roundup
July 18, 2014
In Case You Missed It...
July 14, 2014
Measure Twice
Many media sources picked up on a story that showed one third of study parents were overdosing and under-dosing their kids because they were using kitchen spoons to provide medicines. The study was too small (under 300 parents) to be definitive, but the message is still good. Pediatric medicines come with prepackaged droppers and spoons, usually denominated in milliliters because that is how the medication testing was done on children under nine.
Take home message: follow all medication instructions.
CDC Rates AZ 4th Worst in Alcohol-Related Deaths Among Working Adults
The Centers for Disease Control warned last week that over consumption of alcohol - 15 drinks a week for males, seven for females - could lead to premature deaths of up to 30 years. Now CDC has posted rankings by state and Arizona is 4th worst in alcohol deaths per 100,000.
See the CDC website for details. The analysis traces 54 causes of alcohol death.
City of Oro Valley Opens On-Site Clinic
Today's Arizona Daily Star carries an article of interest: Oro Valley will open an on-site health clinic for health employees. It will be open three days a week and be staffed by a nurse practitioner. Oro Valley is self-insured and borrowed this idea from the city of Goodyear in the Phoenix area.
Lose Weight: Treat Exercise as Fun
Saturday's Arizona Daily Star carried a look at three studies that show people who treat exercise as play make better after-exercise food choices than those who treat exercise as work. Those in the latter tend to reward themselves with bigger meals and desserts.
The studies are tiny but promising. You can take a look at them by clicking here and using the key words exercise work or play.
In Case You Missed It...
July 16, 2014
Dementia Overload
Why all the dementia/Alzheimer's news? Can't go a minute without hearing something on the news.
The main reason is the Alzheimer's Association International conference is being held in Copenhagen and researchers around the world are making presentations of studies. Among the interesting tidbits:
* Drug therapy to cure or adequately extend life is still decades away.
* Prevention will be key. For many dementias, diet and exercise will keep blood flow strong to brains. Since it is hard to decide what causes Alzheimer's, however, it gets tricky about what actually prevents it. Studies show getting good sleep, good exercise and good intellectual activity can delay onset.
* One encouraging sign, the Alzheimer's rate is dropping in developed countries, including the US. Still, the disease will be a terrific burden on our health system and health finances over the next 35 years.
Medication Drain
Sovaldi.
Is that the name future generations will study in business classes to find out the business case that finally made US pharmaceuticals affordable?
Don't count on it.
The US Senate is investigating Sovaldi to find out why Gilead Sciences has priced its hepatitis C cure at $1,000/pill, or $84,000 for a complete course for the drug. As most medical insiders know, US consumers and their medical insurance companies pay drug development costs -- to the benefit of the entire world.
For example, Sovaldi costs $800 in Egypt. You might think that makes sense: $1,000/pill in the US, $800/pill in a poorer country like Egypt. Except $800 in Egypt buys the entire course of treatment that costs $84,000 here.
This will be no simple task, and will require US State Department intervention and a strong push from the President to spread the high cost of drug development fairly across the world.
In Case You Missed It...
July 17, 2014
Hard Headed
Record numbers of us watched the World Cup this summer. For most Americans, the competition was great, the games exciting. We laughed at the flops and the over-acting of players in search of penalties. Several medical professionals, however, were not amused by some real injuries that were seemingly ignored.
The Associated Press has two stories about Germany's Christoph Kramer. Viewers recall the final when he looked dazed after butting with Argentina midfielder Garay's shoulder. Even 4,200 miles away in Tucson, we knew Kramer should be pulled. He played on.
FIFA has a concussion protocol because the sport, as beautiful as it is, includes player collisions and brutal headers. That protocol needs to be followed, even with the world watching.
Especially when the world is watching.
Gruessner's Hearing to be Open
Former chairman of the UA Department of Surgery, Rainer Gruessner MD, will get his day in court to argue his firing lacked due process. In a surprise, the hearing will be open to the public, according to reporter Stephanie Innes in today's Arizona Daily Star.
When TOMF learns of the time and place, we will forward the information to you.
Another UA Termination Appealed
Sue Sisley MD will appeal her non-renewal of contract as a University of Arizona College of Medicine faculty member, according to Howard Fischer of Capitol Media Services. Sisley was an assistant professor of psychiatry and telemedicine at the medical school. Her contract was year to year and the offer this time was to renew her from July 1 through September, after which the contract ends. Sisley contends she was fired after political pressure was put on the university when she advocated marijuana be studied for possible benefit in PTSD patients. If her appeal fails, Sisley may sue.
In Case You Missed It...
July 18, 2014
C'mon! In-Home Cut-Rate Liposuction?
Gustavo Nunez, awaiting trial for doing liposuction in his Omni-Tucson National area house, has been charged again for practicing medicine without a license and battery for...doing liposuction in his house. This time the patient had a seizure.
Page C-2 of today's Arizona Daily Star recounts Nunez's past and the current charges in a story by Patrick McNamara.
Doctors are expensive. Procedures are regulated. You may feel something is safe and you should be allowed to pay your money and take the risk. But reading how no call was made to 911, and the hurried drop-off at Northwest Hospital was made shows why, sometimes, we have to be protected from ourselves.
FedEx Charged in Drug Conspiracy
FedEx handles more than 10 million packages every day and doesn't really try to find out what is inside unless something is suspicious happens. Yesterday the federal government charged the company on 15 counts of conspiracy to illegally distribute controlled substances, according to the Wall Street Journal.
FedEx maintains it is innocent and says there is no way to tell if a pharmacy package contains drugs legally prescribed or not. If found guilty, FedEx faces $1.6 billion in fines.