News & Events

Five Conditions Account for 31% of Health Spending - The 5 most costly medical conditions accounted for 31% of the $200 billion increase in health care spending between 1987 and 2000. These 5 conditions are heart disease, mental disorders, pulmonary conditions, cancer, and trauma.

Pfizer Suspends Celebrex Ads -- U.S. FDA - Pfizer Inc. has agreed to suspend its advertisements for arthritis drug Celebrex while U.S. regulators review new data that link the drug to an elevated risk of heart attacks, a Food and Drug Administration spokeswoman said on Sunday.  The FDA asked the drug giant on Friday night to temporarily cease the Celebrex ads, and the company agreed, FDA spokeswoman Kathleen Quinn said.

Anaphylaxis: Can We Tell Who is at Risk of a Fatal Reaction? - Most fatal anaphylactic reactions are unpredictable. The appropriate management after recovery from a severe reaction may be protective against a fatal recurrence. An accurate identification of the cause and effective avoidance is a crucial part of this management, together with effective treatment of asthma for those with food allergy, immunotherapy for sting allergy, the avoidance of drugs that potentiate anaphylaxis, and effective training in self-treatment.

Patients With Stable Cardiac Symptoms May Not Need Coronary Revascularization Before Vascular - Patients with stable cardiac symptoms do not need to have coronary revascularization before vascular surgery, according to the results of a large, randomized trial published in the Dec. 30 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.  "The benefit of coronary-artery revascularization before elective major vascular surgery is unclear," write Edward O. McFalls, MD, PhD, from the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center, University of Minnesota, and colleagues. "In the absence of any outcome-based studies, panels of experts have recommended that preoperative coronary-artery revascularization be reserved for subgroups of patients with unstable cardiac symptoms or for whom coronary-artery bypass grafting (CABG) offers a long-term survival benefit."

Hyperbaric Oxygen May Improve Outcome in Necrotizing Soft Tissue Infection - Hyperbaric oxygen improves survival and limb salvage in necrotizing soft tissue infection (NSTI), according to the results of a retrospective cohort study published in the December issue of the Archives of Surgery.  "Necrotizing soft tissue infection (NSTI) refers to a spectrum of infective diseases characterized by necrosis of the deep soft tissues," write David Wilkinson, FANZCA, from the Royal Adelaide Hospital and the University of Adelaide in Australia, and colleagues.  "Features of manifestation and medical management have been analyzed for association with outcome.  The use of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO2) therapy has been recommended as an adjunctive treatment but remains controversial."

General Principles in the Medical and Surgical Management of Spinal Infections: A Multidisciplinary Approach - Recent progress in medical technologies, including the development of potent antimicrobial drugs, advanced imaging, and improved surgical methods, have dramatically reduced morbidity and mortality rates for spinal infections; however, debate still exists on the proper management of this disease. In this paper, the authors review the current management protocols for spinal infections at their institution, focusing on medical and surgical treatments for vertebral osteomyelitis, intervertebral disc space infections, and spinal canal and soft-tissue abscesses.

Combined Endovascular and Microsurgical Management of Giant and Complex Unruptured Aneurysms - Certain complex aneurysms may be treated optimally by combining endovascular and surgical procedures. A low incidence of complications follows treatment of anterior circulation aneurysms. Treatment of complex posterior circulation aneurysms is associated with a higher incidence of complications, although this likely reflects the more complex nature of these lesions. The risks of this combined treatment strategy are likely lower than the risks associated with the natural history of this subset of aneurysms.

American Academy of Neurology Issues Guidelines for Pediatric Migraine - The American Academy of Neurology has created a practice parameter for pharmacologic treatment and prevention of migraine in children.  The new guidelines have been endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Headache Society, and they are published in the Dec. 28 issue of Neurology.  "As pediatric neurologists we are confident that the most common pharmacological headache treatments given to adults are also safe and effective for children," lead author Donald Lewis, MD, from the Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters in Norfolk, VA, says in a news release.

Adverse Effects from Prostate Cancer Treatment - Researchers in the Prostate Cancer Outcomes Study are tracking long-term side effects among patients who underwent radical prostatectomy or radiation therapy for localized prostate cancer. Two-year outcomes were reported several years ago (Journal Watch Oct 31 2000); now, these researchers report 5-year outcomes for 901 men who underwent prostatectomy and 286 who received external beam radiotherapy, but who were otherwise similar clinically and demographically.  At 5 years, prostatectomy patients were significantly more likely to have severe urinary incontinence (no control or frequent leaks) than were radiotherapy patients (15% vs. 4%). Radiotherapy patients were significantly more likely than prostatectomy patients to have bowel urgency (29% vs. 19%) or painful hemorrhoids (20% vs. 10%). Sexual activity and interest declined gradually during 5 years in the radiotherapy group; in the surgery group, sexual activity and interest declined steeply during the first 6 months, but then improved gradually. At 5 years, about half of each group was sexually inactive.

Imaging Techniques for the Diagnosis of Ovarian Cancers - Various imaging techniques have been applied to the diagnosis of ovarian cancers, ranging from ordinary plain abdominal x-ray to the more complex magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In this review, we describe the various imaging techniques that have been used for the diagnosis and follow-up management of patients with ovarian malignancies.

Colorectal Cancer Screening Underused - A survey of older Californians shows that colorectal cancer (CRC) testing is not employed as much as it should be, and patients are often unaware of its importance, researchers report in the December 1st issue of Cancer.