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Whither
pager? Cell phones deemed better for docs
NEW YORK
— Contrary
to the signs plastered all over the ED, using cell phones
in hospitals may actually be a good thing. While pagers
are by far the most common method of getting in touch
with a doctor, using a cell phone has been shown to
reduce the risk of observed medical error ensuring more
timely communication. Researchers from the Yale School
of Medicine found that the reported 2.4% prevalence
of signal interference with medical equipment was negligible
compared to the 14.9% risk of hospital errors. The study,
based on the responses of over 4,000 attendees of a
2003 meeting of the American Society of Anesthesiologists
was published in February's Anesthesia and Analgesia.
The
new bedside manners: doc's clinic of ill-repute
COOPERS
BEACH, NZ —
Unhappy with the income you're earning in private practice?
It may be time for a career change, according to Dr
Neil Benson, a New Zealand GP, who has decided to turn
his medical centre into an upscale brothel. Frustrated
by the lack of support from the community and insufficient
funding from a primary health organization, Dr Benson
followed the advice of an acquaintance in the sex industry
and, after getting the OK from his wife and kids, got
himself a permit. Dr Peter Foley, chairman of the New
Zealand General Practitioners' Council, told United
Press International the move proved "medicine isn't
the big (money) earner people think it is."
"It's a miracle!
I can hear!"
LINCOLN,
UK — In
a truly ear-poppin' experience, Derek Glover, a 72-year-old
Brit retiree, suddenly got his hearing back after 15
years of deafness while on a ski trip in Italy. Mr Glover
was descending from the 2,800m peak in a cable car when
his ears suddenly popped. He told CBC's As It Happens
that at that point he was hit with a "wave of noise."
Experts believe that a sudden change in air pressure
might explain the return of his auditory sense.
Lost that
'lovin' feeling'? Study says hormone shifts to blame
PISA —
Couples who find passion dims once a relationship gets
cosy can chalk it up to hormones, according to a report
in the February issue of Chemistry World. Researchers
tested hormone levels in 20 couples who claimed to be
madly in love. They found a reduced concentration of
serotonin in their blood, which they say could explain
how early phase romantic love can turn into obsession.
They also found changes in cortisol, the follicle stimulating
hormone, and testosterone. Twelve months later (two
years into their affair) they retested the same lovers
and found that the levels of these "love molecules"
had dropped, while levels of oxytonin (aka the "cuddle
chemical"), which is known to induce labour and milk-production,
had increased.
Babies are
hardier than we thought
ROCHESTER
— An infant
with a compromised immune system can still fight off
types of infection that would normally kill an adult
AIDS patient, researchers from the Mayo Clinic have
discovered. With collaborators from Toronto and Baltimore,
the group studied 20 infants who underwent heart transplants
and had their thymus removed. Over a 10-year period,
the infants maintained their health despite the severe
depletion in T cells resulting from their surgery. The
nature of the compensatory mechanism at work is still
unclear and is currently under investigation. The results
appeared in the February 1 Journal of Immunology.
Shorter
diabetics have better odds of hanging on to limbs
TAIPEI
— Taller
diabetics are at greater risk of losing a leg, according
to new research. Patients with diabetes have an elevated
risk of developing leg ulcers, which can become infected
and gangrenous, often leading to amputation of the limb.
It's been noted that the procedure is much less common
among the Taiwanese than typically taller Caucasians.
So a group of researchers looked at close to 100,000
diabetics to see if height and the risk of amputation
were indeed related. After adjusting for factors like
age, smoking status, hypertension and glucose control,
the authors found that the risk of amputation increased
by a whopping 16% for every extra 10 centimetres in
height. The study was published in the CMAJ on
January 31.
Inhaled insulin
sticks it to traditional injections
LONDON,
UK — In
a decision that may save even the tallest diabetics
from losing a limb, both the FDA and the European Commission
have approved the first inhaled insulin on December
27. The highly anticipated product is likely to be launched
in the UK and should be available in the US before the
summer. The fast-acting, powder form of insulin is administered
using a hand-held inhaler similar to familiar asthma
inhalers. Studies have shown peak insulin concentrations
are reached faster with this painless delivery method
than with traditional injections.
Genetic cause
for SIDS brought to light in African Americans
CHICAGO
— A specific
mutation in a heart protein known as SCN5A has been
linked to a staggering 24-fold increased risk of sudden
infant death syndrome (SIDS) in African American children.
Acidic conditions cause the mutated SCN5A to malfunction,
triggering an irregular heartbeat, report University
of Chicago researchers in the February issue of the
Journal of Clinical Investigation. This finding
helps explain previous observations that placing a child
face-down in a crib is a risk factor for SIDS: insufficient
oxygen can cause the acidic conditions that set off
the chain of events.
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