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MR
RESCUE uncorks blood clots
NEW YORK CITY
— A joint Columbia and Cornell University
phase II clinical trial is underway to test MR RESCUE,
or Magnetic Resonance and REcanalization of Stroke Clots
Using Embolectomy. This device resembles a corkscrew
and is inserted by catheter through an artery in the
leg and all the way to the brain where it's used to
break apart clots in patients who've had a stroke in
the last eight hours. Though MR RESCUE has yet to be
proven effective, researchers have their fingers crossed
because most current medication-based post-stroke treatments
are of limited efficacy if used more than three hours
after the incident.
UK
docs lose self-governance
LONDON, UK —
In the biggest shake-up of the British medical system
in generations, the General Medical Council (GMC) will
cede its authority in policing its doctors in fitness-to-practice
complaint cases to the British government, according
to plans announced February 21. In addition, doctors
will be required to undergo competency exams every five
years. The extraordinary reform is being introduced
in light of a damning inquiry into Britain's most deadly
serial murderer, Dr Harold Shipman, that found the GMC
was less concerned with the public interest than with
protecting its members. The GMC said it supports the
changes, but the British Medical Association has condemned
them for reducing "clinical independence."
You're
getting sleepy, comrade
HAVANA —
Cuban doctors recently finished training 80 Panamanian
therapists to use hypnotism to treat patients, reported
the Cuban government in February. Cuba's economic troubles
of the early 90s led to funding problems in the healthcare
sector so physicians began looking into alternative
treatments for illnesses, including herbal medicines,
acupuncture and hypnotism. Dr Alberto Cobiçn,
Cuba's leading hypnosis researcher, believes hypnosis
is effective for treating stress, asthma, sexual dysfunction
and some skin diseases, plus can be a good anesthetic.
Five
star military hospitals
OTTAWA —
Injured Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan can soon expect
some pleasant distractions. In late February, General
Rick Hillier announced a new Hospital Comforts Program
to provide hospitalized soldiers with free snacks, movie
and game rentals as well as complimentary use of personal
DVD players, laptops, stereos and portable video game
systems. The program is funded by a private donor and
administered by the department of the military charged
with boosting morale.
Girl
Scouts cut trans fats
NEW YORK —
It may be a sign that the "trans fat free" push is gaining
steam: Girl Scouts of the USA are cutting most of the
trans fats from their cookies. The iconic and wildly
popular sweets have become a little less unhealthy after
the Scouts' suppliers formulated equally tasty alternatives.
Several other varieties also offer sugar-free and reduced
saturated fat treats. Now, clients of the door-to-door
child sales force can support the cause without compromising
their heart health.
Prince
Charles vs McDonald's
ABU DHABI, UAE
— While attending the launch of a public
health campaign in the United Arab Emirates in late
February, Prince Charles suggested banning McDonald's
to better the public's nutrition. "Have you gotten anywhere
with McDonald's?" demanded the heir apparent. "Have
you tried getting it banned? That's the key." A McDonald's
spokesperson was quick to remind the media that Prince
Harry was seen enjoying a McChicken sandwich at McDonald's
in 2005.
EPA:
Dose the kitty litter
WASHINGTON, DC
— When you throw out pharmaceuticals, they
could fall into addicts' hands or end up polluting bodies
of water. Accordingly the US Environmental Protection
Agency in the US has released new guidelines on how
to dispose of unwanted drugs safely. One tip is to mix
them into cat litter or coffee grounds before throwing
them in the garbage. The guidelines also recommend not
flushing meds down the toilet unless the label says
you may.
Ice
cream-fertility study disputed
BOSTON —
A new Harvard study published online in Human Reproduction
February 28 that claims a high-fat diet can protect
against infertility has churned up a debate among fertility
experts. Reported by the Associated Press as concluding
that "ice cream aids fertility," the study followed
18,555 women and found that eating lots of low-fat dairy
products was associated with a higher risk of anovulatory
infertility. A number of experts have countered that
the study is flawed, in part because it does not directly
measure any connection between dairy and fertility.
Serbian
surgeons brawl in OR
BELGRADE —
Dr Spasoje Radulovic was doing a routine appendix operation
at a Belgrade hospital one day in February when his
fellow surgeon Dr Dragan Vukanic sauntered in. One thing
led to another and Dr Vukanic "pulled the ear of the
operating doctor, slapped him in the face and walked
out," the on-duty anesthetist told a local newspaper.
Still mid-surgery, Dr Radulovic left the OR to engage
his colleague in fisticuffs, leaving the attending assistant
surgeon to complete the procedure. The patient was fine,
but the pugilistic surgeons suffered "bruises, a split
lip, loose teeth and a fractured finger," reported Reuters.
Anal
folks suffer bowel pain
SOUTHAMPTON, UK
— Perfectionists and worriers are more likely
to develop irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), according
to a new study published online ahead of print in Gut
in late February. Quick to preemptively refute any notion
that IBS is all in the mind, lead researcher Dr Rona
Moss-Morris explained that IBS was made more likely
by some perfectionist subjects' reluctance to take time
off work to recover from a gastroenteritis infection.
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