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Be gentle with that little heart
TUCSON
— The second, higher dose, of epinephrine
administered to children in cardiac arrest may actually
reduce their chance of survival, according to a study
published in the April 22 issue of the New England
Journal of Medicine. In the early 90s the second
higher dose of adrenaline was recommended if the first
standard dose wasn't effective. Better results were
seen in children given another standard dose the second
time around.
When pig livers fly
LOS
ANGELES — Bioartificial livers (BAL) have
shown promise in Phase I trials. Now a prospective trial
on BAL shows that it improves survival in patients with
acute liver failure. A total of 171 subjects were enrolled
in the study, to be published in the May issue of Annals
of Surgery. Survival rate at 30 days was significant
at 71% in BAL patients compared to 62% in controls.
The BAL device resembles a kidney dialysis machine except
it uses liver cells from pigs to purify patients' blood.
Antibiotics get egg
on their face
TAOYUAN,
TAIWAN — A potentially fatal drug resistant
strain of Salmonella bacteria has been identified, according
to a new study. The findings, published in the April
17 issue of The Lancet, show that the bacteria
are resistant to two widely used antibiotics, ceftriaxone
and ciprofloxacin. The multi-resistant strain of the
bacteria could potentially pose a serious public health
threat.
Three's company
TOKYO
— Uracil and tegafur along with chemo have
been shown to improve survival of patients with resected
stage I lung adenocarcinoma. A study in the April 22
New England Journal of Medicine looked at 979
participants, of whom 491 received the combo, and 488
controls who weren't treated. The overall survival rate
after five years was significantly better in the treatment
group. However, two percent of them (10 patients) experienced
toxic effects due to treatment.
Chocoholics feeling vindicated
UPTON,
NY — You always knew you could get hooked
on chocolate, and now you've got the science-heads backing
you up. Researchers have shown that chocoholics' brains
actually 'light up' when exposed to the sight, smell
or taste of their favourite snack, a reaction similar
to that of cocaine addicts thinking about their next
fix. The study, from the April issue of NeuroImage,
included 12 individuals who fasted for 24 hours before
undergoing a PET scan while cotton swabs impregnated
with the flavour was placed on their tongue.
Et tu caesarean?
OTTAWA
— National c-section rates have skyrocketed.
A report released by the Canadian Institute for Health
Information (CIHI) states that c-sections accounted
for 22.5% of births in 2001-2002; in 1979-80 c-sections
accounted for only 15%. The CIHI attributes the rise
in c-section to changing trends in maternity care, especially
the decrease in the number of FPs performing deliveries
— mainly out of fear of malpractice suits, lack
of obstetrical skills and change in fee schedules.
Too poor to push?
AUCKLAND
— Last year New Zealand took away the right
for non-resident women to have free birthcare, fearing
foreign women were taking advantage of the system. But
the clampdown is having little effect — about 6%
of births are still to women classed as foreigners.
The 'culprits' range from non resident New Zealanders,
Europeans (20%), Chinese (14%), other Asians (25%).
It costs women NZ$2,800 (C$2,400) for a normal birth
and NZ$6,180 (C$5,200) for a caesarean.
Demented killer virus unmasked
PHILADELPHIA
— Scientists have found a way to explain
the high likelihood of dementia in HIV patients. It
was previously thought that the virus induces the body's
immune system to kill neurons. But a study published
online on April 21 in Proceedings of the National
Academy of Science refutes this theory. Apparently,
the virus itself causes nerve cell death. In the lab,
neurons exposed to the virus were killed while those
in the presence of T cells alone weren't.
Scientists mad about cows
VIENNA
— A report published online April 21 in
The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
shows how transgenic cows can be used to produce antibodies
to fight cancer in humans. According to the Austrian
scientists, the transgenic antibodies activate tumour-killing
T cells and can be stored for months if kept at 4¹C.
The authors hope this technology could be exploited
to produce large quantities of Ig proteins for therapeutic
use down the road.
The opiate of the American people
WASHINGTON
— Drug companies in the US are looking for
ways to make painkillers less attractive to drug abusers.
In light of rising abuse of opiates, the pharma companies
are working with government and doctors to find solutions.
Among the ideas being considered: adding an opiate antagonist
to block euphoria and adding capsaicin (found in hot
peppers) to give abusers a nasty burning sensation.
Prescription drugs far outstrip any others abused in
the US.
Eastern promise for ailing John Bull
LONDON
— Britons grumbling about expansion of the
European Union may have something to perk up about.
New estimates show that the country, suffering severe
shortages, could gain up to 80,000 new nurses when the
entry of several Eastern Bloc countries in May. Some
fear the exodus will leave those countries in dire straits.
The Department of Health says it has no plans to recruit
nurses, but that it's eyeballing Eastern doctors, particularly
those from Poland.
What do you zinc, kids?
TEHRAN
— It's been suggested that adding zinc to
standard ADHD treatment could be beneficial. Now, an
Iranian study in the April issue of BMC Psychiatry
validates that theory. Researchers randomized 44
children to receive placebo and methylphenidate (Ritalin)
or methylphenidate plus zinc sulfate. After six weeks
the children taking zinc showed more significant improvements
than the kids on placebo.
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