Marla

Congress considering RSD Awareness Month

Coach Marla — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 05:03:00 GMT

H. Con. Res. 159: Expressing the support of Congress for a National Complex Regional Pain Syndrome and Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Awareness Month

Congressional Research Service Summary

The following summary is provided by the Congressional Research Service, which is a nonpartisan government entity that serves Congress and is run by the Library of Congress. The summary is taken from the official website THOMAS.

5/24/2007--Introduced.

Expresses support for: (1) the goals and ideals of a month to educate the public and medical professionals about the nature and impact of complex regional pain syndrome, also known as reflex sympathetic dystrophy, and the importance of early detection and proper treatment; and (2) increased funding for research to determine the causes of, and improved treatment and cure for, the syndrome.

Honors national and community organizations that promote public awareness about the syndrome and that provide support to people suffering with it.

Encourages health care providers to continue to increase their efforts to diagnose the syndrome in its earliest possible stages to increase the likelihood of remission.

Declares that Congress continues to consider ways to improve access to, and the quality of, health care services for detecting and treating the syndrome.

H.CON.RES.159
Title: Expressing the support of Congress for a National Complex Regional Pain Syndrome and Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Awareness Month.
Sponsor: Rep Bishop, Timothy H. [NY-1] (introduced 5/24/2007) Cosponsors (2)
Latest Major Action: 5/24/2007 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

All Information (except text)	Text of Legislation	CRS Summary	Major Congressional Actions All Congressional Actions All Congressional Actions with Amendments With links to Congressional Record pages, votes,reports
Titles	Cosponsors (2)	Committees
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Proscar lowers prostate cancer risk in all men

Coach Marla — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 05:11:00 GMT

Thu Jun 12, 5:30 PM ET

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Finasteride (Proscar) reduces the risk of prostate cancer in all men, regardless of their risk level for the disease, new research shows.

In the Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial, finasteride treatment cut the risk of prostate cancer by 25 percent. Whether this was because the drug prevented the cancer from forming or because it effectively treated early disease was unclear, Dr. Ian M. Thompson, from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, and colleagues note.

The new findings, reported in the journal Urology, suggest that the drug has both effects.

In a re-analysis of data from the Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial, Thompson and co-researchers stratified 10,181 participants into five groups based on their prostate cancer risk, as determined using standard criteria.

At study entry, the men were also grouped according to PSA (prostate-specific antigen) levels, a common blood test in which increased levels may suggest the presence of prostate cancer.

Treatment with finasteride reduced the risk of prostate cancer for all five risk groups, including men with the lowest and those with the highest risk for prostate cancer.

Finasteride treatment also lowered the risk of prostate cancer regardless of the PSA level. However, the researchers found that the benefits of the drug decreased slightly as PSA levels rose.

Although this study began with the objective of evaluating the prevention versus treatment hypothesis, "the results speak to the clinical use of finasteride for reducing a man's risk of a prostate cancer diagnosis," the investigators conclude.

Thompson's team stresses that "all men undergoing PSA screening should be informed of the potential for finasteride to reduce their risk of prostate cancer."

Spinal Cord Stimulator Incision Pictures

Coach Marla — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 00:54:00 GMT

Hello Everyone,

I just had a permanent Spinal Cord Stimulator implanted on Monday, June 2nd for my RSD and thought I would share with you the pictures of the incisions just 4 short days afterwards. They are healing up nicely and I am enjoying the SCS, except I can't turn it up too high because it irritates the incisions a bit, but I have had it one ever since leaving the hospital Monday. I am looking forward to the charging process, which will be tomorrow or Sunday because I am down to 2 bars left and they said to charge it when it is at 1 bar so I figure it will be within the next couple days anyway. Should be hilarious to watch the first time, but I am not going to film it for you....hahahahaha. I will take a picture of the charger on me doing it's thing though. =)

Anyway, here are the 2 pictures:

2 Days After Surgery and Doctor Removed Bandages:

* Disclaimer: Please excuse the crack in the middle of these pictures, they were unavoidable. =)

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask me....I welcome all comments and questions.

~Much Love~

In His Glory,
Coach Marla

Antioxidants may undermine cancer therapy

Coach Marla — Wed, 28 May 2008 02:00:00 GMT

Antioxidants may undermine cancer therapy

Tue May 27, 5:06 PM ET

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Cancer patients should perhaps avoid taking antioxidant supplements, a review of clinical trial data suggests, because they may diminish the effectiveness of chemotherapy and radiation treatment.

Still, findings from different studies are conflicting, so further research is warranted to determine whether antioxidants can be safely taken during cancer therapy and whether they have any benefit.

Although research looking at antioxidant use during cancer treatment has been on-going on for nearly two decades, it remains a controversial topic, note Dr. Brian D. Lawenda, from the Navel Medical Center in San Diego, California, and colleagues in their article in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

In researching the impact of antioxidant use on radiation therapy, the team identified three clinical studies that specifically addressed the topic.

Results from the largest of the three trials suggested that antioxidant therapy reduced overall survival. However, there was evidence indicating that one antioxidant, amifostine, can protect certain healthy tissues from radiation damage without increasing resistance in cancerous tissue.

Sixteen trials were identified that looked at the effects of antioxidant supplements on chemotherapy. There was no evidence that antioxidants reduced treatment response rates, although the authors warn that none of the studies were really large enough to address this properly.

"Despite some intriguing studies that have suggested the benefit of adjunctive antioxidant treatments in cancer patients, the totality of the available evidence is equivocal at best and leaves us with serious concerns about the potential for harm," Lawenda's team concludes.

SOURCE: Journal of the National Cancer Institute, online May 27, 2008.

7 Worse Convience Foods to Avoid At All Costs....

Coach Marla — Mon, 26 May 2008 17:30:00 GMT

Junk These Foods

These easy-access foods might make it hard for your find your waistline—especially if you eat them too often.

1. Lunchables. In addition to being virtually devoid of nutrients, Oscar Mayer's popular pre-packaged kids' lunches are chockfull of fat and salt. The Ham and Cheddar Cracker Stackers variety boasts a whopping 20 grams of fat and 930 milligrams of sodium, roughly 60 and 40 percent of the recommended dietary allowances (RDA), respectively.

2. Bright Orange Snack Foods. As a general rule of thumb, if it's an almost-electric neon hue that never appears in nature, you're better off not eating it. The orange coloring found in many packaged snack foods, such as cheese puffs and mac and cheese, is brimming with sodium and preservatives.

3. Frozen Pizza. Pizza often gets a bad rap, and those of the frozen variety don't help its reputation. Conventional frozen pizzas are loaded with sodium and fat-laden meats and cheeses, not to mention superthick crusts that add on hundreds of calories per slice.

4. Toaster Pastries. Two Kellogg's Frosted Strawberry Pop-Tarts contain 400 calories and 34 grams of sugar, more than a Krispy Kreme glazed raspberry-filled doughnut.

5. Hot Dogs. Who doesn't know by now that hot dogs are a hot mess? Several studies have shown that high consumption of meat preserved with nitrates (which includes sausages, bacon, and canned ham) may increase the risk of certain cancers.

6. Smoothies. You may think they're healthy, but one mango Jamba Juice smoothie contains roughly 90 grams of sugar—more than double the amount that can be found in a Three Musketeers bar. Even worse is the peanut butter "smoothie" (really, a milkshake in disguise): It has an outrageous 840 calories and 21 grams of fat.

7. Ramen Noodles. Who knew that these noodles could be such a health nightmare? An infamous staple for college students and budget-conscious adults, Ramen noodles are crammed with salt, with one beef-flavored packet yielding close to 400 calories and almost 1,600 milligrams of sodium.

Good Foods to Go

Eating on the go should not be an excuse for letting yourself go. Try swapping those convenience foods with the following healthy options.

1. Lunchables Substitute. A low-sodium ham-and-cheddar sandwich on whole-grain bread takes only a few minutes to prepare but can make a world of difference for your child's health. Add lettuce and tomato for an extra nutritional punch.

2. Bright Orange Snack Foods Substitute. Stick to carrots, oranges, or sweet potatoes to get your color fix. Trust us, your waistline and blood pressure will thank you. If it's cheese you need, go for soy singles instead. American cheese soy slices come individually wrapped, too, and have less than a third of the calories and about half the sodium of the singles you ate growing up.

3. Frozen Pizza Substitute. Choose brands with fiber-rich whole-wheat crust, zero trans fat, and soy or veggie toppings. Or for a safer substitution, do it yourself: Split a whole-wheat or multigrain English muffin or pita, top each side with a low-calorie sauce and part-skim mozzarella cheese, then either microwave or bake in the oven.

4. Toaster Pastries Substitute. Cut open a whole-wheat English muffin, and top with strawberry preserves for a quick breakfast with half the sugar and calories. Better yet, eat a cup of whole strawberries topped with a few tablespoons of Cool Whip. You'll still get your sugar fix, but mostly from the strawberries; Cool Whip has only 1 gram of sugar and 25 calories per serving.

5. Hot Dog Substitute. If you just can't give up this convenience food, soy dogs are the healthiest option. In addition, there are an increasing number of nitrate-free meats on the market, including some products sold by Hormel and Boar's Head.

6. Smoothie Substitute. Choose the light versions, which have about half the calories and sugar. Or try blending low-calorie fruit yogurt, soy or skim milk, and frozen berries for a less frightening version of this refreshing treat. You could also stick to unsweetened plain yogurt with a drop of honey and a handful of real fruit.

7. Ramen Noodles Substitute. If a soup craving hits, a safer bet is a low-sodium version of your favorite store variety. Or cook the Ramen, but toss the little seasoning packet. Instead, sauté a few of your favorite vegetables (try red peppers, onions, and broccoli) and some mushrooms. Toss with the noodles, and you have a much healthier meal.

Hospitalized kids found at risk for drug errors

Coach Marla — Sun, 18 May 2008 16:58:00 GMT

Hospitalized kids found at risk for drug errors

The Joint Commission recommends ways to decrease adverse events.

By Kevin B. O'Reilly, AMNews staff. May 19, 2008.

A new study finding a much higher rate of pediatric hospital adverse drug events than previously thought sparked the Joint Commission last month to issue an alert advising physicians and hospitals how to reduce such mistakes.

About 11% of child patients experience adverse drug events during hospitalizations, according to an April study in Pediatrics -- a rate nearly five times higher than in previous studies.

Despite the higher rate, the review of 960 randomly selected charts from 12 children's hospitals showed that more than three-quarters of the medication side effects were unpreventable. But the study said 17.8% of side effects could have been identified earlier, and 16.8% could have been mitigated more effectively.

Nearly all adverse effects, 97%, were mild and temporary, such as constipation and nausea caused by opioid analgesics. No patients in the study were killed by drug errors.

The study's results also have ramifications for children being treated in adult hospitals, experts said. Study co-author Paul Sharek, MD, MPH, speculated that more harmful adverse drug events in children could be higher at hospitals that don't solely treat pediatric patients.

"We are so used to writing pediatric, weight-based doses," said Dr. Sharek, chief clinical patient safety officer at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital in Palo Alto, Calif. "When children are being cared for at adult hospitals staffed by adult-based nurses and adult-based pharmacists, that's a type of error that could theoretically occur a lot more frequently."

11% of child patients have adverse drug events during a hospital stay.

The Joint Commission, which accredits and certifies more than 15,000 U.S. health care organizations and programs, said in its sentinel event alert that children are at greater risk for adverse drug events. That's because most medications are formulated and packaged for adults, and most hospitals and emergency departments are geared toward caring for adults. Also, children are more physiologically vulnerable to errors and less able to report when something goes wrong.

More than a third of harmful pediatric drug mix-ups at all hospitals were due to improper dosing, according to U.S. Pharmacopeia's MEDMARX database of voluntarily reported errors. In 14% of mistakes, the wrong drug was given, and 10% of the time, a prescribing error was made.

The commission recommended that hospitals standardize how they identify and administer pediatric medications, ensure full pharmacy oversight and use technology judiciously. Commission officials said many computerized physician order entry systems do not include weight-based dosing. Other technologies also have flaws, said Matthew Scanlon, MD, a member of the commission's Sentinel Event Advisory Group.

"Bar code wristbands for children have been identified as another potential solution" to drug errors, said Dr. Scanlon, assistant professor of pediatrics and critical care at the Medical College of Wisconsin. "But when you think about the wide range in wrist size, you get tremendous curvature of the bar codes, and they often won't be readable."

Frank Federico, RPh, said the commission's alert included good advice. But hospitals should take other steps to prevent medication errors.

"Medication should be delivered to the nursing unit or available in ready-to-administer fashion. That way, there is less that nurses have to do" and less chance for error, said Federico, a patient safety expert at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Reducing errors

The Joint Commission issued an alert last month on pediatric medication errors. Among steps physicians and hospitals should take to reduce errors:

Require prescribers to include the dose per weight on medication orders so pharmacists and nurses can double-check them.
Use commercially available child-specific formulations and concentrations, or prepare and dispense all pediatric medications in patient-specific unit-of-use containers.
Differentiate all products that have been repackaged for use in kids with clear, highly visible warning labels.

Source: "Preventing pediatric medication errors," Joint Commission Sentinel Event Alert, April 11

Joint Commission sentinel event alert on preventing pediatric medication errors (www.jointcommission.org/sentinelevents/sentineleventalert/sea_39.htm)

MS Might Impact IQ in Children

Coach Marla — Thu, 15 May 2008 00:10:00 GMT

MS Might Impact IQ in Children

New study finds pediatric MS could affect memory and attention skills.
May 14, 2008

Though MS is less common in people under the age of 18, a new study found children who are diagnosed with the condition could be more likely to suffer memory or attention problems. Childhood onset of MS might also be linked to lower IQ scores, according to an article published in the May 13 issue of Neurology.

Researchers compared 63 children diagnosed with MS to 57 healthy children. Thirty-one percent of the children with MS failed three of the cognitive tests researchers gave them, meeting the study’s criteria for impairment. Some children also had problems with language.

A significant number of the children with MS had lower IQ scores than the healthy children, and more than half had difficulties in school or with everyday activities.

Children in the study who developed MS earlier in life were more likely to have lower IQ scores, researchers concluded.

While cognitive problems are associated with MS in adults, as well, the children’s diagnosis might not be the only thing to consider where thinking skills are concerned, said MSF Medical Advisor Dr. Ben Thrower.

"There could be factors other than MS involved," he said. "It is possible medications, missed school and psychosocial stressors could contribute to some cognitive issues in these kids."

HPV Tied to Better Tongue, Tonsil Cancer Outcomes

Coach Marla — Wed, 14 May 2008 22:41:00 GMT

HPV Tied to Better Tongue, Tonsil Cancer Outcomes

1 hour, 41 minutes ago

WEDNESDAY, May 14 (HealthDay News) -- Tonsil and tongue cancers linked to human papillomavirus (HPV) are most responsive to current chemotherapy and radiation treatments, while those that express high levels of a growth factor called EGFR are the least responsive and most deadly, a new study concludes.

University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center researchers identified a series of markers that identify which patients are most likely to survive these types of cancers. The findings are a promising step toward the development of individualized treatments for tonsil and tongue cancers, according to the authors of two papers published online May 12 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology and expected to be in the July 1 print issue.

"The chemotherapy and radiation therapy we use to treat this type of cancer is very aggressive. If we can identify those patients most likely to respond, we could reduce the intensity of the therapy for those likely to have the best outcomes. At the same time, we hope to identify new treatments that specifically target those tumors that we know are not responding to current therapies," Thomas Carey, co-director of the head and neck oncology program at the U-M Comprehensive Cancer Center, said in a prepared statement. He was the senior author on both papers.

The researchers gave an initial course of chemotherapy to 66 people with advanced oropharyngeal cancer, which includes cancer of the tonsils and the base of the tongue. Patients (54) who responded to this initial treatment then received a full course of simultaneous chemotherapy and radiation. Patients (11) who didn't respond to the initial chemotherapy were referred for surgery.

Of the 54 patients who responded to the initial chemotherapy, 62 percent are alive today without evidence of cancer, and 73 percent fully preserved their organs. Of the 11 patients referred for surgery, only four survived.

"For most patients, the chemoradiation was very effective. But a subset of patients still do not do well. Our next step was to look at the biomarkers to see if we could determine which patients were responding to treatment, based on tumor biology," said Carey, who is also an associate chair and professor of otolaryngology and pharmacology at the U-M Medical School.

The researchers found that 64 percent of the tumors were positive for high-risk strains of HPV. Almost all of the HPV-positive tumors responded to initial chemotherapy, and 78 percent of those patients survived with their organs intact. Of the HPV-negative patients, only four of 15 survived. In addition, patients with the EGFR marker had worse outcomes.

"The combination of markers was an important indicator. Patients whose tumors expressed high levels of EGFR did poorly. But those who had high EGFR and were also HPV-positive had some protection. Patients with high EGFR and low HPV fared the worst," Bhavna Kumar, a research laboratory specialist who was lead author on both papers, said in a prepared statement.

The U-M team also found that patients with low expression of protein called p53 and high expression of a protein called BCLXL also had poor outcomes.

More information

The American Cancer Society has more about oral and oropharyngeal cancers.

Special Invitation for you all!!

Coach Marla — Tue, 13 May 2008 17:09:00 GMT

BTR's Fitness Director Peter K.

Are you wanting to do some kind of exercises but
you either aren't sure which ones you can do,
or your not able to move well enough to do the ones you would like to try??
Well, today Peter K. will be sharing with us some exercise tips for those of us who are limited on our movements that will help us keep our muscles toned up. Hope to see you at the show or you can call in with your questions or comments for Peter. The call in number is 347-324-5661. The website to go to and be able to participate in the live chat room with us is: www.rsdcoachlive.com

You will need to register for the chat room, but it is free!

See you there.....1:00pm CST TODAY!!

Genetically modified human embryo stirs criticism

Coach Marla — Mon, 12 May 2008 23:27:00 GMT

Genetically modified human embryo stirs criticism

By MALCOLM RITTER, AP Science Writer 1 hour, 48 minutes ago

NEW YORK - News that scientists have for the first time genetically altered a human embryo is drawing fire from some watchdog groups that say it's a step toward creating "designer babies."

But an author of the study says the work was focused on stem cells. He notes that the researchers used an abnormal embryo that could never have developed into a baby anyway.

"None of us wants to make designer babies," said Dr. Zev Rosenwaks, director of the Center for Reproductive Medicine and Infertility at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center.

The idea of designer babies is that someday, scientists may insert particular genes into embryos to produce babies with desired traits like intelligence or athletic ability. Some people find that notion repugnant, saying it turns children into designed objects, and would create an unequal society where some people are genetically enriched while others would be considered inferior.

The study appears to be the first report of genetically modifying a human embryo. It was presented last fall at a meeting of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, but didn't draw widespread public attention then. The result was reported over the weekend by The Sunday Times of London, which said British authorities highlighted the work in a recent report.

Rosenwaks and colleagues did the work with an embryo that had extra chromosomes, making it nonviable. Following a standard procedure used in animals, they inserted a gene that acts as a marker that can be easily followed over time. The embryo cells took up the gene, he said.

The goal was to see if a gene introduced into an abnormal embryo could be traced in stem cells that are harvested from the embryo, he said. Such work could help shed light on why abnormal embryos fail to develop, he said.

No stem cells were recovered from the human embryo, said Rosenwaks, noting that abnormal embryos frequently don't develop well enough to produce them.

Marcy Darnovsky, associate executive director of the Center for Genetics and Society, said the Cornell scientists were developing techniques that others might use to make genetically modified people, "and they're doing it without any kind of public debate."

A London-based group called Human Genetics Alert similarly criticized the work.

But Kathy Hudson, director of the Genetics and Public Policy Center in Washington, D.C., said she's not troubled by the work. She said the idea of successfully modifying babies by inserting genes remains a technically daunting challenge.

"We're not even close to having that technology in hand to be able to do it right," she said, and it would be ethically unacceptable to try it when it's unsafe.

___

On the Net:

Center for Genetics and Society: http://www.geneticsandsociety.org

Human Genetics Alert: http://www.hgalert.org

Genetics and Public Policy Center: http://www.dnapolicy.org

Viagra May Protect Hearts of Some Muscular Dystrophy Patients.

Coach Marla — Mon, 12 May 2008 22:55:00 GMT

Viagra May Protect Hearts of Some Muscular Dystrophy Patients

By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter1 hour, 33 minutes ago

MONDAY, May 12 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy often suffer from heart failure, but Viagra might prevent or delay the onset of this condition, a new Canadian study finds.

In experiments with mice, researchers showed that Viagra (sildenafil) improved heart performance by preventing the breakdown of a compound called cGMP, which relaxes smooth muscle.

"Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a crippling disease that affects both skeletal muscle and cardiac muscle," said lead researcher Christine Des Rosiers, a professor of cardiology in the department of nutrition at the University of Montreal. "Currently, there is a need for the development of more effective treatment strategies for patients affected with this disease."

In their experiments, the researchers used mice bred to mimic Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Then the scientists gave the rodents doses of Viagra comparable to those taken by men for erectile dysfunction.

The researchers found that Viagra improved heart function in the mice by preventing the breakdown of cGMP.

In a further experiment, the researchers inserted a gene into the hearts of the mice that increased the production of cGMP. The result: The mice were able to maintain normal heart function.

The findings are published in this weeks issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

"Our findings substantiate benefits for the dystrophic heart using a pharmacological approach, namely with sildenafil, which is safe, well-tolerated and currently available for clinical use," Des Rosiers said. "Hence, this could provide the basis for a new avenue for the treatment. Furthermore, the benefits of this therapeutic approach would be expected to extend beyond the heart to affected skeletal muscle and other tissues."

Dr. Valerie A. Cwik, medical director and vice president of research at the Muscular Dystrophy Association, said there's a need for new approaches to the treatment of heart failure in patients with Duchenne and other forms of muscular dystrophy.

"The findings presented by these authors are interesting and certainly have potential clinical implications for the various forms of dystrophinopathy [heart damage]," she said, adding that heart failure is a major cause of illness and death in late-stage Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

"At the present time, there is no consensus or standard of care for optimal management of the cardiac complications of dystrophinopathies, and further research in this area is clearly needed," Cwik said.

While Viagra hasn't been tested in humans to see if it benefits muscular dystrophy patients, it has been available for years and appears to be safe, Cwik noted.

More information

For more on muscular dystrophy, visit the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

Frustration Grows Over Slow Investigation of Endosopy Clinics

Coach Marla — Sat, 10 May 2008 04:31:00 GMT

Edward Lawrence, Reporter
Frustration Grows Over Slow Investigation of Endoscopy Clinics

Updated: var wn_last_ed_date = getLEDate("May9, 2008 12:17 PM EST"); document.write(wn_last_ed_date);May 9, 2008 11:17 AM


Trudy Thomas had several procedures at the Endoscopy Center.

Trudy Thomas waits for the Southern Nevada Health District letter telling her she could possibly have hepatitis or HIV. She had several procedures at the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada on Shadow Lane.

Thomas has receipts proving they were within the time frame the health district says the center reused syringes and single dose vials of medicine.

"For this to be hanging over my head, I keep waiting for a letter," she said.

The health district says she may be one of the 10,000 people missing from the center's records. What makes her wait more agonizing is the fact that Thomas says she got reflex sympathetic dystrophy following another surgical procedure unrelated to the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada.

RSD, as it is called, attacks her nervous system. It's a very rare disease. She cannot use her left hand and cannot walk without help.

The stories about the policies at the Endoscopy Center stir angry questions about the doctor using the facility and the staff for surgery.

"Was he off having coffee while they prepped me? Was he standing there going, ‘I see you guys recycle needles. How nice.' Does it save me on my bill? I mean, where were the doctors when the staff was doing these things?" she said.

Mayor Oscar Goodman was just as worked up, "I am unhappy with what would appear to be the dragging of feet by people in responsible positions."

He thinks more governments should follow the City of Las Vegas' lead, and provide money to push the investigation.

"I have not seen anybody step up and say, ‘Mr. DA, let us help you too.'" he said.

Clark County says they suspended the business licenses of clinics in their jurisdiction. The county also says they are doing their part by funding the District Attorney's Office and UMC.

Late Thursday afternoon, Governor Jim Gibbons released a statement saying the expanding scope of the investigation shows the need for swift and strong action against the doctors involved.

Trudy Thomas just wants to make sure no one falls through the investigation cracks. The health district recommends calling them if anyone thinks they did.

Email your comments to Reporter Edward Lawrence

Doctor punished in China for mishandling deadly virus outbreak: Xinhua

Coach Marla — Tue, 06 May 2008 22:38:00 GMT

Doctors punished in China for mishandling deadly virus outbreak: Xinhua

Tue May 6, 9:57 AM ET

Ten doctors and officials in China have been punished for mishandling a virus that has killed 26 children, state media reported as the number of infected youngsters rose to more than 12,000.

The punishments have been meted out in the eastern province of Anhui, where most of the deaths have occurred and local officials have been accused of being too slow to report the disease, Xinhua news agency said late on Monday.

The virus is called enterovirus 71, or EV71, which leads to hand, foot and mouth disease.

EV71 is highly contagious and spreads through direct contact with the mucus, saliva or faeces of an infected person. Young children are most susceptible because of their weaker immune systems. The virus is not related to foot and mouth disease which affects livestock.

As of Tuesday, it had infected 12,164 children nationwide, killing 26 of them, Xinhua reported, citing government figures.

The outbreak caused the Ministry of Health to declare a national alert over the weekend and establish a task force to liaise with local officials on control efforts.

In Anhui, one village doctor was fined 4,080 yuan (583 dollars) for illegally injecting 17 children with immune globulin, falsely claiming it would cure them, according to Xinhua.

The doctor, Wang Dongjun, charged 80 yuan for each injection, while five local county officials have been reprimanded for not distributing information about the virus.

Their failure to tell the people in Lichen village about the nature of the virus allowed Wang to "profiteer" from the disease, Xinhua reported, without saying what happened to the mistreated patients.

A doctor in another village was punished for the same actions as Wang, Xinhua reported, without disclosing what punishment he received.

Two doctors at a hospital in Fuyang city were given demerits for not treating a patient with the virus properly, according to Xinhua, without elaborating on the punishments.

They reportedly simply gave the patient an intravenous drip without doing a proper examination.

Fuyang city is where 22 people have died from EV71.

Sections of China's state-run media have been highly critical of how authorities in Fuyang handled the outbreak, because children first started falling ill in March but the problem was not made public until last week.

Fishbein Death Accidental, Autopsy Shows....

Coach Marla — Sat, 03 May 2008 13:19:00 GMT

Leslie Ann Fishbein, 55, died two weeks after going into cardiac arrest.

Fishbein death accidental, autopsy shows

Bill Scanlonand Berny Morson, Rocky Mountain News

Friday, May 2, 2008

Denver furniture magnate Leslie Ann Fishbein was suffering from low levels of potassium in her blood before she got the injections in her back that led to her heart stopping and to her accidental death, the Denver medical examiner said Thursday.

Those low levels, called hypokalemia, may have contributed to her death, Dr. Amy Martin said in her autopsy report. Hypokalemia can greatly increase the risk of arrhythmia and other serious heart conditions.

The autopsy couldn't find any reason for the potassium levels being low.

Fishbein, 55, appeared for more than two decades in television commercials for Kacey Fine Furniture, a family business.

Fishbein's heart stopped beating at a doctor's office on March 4 when she was getting pain trigger-point injections in her back with the medication bupivacaine.

The levels didn't indicate a massive overdose of the medication. Adverse reactions to lower levels of bupivacaine are uncommon but have been described in medical books, Martin said.

Fishbein went into cardiac arrest. She died two weeks later at Presbyterian/St. Luke's Hospital.

There is no evidence she had an allergic reaction to the medication.

Fishbein suffered from reflex sympathetic dystrophy, which is a condition of burning pain, stiffness, swelling and discoloration of the hand. In her case, it apparently arose from a horseback riding injury several years ago.

A common treatment for RSD is injecting pain medication into the spine. On March 4, she was getting injections of Depo-Medrol and Marcaine into the lumbar area. "She quickly became unresponsive," with possible seizures, Martin said.

She died March 19.

Scientists Share $500,000 Prize for Biomedical Research

Coach Marla — Fri, 02 May 2008 17:48:00 GMT

Scientists share $500,000 prize for biomedical research

By VALERIE BAUMAN, Associated Press Writer 52 minutes ago

The nation's richest prize in medicine and biomedical research was awarded Friday to two researchers for work that has improved disease treatments and may lead to new ones for degenerative and other age-related disorders.

Joan Steitz and Elizabeth Blackburn are the first women ever to receive the 8-year-old Albany Medical Center Prize. They will share the $500,000 award, which ranks second only to the $1.4 million Nobel Prize among medical prizes.

Steitz, a professor at Yale, is known for research that has improved the diagnosis and treatment of certain autoimmune diseases, including lupus, scleroderma and some forms of arthritis. She discovered the function of small ribonucleoproteins, called snRNPs, that play a vital role in producing proteins for the body's most basic biological processes.

Blackburn, of the University of California, San Francisco, made groundbreaking discoveries about structures called telomeres on the tips of chromosomes. Telomeres are like the plastic tips on the end of shoelaces — they hold chromosomes together to keep them from fraying.

Blackburn discovered an enzyme called telomerase, which repairs telomeres as they wear down. The more telomerase people have, the less likely they will get cardiovascular problems, Blackburn said. Chronic stress correlates with having a lower level of the enzyme.

Telomerase also has a dark side: It can contribute to the growth of cancer cells, a discovery that could eventually help in the treatment of some cancers.

The Albany prize was established in 2000 with a $50 million gift from the late Morris "Marty" Silverman, a New York City businessman who wanted to encourage health and biomedical research.

___

On the Net:

Albany Medical Center: http://www.amc.edu