Medical Health News

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ADHD - you can see it in the eyes

Fairfax Digital (AU)

January 18, 2005

Scientists have developed a simple eye test that can diagnose hyperactive children. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) affects up to 7percent of school-age children in Britain and the condition can prove hard to diagnose.

Researchers from Brunel University in west London have come up with a 10-minute test to identify children likely to need special attention because of ADHD. The Pavlidis test involves children looking at a spot of light on a computer screen and following it with their eyes as it moves in different patterns.

Data entry is a top cause of medication errors

American Medical Association News

by Andis Robeznieks

January 18, 2005

Computerized prescribing systems might cut the quantity and severity of medication mistakes, but they can't eliminate them entirely, said patient safety experts who reviewed the U.S. Pharmacopeia's 5th annual study of medication error reports.

The study of the more than 235,000 error reports submitted in 2003 by 570 health care facilities was the largest ever by USP. "Computer entry" was the fourth-leading cause of errors, accounting for 13% (27,711) of the medication errors reported in 2003. In contrast, illegible or unclear handwriting was the 15th-leading cause, and accounted for 2.9% (6,134) of reported errors.

Genetically modified foods can increase yields, but are they safe?

Deseret Morning News

by Valerie Phillips

January 5, 2005

Farmers today can raise corn with a built-in pesticide, soybeans that thrive when sprayed with weed killer and squash that resist viruses. Some say they're biotechnological wonders. Critics call them "Frankenfoods."

Should you worry if your food is swimming in the gene pool' Opinions were mixed among a group of experts who spoke at a daylong biotechnology conference for the Association of Food Journalists last October in Puerto Rico. But most agreed that the products should be labeled so the public can decide if they want to use them or not.

Lawsuits put focus on Ibuprofen for children

The Seattle Times (WA)

by Linda Goldston

January 4, 2005

Nine-year-old Kaitlyn Langstaff of Saratoga, Calif., died 20 months after taking Children's Motrin. Seven-year-old Sabrina Brierton Johnson of Los Angeles went blind two months after taking the same drug. Three-year-old Heather Rose Kiss of New Jersey die

All three girls developed a rare, excruciatingly painful disease after an apparent allergic reaction to ibuprofen. And the parents of all three said they never dreamed an over-the-counter pain reliever could kill or disable their children.

Weekly Report: Influenza Summary Update

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

December 29, 2004

During week 51, WHO and NREVSS laboratories in the United States reported testing 1,340 specimens for influenza viruses, of which 134 (10.0%) were positive.

Of these, one was an influenza A (H1N1), 27 were influenza A (H3N2) viruses, 85 were influenza A viruses that were not subtyped, and 21 were influenza B viruses. The proportion of deaths attributed to pneumonia and influenza is below the national baseline.

Saudi Government Daily Accuses U.S. Army of Harvesting Organs of Iraqis - Bellaciao collective

Bellaciao

December 26, 2004

Based on alleged secret European military reports, the U.S. military in Iraq is harvesting and selling human organs.

Secret European military intelligence reports indicate the transformation of the American humanitarian mission in Iraq into a profitable trade in the American markets through the practice of American physicians extracting human organs from the dead and wounded, before they are put to death, for sale to medical centers in America.

Radon in the home responsible for 9% of lung cancer deaths across Europe

Vidyya Medical News Service

December 23, 2004

The effects of natural radon gas escaping the earth's surface into our homes is causing 9% of all deaths from lung cancer across Europe, and smokers are most at risk, according to a paper on BMJ.com.

Researchers analysed 7,148 cases of lung cancer and 14,208 controls (people who had not developed lung cancer) across Europe. In the largest study of its kind, they examined radon levels in the present and past homes of all the lung cancer sufferers and the controls. They also obtained detailed smoking histories, including the effects of second-hand smoke on lifelong non-smokers.

Medicating Kids: Ritalin Abuse - Statistics

PBS - Frontline

December 22, 2004

While prescriptions for Ritalin (methylphenidate) grew dramatically in the 1990s, reports of its illegal use also rose. Here's the range of official statistics on the problem:

According to the University of Michigan's annual "Monitoring the Future" studies, from 1988-1999 the percentage of seniors who reported using Ritalin without a prescription went from 0.3 percent to 2.4 percent. In fact, in its 1994 report, data indicated that at that time, there were more U.S. high-school seniors who abused Ritalin than there were seniors who were legally prescribed the drug.

Ritalin Abuse On The Rise Among Students

KLAS - TV 8 (NV)

by Janine Gill

December 22, 2004

The drug Ritalin is legitimately used to control attention deficit disorder, but increasingly, it's being abused by teenagers who use it like speed. Nationally and locally, it's on the rise.

Teenagers have nicknamed the drug "Vitamin R" or "West Coast." Students are using Ritalin to improve their concentration. You may be suprised by how easy it is for them to get the drug without a prescription.

Doctor jailed for faking MMR blood tests

Telegraph News (UK)

December 22, 2004

A doctor has been jailed for nine months for faking blood tests to trick parents into believing that the separate inoculations he gave their children for measles, mumps and rubella were effective.

David Pugh, a 55-year-old private practice GP, was given four concurrent nine-month sentences at Cambridge Crown Court after admitting four counts of forgery at an earlier hearing.

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