Ciprofloxacin-Resistant Meningitis Identified
February 27th 2008The first reported North American cluster of ciprofloxacin-resistant meningoccocal disease occurred in 2007-2008 in North Dakota and Minnesota, according to a report published in the Feb. 22 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
SSRI-Resistant Teens Helped By Change in Regimen
February 26th 2008Chronically depressed adolescents who fail to respond to a first selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) may be successfully treated with cognitive behavioral therapy and a switch in antidepressant medication, a combination that appears to be more efficacious than switching medications alone, researchers report in the Feb. 27 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
High Risk of Leukemia in Rare Immune Disorder Elucidated
February 25th 2008Nearly half of patients with severe congenital neutropenia, a rare genetic disorder, possess mutations in the gene encoding granulocyte colony-stimulating factor receptor, and new research elucidates how stem cells bearing this mutation gain clonal advantage over other bone marrow cells, leading to leukemia, according to an article published online Feb. 21 in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
Gene Interaction Implicated in Cystic Fibrosis Severity
February 25th 2008Low expression of the mannose-binding lectin 2 (MBL2) gene appears to increase cystic fibrosis severity in part due to its association with Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection at a younger age, and MBL2's effects are increased in patients with a high-producing genotype of transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGFB1), according to a report published online Feb. 21 in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
Sub-Saharan Africa's Brain Drain Called Crime
February 22nd 2008The active recruitment of health care workers from Sub-Saharan Africa is a violation of the human rights of African people and should be viewed as an international crime, according to an article in the Feb. 23 issue of The Lancet, which is a special issue on human resources for health.
Salty Foods Linked to Soft Drink Consumption in Children
February 21st 2008In children and adolescents, salt intake is strongly associated with total fluid and sugar-sweetened soft drink consumption, which supports public-health measures to limit salt content in foods, researchers report in the March issue of Hypertension.
Lack of Maternal Death Autopsy Data in Developing World
February 21st 2008In developing countries, the cause of maternal death is rarely investigated by autopsy, making it impossible to estimate the indirect causes and therefore make informed decisions on the best use of resources targeted at reducing maternal mortality, according to an editorial published in the February issue of PLoS Medicine.
Depression Symptoms Cured at Different Rates
February 21st 2008Antidepressant medications can improve a range of depression-related symptoms, but not all of the effects of depression subside at the same rate, according to a report published in the January/February issue of General Hospital Psychiatry.
Mass Antibiotics Can Eliminate Infectious Trachoma
February 19th 2008In rural Ethiopian villages severely affected by ocular chlamydial infections that cause trachoma, mass antibiotic distribution can eliminate the infections. But biannual distribution may be the most effective strategy, according to the results of a study published in the Feb. 20 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Family Doctors Can Follow Childhood Cancer Survivors
February 18th 2008In adult survivors of childhood cancers, a shared-care program involving pediatric oncologists and family doctors may be appropriate for long-term follow-up, according to the results of a pilot study published online Feb. 18 in The Lancet Oncology.
Off-Label Promotion Targeted in FDA Information Guidelines
February 18th 2008The U.S. Food and Drug Administration had issued a draft of its "Good Reprint Practices" guidelines for drug manufacturers when they are distributing articles involving "off-label" use of drugs and devices to scientific and medical journals or other reference publications.
Vaccine Reduces Invasive Pneumococcal Disease in Children
February 18th 2008Introduction of the pneumococcal vaccine has reduced the incidence of invasive pneumococcal disease in children, and use of the Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) vaccine is increasing in low-income countries, according to two reports published in the Feb. 15 issue of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Choking Game Sparks Public Health Warning
February 15th 2008A game played by young people in which strangulation is used to stimulate a temporary high caused by cerebral hypoxia has caused the deaths of at least 82 youths in the United States, according to a study published in the Feb. 15 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. The CDC has issued a warning for parents to be vigilant for signs that their children are playing the game.
UK Young Male Suicide Rates Declined Over Last Decade
February 15th 2008The rate of suicide among young men in the United Kingdom has declined over the past decade, and restrictions on prescribing antidepressants to young people imposed in 2003 have not caused an increase in suicidal behavior, according to two studies published online Feb. 14 in the British Medical Journal.
Preventive Nutrition Program Successful in Haiti
February 15th 2008A preventive nutrition program targeting all young children was more successful in reducing childhood undernutrition in Haiti than the traditional model, which targeted only underweight children, according to an article published Feb. 16 in The Lancet.