If studies on pregnant mice also apply to humans, exposing a pregnant mother to ultrasound for over 30 minutes could adversely affect the baby's brain development, say scientists from Yale University, USA. They found that some nerve cells did not make their way to the correct parts of the developing brain.
You can read about this study in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The scientists said that their results call for further investigations in larger and slower-developing brains of non-human primates and comprehensive epidemiological studies in humans.
However, head researcher, Dr. Pasko Rakic, added that if he had a daughter and she was pregnant he would still advise her to have an ultrasound for medical reasons.
The scientists stressed that mice and humans are very different. Just because baby mice seemed to be affected does not mean humans are. The period during which cells migrate to specific parts of the developing pain is much longer for humans than for mice. It is possible that 30 minutes of ultrasound has a much bigger impact on a mouse's developing brain than a human's. In order to see what the effect may be on humans we would need to carry out similar tests on animals that are more similar to humans, the researchers said.
This study may persuade many doctors and pregnant women to carry out ultrasound for medical reasons only, and not for entertainment.
There have been studies which showed repeat ultrasounds are safe for humans. There was one in 2004, carried out in Australia, which included over 2,700 children. The children were followed up at the ages of 2, 3, 5 and 8 years. No significant adverse effects were found.
Most ultrasounds on pregnant women do not last more than 20 minutes. Current guidelines for pregnant mothers state that the ultrasound settings should be as low as possible to get a diagnosis.
Department of Neurobiology at Yale University School of Medicine
pnas
воскресенье, 28 августа 2011 г.
воскресенье, 21 августа 2011 г.
Over 5 Chlamydia Tests A Day Since Clamelle Launch
Customers have already begun to use the NPA Chlamydia Test and Treat service since Clamelle (OTC Azithromycin) was officially launched as a Pharmacy medicine earlier this month. Between 5 and 10 tests a day are being received by GLG Laboratories, the NPA partner in this service.
70% of NPA members are now signed up to provide the NPA service.
John Turk, Chief Executive of the National Pharmacy Association, said: "It is particularly gratifying that this is happening in advance of the launch of the planned national consumer advertising campaign. Community pharmacy is uniquely placed to provide chlamydia testing and treatment - and many other services besides - because pharmacies are particularly accessible and convenient.
"This service will complement existing NHS provision and make it easier and quicker for people to receive screening and appropriate treatment. Now that many pharmacies have consultation areas where you can have a confidential discussion with your pharmacist, I believe that people will be much better served in future and find community pharmacy their preferred option for chlamydia testing and treatment."
Notes
Members wishing to set up a Chlamydia Testing Service will need to register with the NPA, obtain the NPA Chlamydia Resource Pack alongside the Clamelle training pack. The NPA Chlamydia Resource Pack can be obtained from NPA Sales on 01727 800401 or online.
For assistance with setting up a Chlamydia testing service, members should contact the NPA Information Department on 01727 891 800 or email informationnpa.
Members of the public can purchase a chlamydia test kit from any participating pharmacy for ??25, send a urine sample for testing and, if a positive result is returned, purchase treatment over the counter for a further ??20. Testing of samples is included in the cost of the test kit, with results returned either direct to the customer or to the pharmacy where the test kit was purchased - or both.
Azithromcyin is available as Clamelle Tablets for people 16 years and over who have tested positive for chlamydia but have no symptoms and for their sexual partners.
Pharmacists can only supply Clamelle tablets to individuals who are confirmed as having a positive Nucleic Acid Amplification Technique (NAAT) chlamydia test result and to their sexual partners (without them needing to take a test).
National Pharmacy Association
70% of NPA members are now signed up to provide the NPA service.
John Turk, Chief Executive of the National Pharmacy Association, said: "It is particularly gratifying that this is happening in advance of the launch of the planned national consumer advertising campaign. Community pharmacy is uniquely placed to provide chlamydia testing and treatment - and many other services besides - because pharmacies are particularly accessible and convenient.
"This service will complement existing NHS provision and make it easier and quicker for people to receive screening and appropriate treatment. Now that many pharmacies have consultation areas where you can have a confidential discussion with your pharmacist, I believe that people will be much better served in future and find community pharmacy their preferred option for chlamydia testing and treatment."
Notes
Members wishing to set up a Chlamydia Testing Service will need to register with the NPA, obtain the NPA Chlamydia Resource Pack alongside the Clamelle training pack. The NPA Chlamydia Resource Pack can be obtained from NPA Sales on 01727 800401 or online.
For assistance with setting up a Chlamydia testing service, members should contact the NPA Information Department on 01727 891 800 or email informationnpa.
Members of the public can purchase a chlamydia test kit from any participating pharmacy for ??25, send a urine sample for testing and, if a positive result is returned, purchase treatment over the counter for a further ??20. Testing of samples is included in the cost of the test kit, with results returned either direct to the customer or to the pharmacy where the test kit was purchased - or both.
Azithromcyin is available as Clamelle Tablets for people 16 years and over who have tested positive for chlamydia but have no symptoms and for their sexual partners.
Pharmacists can only supply Clamelle tablets to individuals who are confirmed as having a positive Nucleic Acid Amplification Technique (NAAT) chlamydia test result and to their sexual partners (without them needing to take a test).
National Pharmacy Association
воскресенье, 14 августа 2011 г.
Wall Street Journal Examines Concerns About Safety Of Administering Epidurals Through Lower-Back Tattoos
The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday examined concerns that administering an epidural through a tattoo might pose health risks to the pregnant woman. According to the Journal, there has been an increase in recent years in women's lower-back tattoos, which often cover the surface near the vertebrae where the epidural needles are inserted. The Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology in 2006 reported that nearly 25% of U.S. residents ages 18 to 50 are tattooed, and 20% of tattooed women in the age group have lower-back tattoos. Epidurals are used in almost 65% of the four million births reported in the U.S. annually, the Journal reports.
A 2002 study published in the Canadian Journal of Anesthesia questioned whether complications such as inflammation or nerve damage might occur if the epidural needle pulled some of the dyed skin along with it and then deposited it into the region outside the spinal column. The study of three women -- conducted by Joanne Douglas and colleagues from the British Columbia Women's Hospital -- found no conclusive evidence that the procedure was unsafe, but it "set off a mini-wave of panic" among pregnant women, according to the Journal.
Douglas recommended that anesthesiologists avoid the tattoo when administering an epidural or create a nick in the skin before injecting the needle, which could minimize the likelihood of skin being pulled down with the injection. Douglas also said that physicians should tell women that while there is no proof that complications will occur when administering an epidural through a tattoo, there remains a potential risk.
William Camann, chief of obstetric anesthesia at Brigham and Women's Hospital, said women with lower-back tattoos should not be concerned about the epidural as long as the ink has dried fully and the wound is healed. He said at that point the dye is set and even the microscopic amount of skin that might be drawn into the body should pose no risk. FDA said tattoo inks and pigments are regulated by the agency, but due to other health priorities, the agency has not approved any specific inks. Two FDA-sponsored studies are ongoing to assess possible adverse side effects to the ink and methods to test it for toxicity, the Journal reports (Zimmerman, Wall Street Journal, 9/18).
Reprinted with kind permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation© 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
A 2002 study published in the Canadian Journal of Anesthesia questioned whether complications such as inflammation or nerve damage might occur if the epidural needle pulled some of the dyed skin along with it and then deposited it into the region outside the spinal column. The study of three women -- conducted by Joanne Douglas and colleagues from the British Columbia Women's Hospital -- found no conclusive evidence that the procedure was unsafe, but it "set off a mini-wave of panic" among pregnant women, according to the Journal.
Douglas recommended that anesthesiologists avoid the tattoo when administering an epidural or create a nick in the skin before injecting the needle, which could minimize the likelihood of skin being pulled down with the injection. Douglas also said that physicians should tell women that while there is no proof that complications will occur when administering an epidural through a tattoo, there remains a potential risk.
William Camann, chief of obstetric anesthesia at Brigham and Women's Hospital, said women with lower-back tattoos should not be concerned about the epidural as long as the ink has dried fully and the wound is healed. He said at that point the dye is set and even the microscopic amount of skin that might be drawn into the body should pose no risk. FDA said tattoo inks and pigments are regulated by the agency, but due to other health priorities, the agency has not approved any specific inks. Two FDA-sponsored studies are ongoing to assess possible adverse side effects to the ink and methods to test it for toxicity, the Journal reports (Zimmerman, Wall Street Journal, 9/18).
Reprinted with kind permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation© 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
воскресенье, 7 августа 2011 г.
Annually Breast Cancer Screening Younger Women Lowers Mastectomy Risk
If women are screened for breast cancer every year, starting at the age of 40, their risk of mastectomy following breast cancer is considerably lower, researchers from The London Breast Institute, London, England, explained at the Annual Meeting of the Radiological Society of North America - RSNA 2010.
In 2009, the US Preventive Services Task Force recommended screening women every two years from the age of fifty years. The American Cancer Society recommends a yearly screening from 40 years. The UK has no current guidelines for routine screening of females under the age of 50.
Lead author Nicholas M. Perry, M.B.B.S., F.R.C.S., F.R.C.R., said:
"The results of this study support the importance of regular screening in the 40 to 50 age group. Women in this age group who had undergone mammography the previous year had a mastectomy rate of less than half that of the others."
The authors explained that by the end of this year, approximately 207,090 people in the United States will have been diagnosed with invasive breast cancer.
Dr. Perry and team set out to determine what the relationship might be between frequency of breast screening for women aged 40 to 50 and the type of treatment following a breast cancer diagnosis.
They gathered data on women aged 40 to 50 who had had a breast cancer diagnosis at The London Breast Institute and had treatment there too. They collected information on 971 women between 2003 and 2009.
40% (393) of the patients were under 50 at time of diagnosis. 156 of them completed their treatment at the Institute. 73% (114) of them had never been screened for breast cancer before. 42 had had a previous mammogram, of whom 29 had had at least one screening during the previous 24 months. 16 of them had had a mammogram during the previous twelve months.
Dr. Perry said:
"We reviewed the records of the women needing mastectomy to determine whether or not they had undergone mammography the previous year. We were surprised at the degree of benefit obtained from yearly screening in this age group."
Of the 16 women who had been screened during the previous twelve months, 19% (3) of them required a mastectomy, versus 46% (64) of the 140 patients who had had no screening during the previous twelve months.
Dr. Perry said:
"Regular screening is already proven to lower the chance of women dying from breast cancer. The results of our study support the importance of regular screening in the under-50 age group and confirm that annual mammography improves the chances of breast conservation should breast cancer develop."
"Prior Mammography in Women Aged 40-50 at a UK Center in Accordance with ACS Guidelines Lowers Mastectomy Rate Following Breast Cancer"
Nicholas M. Perry, M.B.B.S., F.R.C.S., F.R.C.R, Sue Milner, B.Sc., D.C.R., Kefah Mokbel, M.B.B.S., M.S., F.R.C.S., Stephen W. Duffy, B.Sc., M.Sc., and Katja Pinker, M.D.
RSNA 2010
CODE: SSQ01-08 SESSION: ISP: Breast Imaging (Tomosynthesis and Digital Mammography)
Christian Nordvist
In 2009, the US Preventive Services Task Force recommended screening women every two years from the age of fifty years. The American Cancer Society recommends a yearly screening from 40 years. The UK has no current guidelines for routine screening of females under the age of 50.
Lead author Nicholas M. Perry, M.B.B.S., F.R.C.S., F.R.C.R., said:
"The results of this study support the importance of regular screening in the 40 to 50 age group. Women in this age group who had undergone mammography the previous year had a mastectomy rate of less than half that of the others."
The authors explained that by the end of this year, approximately 207,090 people in the United States will have been diagnosed with invasive breast cancer.
Dr. Perry and team set out to determine what the relationship might be between frequency of breast screening for women aged 40 to 50 and the type of treatment following a breast cancer diagnosis.
They gathered data on women aged 40 to 50 who had had a breast cancer diagnosis at The London Breast Institute and had treatment there too. They collected information on 971 women between 2003 and 2009.
40% (393) of the patients were under 50 at time of diagnosis. 156 of them completed their treatment at the Institute. 73% (114) of them had never been screened for breast cancer before. 42 had had a previous mammogram, of whom 29 had had at least one screening during the previous 24 months. 16 of them had had a mammogram during the previous twelve months.
Dr. Perry said:
"We reviewed the records of the women needing mastectomy to determine whether or not they had undergone mammography the previous year. We were surprised at the degree of benefit obtained from yearly screening in this age group."
Of the 16 women who had been screened during the previous twelve months, 19% (3) of them required a mastectomy, versus 46% (64) of the 140 patients who had had no screening during the previous twelve months.
Dr. Perry said:
"Regular screening is already proven to lower the chance of women dying from breast cancer. The results of our study support the importance of regular screening in the under-50 age group and confirm that annual mammography improves the chances of breast conservation should breast cancer develop."
"Prior Mammography in Women Aged 40-50 at a UK Center in Accordance with ACS Guidelines Lowers Mastectomy Rate Following Breast Cancer"
Nicholas M. Perry, M.B.B.S., F.R.C.S., F.R.C.R, Sue Milner, B.Sc., D.C.R., Kefah Mokbel, M.B.B.S., M.S., F.R.C.S., Stephen W. Duffy, B.Sc., M.Sc., and Katja Pinker, M.D.
RSNA 2010
CODE: SSQ01-08 SESSION: ISP: Breast Imaging (Tomosynthesis and Digital Mammography)
Christian Nordvist
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