RedScrubs
The Resource for Medical Professionals

Here is our Top Medical Video for today, brought to you by ScrubTV:

Video

Beijing Denies Bird Flu Outbreak- Woman Dies

A Beijing woman died from the bird flu virus, yet despite this Communist China’s denying there being any indication of an outbreak. The Ministry of Agriculture says experts found no trace of the deadly H5N1 virus after searching Tianjin city, where a 19-yar-old woman reportedly bought and gutted ducks before passing away. A spokesman was swift to say the case would be closed within seven days if no further evidence is found. This comes almost a year since China declared the bird flu had been eradicated. Experts believe this latest incident reveals holes in the surveillance of the virus. Part of the problem lies in that there are hundreds of millions of farmers who raise poultry in their backyards making surveillance difficult.

Here is our Top Blog Post for today, brought to you by MedReader:

• Zyprexa: Lilly Admits Guilt , But Also Blames Physicians

In February 2007, I wrote a post in which I described evidence that Lilly’s antipsychotic olanzapine (Zyprexa) was marketed off-label for dementia. The evidence I discussed was based on documents generously and bravely hosted at Furious Seasons. At the time, I was careful to avoid labeling the practices as illegal — they were definitely unethical but I couldn’t really say for sure what if a law was broken. However, a law firm known to represent Lilly was regularly visiting my website at the time, which made me think that Lilly was seriously concerned about legal troubles. I suppose they had good reason to be worried. Read this blog to see why they should be worried and how much money Lilly settled for in their law suit. Off-label marketing of Zyprexa for dementia is downright criminal according to this blogger.

Here is our Top News Post for today, brought to you by MedReader:

• Purdue Technology Detects Contaminant In Milk Products

A new analysis method can detect the kidney-damaging chemical melamine, used to contaminate infant formula in China last September, at very low levels within a matter of seconds. A research team at Purdue University created the analysis method to detect levels of melamine in the low parts-per-billion in milk and milk powder in about 25 seconds.

Here is our Top Medical Video for today, brought to you by ScrubTV:

Video

Healthy Living: FDA Warning On Diet Pills

Recently, the FDA issued a warning regarding 28 weight loss products because they contain dangerous prescription medications not listed on their labels. Now the FDA has expanded the list to contain 69 products. Here is a summary of that report. The report was released January 13, 2009 to our Video Channels.

Here is our Top News Post for today, brought to you by MedReader:

• Older Drug Effective in Treating Pediatric Nerve Cancer

An anti-cancer drug shelved because it was thought to be too toxic may be effective in small doses against a devastating pediatric cancer, a new study found.

In tests on animal models, the drug a-difluoromethylornithine, or DFMO, helped prevent the spread of neuroblastoma, a cancer of the nervous system responsible for 15 percent of all pediatric deaths related to cancer.

Here is our Top Medical Video for today, brought to you by ScrubTV:

Video

What Are The Triggers For Rheumatoid Arthritis?

Rheumatologist Dr. Stephen Paget of New York’s Hospital for Special Surgery discusses possible triggers for rheumatoid arthritis.

Here is our Top Medical Video for today, brought to you by ScrubTV:

Video

Skin Infections On The Rise

The number of kids 4 and younger hospitalized for a skin infection has more than doubled in recent years. The villain in this growing problem is staphylococcus aureus – a germ which is becoming more difficult to treat. Many of these community spread infections are resistant to antibiotics that are commonly used. The number of kids hospitalized for skin infections has increased 150% since the year 2000. Resistance to antibiotics is blamed.

Here is our Top Blog Post for today, brought to you by MedReader:

• Amazon.Com: Patient Heal Thyself: How The “New Medicine “Puts The Patient In Charge

Amazon.Com: Patient, Heal Thyself: How the “New Medicine” Puts The Patient In Charge: Robert Veatch: Books
That’s what this book is about: fitting the recommendation to the client’s values, not the other way around.

This theme connects the chapters of the book. Veatch argues that doctors should not have a decision-making role because (a) they simply don’t have all the information, (b) they are not qualified to make decisions involving resource allocation and (c) they cannot override an individual person’s values.

This is an interesting, however brief, blog of a book on the role patients can play in the healing process.

Here is our Top News Post for today, brought to you by MedReader:

• Antipsychotics Lower Long Term Survival In Alzheimer ’s Disease

For patients with Alzheimer’s disease, antipsychotic medications substantially increase one-year mortality risk, researchers found. Patients continued on their antipsychotic medications were 42% more likely to die over a one year period than those switched to a placebo. This is a significant finding. Researchers recommend replacing the antipsychotic therapy with psychological management and, for some symptoms, the addition of memory enhancing drugs such as Namenda or antidepressants such as Celexa.