Combination of Severe Depression and Antidepressant Use Impairs Driving Ability
A combination of severe depression and antidepressant use may impair driving ability, new research suggests. In a study presented here at the American Psychological Association 116th Annual Convention, researchers from the University of North Dakota found individuals with severe depression who were taking antidepressants had reduced concentration and slower reaction times behind the wheel than […]
WellCare to Pay $35.2 Million Amid Medicaid Probe
WellCare Health Plans Inc said on Monday it agreed to pay $35.2 million to the U.S. Attorney related to a government probe into accounting errors in its Florida Medicaid behavioral health contracts. The company, which provides health-care services under government programs, said in a filing with the SEC that the payment did not represent a […]
Cosmetic Surgery Booming in Britain, Study Finds
Britons might be feeling the pinch of the global credit crunch, but they’re still ready to pay thousands of pounds for cosmetic surgery, a report suggested on Monday. Britain’s largest cosmetic surgery provider the Harley Medical Group said demand for procedures had grown by 35 percent over the past 10 months. Abdomnoplasty or “tummy tuck” […]
Carbon Dioxide Laser Resurfacing May Be Safe, Effective for Facial Rhytids
Carbon dioxide laser resurfacing is a safe and effective treatment for facial rhytidosis and solar aging, according to the results of a retrospective case series reported in the July/August issue of Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery. “The primary purpose of this study was to assess the long-term results after full-face carbon dioxide laser resurfacing,” write […]
UK Drugs Watchdog Chief Attacks Drug Firm on Prices
Incentive schemes linking drug industry executives’ pay to their firms’ share price and profits help drive up the price of new drugs, the head of Britain’s health cost-effectiveness watchdog was quoted as saying. Michael Rawlins, chairman of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), hit back after the watchdog was criticised this month […]
GORE-TEX Implants Seen as Safe Alternative to Graft for Rhinoplasty
GORE-TEX (expanded polytetrafluoroethylene) implants are a safe and inexpensive alternative to autografts for use in rhinoplasty, according to the results of a 17-year retrospective review. “It is our opinion that for both primary and secondary rhinoplasty with adequate endonasal and external soft tissue coverage, GORE-TEX should be strongly considered for major and minor corrections of […]
Three-Tiered Approach Optimizes Rhinoplasty Results Among African Americans
African American patients report a high degree of satisfaction with three-tiered open structure rhinoplasty, which includes dorsal augmentation, tip refinement, and alar base narrowing, while maintaining ethnic characteristics, according to an article in the July/August issue of the Archives of Facial and Plastic Surgery. Dr. Oleh Slupchynskyj and Marzena Gieniusz analyzed questionnaires completed by 65 […]
Can Pharmacists Improve the Accuracy of Medication Histories?
Pharmacist- Versus Physician-Obtained Medication Histories Reeder TA, Mutnick A Am J Health Syst Pharm. 2008;65:857-860 Study Summary About 60% of hospitalized patients have at least 1 error in their medication history that is taken upon admission.[1] The investigators in this study compared medication histories that were obtained by hospital pharmacists with those obtained […]
Why Should I Report an Adverse Drug Event?
When I was in charge of the postmarketing drug safety program at the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the early 1980s, 1 particular drug report became etched in my memory. “I think we are killing the babies,” a physician told me over the phone. The caller worked in a neonatal intensive care unit […]
Eating Right After Surgery — Tricky or Treat?
Allowing Normal Food at Will After Major Upper Gastrointestinal Surgery Does Not Increase Morbidity Lassen K, Kjaeve J, Fetveit T, et al. Ann Surg. 2008;247:721-729 Summary To determine the safety of immediate postoperative feeding, the authors conducted a multicenter trial involving 453 patients recruited in 5 Norwegian hospitals. Postoperative patients were allowed nothing by mouth […]