73 kids die of 'mysterious' disease in Bihar |  |
- 73 kids die of 'mysterious' disease in Bihar
- Now, family planning counsellors at district hospitals
- Laser technique to separate twin foetuses in womb
- Stampede during 'fish prasadam' distribution, 20 injured
- NIH supporting Arizona State University research to help in fight against kidney disease
- Mysterious disease toll is 36 in Bihar
- IU to host 100 Middle Eastern, North African students in Coca-Cola, State Department program
- Treatment with anti-TNFs can increase the risk of shingles by up to 75 percent
- Control of disease activity and biologic treatment increase life expectency in RA patients
- Report addresses challenges in implementing new diagnostic tests where they are needed most
| 73 kids die of 'mysterious' disease in Bihar Posted: 08 Jun 2012 07:55 PM PDT ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Patna, June 8 - A mysterious disease has claimed the lives of 73 children in Bihar's Muzaffarpur, Gaya and Patna districts during the past fortnight, officials said Friday. State health department officials held an emergency meeting here Friday to take stock of the situation, even as they were yet to determine the cause of the deaths. Till date, 30 children have died in Muzaffarpur and nine in Gaya. Besides, 34 children have succumbed to the disease in the Patna Medical College and Hospital - in the last 15 days. Dr. Sujata Choudhary, head of the department of paediatric in the PMCH, said 80 children suffering from acute encephalitis syndrome were admitted to the hospital, of which 34 died. She said over four dozen children suffering from a mysterious disease had been admitted to hospitals in the other two districts. Some doctors and health officials have reportedly said the children were showing symptoms similar to encephalitis. Health Minister Ashwani Kumar Choubey and Principal Secretary - Amarjit Sinha, however, denied reports that the children were dying of suspected encephalitis. The causes are yet to be ascertained, Choubey said. Last year, encephalitis, a mosquito-borne disease, claimed nearly 150 lives in Muzaffarpur and Gaya districts. http://www.rxpgnews.com |
| Now, family planning counsellors at district hospitals Posted: 08 Jun 2012 07:22 PM PDT ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, June 8 - The government will soon have family planning counsellors at district hospitals across the country for better utilisation of its population control services, officials said here Friday. There is a proposal to place counsellors at district hospitals for comprehensive counselling related to family planning services. This would include birth control options, post-delivery counselling and reproductive healthcare services, said Sushma Dureja, deputy commissioner, family planning, at the ministry of health. States such as Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan have been poor performers when it comes to family planning. But we are aiming at a country-wide reach for counsellors, added Dureja. The move is one of the steps adopted by the government to stabilise population growth, experts said. While large population size in the reproductive age group has been one of the reasons for population increase, high fertility rate due to unmet contraception is another reason. According to the Census 2011, India's population rose to 1.21 billion people over the last decade -- an increase by 181 million. For birth control, we already have a scheme in practice where ASHAs deliver contraceptives at doorsteps, Dureja said on the sidelines of a national consultation by Family Planning Association of India. ASHAs or accredited social health activists in the rural healthcare system have been involved in the project of contraceptive distribution spanning across 17 states. While the counsellors will be available for a range of services such as birth control, spacing, post-partum planning and maternal health among others, experts said the government needs to counter other problems such as limited access and poor services also. Firstly, there is poor counselling and low-quality services combined with limited access. Now that there is thought on providing counselling, it is a must at the primary health centre level, said... http://www.rxpgnews.com |
| Laser technique to separate twin foetuses in womb Posted: 08 Jun 2012 01:07 PM PDT ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, June 8 - It is a medical procedure that is fast opening a world of hope for women in India pregnant with identical twins. For foetuses sharing blood vessels and struggling for nutrition in the same sac, a surgical in-womb separation through laser helps doctors save twin lives from abortion -- earlier the only suggested solution to this rare complication. In India for over two years, laser ablation is gaining ground to save twin foetuses from twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome -, which affects over 15 percent of identical twin pregnancies. This rare condition happens in case of identical twin pregnancies when the foetuses are placed in a single sac -- making them struggle for food in a common kitchen. So while one baby gets more blood supply and nutrients, the other one becomes too weak, Anita Kaul, senior consultant at Apollo Centre for Fetal Medicine, told IANS. TTTS can be identified after 16-17 weeks of pregnancy. If it is confirmed, we decide on a laser procedure where we separate them inside the abdomen only, she said. While two babies' blood vessels remain connected, they share a common placenta or essential food supplier. During the course, one baby - receives more blood flow, while the other - gets too little supply of blood. Meanwhile, as the recipient twin becomes overloaded with blood, the strain caused on the baby's heart to pump more blood could lead to heart failure. The complications of TTTS could be such that abortion is the most suggested option to couples. However, the introduction of laser ablation in India last year has brought a new lease of life. Through a foetoscope and laser rods, we disconnect blood vessels joining the foetuses to separate them. If done appropriately, the technique gives 80 percent chances that the couple will walk home with both the babies, Chander Lulla, consultant and foetal medicine specialist at Jaslok Hospital in Mumbai, told IANS. Post-treatment, the heart of the... http://www.rxpgnews.com |
| Stampede during 'fish prasadam' distribution, 20 injured Posted: 08 Jun 2012 01:06 PM PDT ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Hyderabad, June 8 - At least 20 people were injured in a stampede here Friday during the distribution of the famous 'fish prasadam' medicine that some believe provides miraculous relief to asthma patients. The stampede took place at Katedan on the outskirts of the city when hundreds of asthma patients rushed towards distribution counters as the gates of the sports complex opened in the morning. Several old and weak patients fell on the ground and fainted. Police said five of the injured were admitted to hospitals. There was utter chaos as the authorities failed to make proper arrangements at this new venue, located about 10 km from Exhibition Grounds, Nampally, where the Bathini family had been earlier administering the fish medicine. The patients gulp down a live 'murrel' fish with a yellow herbal paste in its mouth, which is believed to provide much needed relief, if taken for three consecutive years. For vegetarians, the family gives the medicine with jaggery. The last minute change of venue threw the arrangements out of gear and caused severe inconvenience to patients coming from various parts of the country. A large number of people, including women and children, had been waiting outside the gates since Thursday night. They complained of poor arrangements by the administration. Every year, authorities with the help of NGOs make elaborate arrangements for the smooth conduct of the event. The members of Bathini family started free administration of the 'miracle drug' at 8 a.m. The family claims to be giving the fish medicine free of cost for last 163 years. The family administers the medicine on the first day of 'mrigasira karte', which heralds the onset of monsoon. Despite the controversies which hit the popularity of the fish drug in recent years, people continue to come every year in the hope of finding some relief to their nagging respiratory problems. The family had been distributing the fish medicine at their... http://www.rxpgnews.com |
| NIH supporting Arizona State University research to help in fight against kidney disease Posted: 08 Jun 2012 05:00 AM PDT ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Research led by an Arizona State University biomedical engineer and physicist to find more effective ways of detecting the onset of kidney disease is getting support from the National Institutes of Health. The NIH has awarded $400,000 to Kevin Bennett, an assistant professor of the School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, one of ASU's Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering. The grant will support his team's research focusing on a common form of kidney disease called nephritis. A significant portion of the diabetic population and others will develop kidney disease. The earlier we can detect it, the more likely it is that we can effectively treat it, Bennett says. The current method of identifying kidney disease is to perform a biopsy, which can be painful for patients and prone to errors. Bennett is working on a method using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology that involves magnetic particles. His team has engineered magnetic nanoparticles that stick to the glomerulus, a part of the kidney that is attached to the nephron. The nephron is a part of the kidney that regulates the level of water and soluble substances in the blood. By doing an MRI scan on a kidney onto which magnetic nanoparticles have been bound, it creates a visible distortion in the image that enables researchers to extract information about the nephron. The distortions in such images enable nephrons to be accurately located, their size can be determined and changes in their behavior can be revealed. If we can detect changes in nephron function early, patients can be treated earlier and with better results, Bennett says. Another application of the research is in examination of the relationship between the number of nephrons and the risk of cardiovascular and kidney diseases in humans, which is currently done by taking sections of body tissue. Researchers are also looking at how nanoparticle uptake in the kidneys is affected by diabetes and... http://www.rxpgnews.com |
| Mysterious disease toll is 36 in Bihar Posted: 07 Jun 2012 09:24 PM PDT ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Patna, June 7 - The deaths of five more children because of a mysterious disease in Bihar's Muzaffarpur and Gaya districts has taken the death toll to 36 in 11 days, officials said Thursday. The government is yet to identify the cause of the deaths. Angry over the government's failure to identify the cause of deaths, dozens of people including the parents and relatives of the victims, protested in Muzaffarpur, about 70 km from here. Health Minister Ashwani Kumar Choubey and Principal Secretary - Amarjit Sinha denied reports that the children were dying due to suspected encephalitis. The causes are yet to be ascertained, Choubey said. Sinha said most deaths were due to excessive heat, dehydration and malnutrition. Till date, 28 children have died in Muzaffarpur and eight in Gaya. Over four dozen children suffering from the mysterious disease have been admitted to hospitals in both districts. Nearly a dozen are battling for life, said a health official. Some doctors and health officials have reportedly claimed that the children were suffering from symptoms similar to encephalitis. Last year, encephalitis, a mosquito-borne disease, claimed nearly 150 lives in the two districts http://www.rxpgnews.com |
| IU to host 100 Middle Eastern, North African students in Coca-Cola, State Department program Posted: 07 Jun 2012 05:00 AM PDT ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- In an effort to increase the understanding of entrepreneurship and business education in the Arab world, the Coca-Cola Co. and the U.S. State Department are sponsoring 100 college students from across the Middle East and North Africa to study in a unique program at Indiana University's Kelley School of Business. Students will come in mid-June to IU Bloomington from Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, the Palestinian territories, Morocco and Tunisia to learn about developing business plans, social entrepreneurship, nonprofit management and other topics. After nearly four weeks at IU, they will compete in a team business plan competition, developing ideas for enterprises they can pursue upon their return home. After leaving Bloomington, they also will visit Washington, D.C., and Atlanta, Ga. The curriculum for the Global Business Institute-Middle East North Africa has been tailored to meet the needs of the 61 men and 39 women in the program. All are currently enrolled college students in fields such as computer science, engineering, medicine and business and are between the ages of 18 and 24. All of them have ideas for starting businesses, which is how they were selected. More than 5,300 students applied for the program. Indiana University's Kelley School of Business is pleased to collaborate with the Coca-Cola Company and the State Department to bring these students from the Middle East and North Africa to Bloomington during the summer of 2012, said Dan Smith, dean of the Kelley School. As the premier entrepreneurship education institution, the Kelley School understands how critical entrepreneurship and the entrepreneurial mindset are to creating a flourishing economy. Small and medium-sized businesses are the motor for local economies around the world, and these future enterprises in North Africa and the Middle East will be built by the young university students who are inspired to become their own CEOs, Smith... http://www.rxpgnews.com |
| Treatment with anti-TNFs can increase the risk of shingles by up to 75 percent Posted: 07 Jun 2012 05:00 AM PDT ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Berlin, Germany, June 7 2012: Patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases (IRD) treated with anti-tumour necrosis factor medications (anti-TNFs) have a 75% greater risk of developing herpes zoster, or shingles, than patients treated with traditional disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs), according to a meta-analysis presented today at EULAR 2012, the Annual Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism. Anti-TNFs, such as infliximab, adalimumab and etanercept have become the treatment of choice for patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases who are uncontrolled on traditional DMARDs, but it is known that a side effect of these drugs is an increased risk of bacterial infections, said Ms. Helene Che, from Lapeyronie Hospital, France and lead author of the study. This systematic review and meta-analysis demonstrates that careful monitoring of patients treated with anti-TNFs is required for early signs and symptoms of herpes zoster and raises the issue as to when vaccination against the virus should occur. The study authors conducted a literature search in Medline, Embase, the Cochrane library and abstracts from ACR and EULAR congresses from 2006 to 2010. From the 657 articles, 134 congress abstracts, and 11 national registries included in the literature search, 22 articles and 28 abstracts met eligibility criteria and were included in the study. The meta-analysis included a total follow up of 124,966 patient years (PY) (74,198 PY in the biologics group and 50,768 PY in the DMARD group) across five registries. Studies were included in the meta-analysis if they reported the respective incidences of herpes infection in anti-TNF and conventional DMARD treated patients. Incidence of severe herpetic infections (multidermatomal lesions, requiring hospitalisation or intravenous treatment) were excluded and reported when available. Herpes zoster, also known as shingles, is a painful, blistering skin rash due to the... http://www.rxpgnews.com |
| Control of disease activity and biologic treatment increase life expectency in RA patients Posted: 07 Jun 2012 05:00 AM PDT ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Berlin, Germany, June 7 2012: According to a study presented today at EULAR 2012, the Annual Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism, patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who are prescribed biologic treatments have a significantly lower mortality risk (adjusted hazard ratio [HR]: 0.61) than those just treated with traditional disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs).The study also found the mortality was similar irrespective of the method of action of biologics (anti-tumour necrosis factor drugs [anti-TNFs] or rituximab). Results of the German study of 8,908 patients demonstrated that the mortality rate decreased from 20.6 in those treated with non-biologic DMARDS to 10.6 in those exposed to anti-tumour necrosis factor (anti-TNFs) drugs, and likewise to 12.7 for those treated with rituximab. Further analyses showed that men and women with RA had a shortened life expectancy of 2.2 years compared to the general population. Patients with a mean DAS28* below 4.1 had normal life expectancies whereas of patients with a mean DAS28 score of >4.1 women died 5.6 years earlier than age and sex matched subjects from the general population, whilst males died 4.8 years earlier. It is well-known that patients with RA have lower life expectancies than the general population, said Dr. Joachim Listing, German Rheumatism Research Centre Berlin, Germany and lead study author. Our study demonstrates the positive impact that biologic treatment can have on patient's life expectancy. According to the researchers, a significant association between disease activity and mortality risk was observed by multivariate Cox regression within the patient sample. Cox proportional hazard regression was applied to investigate the influence of the time varying DAS28 scores, functional capacity and treatments on mortality risk after adjustment for age, sex, eight co-morbid conditions and smoking. The primary analysis was based on a risk window... http://www.rxpgnews.com |
| Report addresses challenges in implementing new diagnostic tests where they are needed most Posted: 07 Jun 2012 05:00 AM PDT ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Easy-to-use, inexpensive tests to diagnose infectious diseases are urgently needed in resource-limited countries. A new report based on an American Academy of Microbiology colloquium, Bringing the Lab to the Patient: Developing Point-of-Care Diagnostics for Resource Limited Settings, describes the challenges inherent in bringing new medical devices and technologies to the areas of the world where they are needed most. Point-of-care diagnostics (POCTs) bypass the need for sophisticated laboratory systems by leveraging new technologies to diagnose infectious diseases and other health concerns at the bedside, or point-of-care. Diagnostics account for 2% of the cost of health care, yet can affect 60-70% of treatment decisions. In resource limited areas where advanced laboratory services are not available, access to POCTs may be the difference between making a treatment decision that is informed by an accurate diagnosis versus one that is ineffective or even harmful. Despite the urgent need for POCTs, deploying them in resource limited settings can be fraught with difficulty. POCTs are developed by researchers and engineers and implemented by a separate group of public health professionals at a local level. There are so many variables that can make or break the effectiveness of any test, and so often the scientists and engineers developing the test are not aware of them. said Keith Klugman, who chaired the colloquium. POCTs that perform well in testing may not function 'on the ground' in resource limited areas, where there may not be running water, electricity, or trained personnel to administer the test. Recognizing the need to connect the scientists and engineers developing the POCTs with the health care workers implementing them, the American Academy of Microbiology convened a colloquium in September of 2011 to discuss how to develop POCTs that can be effectively integrated into resource limited settings. The participants discussed... http://www.rxpgnews.com |
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