Drugs

Antibiotic exposure could increase the risk of juvenile arthritis

Findings may offer another reason to judiciously prescribe antibiotics to children Date: July 20, 2015 Source: Rutgers University Taking antibiotics may increase the risk that a child will develop juvenile arthritis, according to a study from Rutgers University, University of Pennsylvania and Nemours A.I. duPont Hospital for Children published today in Pediatrics. Researchers found that […]

Antidepressant/NSAID Combo Linked to Brain Bleed Risk

Nancy A. Melville July 14, 2015 The combination of antidepressants and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) is linked to an early increased risk for intracranial hemorrhage, regardless of the type of NSAID or antidepressant, new research shows. “The take-home message for clinicians is that special attention should be paid [to] antidepressant users when they start an […]

Fallacies in Modern Medicine: Statins and the Cholesterol-Heart Hypothesis

Is Your Doctor Harming You? This commentary was published in the peer-reviewed Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons Volume 20, Number 2, Pages 54-56, Summer 2015. Modern medicine has developed striking ways to treat coronary heart disease, which feature coronary stents implanted percutaneously and coronary artery bypass grafts performed surgically with the aid of a heart-lung […]

Effects of lumbar stabilization exercise on functional disability and lumbar lordosis angle in patients with chronic low back pain – Full Text

J Phys Ther Sci. 2015 Jun; 27(6): 1983–1985. Published online 2015 Jun 30. doi: 10.1589/jpts.27.1983 PMCID: PMC4500026 Igsoo Cho, MS, PT, Abstract [Purpose] This study examined the effects of lumbar stabilization exercises on the functional disability and lumbar lordosis angles in patients with chronic low back pain. [Subjects] The subjects were 30 patients with chronic […]

Cannabinoid Offers Modest Relief From Pain, Spasticity

06.23.2015 by Sarah Wickline Wallan Staff Writer, MedPage Today Various cannabinoid compounds did not improve nausea, vomiting, or appetite, and only slightly improved chronic pain and spasticity, in patients with various long-term health conditions, a review of randomized clinical trials found. The greatest reductions in chronic pain were reported by patients who smoked tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) […]

Acetaminophen-Linked Liver Failure Varies Widely in Europe

Janis C. Kelly May 28, 2015 Acetaminophen (paracetamol) overdose caused one fifth of all cases of acute liver failure leading to the need for liver transplant (ALFT) in seven European countries, according to a study published online May 28 in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. However, when researchers compared in-country rates of acetaminophen-linked AFLT […]

Newer Birth Control Pills More Likely to Cause Blood Clots

05.27.2015 by Molly Walker Contributing Writer Women taking oral contraceptive pills had slightly higher risks of developing a clot, especially if the pill was a newer formulation, according to the results of two nested case-control studies from the U.K. Yana Vinogradova, division of primary care, University Park in Nottingham, and colleagues reported any use of […]

Balanced Advice May Reduce Antibiotic Prescriptions for Kids

Diana Swift May 18, 2015 By offering parents positive advice on ways to reduce children’s respiratory symptoms and explaining the reasons why antibiotics are not indicated, clinicians reduced inappropriate antibiotic prescribing, a new study suggests. At the same time, this two-sided approach improved parents’ experience and provider care ratings. Rita Magione-Smith, MD, MPH, a professor of pediatrics […]

Oral Steroids for Acute Radiculopathy Due to a Herniated Lumbar Disk

Oral Steroids for Acute Radiculopathy Due to a Herniated Lumbar Disk: A Randomized Clinical Trial Harley Goldberg, DO JAMA. 2015;313(19):1915-1923. doi:10.1001/jama.2015.4468. Importance Oral steroids are commonly used to treat acute sciatica due to a herniated disk but have not been evaluated in an appropriately powered clinical trial. Objective To determine if oral prednisone is more effective […]

Diagnostic errors linked to high incidence of incorrect antibiotic use

Date: May 18, 2015 Source: Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America Summary: Misdiagnoses lead to increased risk of incorrect antibiotic use, threatening patient outcomes and antimicrobial efficacy, while increasing healthcare costs, a new study concludes. The researchers found that 95 percent of patients with an incorrect or indeterminate diagnosis, or with a symptom identified but […]

Common questions about chronic low back pain Am Fam Physician

Am Fam Physician. 2015 May 15;91(10):708-14. Common questions about chronic low back pain. Herndon CM, Zoberi KS, Gardner BJ. Abstract More than 30% of U.S. adults report having experienced low back pain within the preceding three months. Although most low back pain is nonspecific and self-limiting, a subset of patients develop chronic low back pain, […]

Infant antibiotic use linked to adult diseases

May 13, 2015 Source: University of Minnesota, Academic Health Center A new study led by researchers at the University of Minnesota has found a three-way link among antibiotic use in infants, changes in the gut bacteria, and disease later in life. The imbalances in gut microbes, called dysbiosis, have been tied to infectious diseases, allergies […]

Orthopedic Surgeons Largely Contribute To Opioid Epidemic, Study Reveals

Understanding why physicians from various areas of expertise prescribe opioids helps the medical community as a whole combat opioid abuse, misuse and overdose. Even though emergency physicians are not likely to prescribe opioids to discharged patients, doctors from other medical fields are contributing to the opioid epidemic at a higher rate. Published in The Journal […]

A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-Controlled Crossover Trial of Oxymorphone Hydrochloride and Propoxyphene/Acetaminophen Combination for the Treatment of Neurogenic Claudication Associated With Lumbar Spinal Stenosis

Markman, John D. MD Spine15 May 2015Vol. 40 – Issue 10: p 684–691Abstract Study Design. Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, single-dose crossover study. Objective. To test the analgesic efficacy of oxymorphone hydrochloride (OH) and propoxyphene/acetaminophen (PA) for patients with neurogenic claudication associated with lumbar spinal stenosis. Summary of Background Data. Although opioids are often prescribed for neurogenic […]

Strong statin-diabetes link seen in large study

In a database study of nearly 26,000 beneficiaries of Tricare, the military health system, those taking statin drugs to control their cholesterol were 87 percent more likely to develop diabetes. The study, reported online April 28, 2015, in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, confirms past findings on the link between the widely prescribed drugs and […]

Improving the Safety of Epidural Steroid Injections

The JAMA Network > Share on twitter Share on facebook Share on citeulike Share on google_plusone_share More Sharing Services May 5, 2015, Vol 313, No. 17 < Previous in this Issue  |  Next in this Issue >   PDF Viewpoint Published online May 5, 2015 Improving the Safety of Epidural Steroid Injections FREE Honorio T. Benzon, MD1; Marc A. Huntoon, MD2; James P. Rathmell, MD3 [+] Author Affiliations JAMA. 2015;313(17):1713-1714. doi:10.1001/jama.2015.2912. 8,404Views 0Citations View Metrics This […]

More than 1,000 deaths in Mass. last year linked to opioid overdoses

By Lynn Arditi Journal Staff Writer Posted Apr. 28, 2015 @ 2:12 pm Updated Apr 28, 2015 at 4:33 PM PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Massachusetts health officials said Tuesday that more than 1,000 deaths in 2014 are likely related to opioid overdoses, but the overdose death rate is still lower than Rhode Island’s. Based on those […]

NSAIDS: Worth the Side Effects?

If you regularly take a nonsteroidal antinflammatory drug (NSAID) for arthritis pain, you may be wondering if it’s safe. Here’s our advice. We’ve known for some time that NSAIDs are linked to potentially serious gastrointestinal (GI) and heart troubles. A study published in The Lancet helps characterize and quantify the cardiovascular and GI risks of […]

Statins Linked to Diabetes and Complications in Healthy Adults

Troy Brown, RN May 22, 2015 Statin use for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease among healthy adults has been linked to an increased risk for diabetes, diabetes complications, and overweight/obesity in a new retrospective cohort study that tracked individuals in a database for an average of 6.5 years. “Whereas the increased risk of diabetes with statins is […]

PRP may be superior to hyaluronic acid for improvement of pain, function in patients with OA

April 27, 2015 LOS ANGELES — Use of intra-articular platelet-rich plasma significantly improved pain and function in patients with osteoarthritis at 6 months and may be a superior alternative to hyaluronic acid, according to study findings presented at the Arthroscopy Association of North America Annual Meeting. “Our study suggests that lower-leukocyte [platelet-rich plasma] is … […]