Archive for June, 2009
Swine Flu Update – Issued Wednesday 24 June 2009
– 8 confirmed cases in Wales, including 3 new cases: – A 19 year old female from Monmouthshire linked to a confirmed case of swine flu in Cambridge. She has been offered antiviral medicine and is recovering. The NPHS has identified three close contacts who are all are well. – A 20 year old male from Torfaen linked to a confirmed case of swine flu in Bristol. He has been offered antiviral medicine and is recovering.
Massive Medicare Fraud Case Highlights Miami’s Increased Enforcement
Eight defendants were indicted in a massive Florida Medicare fraud case. The Associated Press reports: “It may be the center for Medicare fraud, but even Miami officials said Tuesday they were surprised by the breadth of a ring they say spanned five states, used 29 fake storefronts and attempted to steal $100 million from Medicare and Medicare Advantage.
Midlife Migraine With Aura Linked To Brain Lesions In Later Life
An international team of researchers found that middle-aged women who had migraines with aura (perceptual disturbance that may precede or accompany the migraine such as a strange light or smell, or disturbed balance or speech) were more likely to develop brain lesions when they were older compared to counterparts who did not have such headaches.
Antidepressant Directly Stimulates Brain Growth Factor Receptors
The widely used antidepressant and pain medication amitriptyline–but not other closely related drugs — can impersonate the brain’s own growth factors, researchers at Emory University School of Medicine have shown. The results are published online and will appear in the June 26 issue of the journal Chemistry & Biology.
Smoking More Than 5 Cigarettes A Day Provokes Migraine Attacks
Tobacco acts as a precipitating factor for headaches, specifically migraines. This is indicated in a study which shows that smokers have more migraine attacks and that smoking more than five cigarettes a day triggers this headache. The work has appeared in the Journal of Headache and Pain. The influence of tobacco as a precipitating, non-causal factor of migraine attacks has produced contradictory data in scientific literature.
Authorities Crackdown On Major Medicare Fraud In Detroit
Fifty-three people were indicted in a major Medicare fraud crackdown in Detroit yesterday, just one day after eight were charged in a similar case in Miami. The Wall Street Journal: “the two separate cases, a joint effort by the Justice Department and the Health and the Human Services Department, reflect a pickup in the government’s pace in combating Medicare fraud.
Effective Pain Treatment For Cancer Patients?
Cancer patients often suffer from severe pain that cannot be effectively treated with conventional medication. Researchers have found the possible reasons for this — tumors release two signal substances that make nerve cells especially sensitive and enhance tumor growth. In animal tests, when the researchers blocked the effect of the signal substances on the nerve cells, the sensitivity of the nerve cells and tumor growth were reduced.
Finance Committee Senators: Reform Bill Trimmed To Less Than $1 Trillion
Some senators on the Finance Committee said Thursday they’ve moved closer to cutting their health reform bill’s cost to under $1 trillion. The New York Times: “Senator Kent Conrad, Democrat of North Dakota, said the overall cost of the bill had been reduced mainly by limiting eligibility for various subsidies.
27,717 Swine Flu Cases Including 127 Deaths In USA So Far – Could Be One Million
According to the CDC’s (Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s) Friday evening weekly update, 27th June 2009, there have been 27,717 laboratory confirmed human cases including 127 deaths of Swine Flu or A(H1N1) influenza. Fortunately, so far the Swine Flu A(H1N1) virus appears to be no more virulent than ordinary seasonal human influenza. No reports have come in indicating that the virus may have mutated.
Joint Commission Offers Seasonal Flu Immunization Strategies
Seasonal influenza in health care workers is a personal health threat, but also poses a significant risk to the patients in their care. In an effort to help health care organizations improve the rate of health care worker influenza vaccinations, The Joint Commission is releasing a monograph “Providing a Safer Environment for Health Care Personnel and Patients Through Influenza Vaccination: Strategies from Research and Practice.
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