Recently, two large clinical trials in Kenya and Uganda that examined the role of circumcision in men to prevent the spread of HIV were halted on the grounds that not offering circumcision to men taking part in the trial would be unethical. The trials involved nearly 3,000 heterosexual men in Kenya and nearly 5,000 men in Uganda, none of whom were infected with HIV prior to starting the trial. In the Kenayn trial, men who were circumcised had a 53% relative risk reduction…
Last week, the FDA issued a public health advisory regarding the use of methadone (trade name Dolophine) for chronic pain. Death and life threatening side effects have been reported in patients newly starting methadone treatment and patients who have switched to methadone after taking other narcotics for pain control. According to the advisory, prescribing methadone is complex and should only be used when moderate to severe pain is not relieved by other non-narcotic pain relievers.
Although pain…
Update 12/12/06 Download new NY DOH Alert
Several Taco Bell restaurants in our area have been shut down recently due to an outbreak of E. Coli O157:H7. At least 22 people are infected, and most are under age 18. Interestingly, at least 2 Taco Bell employees have been found to carry the bacteria but are asymptomatic.
The vector is usually undercooked infected meat. Symptoms usually present within 3-4 days of ingestion. The department of health has issued a warning to physicians to consider…
Low HDL is a well known independent risk factor for atherosclerotic disease. As a result, there have been several attempts to develop medications to raise HDL. Specific targets include the inhibition of cholesteryl ester transfer protein, which plays an essential role in HDL metabolism by facilitating the transfer of cholesterol esters from HDL cholesterol to apolipoprotein B-containing lipoproteins.
Pfizer created just that drug. Known as Torcetrapib, it was seen as a promising therapeutic to increase HDL and potentially…
Welcome to the official launch of the NYU Internal Medicine Residency Program's Blog- Clinical Correlations. We hope this site becomes a part of your daily routine. Each weekday we will be posting compelling medical content including:
1. clinical cases with difficult management questions answered by faculty members
2. breaking news that should be on everyone's radar
3. quick journal article reviews with commentary from housestaff/expert faculty
4. morning report teaching points from all 3 hospitals
5. reviews of national meetings…
Hochman JS et al. for the Occluded Artery Trial Investigators. Coronary intervention for persistent occlusion after myocardial infarction. N Engl J Med 2006 Nov 14; 355.
Reperfusion via thrombolytics or PCI in patients with acute STEMI has been shown to reduce mortality and maximize myocardial salvage. It has been less clear whether patients with late presentations of MI are afforded the same benefits. Though there was no official consensus, late revascularization of the infarct vessel was frequently employed. At the AHA meeting yesterday,…
Over 100 cases have been reported to the FDA involving the use of Tamiflu and the development of hallucinations, delerium and other unusual behavior mainly in Japanese children. From the Chicago Tribune article "Health officials have been sensitive about taking any action that might dissuade people from taking Tamiflu, since the drug could play an important role in an outbreak of bird flu."
Read more about it in the Chicago Tribune and FDA websites…here are the links:
FDA announcement
Chicago Tribune Story
