Month: January 2014

ENT specialist treats burn injury patient, fined Rs 4 lakh for negligence

The National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC), while setting aside an order of the Bihar State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, held a doctor guilty of medical negligence and directed him to pay a compensation of Rs 4 lakh to a man who lost his hand due to his treatment.

NCDRC president D K Jain and members Vineeta Rai and Vinay Kumar, while hearing the revision petition, held that the Bihar State Commission erred in not correctly assessing and appreciating the evidence before them and erroneously concluding that there was no medical negligence.

The aggrieved, Jai Prakash Mehta, a resident of Bihar sustained serious burn injuries on his right arm due to electric shock while working on the electrification of a railway line as a contract labourer on June 26, 1998. He was taken to Dr B N Rai, an ENT specialist, under whom the aggrieved underwent treatment for over two weeks following which there was further deterioration of the burn injuries in his right arm.

Dr Rai then referred him to the Institute of Medical Sciences and Sir Sunderlal Hospital, Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi, where he was informed that gangrene had set in which could not be reversed and his arm had to be amputated.

Distressed by the medical negligence on the part of Dr Rai, which had very adverse and serious financial and emotional consequences for him, Jai Prakash approached the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, Rohtas, Sasaram on grounds of medical negligence and deficiency in service and requested for compensation.

The District Forum dismissed the complaint on the grounds that there was no credible evidence to prove that there was any medical negligence on the part of the doctor and further that he was not a ‘consumer’ since no fees were taken from him by the doctor. Jai Prakash filed another appeal before the State Commission, which in its order upheld the findings of the District Forum.

Jai Prakash then filed a revision petition in the NCDRC, challenging the order of the Bihar State Commission.

The NCDRC in its observation stated, “The finding of the State Commission that no medical evidence was produced, including expert opinion, to prove that the medicines prescribed were not effective or incorrect is not tenable because this is a case of res ipsa loquitur, wherein the facts speak for themselves. If Petitioner had been properly treated for his serious burn injuries and referred in time to an appropriate health facility by the doctor, then gangrene and consequent loss of his right arm could have well been avoided.”

It noted, “Clearly the doctor, who was an ENT specialist, did not have the professional competence and skills to treat the patient for burn injuries and instead misled him by assuring that the medicines mainly in the form of first aid treatment would lead to his recovery. It is clear that the Petitioner got wet gangrene because of the burn injuries which were not properly and adequately medically treated for over two weeks by the doctor.”

Source: India Medical Times

`Poppy` family plant may hold key to relieving arthritis pain

A new pill made from natural painkillers may help relieve arthritis pain.

Scientists from the University of California have found a plant, which belongs to the poppy family, could be the key as it contains a powerful pain-relieving compound in its roots which could make it a side-effect-free remedy.Researchers identified the compound dehydrocorybulbine in corydalis, which was effective against the three types of pain, which are, acute, inflammatory and neuropathic or chronic.

However, researchers have warned that DHCB needs further toxicity testing before it can be used to relieve the crippling agony of arthritis.

Source: Zee news

FDA approves diabetes pill that eliminates excess sugar through urine

The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday approved a new diabetes drug from Bristol-Myers Squibb and AstraZeneca that uses a novel approach to reduce blood sugar.

Farxiga is a once-a-day tablet designed to help diabetes patients eliminate excess sugar via their urine. That differs from older drugs that decrease the amount of sugar absorbed from food and stored in the liver.

The drug is the second product approved in the U.S. from the new class of medicines known as SGLT2 drugs. In March the FDA approved Johnson & Johnson’s Invokana, which also works by eliminating excess sugar through patients’ urine.

The agency cleared Farxiga tablets for patients with type 2 diabetes, which affects about 24 million people in the U.S. The approval marks a comeback for the drug, which was previously rejected last year after studies raised concerns about links to bladder cancer and liver toxicity.

Ten cases of bladder cancer were found in patients taking the drug in clinical trials, so Farxiga’s label warns against using it in patients with the disease. A panel of FDA advisers last month said that the uptick in cancers was likely a statistical fluke, and not related to the drug. But the FDA is requiring Bristol and AstraZeneca to track rates of bladder cancer in patients enrolled in a long-term follow up study. The companies will also monitor rates of heart disease, a frequent safety issue with newer diabetes medications.

The most common side effects associated with Farxiga included fungal and urinary tract infections. The drug can be used as a stand-alone drug or in combination with other common diabetes treatments, such as insulin and metformin.

People with type 2 diabetes are unable to properly break down carbohydrates, either because their bodies do not produce enough insulin or have become resistant to the hormone, which controls blood sugar levels. Diabetics often require multiple drugs with different mechanisms of action to control their blood sugar levels.

New York-based Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. and London-based AstraZeneca PLC already co-market the diabetes drug Onglyza, which increases insulin production while reducing glucose production.

Source; Fox bangor

Laser Hair Removal’s Risks

The first two laser hair-removal sessions went smoothly, but the third ended with burning pain that persisted for weeks, a 26-year-old Brooklyn woman recalled. Then the marks appeared: long red stripes along the backs of her legs. Over the next few months, the stripes turned dark brown.

“It was horrifying,” said the woman, who asked not to be identified in order to preserve her privacy. “It wasn’t something you would see on a normal person.”

Laser hair-removal procedures have become immensely popular in recent years. Nearly half a million such treatments were performed by dermatologic surgeons in 2011, the last year for which figures are available, according to the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery. But an unknown number of procedures are performed each year by nonphysicians who may have minimal training.

The treatments are not without risk. Performed improperly, they can cause disfiguring injuries and severe burns in sensitive areas, like the bikini line and the mustache area above the lips, and, rarely, even death.

The percentage of lawsuits over laser surgery that involved a nonphysician operator rose to 78 percent in 2011 from 36 percent in 2008, according to a study published in JAMA Dermatology in October. Laser hair removal was the most commonly performed procedure cited in the litigation. Another popular treatment, intense pulse light, is used to “rejuvenate” aging skin and get rid of wrinkles.

“Not a week goes by that I don’t see a complication from a laser,” said Dr. Tina Alster, founding director of the Washington Institute of Dermatologic Laser Surgery. She and other physicians worry about the proliferation of nonmedical facilities like so-called medical spas that offer laser treatments and other cosmetic treatments but may not have licensed medical personnel on site.

“There’s a perception by the public that anybody can do this,” Dr. Alster said. “People need to remember, it’s not the laser doing the work, it’s the operator.”

In the case of the Brooklyn woman, the laser operator, who was not a doctor, scheduled repeat treatments of her legs four weeks apart instead of the 10 to 12 weeks for legs and the back recommended in a treatment protocol, according to her lawyer, Harry Rothenberg. She sued and reached a confidential settlement with the laser operator.

The licensing and training of laser hair-removal operators varies from state to state, resulting in a patchwork of rules and regulations, said Dr. Mathew M. Avram, director of the Massachusetts General Hospital Dermatology Laser and Cosmetic Center and an author of the new study.

In laser hair removal, pulses of light are used to destroy hair follicles. The treatment is considered to be the practice of medicine in some 35 states; however, nonmedical personnel who offer the treatment are required to have on-site medical supervision in only 26 states.

New York, Virginia and Georgia do not consider laser hair removal to be a medical treatment, and 11 states simply don’t have laws regulating it.

“It’s basically the Wild West of medicine,” Dr. Avram said. “Some states are legislating and protecting patients, but a great many are not. The average person walks into a spa and sees someone with a white coat on and may assume they’re a physician.”

Even doctor-owned facilities may not have one on the premises when procedures are being done, Dr. Avram said. And states that require medical supervision may not require training and licensing of laser operators; training often is left up to the manufacturers that sell the laser equipment.

But the operator makes critical assessments of an individual’s skin type and how far apart to schedule treatments, as well as other decisions. Among those with the greatest risk of complications are people with more natural pigment in their skin or those who are tan.

A laser operator with no medical training also may treat something that looks like a sun spot but is actually a skin cancer, obscuring the disease until it is much more advanced, Dr. Avram said.

Allan Share, president of the International Medical Spa Association, agrees that there is very little oversight of medical and day spas, and he urges consumers to do research before seeking treatment. “It’s always important for a consumer to do their own due diligence,” he said.

For those considering laser hair removal, here are some factors to consider:

Ask whether the facility is owned by a medical doctor and whether he or she is immediately available during procedures. Ask the provider to review your medical history. Ask what procedures are in place in case of an emergency.

Ask who will actually perform the procedure. What licensing and training does the operator have? How many times has the operator performed laser hair removal? Has he or she done it on the part of the body that you want treated?

Ask whether laser treatment is appropriate for your skin type, hair color, complexion and body area. Suggest that the operator test a small patch of skin before you undergo the procedure. Consumers with conditions like diabetes, a difficulty with wound healing, or a tendency toward keloid scarring may be especially vulnerable to complications and should talk to a doctor before undergoing laser treatment.

If you experience pain or discoloration after a procedure, don’t wait — call your doctor right away.

Source: The Newy York times

Medical glue ‘can fix broken heart’

A medical superglue has been developed that has the potential to patch heart defects on the operating table or stop bleeding on the battlefield.

The new adhesive may eventually replace stitches and staples in heart, gut and blood vessel surgery, says a US team.

Tests on pigs show it can seal cardiac defects in seconds and withstand the forces inside the heart.

The glue, inspired by the sticking abilities of slugs, could be available for human use in two years.

Skin glue is a special type of medical adhesive used to join the edges of a wound together, while the wound starts to heal.

Medics may use skin glue to close wounds, instead of other methods such as stitches or staples.

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However, until now medical glue has not proved strong enough to withstand the forces inside the pumping chambers of the heart or major blood vessels.

Inspired by slugs
The new glue, developed by Harvard Medical School, can provide a waterproof seal that is bonded in a few seconds with a shine of UV light.

Study co-author Prof Jeffrey Karp, of Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, told. “We have developed a surgical glue that can be used in open and more invasive procedures and seal dynamic tissues such as blood vessels and the heart, as well as the intestines.

“We think that our glue could augment stitches or staples or possibly replace them.

“More importantly, this should open the door to a greater adaptation of minimally invasive procedures.”

The polymer adhesive, which is both blood and water repellent, is inspired by the ability of animals, such as slugs, to cling to surfaces using sticky secretions that work in the wet.

The researchers tested the glue on the hearts of pigs, which resemble human hearts, during surgery, and found that it could effectively repair heart defects in the animals.

They say further studies testing the safety of the glue in humans are needed, but the results suggest the new surgical glue could be used for sealing open wounds quickly in trauma.

Prof Karp said he expected the glue to be available in two to three years, after undergoing human testing.

Dr Sanjay Thakrar from the British Heart Foundation said: “The cardiovascular system is a dynamic environment where there is continuous blood flow and tissue contractions and existing glues often don’t work well in these conditions.

“These researchers seem to have found an innovative way to overcome these issues, which could be especially useful during minimally invasive procedures.”

“As the scientists only measured the effectiveness of the glue over a short time period, it is important to see how the glue performs for longer durations.”

The research is published in the journal Science Translational Medicine

Source: BBC news

Utah Mom to Give Birth to Daughter’s Daughter

A 58-year-old Utah woman is set to give birth in a few weeks — to her first grandchild.

Julia Navarro is serving as a gestational surrogate for her daughter and son-in-law after the couple struggled with fertility problems.

Navarro’s daughter Lorena McKinnon said she began trying to have a baby with her husband, Micah McKinnon, three years ago.

The 32-year-old Provo woman said she’s had about a dozen miscarriages, with the longest pregnancy lasting 10 weeks.

After several tries, the couple began looking for a surrogate. McKinnon said a friend and sister both considered carrying her baby, but ultimately decided against it.

That’s when her mother offered to step in.

Navarro had to undergo hormone shots for three months before an embryo fertilized by her daughter and son-in-law could be implanted. Because of her age, doctors had warned there was only a 45 percent chance the implantation would be successful.

But the procedure was a success, and Navarro said she’s had a smooth pregnancy carrying a developing baby girl.

As with other surrogacy arrangements, the couple and Navarro needed three months of counseling.

“The psychologists wanted to make sure we knew what we were getting into — that we were mentally prepared,” McKinnon said. “Mostly, surrogacy contracts are with people you don’t know. It was weird to have a contract with my mom.”

It’s unclear how rare it is for a woman to carry her own grandchild, but recent news reports have detailed similar relationships.

Last year, a 53-year-old Iowa woman gave birth to her twin granddaughters. And in 2012, a 49-year-old woman in Maine gave birth to her grandson.

McKinnon said she was grateful and overwhelmed by her mother’s offer, which eases some of the obstacles and financial burdens for parents using a gestational surrogate.

According to Utah law, surrogates must be 21 or older, financially stable and must have already given birth once.

Couples must be married and are allowed to offer a reasonable payment to a surrogate.

On average, a couple can spend about $60,000 on procedures and paying the surrogate, but McKinnon said her mother’s offer to help is saving the couple about half of that.

Both she and her daughter said they’ve bonded over the experience.

The baby girl is due in early February.

Source: abc news

Woman finds bird skull inside package of frozen spinach

Sarasota, Florida woman who claims she found a bird’s skull inside her package of frozen chopped spinach. And it’s not the kind of thing that maybe looks sort of like a bird skull. It’s the kind of thing that absolutely can’t be confused for anything other than a bird’s skull.

she was making appetizers for a New Year’s Eve party when she discovered the bird’s noggin. She had microwaved the bag and drained it. When Brogan noticed a big chunk, she figured it was just some leftover greens that hadn’t properly defrosted, so she put it aside and didn’t think twice. It wasn’t until the next day that Madeline realized what it really was.

She told the station, “”I picked it up and started pulling the spinach off it and realized there were two eyeholes, and it was a little skull. I ate that eye, or someone did.” Barf.

Brogan says she’s not angry over the matter. On their part,“We did receive communication from the customer through our customer care department, which was shared with our corporate quality assurance team. They are working through the details with the customer and the supplier. We have not received any additional complaints and believe this is an isolated incident.”

Source: Yahoo news

Tech-infused bed called x12 monitors heart rate, eases snoring

If you think a bed that adjusts how firm or soft the mattress is is innovative, get this—now your bed can monitor your heart rate and sleep patterns, too.

If you think a bed that adjusts how firm or soft the mattress is is innovative, get this—now your bed can monitor your heart rate and sleep patterns, too.

Select Comfort, maker of the Sleep Number bed, revealed their latest product at the 2014 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Time.com reported.

The x12 bed has a wireless connection that allows built-in sensors to track your sleep patterns, monitor your heart rate and study your sleep movement. If you have a partner who snores, you can hit the Partner Snore button to tilt the head section of your partner’s side of the bed upward by six degrees – just enough to help them stop snoring.

You can also review your data in the morning with the connected app to see your sleep score – and compare it to your partner’s score.

This tech-savvy bed goes on sale February 8 for $8,000 for the queen-size version.

Source: news.nom

MCI asked to consider introducing PG level course in Gerontology

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Wednesday asked the Medical Council of India (MCI) and the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to explore the possibility of introducing a new postgraduate level course in ‘Gerontology’ in medical colleges.

This is in keeping in view the problems in old age and the requirement for providing dedicated facilities to senior citizens as required under Section 20 of the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007, the NHRC said in a statement.

The NHRC also observed that with the passage of time, the percentage of aged persons in the country is liable to go up considerably. “To deal with their problems, it is necessary that the healthcare system in the country should be well equipped,” it said.

The Commission in its notice to the Secretaries, Medical Council of India and the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare sought their response within eight weeks.

Source: India Medical times

The truth behind baby carrots

Baby carrots have become a lunch box staple. Parents love them for their convenience and because they’re seen as a healthy food choice. Kids love them because they’re sweet and fun to eat.

But what’s the real deal behind baby carrots?

After all, they’re not like regular carrots. They’re perfectly shaped with rounded edges; they don’t have the same thick core; and, even peeled, they’re bright orange. And a quick Google search of baby carrots turns up some frightening information on how they’re made and whether they’re really “soaked in chlorine.” What’s up with that?

We decided to dig up the truth on baby carrots, and here’s what we found.

Most baby carrots sold in U.S. supermarkets are really what the industry calls “baby cuts” – made from longer carrots that have been peeled and cut into a smaller size. These carrots have been specifically bred to be smaller in diameter, coreless and sweeter than regular carrots.

Bob Borda, a spokesman for Grimmway Farms, the world’s largest carrot grower (it ships 10 million pounds every day), says that over the years the company has developed a hybrid that combines the best qualities from over 250 known commercial varieties.

But baby carrots didn’t start out that way. Prior to the mid-1980s, broken and misshaped carrots were discarded, leaving some farmers with as little as 30 percent of their crop to take to stores. Tired of throwing away perfectly good food, California carrot farmer Mike Yurosek took the carrots and used a potato peeler to reshape them into small pieces more suitable for quick munching. Yurosek purchased an industrial green bean cutter to quickly whittle the carrots into the familiar 2-inch portions we still see today — and their popularity took off.

Baby carrot products have been the fastest growing segment of the carrot industry since the early 1990s and are among the most popular produce items in the supermarket aisle – more than potatoes and celery, according to a 2007 USDA report.

While Yurosek’s baby cut carrots have evolved, there has remained a persistent concern from some consumers over how they’re grown and processed.

In order to create thinner vegetables, baby carrots are planted closer together than traditional carrots. In as little as 120 days from planting, the carrots are dug up and trucked to the processing house to be cut and peeled. But before packaging, all carrots receive a brisk scrub accompanied by a chlorine bath.

Wait, what? Chlorine, you say, as in the same chemical you put in your pools?

Borda says Grimmway Farms, whose labels include Cal-Organic, uses a chlorine solution on all its carrots – organic and non-organic — to prevent food poisoning, before a final wash in water. Grimmway says the chlorine rinse is well within limits set by the EPA and is comparable to levels found in tap water.

Ashley Bade, nutritionist and founder of Honest Mom Nutrition, says the chlorine bath is a standard practice in many pre-cut food items. “The chlorine-water solution is a needed step in the process to limit the risk of food-borne illnesses such as E.coli,” she says.

Yet the controversy over chemical rinsing has caused a minor uproar among organic communities and concerned parents wanting to rid their children’s lunchboxes of potentially dangerous chemicals.

In fact, when FoxNews.com contacted Bolthouse Farms, the nation’s second largest carrot producer, spokeswoman Kathleen Corless said the company didn’t want to be interviewed for this story. “We don’t want to keep perpetuating the myth that baby carrots are dyed or bleached,” she said.

“I have had clients bring up concerns regarding baby carrots after some rumors about the processing of baby carrots involving ‘soaking them in chlorine or bleach,’” Bade said, adding that the carrots are safe to eat.

The truth is that baby carrots are no different from packaged lettuce or any other prepared produce — like bagged lettuce—you find in the grocery store.

Nutritionists say consumers concerned about the chlorine can just buy whole, unprocessed carrots and wash, peel and cut them themselves.

But Dr. Aruna Weerasooriya, researcher and professor of agricultural sciences at Prairie View A&M University, says a perhaps larger, less known health concern is how the manipulation of certain vegetables degrades their nutritional value.

“When you look at wild carrots, they have high levels of Thymol, a phyto-chemical that is essential for the body to control bacteria and ward off viral infections,” he said. “Now, when you look at some of these new carrot breeds, this type of phytochemical just isn’t there.”

Weerasooriya believes that carrot companies are trading in nutritional value for increased convenience to the customer – and profit for themselves. “Research should focus on how to retain some of these nutrients, but instead companies are probably more concerned about a longer shelf life.”

Source: fox news