March 10th 2009
This week in medicine
The following will appear in the Mar 14 issue of The Lancet:
Radioactive Americans today are exposed to seven times more radiation from diagnostic scans than they were in 1980, according to a report from the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements. Reasons for the increase are thought to include advancement in technology-eg, the development of finer-slicing CT scans-and the rising number of scans being done in doctors’ offices.
Mexico’s challenge Despite universal availability of antiretroviral drugs, HIV/AIDS-related mortality in Mexico has remained steady for the past 12 years, the country’s National Institute of Public Health reports. A lack of drug adherence is the main cause, although decreased attention to opportunistic infections and under-funding of HIV/AIDS education and prevention programmes are not to be ignored.
Bionic eye A British man who lost his sight to retinitis pigmentosa has become the 18th person in the world to receive a bionic eye. The device comprises a small camera mounted on sunglasses linked to electrodes implanted in the patient’s damaged retina, stimulation of which restores perception of light and dark.
Drug warning labels The US Supreme Court has found drug maker Wyeth responsible for the amputation of a woman’s forearm after she developed gangrene after administration of the antinausea drug, Phenergan. The decision was made even though gangrene is listed on the drug’s warning label that is approved by the Federal Drug Administration. The ruling opens the door for thousands of negligence lawsuits against manufacturers.
Improving mental health Australian health ministers have launched the National Mental Health Policy 2008, as part of the country’s plan to become the world’s healthiest nation by 2020. The policy commits anew to a system that includes early detection and intervention, supported recovery and community ties, and effective and readily available treatment.
Dangerous marriages Women in bad marriages have more cardiac risk factors than do those in harmonious marriages, say US researchers. Depression and metabolic syndrome-a cluster of signs and symptoms closely related to diabetes and cardiovascular disease, including truncal obesity, high blood pressure, and insulin resistance-afflict women in discordant marriages more than they do their counterparts.
Meningitis The first 3 months of the meningitis season in Nigeria have seen more than 5000 cases of the disease with 333 deaths. The first case of the season, which lasts to the end of May, was reported in December. Last year 457 people died in Nigeria and 2578 died in the African meningitis belt.
Foreign aid Sudan has expelled 13 major aid groups in response to an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court for President Omar al-Bashir over alleged war crimes. Around 300 000 people have died and 3 million people have been displaced in Darfur since fighting broke out between rebels and Government forces in 2003. The UN estimates that 4·7 million people now rely on support from aid agencies.
New direction Dr David Heymann has been named the new Chair of the UK’s Health Protection Agency (HPA). Dr Heymann-currently the Assistant Director General for Health Security and Environment at WHO-will take on the role in April, 2009, after the planned merger of the HPA with the National Institute for Biological Standards and Control on April 1.
Saving lives HSBC has launched a Vaccine Investment ISA that will give investors the opportunity to help vaccination programmes in developing countries. Through the International Finance Facility for Immunisation and the GAVI Alliance, every £1000 invested will help immunise more than 130 children against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, hepatitis B, and Haemophilus influenzae type b.
Transparency A draft policy from the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) on access to EMEA documents has been criticised by the International Society of Drug Bulletins (ISDB) for a lack of transparency. After a consultation on the policy, the ISDB has encouraged the EMEA to hold public interest above commercial confidentiality by allowing information held by the agency to be made fully available to the public.
Useful information A new website from WHO, UNAIDS, the AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition, Family Health International, and several American and British schools of public health aims to dispel myths about male circumcision and HIV/AIDS prevention by providing global access to information and resources on the subject.
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