Public Health & Prevention News

• Alert Dutch Pull Pfizer Vaccine Batch After Infants Die Dutch authorities say they have banned use of a batch of Pfizer Inc's (PFE.N) Prevenar, or Prevnar, after three infants died within two weeks of receiving the anti-infection vaccination.
  Reuters Health Information, November 2009
• AMA Supports Latest House Reform Bill But Links It to Medicare Payment Bill The AMA supports a massive House healthcare reform bill that may soon come to a vote, but it must also pass a separate bill on Medicare reimbursement that would avert a 21.2% pay cut for physicians.
  Medscape Medical News, November 2009
• Polypharmacy Linked to Higher Hospital Readmission Rates in Suicidal Adolescents Suicidal adolescents admitted to hospital who receive 3 or more different classes of psychotropic medications are at increased risk for early readmission, new research suggests.
  Medscape Medical News, November 2009
• Another in-Hospital CV Risk Marker: 24-Hour Shifts With Overnight On-Call Duty Long work shifts with nighttime on-call duty, with the inevitable interruptions of sleep, are associated with ECG, blood-pressure, and biochemical changes associated with increased cardiovascular risk, suggests a randomized crossover study that hints at a sustained effect on the risk markers if the 24-hour shifts happen too frequently.
  Heartwire, November 2009
• Proposed Law Would Require Pay for Sick Workers U.S. employers who tell workers to stay home when they are sick will have to give them paid time off for up to five days under new federal legislation proposed on Tuesday.
  Reuters Health Information, November 2009
• Multidrug-Resistant Acinetobacter Infections Remain Prevalent In and Out of Hospital Infection control practices reduced the rate of multidrug resistant Acinetobacter in an intensive care unit and should be implemented in patients at risk for community-onset infections.
  Medscape Medical News, November 2009
• Preemies Raise U.S. Infant Mortality Rate A high percentage of premature births are contributing to the nation's high infant mortality rate.
  WebMD Health News, November 2009
• Psychiatric Training in Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders "Inadequate" Training in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders is inadequate, and a significant proportion of psychiatric trainees believe drinking during the third trimester of pregnancy is safe.
  Medscape Medical News, November 2009
• Virulent Strain of C difficile on the Rise in Hospital and Community Settings Physicians need to consider Clostridium difficile in patients with diarrhea, even those with no history of recent antibiotic use or hospitalization.
  Medscape Medical News, November 2009
• H1N1 Vaccine Supplies Catching Up H1N1 vaccine supplies are now "on track" to meet target levels, according to data reported today at a CDC press briefing.
  Medscape Medical News, November 2009
• CMS Set to Cut Medicare Physician Fees for Cardiovascular Imaging The 2010 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule final rule released by the CMS makes major cuts to several cardiovascular imaging services.
  Heartwire, November 2009
• Prostate Screening Should Be Offered to Older Men: Study Men older than 70 are more likely to have advanced prostate cancer by the time of surgery and experience worse survival rates, according to research published in the November issue of the Journal of Urology.
  Reuters Health Information, November 2009
• Advocates Build Support for Canadian Heart Health Strategy in a Difficult Environment Supporters of the Canadian Heart Health Strategy and Action Plan continue to solicit support from physicians and the public for a comprehensive strategy for improving Canadian's heart health at both the provincial and federal level.
  Heartwire, November 2009
• Combination Drugs for Weight Loss Two studies presented this week have shown positive effects on weight loss using a combination of agents.
  Heartwire, November 2009
• First Group B Streptococcal Vaccine Prevents Colonization in Healthy Nonpregnant Women A phase 3 study shows, for the first time, the feasibility of immunization against Group B streptococcus infection; an investigational vaccine prevents vaginal colonization.
  Medscape Medical News, November 2009
• New WHO Criteria May Qualify More Flu Viruses as Pandemic Strains A BMJ editorial suggests that refining the pandemic criteria issued by the WHO might reduce the risk for a false alarm.
  Medscape Medical News, November 2009
• Liquid Glucose Hexokinase Reagent Kits Recalled Liquid Glucose Hexokinase Reagent Kits, catalog number G7517, are being voluntarily recalled by the FDA and the manufacturer.
  Medscape Medical News, November 2009
• Landmark Study on Hormone Therapy in Low-Risk Prostate Cancer: Results Now In In a repudiation of widespread practice, a landmark trial indicates that short-term hormone therapy does not improve survival in men with low-risk disease.
  Medscape Medical News, November 2009
• Driving Policies for Patients With Visual Field Defects May Be Too Harsh A study of patients with hemianopia and quadrantanopia finds that some are safe drivers, and researchers call for a reassessment of policies that deny licenses to these patients.
  Medscape Medical News, November 2009
• Tai Chi May Help Reduce Pain of Knee Osteoarthritis in Older Patients In a randomized controlled trial, Tai Chi was associated with decreased pain and improved physical function, self-efficacy, depression, and health-related quality of life for knee osteoarthritis.
  Medscape Medical News, November 2009