A Possible Prevention of Kidney Stone

Ever had pain so severe in your sides, flank, or your lower stomach that caused you to your knees or even unable to get out of bed. This pain can be sharp and/or burning. In addition, you may have noticed some blood in your urine. After a few days the pain may have seemed to "pass" and so did the blood.

You may have just been subject to a kidney stone. And it is exactly as it sounds; a stone forms in your kidney and either it remains in the kidney or it passes out in your urine. Many Americans each year suffer from this condition. Some are required to go to the hospital for pain medications and others have kidney stones that are so large that specific procedures are done to break the stone into smaller pieces in order for them to pass.

Kidney stones have been described as equal or worse then pregnancy. If you have never had one it would be hard to believe. But if you have experienced a kidney stone then you know exactly what I am talking about.

Often the future prevention of kidney stones is at the top of the list for discussion by patients and their providers. Often individuals are encouraged to change their diet such as caffeine, sodas, chocolates, and others.

Often discussion about the benefit of fruit juices are in the mix. The hopes is that citrus juices may protect against the formation of calcium oxalate stones. These stones are one type of stones found in kidney stones and are the most common.

But are all juices equal?

It appears that the answer is no.

Often the juice recommended is Lemonade or diluted lemon juice along with dietary changes has been
found to be helpful.

But a study by the "National Institutes of Health" compared lemonade with Orange juice and it found that orange juice decrease levels of stones more efficiently then lemonade.

Other juices such as Apple and Cranberry did well with certain stones and bad for others. These two juices actually raised the risk for calcium stones but helped with the less common brushite stones.

Grapefruit juice appeared to fail completely and raised the risk of all stones.

Finally

Therefore a couple essential things have been noted. First, dietary changes are essential. Second, knowing the type of stone can be helpful. Third, try to avoid grapefruit juice if you are at risk for kidney stones.

Lastly, some individuals will only have one stone and they will be done. Others, despite the attempts at modifying diet will always be at risk. Drinking fruit juices my help reduce that risk but it doesn't mean that you won't ever have kidney stones again.

Effectiveness of Mammograms

The number one concern of women is breast cancer breast cancer and mammograms can help alleviate finding a breast mass on exam.

The American Cancer Society has long reported a need for routine mammograms to start at age 40. Then mammograms continue every 1 or 2 years following.

It is thought that for women under age of 40 it takes 1900 mammograms to save 1 life

The improvement increases after age 50 to 1300 mammograms to save 1 life.

Others argue that the risk of false positive or non-breast cancers that are diagnosed as breast cancers are a huge concern.

Others reports that mammograms are one step in breast cancer identification. Breast biopsies help confirm or enhance the diagnosis.

Some women report that mammograms have saved their lives and more importantly their confidence.

Robert Smith, director of cancer screening for the American Cancer Society, says his organization also is sticking with the current guidelines "because we not only looked at the evidence that the task force looked at, but we also looked at newer, modern data."



Recent Update

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, in a given statement, reported that the new guidelines had "caused a great deal of confusion and worry among women and their families across this country," and she stressed that they were issued by "an outside independent panel of doctors and scientists who . . . do not set federal policy and . . . don't determine what services are covered by the federal government."

This statement appears to challenge the previous statement by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.

Aside from the American Cancer Society, others such as the American College of Radiologyand some members of congress have questioned the new guidlines.

Sebelius added: "My message to women is simple. Mammograms have always been an important life-saving tool in the fight against breast cancer and they still are today. Keep doing what you have been doing for years -- talk to your doctor about your individual history, ask questions, and make the decision that is right for you."

Mammograms are a key way to diagnosis breast cancer. Mammograms have been a consistent topic in "Facts about Breast Cancer". Mammograms have been an important theme and has been promoted during Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Mammograms are a specialized X-rays that looks at breast tissue. Can be done as a routine screening or following a breast exam finding a concerning nodule.

The American Cancer Society has long reported a need for routine mammograms to start at age 40. Then mammograms continue every 1 or 2 years following.

Why wash your hands? It might not prevent the Swine Flu!!

Mom's often have good advice, but it appears the the adage of washing hands isn't all encompassing and will be little to no benefit in preventing the Swine Flu .

Typically passing soap over your hands and scrubbing can be quite effective in the prevention of passing microbes from person to person.

When it comes to the swine flu, contributing factors to the passage of infection such as restroom use, touching a door knob, covering your mouth when coughing, passing money and others can not be compensated by washing hands alone.

Recent Studies point to the passage of Swine flu through breathing and inhaling the microscopic
particles that are already in the air.

When someone sneezes, droplets are released into the air and they become aerosols that are breathed into the lungs by surrounding individuals.

Therefore, it is noted that the influenza virus is not passed from contaminated hands.



The CDC continues to recommend washing of hands for prevention of infection and overall this is a very good piece of advise.

Companies such as Steris Hand Sanitizers have seen jumps in their sales of almost 15 percent and that increase could triple over the next several months if a new increase or outbreak is seen throughout the U.S.

Overall, although the Swine Flu pandemic might not be prevented from washing your hands, there are many other bacterial and viral infections that may be prevented.

The Swine flu pandemic should not change your habit of washing your hands!!!

Post first seen at InterActive Blog

Is Medicaid really that important?

Medicaid began in 1965 under the Social Security ACT under Title XIX

Harry Truman initiated the idea of a national health insurance plan in 1945. Many worried about a "socialized health care" transformation and it wasn't until 1965 that President Lyndon Johnson signed this plan into law. - Medicaid was initiated along with Medicare.

The purpose initially was to help families who would be classified as "low income". These families would get help with their health care. the plan would typically cover hospital visits, doctor's visits, medications , prenatal care, and other necessary treatments.

Other possible eligeble individuals that could qualify would include: foster children, adopted children, certain protected individuals, disabled individuals, and other pregnant or underage children.

Children who are U.S citizens are eligible even if the parents are not.

Medicaid is the largest resource of federal money that is spent on HIV/AIDS. Qualification to this program depends on T-cell count of less than 200 before qualification is often granted.



The area that is quickly becoming oversaturated with medicaid needs deals with nursing home residents. As the shift continues towards a larger portion of individuals who require this type of care, an increased strain will be seen on this program

The individuals applying for this program may have a small amount of insurance, however the insurance does not adequately cover the family or more commonly, no medical insurance at all.

This is a very expensive program and is often the second most funded program in each state behind education. It is believed that each states spends between 15% and 22% of their budget on medicaid alone.

Medicaid is funded by a joint governing body of federal and state programs.

The United States appears to have always placed some importance in the health care of the lower income status. It is administered by each states and guidelines may be subjective from each state.



Some 50+ million people take advantage of this program with some $200 billion or more spent on it annually.

Participation on a state level is strictly voluntary, but all states have been a party to this program since 1982

*** The concerning aspect of this program is that up to 60% of those who have fallen below the poverty line will not qualify for medicaid.

The need for this program appears to be evident in the number of those who attempt to get qualified.

Certain individuals however, are not so sure that this program is being effective. The strictness or restrictiveness of this program is currently under fire. Many argue that those who really need the program are not the ones on the program. Standards for this programs are state sponsored but a basic framework has been in place.

Who benefits from Medicaid?

Often payment while on medicaid does not go to the individual themselves but rather to the provider that is seeing them. A co-pay in some states is often required. Additional payment for services is done by the government.

Medical providers themselves are paid on a much lower basis per person on medicaid than an individual on private insurance. So they, in essence, take a loss of income when seeing a medicaid patient.

Each states "Medicaid Report Card" is different, with many states failing the quality of care and several large disparities may be seen. Therefore, specific states are at risk while other states are consistently in the top performance for their category.

In our world today, insurance is practically required with expounding medical concerns and cost. This program affords a large amount of people who would otherwise be without medical insurance or without an option for medical treatment.

The burden without this program would be so overwhelming that emergency rooms and other doctor's offices would be forced to treat patients with little or no hope of recuperating any money from their visits. And although this still occurs in many cases - adding another 50 million insurance-less patients would be overwhelming to say the least.



Therefore - Is medicaid a good program - the answer has to be yes...but it is far from perfect.

As a result -- health care reform may be better suited to improve the current program of medicaid then change the system and require an additional 50 years of pitfalls and problems that will most likely be seen with any new program.

Swine Flu Vaccine Awarded First Contract

Immunization for the swine flu is big money. Just ask Protein Science, a biopharmaceutical company who was apparently awarded 35 million dollars for bringing out the first 100,000 doses of the Swine flu vaccine.

But are state health sites or the government ready to open a neighborhood clinics to start giving out a swine flu shot today. Of course not, they are at least a few months from that point. The current doses in circulation have not yet been tested and are only in the development stages. Clinical trials await in the extremely near future.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced last week the contract with Protein Sciences. The contract includes this year and may include an additional 5 years. The total contract may be worth 147 million dollars.

Caterpillar cells were infected by Protein Science with a virus that had been enhanced with a specific gene called a "hemagluttinin". This gene is often found on the surface of the influenza virus. This new technology is comparatively different than the traditional mode of vaccine development.

Protein Science's ability to make this vaccine quicker results from insect use, rather than the traditional route of a "seed strain". Seed strains are typically done by creating a Hybrid virus. In the case of the Swine flu, the hybrid contains the H1 and N1 aspects of the influenza virus. The incubator is chicken eggs. Typically the process is highly involved with seven rounds of engineering the virus into an egg for harvesting.

Creation of a vaccine for H1n1 - Swine flu will not fall only on Protein Science. Another company Sanofi-Pasteur which has received a seed strain and has also begun development. Sanofi is the largest producer of the flu vaccine currently. Several other companies continue in the development of H1N1 vaccine that will enter into the testing stages. The race is not over yet.

Qld uni from Australia has reported its initial 1,000 doses that will only be used for research with the expectation that a working drug may be ready by the end of the year.

Are we moving too fast??

It is expected that the clinical stage may test the vaccine with to shots with 2 or 3 or even 4 week cycle. This will allow a subject to be monitored and their immune system enough time to develop immunity. It will be necessary to determine the human safety involved, the immunological response of antibodies, and the side effects of the vaccine. Even at the 4 weeks we may be pushing too hard.

But what would happen if the pandemic suddenly becomes worse. Would a company or government be inclined to speed up the process. Maybe wait only 1 week or less. It could reasonably take weeks to months to adequately test the vaccine in a manner relatively safe.

Several major questions:

1.) Who should be the first to get the vaccine? [hospital workers or extremely sick patients]

2.) Which states first?

3.) Do we base it on population size or ratio of Swine flu cases??

4.) Should we plan on vaccinating all 300 million Americans

5.) What is the groundwork plan in states and counties?

6.) Which countries should be included?

7.) Cost?

8.) What's the effectiveness of the vaccine?

9.) Should adjuvants be used?

10.) Will there be another wave of swine flu?

Adjuvants

Are immune potentiators or immunomodulators that are added to vaccines with the hope to improve the immune response. It has been argued that these products can improve, enhance, accelerate, and even prolong the response of the vaccine.

The severity and amount of the vaccine may force many pharmaceutical companies to adding an adjuvant to the vaccine. This would allow the vaccine to be shared with several other countries.

Examples of adjuvants include: salts, oils, lipids, microbial derivatives, human immunomodulators (cytokines), gold particles and others.

Adjuvants have been seen to act along with the vaccine to allow and improve the desired effect.

Ajuvants may be used in the Swine flu. GlaxoSmithKline Inc. which has received Canada's pandemic vaccine contract has indicated that they will strongly consider using an adjuvant in their vaccines. In addition to the action of the vaccine it may also speed up the time it takes for the company to produce enough vaccine for the entire county.

However - some argue that once the process has begun the adjuvants may become essential - but the time for the initial production of the vaccine might double or more.

Bankruptcy a possibility??

In concerning news regarding Protein Sciences - just a day prior to receiving the contract - Creditors for Protein Sciences Corporation filed a petition to force them into bankruptcy and liquidation. This calls into concern the stability of the company that has been given the company who has been awarded the contract for production of the Swine flu vaccine.

It does appear that the government has done several internal audits into the company and it was determine that Protein Sciences are financially stable enough to continue in the development of the vaccine.

Post was originally seen at interactive health

Several additional stories:

http://www.proteinsciences.com/aboutus/aboutus_news.htm

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/06/29/2611426.htm

http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=197637

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/24/business/24vaccine.html

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/tall-hurdles-in-race-for-a-swine-flu-vaccine/article1197368

To have C-section or not to have a C-section - that is the question??

Recently I spoke with a women who was not very far along in her Pregnancy. We discussed several issues such as how long she had been trying, what she was giving up, her "planned pregnancy" her worries and other concerns. Then she threw me for a loop by saying that she was planning on having a C-section rather than vaginal delivery because she didn't want to go through the pains of childbirth.

I wasn't even sure that was an option. Is elective C-section so planned that one may decide to have a C-section for non medical reasons? A very interesting concept and can be a great argument starter at family parties. My personal jury is still out deciding on a verdict but what do you think?

Background

Giving birth by Cesarean section or also called Caesarean section and C-section can be a difficult choice. For many it becomes a life saving measure during an emergency while giving birth. It is another option other than vaginal delivery

The raise in number of C-sections is astounding. Consider that in 1970 only 6 percent of all births were by C-section. Back in 2005 that number had increased 5 times to over 30% of pregnancies.

C-section is a abdominal surgery then through the uterus to allow for the birth of a child. It is often considered riskier than vaginal birth but both procedures cause a risk for mortality of both the baby and the mother.

The following are several reasons to have a C-section planned:

1.) A previous C-section - although not must - having a previous C-section does not prohibit you from ever having a vaginal delivery again

2.) Your baby is breech [Bottom first]

3.) Your baby is transverse [sideways]

4.) More than one baby - C-section may be an option

5.) You have a conditon known as Placenta previa

6.) Mother having HIV and a high viral load [HIV isn't passed through the placenta but can be transferred
during vaginal delivery

7.) Complication to baby that otherwise would worsen with vaginal delivery

8.) A very large baby

9.) Others

Unplanned C-sections

1.) Difficulty during birth

2.) Distress of baby during birth

3.) Umbilical cord concerns

4.) Placenta abruption [placenta unattaches from uterine wall - loss of oxygen to baby]

5.) Others
*** - remember that over 90% of preterm deliveries are done by C-section http://www.marchofdimes.com/aboutus/22684_30185.asp




Elective C-section

- Some doctors endorse c-sections for medical reasons

- Some OBGYN clinics in Italy have a 80-90% C-section rate to prevent lawsuits

- In Brazil - hospitals are allowing 80% of births to be done by C-section

- Increase number of C-sections are being done for non medical reasons

My recent conversation isn't unheard of and is increasing in value for many women. Some women report watching family members with difficult deliveries and others want an uncomplicated delivery. A reported increase in the number of women waiting to become pregnant until later in their lives may also be a factor. This is just one of many areas that women and physicians alike have drawn lines and have begun to debate the idea of non medical elective C-sections.

Originally seen at Interactive Health

Obama's updated health care reform - where are we going??

Where is health care going??

A deadline of August for a Congressional decision to discuss the future of our health care appears to be in place. But increasing amounts of pressure has been placed on Congress and it is unknown what will be in the forecast.

Cost may be at the forefront. It has been estimated that "Covering 50 million uninsured Americans could cost as much as $1.5 trillion over a decade." citation from "Obama team plans more active role on health"

Obama is attempting to allow Congress to progress at its own pace - which is slower than his initial anticipation and expectation.

Some beginning legislation is attempting to force employers to cover their employees or face a strict penalty. This would allow for coverage for every working employee. However, it is less known to what extent this would be applied.

Another option is an insurance plan that would be government sponsored. This would allow the public to choose between their current work provided health care or a government sponsored insurance plan. Those against this are private insurers who argue that they would be pushed aside and would soon be forced to shut their doors.



Obama stated in a radio and Internet address : "This issue, health care reform, is not a luxury. It's not something that I want to do because of campaign promises or politics. This is a necessity. This is something that has to be done."

Another recent issue that congress is muling over currently is to ask some 164 million Americans who are currently covered by their employers to "give up at least part of the longstanding tax exemption granted to such compensation.

Some believe that this will primarily affect the wealthy who receive the largest tax break due to exclusion of their income.

A similar idea was passed around during the Regan administration back in 1984

What does this actually mean? Currently we are not taxed on our insurance. Or in other words, our yearly income is not higher because our insurance does not play into our income. We therefore receive a "tax break". This may lead to a coverage provided by employees that leads to higher deductibles or co-pays and/or a overall coverage that is less extensive and complete.

Recently Republicans from the Finance Committee gave a warning to President Obama and they insisted that he was making a mistake by supporting a government sponsored insurance plan directed at the middle class. Their concerns are that the government would begin to control the insurance market and that other private companies would be pushed out. Many Democrats remain mixed with many who support the idea but remain cautious with the finer details.



Reformation ideas are ever changing with the current need for a health care reform.
It will be interesting to watch as political dust is thrown in the air and watch where it lands and who is affected.


Check out the following stories:

Health insurance ‘haves’ to pay for ‘have-nots’?

"Obama team plans more active role on health"

Originally seen at http://www.iahealth.net/blog