Medical News

October 25, 2008

Ovarian Cancer Update

Ovarian cancer is one of the most difficult cancers to diagnose, making it one of the most deadly. The ovaries are not accessible for examination, and the symptoms that are associated with ovarian cancer are vague and can be confused with other less life-threatening conditions.

Because of its hidden nature, ovarian cancer often is not caught in time to save the patient. According to the U.S. National Cancer Institute, three of every four ovarian cancer cases are diagnosed at an advanced stage, after the malignancy has spread beyond the ovary.

October 23, 2008

20 Drugs on FDA Watch List

by Dr. Shezad Malik

The FDA is “evaluating” new adverse-event reports for 20 drugs, the agency announced in September. A 2007 federal law requires the FDA to disclose all its investigations into reports of possibly drug-related adverse events.

The reports on the list come from the FDA’s early-warning system for drugs already on the market. This Adverse Event Reporting System (AERS) collects reports from patients, hospitals, doctors, and drug companies about suspicious problems that might be related to a medication.

October 22, 2008

Changes at the Texas Medical Board

by Dr. Shezad Malik

The Texas Medical Board has named Alan T. Moore, M.D., as interim medical director of the agency.

Dr. Moore graduated with honors from the University of Texas at Austin and received his medical degree from the U.T. Southwestern Medical School, where he was a member of Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society. He completed his anatomic and clinical pathology residency at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas, where he served as chief resident during his fourth year. He also completed a hematopathology fellowship at Parkland.

Dr. Moore is board certified in anatomic pathology, clinical pathology and hematopathology. He has practiced in Austin for more than 20 years and has served as president of Clinical Pathology Associates as well as on the board of Clinical Pathology Laboratories; medical director of Seton Medical Center Laboratory; chief of Staff at Seton Medical Center; and president of the Texas Society of Pathologists. He has also served as the transplant pathologist for the Seton Medical Center Cardiac Transplant Program.

October 20, 2008

MP3 Players Can Cause Permanent Deafness

by Dr. Shezad Malik

BRUSSELS – European scientists warned that many teenagers across Europe could suffer permanent hearing loss after five years if they listen to MP3 players at too high a volume for more than five hours a week.

The risk for hearing damage depends on sound level and exposure time.

October 17, 2008

Eli Lilly To Settle Zyprexa Lawsuits

by Dr. Shezad Malik

Eli Lilly & Co. has agreed to pay $62 million to some states, to settle claims it improperly marketed Zyprexa, its top-selling drug, to patients who did not have schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, its only approved uses.

Attorneys general from several states had accused Lilly of marketing Zyprexa for off-label uses and inadequately disclosing the drug’s side effects to health-care providers. Doctors are free to prescribe drugs for uses not approved by the FDA, but drug companies cannot market them for those situations.

But Lilly has settled more than 31,000 product liability claims against the drug since 2005, paying out more than $1.1 billion. The drugmaker still faces separate litigation with 11 other states, generally involving consumer protection issues or Medicaid reimbursement.

October 16, 2008

Texas Medical Board Disciplines 34 Doctors and Issues 276 Physician Licenses

by Dr. Shezad Malik

At its October 9-10 meeting, the Texas Medical Board took disciplinary action against 34 licensed physicians.

The actions included three violations based on quality of care; two actions based on unprofessional conduct; one action based on violation of probation or prior order; one action that terminated a prior suspension; two actions based on other states’ actions; one action based on inadequate medical records violations; two actions based on impairment due to alcohol or drugs or mental/physical condition; five actions based on non-therapeutic prescribing; two actions based on failure to properly supervise or delegate; two actions based on criminal convictions; three voluntary surrenders; and 10 licensees agreed to enter into administrative orders with the Board for minimal statutory violations. In addition, the board issued two cease and desist orders against unlicensed individuals.

At its October 9-10 meeting, the Texas Medical Board issued 276 physician licenses.

October 10, 2008

HIV-Aids Origin

by Dr. Shezad Malik

A new study claims that the most common global strain of HIV began spreading in humans around 1900 in sub-Saharan Africa.

This study, which is published in Nature, found that HIV began spreading between 1884 and 1924, around the same time urban centers in west central Africa were established.

Previous studies have shown that HIV spread from chimpanzees to humans in southeastern Cameroon.

October 7, 2008

New Technologies for Counting Sponges

by Dr. Shezad Malik

Nurses count sponges and surgical instruments when a procedure begins and ends, so that they are not left inside a patient. Cases of retained foreign objects are rare — occurring once in every 5,000 surgeries — discrepancies in counts happen in 13% of surgeries, according to a recent surgical study.

The mistake is one of the hospital-acquired conditions that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will stop paying for as a complicating condition later this year.

October 1, 2008

Texas Medical Board Suspends License of Houston Doctor

by Dr. Shezad Malik

A panel of the Texas Medical Board suspended the license of Nancy Louise Anderson, M.D., license number F7350, after determining that Dr. Anderson’s continuation in the practice of medicine presents a continuing threat to the public welfare.

The action was based on the panel’s findings of violations of a 2008 Mediated Agreed Order, which required, among other provisions, that Dr. Anderson submit to random alcohol and drug screenings to ensure abstinence; participate in Alcoholics Anonymous programs and activities; obtain an independent medical evaluation within a prescribed time period; and cooperate with Board staff. The immediate suspension of Dr. Anderson’s license was based on her violations of the 2008 order by failing to submit to alcohol and drug screenings, failing to attend AA meetings, failing to obtain the medical examination, and failing to cooperate with the Board.

The action took place on Friday, September 26. The length of an automatic suspension is indefinite and it remains in effect until the board takes further action.

September 28, 2008

Bronchodilators May Cause Increase In Heart Problems

by Dr. Shezad Malik

A new study out this week in JAMA suggests that common drugs which are recommended as first-line therapy for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD raises the risk of heart attacks, strokes and death.

COPD refers to two incurable lung diseases, chronic bronchitis and emphysema most commonly caused by cigarette smoking.