STORY TO BE TOLD

S’wak health dept aims to give better cancer care

KUCHING: The Sarawak Health Department's resolution for this year is to push for better cancer care in the state.

Its director Dr Zulkifli Jantan said state health authorities would press the Federal Government to set up and upgrade cancer treatment facilities in the state.

He added it was crucial to increase the number of cancer specialists for better treatment in the state.

"The lack of cancer specialists is always a problem in the country. In Sarawak, there are only two cancer specialists. However, the number of cancer patients is increasing.

"Cancer facility upgrades in the state might take time but it is always our priority to provide better cancer care in the state," he told reporters at the first day of operations of the Sarawak General Hospital's (SGH) Heart Centre, formerly known as Sarawak International Medical Centre (SIMC) at Kota Samarahan, about 15 km from here on Saturday.

It was reported last year that the cancer treatment would be part of the service at the SIMC and it would be renamed as Sarawak Heart and Cancer Hospital.

However, after a turn-around plan in July last year, the centre has now been renamed as SGH Heart Centre. - Bernama

Read more/More news on: http://thestar.com.my/

Credits to and source taken from: http://thestar.com.my/

Real, persistent pain of headaches
By WONG LI ZA
wongliza@thestar.com.my

There are many different types of headache, each with its own triggers. DERRICK Chen thought nothing of having two roti canai for supper a few weeks ago. He went to bed not long after, but in the morning, what greeted him was a sharp pain on the right side of his head.

This was a pattern he noticed lately: a heavy supper preceding a pounding headache the next day.

Chen, 41, has been suffering from headaches for the past 10 years. He describes his pain as “pin prick” in nature that occurs on his left or right temple. Sometimes he experiences a dull, pulsating pain at the back of his neck.

“If I take two (paracetamols) at the start of a headache, I will be fine the entire day. However, the following morning, the headache returns and I will need to take two more painkillers,” said Chen, a businessman and father of three.

His longest spell lasts seven days; his shortest, one day. On average, Chen, a smoker, experiences two to three headaches a month, usually migraines.

So far, he has seen two neurologists and undergone a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) test, but doctors found nothing.

“They told me it’s stress, to take it easy and continue taking paracetamol. One doctor said it could be my eyesight but I had that checked and it was fine.”

Chen has also consulted a traditional Chinese sinseh who prescribed him dried cockroaches boiled with herbs to drink.

“I’ve tried that three times but the headaches are still there,” he said.

Sakeenah (not her real name), started getting migraines when she first returned to Malaysia from Britain 20 years ago.

“It was most probably due to the heat,” recalled Sakeenah, who was in her mid-30s then.

She suffered from migraines once a month, especially on the first day of her period. She would also get a migraine if she missed a meal or when travelling overseas.

“I would get this throbbing pain on the right side of my head, but the pain was not so bad then,” said Sakeenah, now in her mid-50s.

Her migraines worsened when she went into menopause in her early 50s.

“I would get it once every two weeks and the pain was much more intense. Work stress added to the intensity and late nights did not help, either,” said Sakeenah, whose symptoms included vomiting, sometimes throughout the day, and sensitivity to light.

Sakeenah, whose mother and son also suffer from migraines, has consulted a neurologist and undergone an MRI, with results coming back negative. In addition to Western medication, she has tried acupuncture and ayurvedic treatments but she admitted that she did not follow up with her sessions.

“I just want fast relief because it’s so debilitating and I want it to go away, especially when I need to work,” she said, adding that stress is a main trigger for her.

Many possible causes

Another word for headache is cephalalgia, which originates from an ancient Greek word meaning “head pain”.

A headache is not a disease per se, but a medical problem that is often a life-long condition. Among the most common disorders of the nervous system, headaches occur due to many possible causes.

Some people are more prone to headaches because of their genetic make-up, brain chemistry and also hereditary reasons. Lifestyle is another factor, with stress, lack of sleep and missing meals among the causes.

Understanding headaches starts with knowing that there are many different types of headache disorders.

Each experience differs in terms of nature of pain (dull, sharp, throbbing and so on), severity, pain location, frequency and duration of attacks, and presence of other symptoms, such as nausea.

The most severe form of headache is a cluster headache, which is almost exclusive to middle-aged men.

Studies also show that over 80% of women in their reproductive age have headaches, usually more severe than men. Women also suffer more from migraines and tension-type headaches than men. Fluctuating hormone levels as women go through menstruation, pregnancy and menopause may play a role, but it does not apply to all women.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the most common headache disorders are tension-type headache (TTH), migraine, cluster headache and “chronic daily headache” syndromes.

Studies show that headaches disrupt family and quality of life, and productivity, more than many other chronic disorders.

According to WHO, in developed countries, TTH alone affects two-thirds of adult males and over 80% of females. In Malaysia, no major studies have been done on the prevalence of headaches.

“However, headache is the most common complaint in our neurology outpatient clinic and we see about 12 new patients a week,” said Prof Datuk Dr Raymond Azman Ali, senior consultant neurologist at Hospital Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia’s Department of Medicine.

The most common form of headache the clinic encounters, he added, is migraine, although many medical books list tension headache as most common.

“The reason for this discrepancy is, I believe, that the majority of tension headache sufferers prefer to buy analgesics over the counter or dispel their headache as something normal, since they have lived with it for many years.

“Another reason is that a lot of them see a general practitioner or their family doctor and are not referred to us,” said Dr Raymond, who is also Malaysian Society of Neurosciences’ Epilepsy Council chairman.

He said those aged between 12 and 35 form the biggest pool of people who suffer from headaches, and most are female.

One of the biggest myths about headaches is that they are due to brain tumours.

“Our brains do not have pain receptors. You can push a needle through the brain and you will feel nothing. The pain receptors are in the meninges (brain covering), blood vessels and skull.

“Hence, a brain tumour has to be large enough to compress these pain-sensitive structures to cause a headache. But by then, patients would have suffered epileptic seizures, hemiparesis (weakness or paralysis in one side of the body), dysphasia (a communication impairment resulting from brain injury) or a personality change,” explained Dr Raymond.

Some people also wonder if sex causes headaches.

“(That is true). It is well-known that some patients have what is called post-coital headaches,” he said.

However, the myth that hypertension causes headaches is not true.

“If someone with hypertension has headaches, he or she probably has two unrelated problems, a phaechromocytoma (adrenal tumour secreting hormones produced by the adrenal glands, which is rare) or malignant hypertension (very high blood pressure of over 220/140 mmHg). So, don’t wait until you have a headache before checking your blood pressure.”

Knowing the triggers

Tension-type headaches may be triggered by poor posture, working in awkward positions, stress, depression and anxiety.

For migraines, triggers include certain foods, hunger, changes in weather or sleep patterns, exposure to bright lights or unusual odours, skipping a meal, drinking alcohol and having sex.

Dr Raymond said that although certain foods trigger migraines, not everyone experiences the same thing.

“Therefore, we do not ‘ban’ these foods but rather, ask patients to note down in their headache diary what they ate prior to an attack, like durian, chocolate, milk, peanuts, coffee, wine, citrus foods or certain drugs (such as nitrates for heart patients).

“Surprisingly, over-relaxing is also a recognised factor with migraines. Others include sleep deprivation or too much sleep, travelling, heat, unaccustomed exercise, menses and irregular meals, probably related to hypo-glycaemia,” he said.

For women with migraine, the trigger is often linked to a drop in estrogen levels.

According to the book Mayo Clinic On Headache by Jerry W. Swanson, an estimated 50% of migraineurs may have a magnesium deficiency.

For cluster headaches, there are no known triggers. However, measures that may help avoid an attack include having a regular sleep schedule, and avoiding afternoon naps, alcohol, tobacco products, glare and bright lights.

Although most headaches are not life-threatening, they can be debilitating.

“It is not severe in the sense that it can kill you or cause permanent disability. As a neurologist, I want my patients to lead a normal life as much as possible.

“Untreated migraine can lead to depression and about 18% of migraine sufferers have suicidal ideation,” said Dr Raymond, quoting a past study done in Malaysia between Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre, Universiti Malaya Medical Centre and Hospital Kuala Lumpur,

Dr Raymond cautioned about secondary headaches, which are more dangerous and can lead to death.

“These are headaches due to an underlying disease such as meningitis, temporal arteritis, cervical spondylosis, dental problems, glaucoma or SLE (systemic lupus erythematosus).”

So when should people suffering from headaches seek medical attention?

According to Mayo Clinic On Headache, if you experience a sudden, severe headache that is unlike any you have had before, or a headache that continues to worsen over time, see a doctor promptly.

The same applies to a headache that comes with a high fever or stiff neck.

“I think (you should seek medical advice) all the time, unless it is acute and accompanied by unequivocal flu-like symptoms. A viral upper respiratory tract infection is the most common cause of short-term headache.

“All other headaches should be treated seriously. Let us decide whether to investigate or not. Generally, I don’t do any investigations if the patients have typical features of a primary headache,” said Dr Raymond.

These days, many people are keen to seek other forms of treatments for their headaches besides relying on medication. These treatments are either used as alternative or complementary therapies.

“There is some evidence to support acupuncture’s role in migraine and tension headaches. See a neurologist first and then decide what to do next,” advised Dr Raymond.

More news on: http://thestar.com.my/

Credits to and source taken from: http://thestar.com.my/

An endoscopy is the best way of seeing what is going on in your stomach.

Getting ‘gastric’
TELL ME ABOUT . . .
By Dr Y.L.M

Indomie safe to eat: Health Ministry
By LOH FOON FONG

PUTRAJAYA: The Indomie instant noodles sold in Malaysia are safe for consumption, Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said Wednesday.

He said the ministry had tested 30 out of 77 samples of Indomie collected locally for hydroxylbenzoic acid methyl ester and found that they did not contain the preservative.

"The ministry wishes to assure that eating Indomie will not cause any health risks to consumers," he said.

It was reported on Saturday that the Taipei Country Health Bureau had detected hydroxylbezoic acid methyl ester in soya sauce seasoning used in Indomie, an instant noodle imported from Indonesia.

Liow said Taiwan allows the preservative to be used at a level of not more than 250mg per kg in soya sauce seasoning, while Malaysia does not allow its use in instant noodles, in line with the standard set by the Codex Alimentarius Commission.

The commission allows the use of the preservatives only in snacks and at a level between 300 to 500mg per kg while Europe and Canada have allowed its use in pickles, marmalade, preserved fruit and some other preserved food at levels between 300 to 1,000 mg per kg, he said.

According to the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives, the preservative contains acceptable daily intake, or an amount that can be consumed up to 10mg/kg of body weight a day without affecting health in the long term, he said.

He said the Ministry would continue to monitor the use of the preservatives in food, especially imported food.

Credits to and source taken from: http://thestar.com.my/news/

Report: Eleven died of melioidosis bacterial infection
By PHILIP HII
philiphii@thestar.com.my

ELEVEN people have died from melioidosis bacterial infection in Sarawak this year.

A report from the Sarawak Health Department stated that the deaths were reported between February and August and the age ranged from 11 to 73 years old.

The report said there were five deaths due to leptospirosis, including an Indonesian man.

It added that the risk factors that might contribute to leptospirosis were the presence of animals like dog and rat in the patient’s workplace or home, swimming in river, direct contact with muddy water and jungle trekking.

Leptospirosis is present in rat urine while melioidosis is a water-and-earth-borne bacteria.

On dengue, the report said that in the first nine months of this year, Sarawak reported a total of 3,445 cases compared to 1,364 cases during the same period last year.

Sibu has the highest number of reported dengue cases with 850 cases followed by Miri (687 cases), Kuching (379 cases), Bintulu (188 cases), Kapit (136 cases), Serian (124 cases), Marudi (103 cases), Limbang (102 cases), Bau (96 cases) and Samarahan (79 cases).

The report said Belian Lane and Tuong Aik Shipyard had been declared as areas of uncontrolled outbreak of dengue in Sibu.

For malaria, Marudi reported the most cases with 995 cases followed by Belaga (195 cases) and Bintulu (92 cases).

The chikungunya cases also recorded an increase during the first nine months of 2010 as compared to last year. There were 537 cases this year against 368 cases for the same period in 2009.

The top five districts with the highest number of reported chikungunya cases are Belaga (78 cases), Kuching (72 cases), Kapit (61 cases), Sibu (45 cases) and Bintulu (44 cases).

Credits to and source taken from: http://thestar.com.my/

Dengue begins at home
By FLORENCE A. SAMY
newsdesk@thestar.com.my

KUALA LUMPUR: Homes can literally turn into death traps when it comes to dengue.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said authorities found Aedes larvae in the homes of more than 50% of people who died from dengue this year.

“As at Saturday, 30,350 dengue cases have been recorded, with 95 deaths. This is an increase from the 28,659 cases with 67 deaths recorded in the same period last year,” he said.

“We must take a serious proactive approach in fighting dengue. It is important to be aware that our homes can be breeding grounds for the Aedes mosquitoes,” he said after launching a blood donation campaign by Naturally Plus Malaysia Sdn Bhd and the National Blood Centre here yesterday.

Liow said for the week ending on Saturday alone, there were 847 dengue cases in the country, with one death recorded in the Federal Territory, adding that authorities were meeting dengue experts to find ways to combat the disease.

He said the Institute of Medical Research was also conducting a study on the drug-resistant NDM-1 (New Delhi metallo-lactamase-1) superbug identified in India and Pakistan.

“We are waiting for the results before making an announcement. We do not want to cause unnecessary alarm.

“We are concerned about this bug as any bacteria, especially one described as a superbacteria can cause harm to the body. There are no details from the World Health Organisation yet,” he added.

The superbug had reportedly caused the death of a Belgian man and infected several people from Britain, Australia and the United States, who had travelled to India and Pakistan for surgery. The Belgian was reportedly infected by the bacteria after being hospitalised in Pakistan for a leg injury following a car accident.

According to the United States’ Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, NDM-1 is an “enzyme that destroys many commonly used antibiotics, rendering them ineffective.”

On the leptospirosis and melioidosis infections that had claimed nine lives so far, Liow said these could be treated if detected early.

Leptospirosis is present in rat urine while melioidosis is a water-and-earth-borne bacteria.

“Those who feel sick or have fever, especially after outdoor activities, should seek treatment immediately,” he added.

Earlier, Liow encouraged people to donate blood during the current festive season when supply was low.

He added that 565,604 blood units were donated to the National Blood Centre last year

Global warming may be cause of sharp rise in dengue cases: Liow
By ONG HAN SEAN

BENTONG: Global warming and changing weather patterns appear to have led to an “alarming” rise in dengue cases and deaths in the region.

“Singapore, Vietnam and Thailand are seeing an increase in dengue cases, as well. This could be due to the rainy season and global warming.

"The changing weather appears to cause the mosquitoes to breed faster," he said.

As a result, public cooperation was vital in the fight against the disease, he said.

“The ministry cannot fight this war alone. We need the concerted effort of everyone to reduce the number of dengue deaths,” he said.

The death toll from dengue cases this year, as of Sunday, had already hit 100 compared to 67 last year, said Liow.

“During the same period last year, there were 29,183 reported cases. This year, we’re already up to 31,375 cases. The situation now is really alarming,” he told reporters after launching the second Bentong Health Carnival Sunday.

He urged the public to give its full cooperation to the ministry’s gotong-royong programmes to combat dengue.

Credits to and source taken from: http://thestar.com.my/

Stones in the bladder

THE DOCTOR SAYS
By DR MILTON LUM



BLADDER stones (calculi) are common, particularly in tropical climates. Bladder calculi are less common than kidney calculi. The former are usually a consequence of urinary tract conditions, in which there is stasis of urine, e.g. urinary tract infections, especially recurrent ones, bladder diverticulum, enlarged prostate and conditions of the nervous system, although they can also occur in healthy people.

The presence of calculi in the kidneys and ureters does not necessarily mean that the risk of bladder calculi is increased.

Most bladder calculi occur in adult males. However they can also occur in children. The materials that comprise bladder calculi in adults include uric acid, calcium and ammonium compounds. It is not uncommon to find that the core of a calculus is of one particular chemical surrounded by layers of different chemicals around it.
The materials that comprise bladder calculi in adults include uric acid, calcium and ammonium compounds.

The factors associated with bladder calculi in children include bladder diverticulum, infant feeding with breast milk and polished rice, high intake of animal proteins, and spinal cord conditions.

Most bladder calculi arise from the bladder itself. However, some calculi are initially formed in the kidney and are then passed into the bladder when additional deposits lead to an increase in the size of the calculi. The renal calculi which are tiny enough to traverse the ureters to reach the bladder are also tiny enough to be passed out when bladder function is normal and there is no obstruction in the channel that leads from the bladder to the exterior (urethra).

Bladder calculi can be single or multiple and are of various sizes. Although most bladder calculi are mobile, there are some which are adherent to the bladder.

Clinical features

Some people with bladder calculi have no symptoms.

For those with symptoms, these arise from the calculus irritating the bladder or obstructing the flow of urine from the bladder.

The common symptoms include lower abdominal pain or pressure, pain on passing urine (dysuria), frequent passing of urine (frequency), passing urine at night (nocturia), interruption of urine flow (hesitancy) and retention of urine.

Other common symptoms include blood in the urine (haematuria), urge to pass urine (urgency), sudden stopping when passing urine associated with pain at the tip of the penis, scrotum or back, and inability to pass urine except when in certain positions. There may also be incontinence and fever.

There may be a history of previous pelvic surgery.

The common findings on physical examination include lower abdominal tenderness above the pubic bone and a palpable bladder if there is urinary retention. Rectal examination may reveal an enlarged prostate. There will be signs of neurological dysfunction if there is a disorder of the nervous system.

Children with bladder calculi may have persistent erection of the penis, which is unrelated to any stimulation and/or occasional involuntary passage of urine at night (nocturnal enuresis), the latter resulting in bedwetting.

The complications of untreated or inadequately treated bladder calculi include obstruction of the upper urinary tract, urinary tract infection, incontinence of urine, urinary retention, recurrence of the calculi and permanent damage to the bladder and/or kidneys.

Management

Laboratory and imaging tests may be done. They will provide information about the presence of calculi, their nature, and associated or causative conditions.

An abdominal or pelvic x-ray will reveal radio-opaque calculi. However, uric acid calculi are radiolucent and may not be seen on the x-rays if they are not coated with calcium. Bladder calculi are also commonly diagnosed by computerised x-ray tomography (CT scan) and ultrasound.

Microscopic examination of the urine may reveal the presence of an infection, blood or crystals. Culture of a mid-stream specimen of the urine may reveal a urinary tract infection.

Many people get rid of the bladder calculi by themselves, i.e. they pass out the calculi when urinating. This often happens with small calculi.

Cystoscopy is a procedure in which a telescope-like instrument is inserted through the urethra under anaesthesia to visualise the inside of the bladder and its contents, if any. It is a common method used to diagnose bladder calculi.

After the calculus or calculi has been visualised, it is broken up into fragments with an energy source, which include mechanical, ultrasonic and laser. The fragments are then removed through the cystoscope.

The miniaturisation of these instruments has made it possible for the use of the treatment modalities in selected children, whose urethral diameter is usually smaller than that of adults. Complications are few and usually minor in nature. They include urinary tract infection, fever, perforation of the bladder, and bleeding.

In general, the majority of bladder calculi are surgically removed through the cystoscope. However, there are situations in which the calculi are too large or hard or when access to the bladder is limited by a narrow urethra, e.g. in children. In such situations, the percutaneous or open suprapubic surgical approach is used.

The percutaneous approach involves approaching the bladder through the skin above the pubic bone. This is the main approach in children. It permits the use of larger diameter and shorter endoscopic equipment to rapidly break up the calculi, which are then removed. It is not uncommon that the urethral and percutaneous approaches are used together to stabilise the calculi; break it up followed by removal of the fragmented debris.

Open suprapubic cystotomy is an operation in which the bladder is surgically opened and the calculi removed. This method is used when the calculi are large and/or hard and when open prostatectomy and/or removal of bladder diverticula is done.

The advantages of this method are the easy and rapid removal of several calculi at a time, the removal of large calculi, and the removal of calculi that are stuck to the bladder surface. Its disadvantages include longer hospital stay, post-operative pain and longer bladder catheterisation times.

Other procedures may be done at the same time as removal of the bladder calculi, e.g. removal of an enlarged prostate.

The conditions which are contraindications to the surgical removal of bladder calculi are few. These include pregnancy and poor general health of the patient.

Medicines are sometimes used in the management of bladder calculi. The only potentially effective medicine is the alkalinisation of urine to dissolve uric acid stones. However, excessive alkalinisation may result in phosphate deposits on the uric acid calculi surface, thereby rendering ineffective any further medical treatment.

Prevention

Bladder calculi can be prevented by prompt and effective treatment of urinary tract infections and treatment of conditions affecting the lower urinary tract. Drinking sufficient fluids daily would also help in preventing bladder calculi formation and facilitating the expulsion of the calculi from the body.

Dr Milton Lum is a member of the board of Medical Defence Malaysia. This article is not intended to replace, dictate or define evaluation by a qualified doctor. The views expressed do not represent that of any organisation the writer is associated with.

Credits to and source taken from: http://thestar.com.my

Aedes larvae found in homes of 50% of dengue death cases

KUALA LUMPUR: Aedes larvae were found in the homes of more than 50% of dengue death cases this year, Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said.

"We must take a serious proactive approach in fighting dengue. It is important to be aware that our homes can be breeding grounds for the Aedes mosquitoes," he said Sunday after launching a blood donation campaign here.

So far, 95 people have died from dengue this year, with 30,350 cases recorded as of Saturday, an increase from the 67 deaths and 28,659 cases for the same period last year, he said.

There were 847 cases for the 32nd week alone with one death recorded in the Federal Territory, he said, adding that they were meeting dengue experts to find ways to combat the disease.

On the drug-resistant NDM-1 (New Delhi metallo-lactamase-1) superbug identified in India and Pakistan, Liow said the Institute of Medical Research was conducting a study on the bacteria, which was not well-known.

"We are waiting for the results before making an announcement. We do not want to cause unnecessary alarm.

"We are concerned about this bug as any bacteria, especially super bacteria, can cause harm to the body. There are no details from WHO (World Health Organisation) yet," he added.

The superbug reportedly caused the death of a Belgian man and infected several from the United Kingdom, Australia and United States who had travelled to India for surgery. The Belgian man was reportedly infected by the bacteria after he was hospitalised in Pakistan for a leg injury, following a car accident.

According to the US’ Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, NDM-1 is an "enzyme that destroys many commonly used antibiotics, rendering them ineffective."

Earlier, Liow encouraged people to donate blood, especially during the festive season when the supply often ran low.

He added that 565,604 blood units were donated to the National Blood Centre last year, and 73% were repeat donors.

Credits to and source taken from: http://thestar.com.my

New superbugs spreading from South Asia: study

PARIS (AFP) – Plastic surgery patients have carried a new class of superbugs resistant to almost all antibiotics from South Asia to Britain and they could spread worldwide, researchers reported Wednesday.

Many hospital infections that were already difficult to treat have become even more impervious to drugs thanks to a recently discovered gene that can jump across different species of bacteria.

This so-called NDM-1 gene was first identified last year by Cardiff University's Timothy Walsh in two types of bacteria -- Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli -- in a Swedish patient admitted to hospital in India.

Worryingly, the new NDM-1 bacteria are resistant even to carbapenems, a group of antibiotics often reserved as a last resort for emergency treatment for multi-drug resistant bugs.

In the new study, led by Walsh and Madras University's Karthikeyan Kumarasamy, researchers set out to determine how common the NDM-1 producing bacteria were in South Asia and Britain, where several cases had turned up.

Checking hospital patients with suspect symptoms, they found 44 cases -- 1.5 percent of those screened -- in Chennai, and 26 (eight percent) in Haryana, both in India.

They likewise found the superbug in Bangladesh and Pakistan, as well 37 cases in Britain, where several patients had recently travelled to India or Pakistan for cosmetic surgery.

"India also provides cosmetic surgery for other Europeans and Americans, and it is likely that NDM-1 will spread worldwide," said the study, published in the British medical journal The Lancet.

NDM-1 was mostly found in E. coli, a common source of community-acquired urinary tract infections, and K. pneumoniae, and was impervious to all antibiotics except two, tigecycline and colistin.

In some cases, even these drugs did not beat back the infection.

Crucially, the NDM-1 gene was found on DNA structures, called plasmids, that can be easily copied and transferred between bacteria, giving the bug "an alarming potential to spread and diversify," the authors said.

"Unprecedented air travel and migration allow bacterial plasmids and clones to be transported rapidly between countries and continents," mostly undetected, they said.

The emergence of these new drug-resistant strains could become a serious global public health problem as the major threat shifts toward a broad class of bacteria -- including those armed with the NDM-1 gene -- known as "Gram-negative", the researchers warn.

"There are few new anti-Gram-negative antibiotics in development, and none that are effective against NDM-1," the study said.

NDM-1 stands for New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase-1.

Johann Pitout from the University of Calgary in Canada said patients who have medical procedures in India should be screened for multi-resistant bacteria before they receive care in their home country.

Credits to and source taken: http://news.yahoo.com/

Baby girl has pink blood

A premature baby girl in Hubei Children’s Hospital surprised the medical staff when her blood turned out to be pink in colour, instead of red.

A report in China Daily said that the 40-day-old infant had appeared to be in healthy condition at a local hospital when she was one-week-old. However, she displayed some symptoms of illness about two weeks later and was transferred to Hubei, where her blood was discovered to be pink in colour.


[Pink blood in a test tube (right) from the 40-day-old premature female baby was compared to a tube of normal blood in Hubei Children's Hospital.]

Hyperlipidemia is a condition in which there is an excess of fatty substances in the blood. It includes a few conditions, but often refers to high cholesterol and high triglyceride levels. Hyperlipidemia usually strikes adults, and had not, until now, been documented in newborns.

The pink colour of the baby’s blood is attributed to the high amount of lipids (fatty substances) in it. As the lipids can clog up arteries, it can result in vascular diseases such as heart problems or stroke, or even impair organ function.

According to another report by a Chinese web site, the baby suffers from a congenital metabolic disease, which will be difficult to cure. Doctors can only treat it symptomatically for now.

Credits to and source taken from: http://www.asiaone.com/

The girl was diagnosed with hyperlipidemia, a lung infection, anemia and retinopathy.

Chokeberry extract 'regulates weight gain'
Monday, April 26, 2010, 9:34 [IST]

Washington, April 26 (ANI): The chokeberry (Aronia) extract is a powerful antioxidant and helps regulate weight gain and blood glucose, according to a new study on rats.

However, the chokeberry is enjoying a new claim-to-fame as a potentially powerful antioxidant, and can now be found for sale in the dietary supplement and "health food" aisles of pharmacies and grocery stores.

Scientists say that the reason chokeberry is so healthful is because of its unusually high levels of substances called anthocyanins (from the Greek anthos + kyanos meaning dark blue).

There are many different anthocyanins in these colourful berries, but they all function as antioxidants - originally protecting the chokeberry seed from sunshine-induced oxidative stress.

When we eat them, they also appear to protect our bodies from a variety of damaging situations, including exposure to pollution and metabolically-derived free radicals.

Indeed, a growing body of scientific literature has shown promising effects of chokeberry consumption on diseases ranging from cancer to obesity.

In addition, certain anthocyanins - including those found in chokeberry - have also been shown to improve blood sugar and the function of insulin.

To better understand how chokeberries influence health, Bolin Qin and Richard Anderson from the US Department of Agriculture in Beltsville studied what happens when prediabetic rats are fed chokeberry extracts for an extended period of time.

This presentation is part of the scientific programme of the American Society for Nutrition, home of the world's leading nutrition researchers.

The researchers first made male rats "prediabetic" or insulin insensitive by feeding them a fructose-rich diet for 6 weeks.

Then they randomised the animals to continue drinking either pure water or water spiked with low or high levels of chokeberry extract.

After drinking this water for six weeks, the groups were compared in terms of body weight, body fat, blood glucose regulation, and molecular markers for inflammation.

Qin and Anderson found that at the end of the study the rats consuming the chokeberry-spiked water weighed less than the controls; both levels of chokeberry had the same effect in this regard.

Similar beneficial effects of chokeberry consumption were found for body fat (specifically, that of the lower abdominal region).

They also discovered that animals that had been drinking chokeberry extract had lower blood glucose and reduced levels of plasma triglycerides, cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol when compared to the control animals, says a US Department of Agriculture release.

These alterations would theoretically lead to lower risk for diabetes and cardiovascular disease in humans.

The results were presented at the Experimental Biology 2010 meeting in Anaheim, CA. (ANI)

source taken from: http://news.oneindia.in/

Vall d'Hebron Hospital via AP
source: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/
In this combo of computer-generated images, the various steps undertaken to perform a full-face transplant on a young male patient in late March 2010 are graphically illustrated.

First total face transplant performed in Spain
The patient, a farmer in his 30s, accidentally shot himself in 2005
updated 12:25 p.m. ET April 23, 2010

MADRID - A hospital in Spain says it has carried out the world's first full-face transplant, giving a man a new nose, skin, jaws, cheekbones, teeth and other features after he lost his face in an accident.

Other transplant experts lauded the surgery but were not sure it could technically be called 'full-face.'

The operation was carried out by a 30-member medical team in late March and took 24 hours to perform, according to the Vall d'Hebron Hospital in Barcelona.

The patient now has a completely new face from his hairline down and only one visible scar, which looks like a wrinkle running across his neck, said Dr. Joan Pere Barret, the surgeon who led the team.

"If you look him in the face, you see a normal person, like anyone else we have as a patient in the hospital," Barret told The Associated Press on Friday.

Barret declined to name the patient or give details of the accident five years ago in which the man lost most of his face, saying only that he was a Spaniard between 20 and 40 years old and was recovering well. The man cannot yet speak, eat or smile, but can see and swallow saliva, the surgeon said.

Prior to the latest surgery, the patient had undergone surgery nine times and could only breathe and be fed through tubes. He also had problems speaking.

In Britain, the UK Facial Transplantation Research Team called the Spanish operation "the most complex face transplantation operation there has probably been in the world to date." It stopped short, however, of calling it the world's first full-face transplant.

Barret said the operation involved removing what was left of the man's face and giving him a replacement "in one piece."

"It is a little bit like the movie with John Travolta and Nicolas Cage," he said, referring to the 1997 thriller "Face/Off", in which Travolta undergoes a high-tech medical procedure to acquire the villain Cage's appearance and infiltrate his terrorist gang.

"He is coming along well. He sits up, he walks in his hospital room and he watches television," Barret said.

Barret said there have been 10 partial-face transplant operations carried out in the world so far but this was the first involving a person's whole face. The world's first partial-face transplant was done on a woman in France in 2005. Other partial-face operations have been performed in the United States and China, as well as in other Spanish hospitals in Valencia and Seville.

The Spanish operation is similar to a near-total face transplant carried out in 2008 in Cleveland, Ohio, on a woman who was shot in the face.

But the Spanish case "seems to us to be more complex," said Neil Huband, a spokesman for the British transplant research team, based at the Royal Free Hospital in London.

He said the patient in Spain had also been shot in the face.

Dr. Maria Siemionow, who operated on the woman in Ohio, said the Spanish team had done great work. But a diagram she says she has seen about the Spanish surgery does not make clear that the team replaced the man's whole face, leaving doubts about his eyelids and jaw, she told the AP.

"It would probably be much more safer for the Barcelona team to say near-total," Siemionow said.

source taken from: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/