-
Pediatric safety concerns about OTC cough and cold products
An October 11, 2007 media advisory from Health Canada raised concerns regarding the safety of “over-the-counter” (non-prescription) cough and cold products in children. An advisory panel to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration called for all over-the-counter pediatric cough and cold medicines to be banned. Pharmaceutical companies have issued a voluntary recall of these products…
tagged:
-
New surgical procedure to replace damaged heart valves
A new surgical procedure being performed at the Heart Centre of St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver is transforming the lives of patients too sick to undergo conventional treatment to replace diseased aortic valves. The results of this new technique were presented at the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress 2007, co-hosted by the Heart and Stroke Foundation and…
-
The limitations of Alzheimer's medications
There are several Alzheimer’s disease medications that are used to slow the decline of memory, language and thinking abilities. A study published in October issue of Journal of the American Geriatrics Society by the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES) sought to answer several questions regarding the duration of therapy, whether there is a point…
tagged:
-
New treatment classifications for lung cancer
An important factor that helps oncologists and surgeons decide whether aggressive chemotherapy and or surgery will be effective in treating cancerous tumours is a system of tumour classification. A recent overhaul to this system has opened new opportunities for thousands of patients with lung cancer previously classified as inoperable or beyond treatment. Dr. Peter Goldstraw,…
tagged:
-
Trends in influenza vaccination in Canada, 1996/1997 to 2005
Come the end of October and early November, flu vaccination programs will be in full swing. Although for most healthy adults and children the disease can be weathered with good outcomes, those with chronic disease, the very young and the elderly may not do so well. A new study, Trends in influenza vaccination in Canada,…
tagged:
-
Maternal age should only factor into a decision about amniocentesis when a woman is over 40
Should pregnant women over the age of 35 have amniocentesis to check for birth defects and chromosomal abnormalities such as Down’s syndrome? In an opinion paper published in the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of Canada, the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada recommends that maternal age should only factor into a decision about…
tagged:
-
New surgical techniques for peripheral arterial disease
Although there is a tendency to associate cardiovascular disease with heart attacks and stroke, there is another serious condition that causes significant morbidity and poor quality of life. It is peripheral arterial disease or PAD. Although prevention is the best way to avert the complications of this disease, there remain many people in advanced stages…
tagged:
-
Asthma in children: Remember the number 38!
It is important to have a discussion about asthma in children; its prevention, treatment strategies, new research and the complexity of managing asthma and allergies together. Every year during the back-to-school season, there is a significant spike in the number of hospital treatments required for children as a result of asthma attacks. The “September epidemic…
tagged:
-
Exercise has postive effects controlling diabetes
Exercise is recommended as part of a broad-based treatment program for people with diabetes. At issue is what type of exercise produces the greatest results, how many times per week the person should engage in this activity and for what length of time? A new study from the University of Calgary published in the September…