Study results in Hepatology indicate that safe biopsy is a rational and validated method for staging liver fibrosis in hepatitis C with a marked reduction in the need for liver biopsy. It is an attractive tool for large-scale screening of hepatitis C virus carriers.
The staging of liver fibrosis is pivotal for defining the prognosis and indications for therapy in hepatitis C. Although liver biopsy remains the gold standard, several noninvasive methods are under evaluation for clinical use. Researchers validated the recently described sequential algorithm for fibrosis evaluation biopsy. The safe biopsy detects significant fibrosis and cirrhosis by combining the AST-to-platelet ratio index and Fibrotest-Fibrosure, thereby limiting liver biopsy to cases not adequately classifiable by noninvasive markers.
The researchers enrolled hepatitis C virus patients in nine locations in Europe and the U.S. The diagnostic accuracy of safe biopsy versus histology, which is the gold standard, was investigated. The reduction in the need for liver biopsies achieved with safe biopsy was also assessed. Safe biopsy identified significant fibrosis with 90 percent accuracy, and reduced the number of liver biopsies needed by 47 percent. Safe biopsy had 93 percent accuracy for the detection of cirrhosis, obviating 82 percent of liver biopsies. A third algorithm identified significant fibrosis and cirrhosis simultaneously with high accuracy and a 36 percent reduction in the need for liver biopsy. The patient's age and body mass index influenced the performance of safe biopsy, which was improved with adjusted Fibrotest-Fibrosure cutoffs.
The team found that 10 percent of cases had discordant results for significant fibrosis with safe biopsy versus histology, whereas 8 percent of cases were discordant for cirrhosis detection. The research team also found that 71 of the former cases and 56 of the latter cases had a Fibroscan measurement within two months of histological evaluation. Fibroscan confirmed safe biopsy findings in 83 percent and 75 percent, respectively.
Please remember, as with all our articles we provide information, not medical advice. For any treatment of your own medical condition you must visit your local doctor, with or without our article[s]. These articles are not to be taken as individual medical advice.
Deepen your understanding of "medical malpractice"... www.MedMalBook.com
For more health info and links visit the author's web site www.hookman.com
Friday, August 27, 2010
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Gastric distress-related ED visits may increase during the holidays.
At hospitals, gastric distress is a part of the holiday tradition." Indeed, "in the early hours of Thanksgiving...emergency rooms are typically empty," but certain turkey-cooking practices "can easily strike a blow" to diners. Typically, a frozen turkey is left on a countertop for 12 hours, while a roasted bird may sit "for two or three hours before" reaching the table. "During that time, a virus or bacterium can land on the food and start growing," causing gastroenteritis. "Although bacteria will die" once the bird is reheated, "the toxins made by the bacteria that cause illness can survive even in a hot oven." Bones have also been known to trigger "trips to the hospital," and those "with heart conditions should avoid too much salt, which can trigger an accumulation of fluid in the lungs."
Please remember, as with all our articles we provide information, not medical advice. For any treatment of your own medical condition you must visit your local doctor, with or without our article[s]. These articles are not to be taken as individual medical advice.
Deepen your understanding of "medical malpractice"... www.MedMalBook.com
For more health info and links visit the author's web site www.hookman.com
Please remember, as with all our articles we provide information, not medical advice. For any treatment of your own medical condition you must visit your local doctor, with or without our article[s]. These articles are not to be taken as individual medical advice.
Deepen your understanding of "medical malpractice"... www.MedMalBook.com
For more health info and links visit the author's web site www.hookman.com
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Safe Biopsy: Validated Method for Staging Liver Fibrosis in Hep C
Study results in Hepatology indicate that safe biopsy is a rational and validated method for staging liver fibrosis in hepatitis C with a marked reduction in the need for liver biopsy. It is an attractive tool for large-scale screening of hepatitis C virus carriers.
The staging of liver fibrosis is pivotal for defining the prognosis and indications for therapy in hepatitis C. Although liver biopsy remains the gold standard, several noninvasive methods are under evaluation for clinical use. Researchers validated the recently described sequential algorithm for fibrosis evaluation biopsy. The safe biopsy detects significant fibrosis and cirrhosis by combining the AST-to-platelet ratio index and Fibrotest-Fibrosure, thereby limiting liver biopsy to cases not adequately classifiable by noninvasive markers.
The researchers enrolled hepatitis C virus patients in nine locations in Europe and the U.S. The diagnostic accuracy of safe biopsy versus histology, which is the gold standard, was investigated. The reduction in the need for liver biopsies achieved with safe biopsy was also assessed. Safe biopsy identified significant fibrosis with 90 percent accuracy, and reduced the number of liver biopsies needed by 47 percent. Safe biopsy had 93 percent accuracy for the detection of cirrhosis, obviating 82 percent of liver biopsies. A third algorithm identified significant fibrosis and cirrhosis simultaneously with high accuracy and a 36 percent reduction in the need for liver biopsy. The patient's age and body mass index influenced the performance of safe biopsy, which was improved with adjusted Fibrotest-Fibrosure cutoffs.
The team found that 10 percent of cases had discordant results for significant fibrosis with safe biopsy versus histology, whereas 8 percent of cases were discordant for cirrhosis detection. The research team also found that 71 of the former cases and 56 of the latter cases had a Fibroscan measurement within two months of histological evaluation. Fibroscan confirmed safe biopsy findings in 83 percent and 75 percent, respectively.
Please remember, as with all our articles we provide information, not medical advice. For any treatment of your own medical condition you must visit your local doctor, with or without our article[s]. These articles are not to be taken as individual medical advice.
Deepen your understanding of "medical malpractice"... www.MedMalBook.com
For more health info and links visit the author's web site www.hookman.com
The staging of liver fibrosis is pivotal for defining the prognosis and indications for therapy in hepatitis C. Although liver biopsy remains the gold standard, several noninvasive methods are under evaluation for clinical use. Researchers validated the recently described sequential algorithm for fibrosis evaluation biopsy. The safe biopsy detects significant fibrosis and cirrhosis by combining the AST-to-platelet ratio index and Fibrotest-Fibrosure, thereby limiting liver biopsy to cases not adequately classifiable by noninvasive markers.
The researchers enrolled hepatitis C virus patients in nine locations in Europe and the U.S. The diagnostic accuracy of safe biopsy versus histology, which is the gold standard, was investigated. The reduction in the need for liver biopsies achieved with safe biopsy was also assessed. Safe biopsy identified significant fibrosis with 90 percent accuracy, and reduced the number of liver biopsies needed by 47 percent. Safe biopsy had 93 percent accuracy for the detection of cirrhosis, obviating 82 percent of liver biopsies. A third algorithm identified significant fibrosis and cirrhosis simultaneously with high accuracy and a 36 percent reduction in the need for liver biopsy. The patient's age and body mass index influenced the performance of safe biopsy, which was improved with adjusted Fibrotest-Fibrosure cutoffs.
The team found that 10 percent of cases had discordant results for significant fibrosis with safe biopsy versus histology, whereas 8 percent of cases were discordant for cirrhosis detection. The research team also found that 71 of the former cases and 56 of the latter cases had a Fibroscan measurement within two months of histological evaluation. Fibroscan confirmed safe biopsy findings in 83 percent and 75 percent, respectively.
Please remember, as with all our articles we provide information, not medical advice. For any treatment of your own medical condition you must visit your local doctor, with or without our article[s]. These articles are not to be taken as individual medical advice.
Deepen your understanding of "medical malpractice"... www.MedMalBook.com
For more health info and links visit the author's web site www.hookman.com
Friday, July 30, 2010
10 Tips on Belching, Bloating, and Flatulence
1.Belching is caused by swallowed air from:
Eating or drinking too fast
Poorly fitting dentures; not chewing food completely
Carbonated beverages
Chewing gum or sucking on hard candies
Excessive swallowing due to nervous tension or postnasal drip
Forced belching to relieve abdominal discomfort
2.To prevent excessive belching, avoid:
Carbonated beverages
Chewing gum
Hard candies
Simethicone may be helpful
3.Abdominal bloating and discomfort may be due to intestinal sensitivity or symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. To relieve symptoms, avoid:
Broccoli
Baked beans
Cabbage
Carbonated drinks
Cauliflower
Chewing gum
Hard candy
4.Abdominal distention resulting from weak abdominal muscles:
Is better in the morning
Gets worse as the day progresses
Is relieved by lying down
5.To prevent Abdominal distention:
Tighten abdominal muscles by pulling in your stomach several times during the day
So sit-up exercises if possible
Wear an abdominal support garment if exercise is too difficult
6.Flatulence is gas created through bacterial action in the bowel and passed rectally. Keep in mind that:
10-18 passages per day are normal
Primary gases are harmless and odorless
Noticeable smells are trace gases related to food intake
7.Foods that are likely to form gas include:
Milk, dairy products, and medications that contain lactose--If your body doesn't produce the enzyme (lactase) to break it down.
Certain vegetables--baked beans, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage
Certain starches--wheat, oats, corn, potatoes. Rice is a good substitute.
8.If flatulence is a concern, see your doctor to determine if you are lactose intolerant.
9.Identify offending foods. Reduce or eliminate these gas-forming foods from your diet.
10.Activated Charcoal may provide some benefit.
Please remember, as with all our articles we provide information, not medical advice. For any treatment of your own medical condition you must visit your local doctor, with or without our article[s]. These articles are not to be taken as individual medical advice.
Deepen your understanding of "medical malpractice"... www.MedMalBook.com
For more health info and links visit the author's web site www.hookman.com
Eating or drinking too fast
Poorly fitting dentures; not chewing food completely
Carbonated beverages
Chewing gum or sucking on hard candies
Excessive swallowing due to nervous tension or postnasal drip
Forced belching to relieve abdominal discomfort
2.To prevent excessive belching, avoid:
Carbonated beverages
Chewing gum
Hard candies
Simethicone may be helpful
3.Abdominal bloating and discomfort may be due to intestinal sensitivity or symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. To relieve symptoms, avoid:
Broccoli
Baked beans
Cabbage
Carbonated drinks
Cauliflower
Chewing gum
Hard candy
4.Abdominal distention resulting from weak abdominal muscles:
Is better in the morning
Gets worse as the day progresses
Is relieved by lying down
5.To prevent Abdominal distention:
Tighten abdominal muscles by pulling in your stomach several times during the day
So sit-up exercises if possible
Wear an abdominal support garment if exercise is too difficult
6.Flatulence is gas created through bacterial action in the bowel and passed rectally. Keep in mind that:
10-18 passages per day are normal
Primary gases are harmless and odorless
Noticeable smells are trace gases related to food intake
7.Foods that are likely to form gas include:
Milk, dairy products, and medications that contain lactose--If your body doesn't produce the enzyme (lactase) to break it down.
Certain vegetables--baked beans, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage
Certain starches--wheat, oats, corn, potatoes. Rice is a good substitute.
8.If flatulence is a concern, see your doctor to determine if you are lactose intolerant.
9.Identify offending foods. Reduce or eliminate these gas-forming foods from your diet.
10.Activated Charcoal may provide some benefit.
Please remember, as with all our articles we provide information, not medical advice. For any treatment of your own medical condition you must visit your local doctor, with or without our article[s]. These articles are not to be taken as individual medical advice.
Deepen your understanding of "medical malpractice"... www.MedMalBook.com
For more health info and links visit the author's web site www.hookman.com
Friday, July 23, 2010
8 Tips on Peptic Ulcer Disease
1.Ulcers are "sores" that frequently affect the stomach and the first part of the small intestine (duodenum).
2.Bacterial infection is the most common cause of duodenal ulcers.
3.Stomach ulcers are often a side effect of pain killers and anti-inflammatory drugs used primarily to treat arthritis.
4.Alcohol ingestion, cigarette smoking, and emotional stress may also influence the development of an ulcer or interfere with its healing.
5.Upper abdominal pain is the most common symptom of ulcers, but many ulcers cause no symptoms at all.
6.Ulcers may hemorrhage (bleeding) into the gastrointestinal tract; this results in the passage of black ("tarry") stool. Very serious ulcer disease may also cause a blockage between the stomach and small intestine and this complication results in persistent vomiting. Severe pain results from the most urgent complication of ulcers - peritonitis caused by a tear through the wall of the stomach or duodenum.
7.Almost all ulcers can be treated successfully, usually without surgery. Many ulcers can be prevented.
Ulcer treatments include antibiotics, agents that neutralize gastric acid or reduce its secretion, and drugs that strengthen the resistance of the stomach and duodenum
Please remember, as with all our articles we provide information, not medical advice. For any treatment of your own medical condition you must visit your local doctor, with or without our article[s]. These articles are not to be taken as individual medical advice.
Deepen your understanding of "medical malpractice"... www.MedMalBook.com
For more health info and links visit the author's web site www.hookman.com
2.Bacterial infection is the most common cause of duodenal ulcers.
3.Stomach ulcers are often a side effect of pain killers and anti-inflammatory drugs used primarily to treat arthritis.
4.Alcohol ingestion, cigarette smoking, and emotional stress may also influence the development of an ulcer or interfere with its healing.
5.Upper abdominal pain is the most common symptom of ulcers, but many ulcers cause no symptoms at all.
6.Ulcers may hemorrhage (bleeding) into the gastrointestinal tract; this results in the passage of black ("tarry") stool. Very serious ulcer disease may also cause a blockage between the stomach and small intestine and this complication results in persistent vomiting. Severe pain results from the most urgent complication of ulcers - peritonitis caused by a tear through the wall of the stomach or duodenum.
7.Almost all ulcers can be treated successfully, usually without surgery. Many ulcers can be prevented.
Ulcer treatments include antibiotics, agents that neutralize gastric acid or reduce its secretion, and drugs that strengthen the resistance of the stomach and duodenum
Please remember, as with all our articles we provide information, not medical advice. For any treatment of your own medical condition you must visit your local doctor, with or without our article[s]. These articles are not to be taken as individual medical advice.
Deepen your understanding of "medical malpractice"... www.MedMalBook.com
For more health info and links visit the author's web site www.hookman.com
Friday, July 16, 2010
6 Tips on Hepatitis
1.Five different hepatitis viruses have been identified: type A; type B; type C; type D, or delta virus; and type E. Type A is probably the most prevalent type of viral hepatitis worldwide, followed by types B, E, C, and D.
2.Hepatitis A and E are transmitted through fecally contaminated food or water. Other modes of transmission include needle sharing among intravenous drug abusers; sexual contact; maternal transmission; and transmission by blood transfusion.
3.A simple blood test is used to determine that a person has one or more of the different types of hepatitis.
4.Acute hepatitis is typically characterized by flu-like symptoms (including fever, headaches, fatigue, nausea and vomiting) and jaundice. Chronic hepatitis is often asymptomatic.
5.Vaccines are available to protect against hepatitis A and B. Additionally, immune globulin for hepatitis A or hepatitis B is recommended when someone has been exposed to an infected person.
6.Among the ways to care for your liver are: limiting alcohol consumption; avoiding liver- damaging drugs; practicing safe sex; avoiding use of illegal drugs; avoiding high doses of vitamins unless prescribed; avoiding tattoos and the sharing of razors; not eating raw shellfish from questionable sources; and carefully following directions for use of toxic substances (e.g., cleaning products).
Please remember, as with all our articles we provide information, not medical advice. For any treatment of your own medical condition you must visit your local doctor, with or without our article[s]. These articles are not to be taken as individual medical advice.
Deepen your understanding of "medical malpractice"... www.MedMalBook.com
For more health info and links visit the author's web site www.hookman.com
2.Hepatitis A and E are transmitted through fecally contaminated food or water. Other modes of transmission include needle sharing among intravenous drug abusers; sexual contact; maternal transmission; and transmission by blood transfusion.
3.A simple blood test is used to determine that a person has one or more of the different types of hepatitis.
4.Acute hepatitis is typically characterized by flu-like symptoms (including fever, headaches, fatigue, nausea and vomiting) and jaundice. Chronic hepatitis is often asymptomatic.
5.Vaccines are available to protect against hepatitis A and B. Additionally, immune globulin for hepatitis A or hepatitis B is recommended when someone has been exposed to an infected person.
6.Among the ways to care for your liver are: limiting alcohol consumption; avoiding liver- damaging drugs; practicing safe sex; avoiding use of illegal drugs; avoiding high doses of vitamins unless prescribed; avoiding tattoos and the sharing of razors; not eating raw shellfish from questionable sources; and carefully following directions for use of toxic substances (e.g., cleaning products).
Please remember, as with all our articles we provide information, not medical advice. For any treatment of your own medical condition you must visit your local doctor, with or without our article[s]. These articles are not to be taken as individual medical advice.
Deepen your understanding of "medical malpractice"... www.MedMalBook.com
For more health info and links visit the author's web site www.hookman.com
Friday, July 9, 2010
5 Tips on Use of Medications
1.Use of medications increases with age: 80% of older Americans who live independently receive 20 or more prescriptions per year Residents of nursing homes receive an average of 8-10 drugs per day
2.It is important to take medications as prescribed. Reasons for not following directions include:
Too many drugs
Error due to visual or mental impairment
Sharing drugs
Changing doctors
Use of over-the-counter drugs
Sparing expense
Drug side effects
Symptoms not improving
3.See your doctor regularly to check on medications and their effect (bring your medications with you for an office visit or to an emergency room): Drug effect changes with aging There is decreased absorption of drugs through the intestinal tract Decreased kidney function slows drug elimination Metabolism of drugs changes with age
4.The effect medications have on your body will change with aging. For example: Drug action may last longer Drugs may produce toxicity at a lower dose in mature adults than in younger adults
5.Remember that all changes you experience are not necessarily due to aging. For example, decrease in salivary flow is: Due to disease or medication not due to aging
Please remember, as with all our articles we provide information, not medical advice. For any treatment of your own medical condition you must visit your local doctor, with or without our article[s]. These articles are not to be taken as individual medical advice.
Deepen your understanding of "medical malpractice"... www.MedMalBook.com
For more health info and links visit the author's web site www.hookman.com
2.It is important to take medications as prescribed. Reasons for not following directions include:
Too many drugs
Error due to visual or mental impairment
Sharing drugs
Changing doctors
Use of over-the-counter drugs
Sparing expense
Drug side effects
Symptoms not improving
3.See your doctor regularly to check on medications and their effect (bring your medications with you for an office visit or to an emergency room): Drug effect changes with aging There is decreased absorption of drugs through the intestinal tract Decreased kidney function slows drug elimination Metabolism of drugs changes with age
4.The effect medications have on your body will change with aging. For example: Drug action may last longer Drugs may produce toxicity at a lower dose in mature adults than in younger adults
5.Remember that all changes you experience are not necessarily due to aging. For example, decrease in salivary flow is: Due to disease or medication not due to aging
Please remember, as with all our articles we provide information, not medical advice. For any treatment of your own medical condition you must visit your local doctor, with or without our article[s]. These articles are not to be taken as individual medical advice.
Deepen your understanding of "medical malpractice"... www.MedMalBook.com
For more health info and links visit the author's web site www.hookman.com
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