ATW1H%ASUACAD.BITNET@oac.ucla.edu (Dr David Dodell) (05/30/89)
Volume 2, Number 22 May 29, 1989
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Editor: David Dodell, D.M.D.
St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center
10250 North 92nd Street, Suite 210, Scottsdale, Arizona 85258-4599 USA
Telephone (602) 860-1121
(c) 1989 - Distribution on Commercial/Pay Systems Prohibited without
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Nova Research Institute
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T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S
1. Comments from the Editor
News from the Editor .................................................. 1
2. Medical News
Medical News for week ending May 28, 1989 ............................. 2
3. Articles
Organ Transplants in 1988 ............................................. 9
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Volume 2, Number 22 May 29, 1989
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Comments from the Editor
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News from the Editor
I have temporarily lost my feed to receiving the Center for Disease Control's
weekly MMWR update. We hope to have things worked out for next weeks
newsletter.
David
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Volume 2, Number 22 May 29, 1989
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Medical News
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Medical News for week ending May 28, 1989
(c) 1989 USA TODAY/Gannett National Information Network
Reproduced with Permission
DRUG-RELATED CASES INCREASING:
The nation's emergency rooms are reporting drastic increases in drug-
related emergencies. A new study released this week by the House Narcotics
Committee reports 15 of 19 cities polled reported increases in the number of
drug-related emergencies in 1988. Lawmakers said the increase could be linked
to an increased availability of cocaine.
REPORT - COCAINE PASSES HEROIN:
A national report on treatment centers scheduled to be released in June
will show that for the first time admissions to hospital emergency rooms for
cocaine abuse surpassed those for heroin. Officials from the House Narcotics
Committee said this week that health problems were complicated when users took
more cocaine in more dangerous ways, such as smoking or injecting it.
SURVEY - MARIJUANA USE UP:
Marijuana use is increasing in the nation's big cities, reports a survey by
the House Narcotics Committee and the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The
study found increases in marijuana-related hospital emergency room cases in
1988. The report also found increased use of cocaine and a decline in heroin
use.
NEW DRUGS FIGHTS HEAD INJURIES:
In laboratory tests, scientists at UC San Francisco have shown that the
effects of traumatic brain injury can be lessened and perhaps prevented by an
new class of drugs. The drugs dextrorphan and CPP block chemicals that destroy
brain cells during the body's natural response to head injury. Human testing
of the drug is pending approval by the Food and Drug Administration.
TESTS FIND CHEMICAL INCREASE:
Research for two new drugs proved conclusively that the levels of two
chemicals increases after a head injury. Scientists at UC San Francisco
revealed that brain-injured lab rats had increased levels of the chemicals
glutamate and asparate at the injury site. The chemicals can kill brain cells
in the area of the injury. The findings were published in the current issue of
Nature.
HIGH-FAT DIET LINKED TO CANCER:
Pregnant women who eat high-fat diets might predispose children to cancer
in later life, a study shows. Researchers at Michigan State University
presented data this week that links high-fat diet in pregnant mice to
incidence of cancer in the offspring's later life. Researcher Dr. Bruce Walker
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Volume 2, Number 22 May 29, 1989
decried the common practice of prescribing high-fat diets for pregnant women.
NEW LIMITS SET ON MDA:
The U.S. Department of Labor proposed restrictions on worker exposure to
methylenedianiline, or MDA. The restrictions limit exposure to 10 parts of MDA
per billion parts of air each hour over an eight hour work day. The department
estimates the new standards will eliminate up to 23 work-related cancer deaths
each year and reduce the risk of liver cancer for workers.
ADULTS GETTING HEALTHIER:
Adults are getting healthier, says Prevention magazine's annual report
card, which is scheduled to be issued Tuesday. But the magazine said there was
room for improvement. The overall score, based on 21 healthy behaviors was
65.4 in 1988, up from 64.8 in 1987 and 61.5 in 1983. One hundred points is top
score.
NEW TECHNIQUE TREATS UNBORN:
A new method for sampling fetal blood is improving the detection and
treatment of serious health problems before birth, doctors reported Monday.
PUBS - percutaneous umbilical blood sampling - involves guiding a needle
through a woman's abdomen into her baby's umbilical cord. Blood can be drawn
for testing and medications can be given through the cord.
STUDY SHOWS AIDS ON CAMPUS:
Two of every 1,000 college students tested on 19 campuses nationwide are
infected with the AIDS virus, researchers announced Monday. The American
College Health Association conducted the study with a $300,000 grant from the
federal Centers for Disease Control. Researchers said the rate of infection is
similar to the general population.
EXCESS IRON MIGHT CAUSE CANCER:
Research released this week indicates a link between excessive amounts of
iron and cancer. Scientists at the Fox Chase Cancer Center and Thomas
Jefferson University Hospital, both in Philadelphia, said Monday that lab
tests showed an increased incidence of cancer in laboratory rats that were
given iron supplements. Research is continuing, officials said.
BETA-CAROTENE FIGHTS CANCER:
A nutrient found in common vegetables appears to prevent development of
potentially deadly cancers, researchers reported Monday. It is the first study
offering scientific proof that beta-carotene reverses pre-cancers of the mouth
that can develop into full-fledged cancers. Beta-carotene occurs naturally in
carrots and leafy vegetables.
BETA-CAROTENE MIGHT AID 30,000:
The American Cancer Society said Monday that new cancer research on the
nutrient beta-carotene gave hope to 30,000 Americans suffering from cancer of
the mouth. A new study released Monday indicates the nutrient - found in
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carrots and green leafy vegetables - can reverse development of pre-cancerous
lesions.
ENZYME COULD AID TRANSPLANTS:
A Baltimore company will distribute superoxide dismutase (SOD) minic, an
enzyme that occurs naturally in the human body and can neutralize damaging
oxygen-free atoms in the body. Nova Pharmaceutical Corporation hopes to use
SOD minic in cardiovascular and sepsis patients and kidney transplant
recipients. Other potential targets are arthritis, inflammation and colitis.
NEW CANCER TREATMENT UNVEILED:
A promising new cancer therapy was unveiled in San Francisco Monday at the
annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. The Genetics
Institute's M-CSF research team said lab animals treated with M-CSF showed
increases in cancer-fighting white blood cells. Adding the monoclonal antibody
3F8 enhanced the white cells' ability to combat cancer, researchers said.
M-CSF OCCURS NATURALLY:
M-CSF, the key element in a promising new cancer treatment unveiled this
week, is a protein found naturally in the human body. The protein controls the
production of cancer-fighting white blood cells. Scientists at the Genetics
Institute said this week that supplements of M-CSF could increase the body's
ability to fight cancer, especially when coupled with the antibody 3F8.
EXERCISE DECREASES BLOOD FAT:
Exercise can lower the level of fat in blood and decrease heart disease
risk, new research shows. Researchers at Rockefeller University, N.Y., found
that the level of triglycerides - the basic form of fat that stores energy,
dropped 32 percent in men who regularly jogged on a treadmill.
NURSES POOR HEALTH ROLE MODELS:
A new University of Buffalo study found that student nurses were poor role
models when it comes to health practices. The study quizzed 1,081 nursing
students at 10 schools. Findings: 90 percent drank alcohol; 25 percent of
those drank five or more drinks per occasion. Students scored well on sleep
and exercise, but poorly on diet and seat belt use.
STUDY - KIDS IGNORE NOISE RISKS:
Many teen-agers are tuning out warnings about what high noise levels can do
to their hearing, a study of 1,529 Ohio high school students revealed. Sixty
percent of those studied said they knew the hazards of listening to extremely
loud music at a rock concert or through earphones, but 72 percent said they
used portable radio and cassette earphones.
OSHA - NOISE RISKS COMMON:
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration said this week that noise
levels above 85 decibels could cause hearing damage. A study by researchers in
Philadelphia suggests that all of us expose our ears to harmful levels of
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noise every day. Three popular stereo headphone sets, at only half volume,
were found to emit an average noise level of 104 decibels.
AGE NO GREAT RISK IN SURGERY:
Surgery doesn't pose any unique dangers to the elderly, says the Mayo
Clinic in a study released Tuesday. The five-year survey by the clinic
followed 795 patients - all at least 90 and 2 percent older than 100. Five
years after their surgeries, survival rates for the patients were about the
same as people of similar ages who didn't have surgery.
NEW DRUG FIGHTS LEUKEMIA:
A drug treatment is showing promise for patients with chronic lymphocytic
leukemia (CLL). A study at the University of Texas shows that 10 percent of
CLL patients treated with fludarabine combined with prednisone achieved a
total remission. Another 48 percent achieved partial remission. The data was
released Tuesday at the American Society of Clinical Oncology's annual
meeting.
FDA CLEARS NEW DRUG:
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration designated fludarabine phosphate as
an orphan drug for the treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Fludarabine is a
chemically synthesized pharmaceutical compound getting attention this week at
the American Society of Clinical Oncology's annual meeting. Orphan drugs are
those that treat diseases that afflict a small portion of the population.
MALARIA VACCINE TO BE TESTED:
Clinical trials of a new malaria vaccine will begin by month's end at the
University of Maryland in Baltimore. MicroGeneSys announced Tuesday that
trials of its VaxSyn PfCSA will begin. The vaccine was cleared earlier this
year by the Food and Drug Administration for human trials. The vaccine is
based on a protein derived from genetic material taken from tha protozoan.
NEW DRUG GIVEN FREE TO NEEDY:
Searle announced Tuesday that its newest product, Cytotec, will be provided
free to needy patients. The drug is for the prevention of stomach ulcers in
patients who take common arthritis medications. The Chicago-based
pharmaceutical company initiated its program for the needy about two years ago
and has provided about 200,000 free prescriptions to about 65,000 patients so
far.
CANCER GENE UNCOVERED:
The location of a gene believed responsible for the inherited form of
cancer might have been found, a new study in Thursday's New England Journal of
Medicine suggests. Researchers at the National Cancer institute said the gene
could be responsible for all inherited cases of deadly skin cancer and about
10 percent of all cancer cases.
FIBER INHIBITS COLON CANCER:
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One of the first human studies to document how a high-fiber diet helps
prevent colon cancer has shown that it cuts the unusually high rate of cell
growth that leads to cancer. Results released Wednesday from the University of
Arizona study showed that nine of 16 cancer patients eating wheat bran daily
showed slower cell growth after two months.
COLON CANCER SECOND MOST COMMON:
Colon cancer is the No. 2 cause of cancer death in the United States,
killing 60,000 of the 150,000 people diagnosed with it each year. A study
released Wednesday at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical
Oncology shows that a high-fiber diet significantly slows the growth rate of
cells. Abnormally fast growth rate can lead to cancer.
AIDS DEATH TOLL ESTIMATE RISES:
The Centers for Disease Control reported this week that the expected number
of deaths from acquired immune deficiency syndrome will be higher than
previously thought. The agency constructed a mathematical model in 1986 that
estimated 270,000 newly diagnosed cases between then and 1992. Figures
released this week place the estimate at 365,000, with 263,000 deaths by the
end of 1992.
CDC - AIDS TO COST $5 BILLION:
Treatment of AIDS patients will cost between $5 billion and $13 billion in
1992, the Centers for Disease Control reported this week. The agency estimated
that by 1992, 172,000 Americans will require medical treatment for AIDS. The
actual number could be lower, the center said, because mathematical models did
not consider several new treatments for the disease.
NEW SURGERY CALLED SUCCESS:
Doctors in Inglewood, Calif., are reporting the successful recovery this
week of a 54-year-old Hawthorne woman who underwent innovative heart surgery.
Betty Delgado had superventricular tachycardia - a potentially fatal irregular
heart beat. Doctors at Centinella Hospital used a cryoprobe to selectively
kill excess heart tissue that caused the irregular beating by freezing it.
CLOCK HELPS LIFT DRUG STUPOR:
A nurse in Jerusalem has developed an ingeniously simple way to test the
awareness of patients regaining consciousness from anesthesia. Hospital staff
now ask recovering patients to read the time on a clock at 10-minute
intervals. The simple technique now frees up specialists who previously
decided when to move patients from the recovery room to their regular room.
GOVERNMENT ISSUES AIDS BOOK:
The federal government released its new AIDS Prevention Guide Thursday,
targeting parents and youth in an effort to fight the disease. The guide was
designed to help parents and other adults, such as clergy and civic leaders,
talk to young people about the dangers of AIDS and methods to protect
themselves from it, officials said.
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DOCTORS USE TELERADIOLOGY:
Doctors in rural areas are using X-ray images transmitted over telephone
wires to make timely diagnoses, a study shows. According to a report issued
this week by the Journal of the American Medical Association, new telephone
technology has improved the image quality of the technique "teleradiology,"
making images more accurate and reliable.
SOUND MIGHT DETECT KNEE WOE:
Measuring sound waves transmitted through the kneecap might help spot
osteoporosis in women, according to a report in Friday's New England Journal
of Medicine. The technique, using ultrasound, was found to measure not only
bone mass in the kneecap, but also a component of bone fragility, doctors at
Omaha's Creighton University said.
STUDY - COFFEE, CVD NOT LINKED:
Coffee consumption does not increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, a
study in the current issue of Archives of Internal Medicine reports. The study
tracked 2,648 men and 3,566 women and found that caffeine had no direct impact
on the incidence of cardiovascular disease in the group. The issue of coffee
consumption and CVD has been the subject of long-running debate.
FDA ISSUES VITAMIN WARNING:
The Food and Drug Administration this week warned parents not to give their
children the prescription multivitamin: Goldline Poly Vitamins with Fluoride,
lot 0190086, expiration date 2/91. The vitamin is so high in Vitamin D that
it could be dangerous in continuous use. The vitamin product is a buff-
colored, orange-flecked chewable tablet marked "SL320" on one side, the FDA
said.
RESEARCHERS FIND GROWTH PROTEIN:
Scientists have uncovered a single protein believed to control the most
basic of the body's cycles - the single cell growing and dividing. Researchers
at UC-San Francisco now have shown conclusively that a single protein plays
the key role in controlling this cycle. Scientists said the findings would
affect several areas of research, from cancer to brain injuries.
PROTEIN MIGHT HAVE CANCER CLUE:
A growth protein uncovered by scientists at UC-San Francisco could help
find cures to several diseases, scientists said Thursday. Researchers will
look for a possible link between the still-unnamed protein and cancer cells.
Abnormally rapid growth rate is a trait of cancer cells.
X-RAY MACHINES GETTING SMALLER:
A new method of charging capacitors in power supplies could shrink the size
of hospital X-ray machines, a San Diego company reported Thursday. Maxwell
Laboratories Inc. and Auburn University have developed an electrical power
converter for space-program applications that will make X-ray machines smaller
and more electrically efficient, company officials said.
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Articles
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ORGAN TRANSPLANTS IN 1988 SHOWED DRAMATIC INCREASE IN MOST CATEGORIES, KIDNEY
TRANSPLANTS UP SLIGHTLY, ACCORDING TO UNOS
Organ transplants increased dramatically in most categories in 1988, according
to newly released statistics compiled by the United Network for Organ Sharing
(UNOS).
Major increases were recorded in liver, heart, pancreas, heart/lung and lung
transplants in 1988; a small increase was reported in kidney transplants
reversing a one-year decrease reported in 1987.
While the increase in transplants performed was impressive, UNOS also reported
at the same time the list of Americans presently on the waiting list for life
saving, or life enhancing transplants, had grown to more than 16,000, up
nearly 1,000 over 1987.
Dr. William Vaughn, UNOS director of technical services, who oversees the
compilation of data in the national organ transplantation registry, urged that
"caution should be used in comparing 1988 statistics to previous years"
because it was the first year "every organ procurement organization and
transplant center (was) required to report each transplant performed."
UNOS President Dr. Keith Johnson, put the increased number of transplant
candidates in perspective. "Technology has moved very rapidly in the past few
years and patients who would not have considered transplantation a few years
ago are now candidates because new immunosuppressive agents and other
developments have made the results better so they want to get transplanted."
There were a total of 12,798 organ transplants performed in the U.S. in 1988,
UNOS reported. The statistics include all transplants performed at U.S.
transplant centers, including Veteran's Administration facilities. The
numbers reflect transplants covered by Medicare as well as those paid for by
private insurers and individuals and includes military personnel and non-U.S.
citizens receiving transplants in the United States.
The major increases in organs transplanted that just a few years ago were
considered experimental was most dramatic and would seem to indicate an
increase in the number of multiple organ donors procured.
For example, in 1988 there were 31 lung transplants (21 double lungs, 10
single lungs), an increase of more than 300 percent over the nine reported
transplanted in 1987.
Heart/lung transplants reported in 1988 totaled 71, a 43 percent increase over
the reported 43 in 1987.
A total of 243 pancreas' transplants were performed in 1988, an increase of 71
percent over the 142 in 1987.
The number of livers transplanted continued to grow at a rapid pace with 1160
performed in 1988, compared to 1199 reported in 1987, an increase of 40
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Volume 2, Number 22 May 29, 1989
percent.
And heart transplants continued to rise steadily with 1647 reported in 1988,
an increase of 14 percent over the 1438 performed in 1987.
Kidney transplants showed the smallest gain with a total of 9,123 reported in
1988, an increase of 1.7 percent over the 8967 reported in 1987. That news
was encouraging, however, since 1987 represented the first year since the
passage of the End-Stage Renal Disease Program was passed in 1972 that kidney
transplants did not show any increase at all.
A breakdown of the waiting list revealed that as of April 10, 1989 there the
following number of people waiting for a transplant by organ:
14,507 - kidney transplant
1,231 - heart transplant
744 - liver transplant
223 - heart/lung transplant
208 - pancreas transplant
67 - lung transplant
1988 Transplantation Statistics according to UNOS
*9,123 kidney transplants (7,278 cadaver, 1,845 living-related)
*1,680 liver transplants
*1,647 heart transplants
*243 pancreas transplants
*74 heart/lung
*31 lung transplants (21 double lung, 10 single lung).
The UNOS Scientific Registry is a comprehensive organ transplantation data
system that has been in operation since October 1, 1987. (For additional
information contact: United Network for Organ Sharing, 3001 Hungary Spring
Rd., P.O. Box 28010, Richmond, VA 23228)
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