News for 2009

Patients with acute kidney injury at greater risk for premature death

kidney diagramPeople who suffer from acute kidney injury (AKI), a sudden loss of kidney function, are more likely to die prematurely after leaving the hospital even after their kidney function has recovered, according to a study conducted by researchers with the Center for Health Quality, Outcomes, and Economic Research. The data will be published in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN).

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Blood test to detect colon cancer seeks FDA approval

blood testYet another biotech company is diligently working to find a safer, less invasive test besides a colonoscopy to detect cancers of the colon and rectum. EDP Biotech Corporation of West Knoxville, Tenn., has announced that it is seeking FDA approval of a blood test to detect colon cancer at its earliest and most treatable stages.

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NCI report: new cases of colon, rectal cancer deaths declining

polip 150x150 NCI report: new cases of colon, rectal cancer deaths decliningThe rate of new colorectal cancer cases and deaths from colorectal cancers has declined, according to a report from leading health and cancer organizations. Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer among men and women, and the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States.

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Less invasive alternative to colonoscopy set for 2011 clinical trial

colorectal cancersA Madison, Wis., company is developing a less invasive way of screening for colon cancer that it hopes will take the place of uncomfortable colonoscopies and increase the number of people willing to be screened for colorectal cancers. Exact Sciences Corp., has developed a DNA-based test that can detect colorectal cancer through a stool sample. Even more convenient than a colonoscopy for the patient, the test can be administered at home and sent to a lab for analysis.

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December marks year anniversary of FDA OSP black box warning

fda logo 150x150 December marks year anniversary of FDA OSP black box warning One year ago this month, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a black box warning on a common type of laxative known as oral sodium phosphate, or , available both over-the-counter and by prescription. After years of investigation, the FDA finally alerted health care providers and the public of the risk of a serious kidney injury known as acute phosphate nephropathy associated with the use of OSPs.

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Study finds new colon-cleansing prep safer, more effective

colonscopy patient, doctorsA randomized clinical study evaluating the safety and efficacy of a new, reduced-volume oral sulfate colon-cleansing preparation for colonoscopy has proven well tolerated and effective in bowel preparation, according to the December 2009 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Physician Assistants Patient-Oriented Evidence that Matters report.

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Task force advises stopping colonoscopies for elderly

colonoscopy 4The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, a government-appointed, independent panel of doctors and scientists, raised quite a ruckus with its recommendations on the frequency of mammograms and pap smears, bucking the American Cancer Society’s recommendations by suggesting that fewer screenings were necessary for otherwise healthy women. But the task force’s opinions on colonoscopies mirror those of ACS with at least one small exception – limiting colorectal exams for patients 75 years and older.

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Prepping bowel for colonoscopy is ‘necessary evil’

colonoscopy3 150x150 Prepping bowel for colonoscopy is necessary evilLet’s face it. There is no comfortable way to prepare for a colonoscopy. You can call it a necessary evil, but colon screenings are necessary for early detection of colorectal cancer for people ages 50 and older, those with a family history, or individuals who are experiencing bothersome symptoms, such as blood in the stool. After all, early detection of precancerous lesions are associated with an up to 90 percent reduction in colon cancer, the country’s second-leading cause of cancer deaths.

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Woman who suffered serious kidney injury files suit against Fleet

fleet phospho soda package 454 144x150 Woman who suffered serious kidney injury files suit against Fleet Russell Todd Abney with Beasley Allen Law Firm has filed a lawsuit against C.B. Fleet Company, Inc., on behalf of Mary Little, a resident of Newton County, Georgia, claiming that the plaintiff suffered severe personal injuries as a result of ingesting ’s over-the-counter product known as Fleet Phospho-soda.

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Videotaping colonoscopies results in better physician performance

videotaping 150x150 Videotaping colonoscopies results in better physician performanceVideotaped colonoscopies may result in better physician performance and more accurate outcomes for patients, according to CureToday.com. A study lead by Dr. Douglas Rex with Indiana University Medical Center in Indianapolis found that videotaping such procedures resulted in a change in physician behavior. “Basically the doctors went slower and looked more carefully” when videotaped, Dr. Rex says. The findings were presented this week at the American College of Gastroenterology annual meeting in San Diego, Calif.

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