среда, 8 июля 2009 г.
Hiv Drug Resistance A Growing Concern For Doctors
Nearly half of all HIV-infected patients in the United States develop resistance to one or more of their medications, experts say, making the epidemic of drug resistance a growing concern.
"Unlike other chronic illnesses, HIV is unforgiving," said Dr. John G. Bartlett, an expert in infectious diseases and professor at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, speaking at an American Medical Association briefing. "Once the virus becomes resistant to one drug, we can never use that drug again. The challenge for physicians is to stay ahead of the virus with new drugs and newly available combinations of drugs."
There are various reasons for the development of such resistance. One key is that when patients either miss or skip a dose of their medication, it gives the virus a chance to multiply and mutate, allowing it to grow increasingly resistant to the drugs designed to fight it.
"As the virus mutates, the drugs lose their ability to prevent the virus from reproducing," Bartlett said. "The drug-resistant virus reproduces unchecked and the viral load [amount of virus] in the body increases."
In fact, a new study published in the Feb. 1, 2005, issue of the Journal of Infectious Diseases showed that adherence to the medication regimen had by far the greatest impact on the development of resistance. Patients who missed less than 5 percent of their medications did not develop resistance over the course of the 30-month study.
"Adherence is not just swallowing pills, but swallowing them at the correct times and with the appropriate dietary requirements," Bartlett said.
"A treatment goal for physicians is to find simpler drug regimens that can be taken less frequently to make it easier for their patients to follow their treatment plans," said Dr. Kimberly Y. Smith, assistant professor of medicine at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.
"The trend has become using fewer pills with less frequent dosages," Smith said. "Although the ideal regimen would be one pill per day, regimens that include two to four pills per day are currently very popular and seem to be well-tolerated."
New laboratory tests also have been developed that help predict which medications may become resistant at some point.
"It's not easy to stay ahead of HIV," said Dr. Daniel Kuritzkes, associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and director of AIDS Research at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. "Resistance testing, at the beginning of treatment and as treatment continues, is one way we have devised to do just that."
понедельник, 6 июля 2009 г.
On Vacation With A Cold? How To Get Well Sooner
Have you ever waited months to go on a vacation only to get sick just days into your trip?
Unfortunately, this happens to many travelers. Studies show that compared to 20 years ago, airplanes are bringing in less fresh air from the outside, meaning more recycled and contaminated air for passengers to breathe. Couple this with cramped conditions, close contact with strangers and a weakened immune system from travel stress and you have a recipe for illness.
Dr. Roy Welker, director of travel medicine services at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, says there is really only one thing you can do on an airplane to decrease your chances of getting sick: wash your hands.
While alcohol wipes work, there is nothing as effective as soap and water. Some have suggested wearing surgical-style masks, but these, in addition to being cumbersome, don't stop viruses from spreading through the air.
If you do catch a cold virus, however, all may not be lost. As long as you can breathe easily and are not running a fever of over 101.5 F, it is not necessary to cancel a trip. To get better faster so you can make the most of your short time away, Welker offers the following tips.
* Sleep. Getting plenty of rest is important. Your body needs all of its strength to fight off the cold virus.
* Blow your nose. If you let the mucus build up in your nasal passages, it can fill your respiratory tract and possibly lead to a respiratory infection.
* Eat. Do not starve a cold. Instead, keep yourself well-nourished so that you have enough energy to fight off that nasty virus. Also, many cold remedies can cause an upset stomach if your stomach is empty.
* Drink. Keep yourself hydrated with water and clear juices to ensure that the lining of your nose and throat do not dry out. This will help mucus stay moist and easy to clear from the nose. Stay away from drinks that contain caffeine or alcohol, both of which can lead to dehydration.
* Stop smoking. Inhaling smoke will further irritate your throat and make you cough even more.
* Take Cold-Eeze. Unlike decongestants, expectorants and antihistamines that only mask symptoms, Cold-Eeze's Zinc Gluconate Glycine formula is the only one clinically proven to reduce the duration of the common cold.
Welker also says it makes no difference what time of year you are traveling or to which climate. While there is usually a cold epidemic in North America during the winter, the tropics have the rhinovirus year-round. Also, despite your mother's warnings, cold weather has no effect on your immune system and will not increase your chances of catching a cold.
пятница, 3 июля 2009 г.
Arm In A Cast? The Key To Worry-free Washing
Influenza season can begin as early as October and last through May. With a flu vaccine shortage, it's more important than ever to wash your hands to keep from getting the flu and spreading it to others.
But what do you do if you can't wash your hands because you're wearing a cast?
The answer is simple: Get the cast you can get wet - the Gore Procel Cast Liner. It was developed by W.L. Gore and Associates Inc., the inventors of the Gore-Tex Fabric, and does away with the hygiene limitations of a traditional cast.
Traditional cast padding is made of a cotton material that absorbs water and perspiration, often causing itching and odor. Conversely, the Gore Procel Cast Liner padding is made of the same polymer that makes Gore-Tex Fabric sportswear waterproof and breathable. It allows patients to bathe, shower and even swim.
When a fiberglass cast padded with a Gore Procel Cast Liner gets wet, most of the water drains quickly out of the ends of the cast. The remaining moisture is warmed by body heat, becomes vapor and passes through the liner and fiberglass casting. No special drying is necessary. So you can wash your hands, with soap, as often as you like.
That's good news during flu season. The flu spreads from person to person through direct contact or by touching something with the virus on it and then touching your mouth or nose.
People with the flu can be contagious up to seven days after getting sick. In addition to washing your hands often, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends you stay home when you are sick and cover your nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing.
среда, 1 июля 2009 г.
Is It A Cold Or The Flu?
It starts with a tickle in your throat and a few sneezes. Pretty soon, you are coughing, aching and feeling generally miserable. Is it a cold or the more serious illness, the flu?
While many people confuse the two, they are actually quite different.
Colds are minor infections of the nose and throat caused by any of hundreds of different viruses; the flu is an infection of the respiratory system caused by the influenza virus that can lead to complications such as pneumonia or even death.
Even though colds and the flu are different, prevention techniques for both are similar because they are contracted the same way. While there are no surefire solutions, there are easy ways to decrease your chances of getting sick.
* Wash your hands. Washing your hands is the single most effective way to keep from catching a cold or spreading one to someone else. Both colds and the flu can be passed via inanimate objects such as doorknobs and telephones. If you come in contact with a contaminated surface and then touch your nose, mouth or eyes, it is easy for the virus to enter your body.
* Don't smoke. Cigarette smoke has been shown to increase an individual's susceptibility to a cold virus.
* Eat right. A balanced diet full of fruits and vegetables provides you with vitamins and other immunity-boosting substances.
* Practice healthy habits. Getting enough sleep and exercising can help you maintain a strong immune system to fight off the germs that cause illness.
* Stay away from people who are sick. Do not share food, drinks, utensils, dishes or cups with anyone who has a cold or the flu. Also, keep your distance from others in crowds.
If you still get sick with a cold or the flu, treatment options differ. For a cold, pharmacists and doctors recommend Cold-Eeze, an over-the-counter remedy containing zinc gluconate glycine that is clinically proven to reduce the duration of the common cold.
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