They went to see ”Closed for the Winter”.

But I digress……

Just to keep you on top of things:  There is a new investigational botulism antitoxin that will be replacing the regular stuff.  It’s a new heptavalent botulinum antitoxin (HBAT, Cangene Corporation) through a CDC-sponsored Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Investigational New Drug (IND) protocol. HBAT replaces a licensed bivalent botulinum antitoxin AB and an investigational monovalent botulinum antitoxin E (BAT-AB and BAT-E, Sanofi Pasteur) with expiration of these products on March 12, 2010. As of March 13, 2010, HBAT became the only botulinum antitoxin available in the United States for naturally occurring noninfant botulism.

http://omniphysicians.com/2010/03/19/hbat/

The U.S. Food and…

Investigational Heptavalent Botulinum Antitoxin (HBAT) to

Replace Licensed Botulinum Antitoxin AB and Investigational

Botulinum Antitoxin E

Weekly

March 19, 2010 / 59(10);299

CDC announces the availability of a new heptavalent botulinum antitoxin (HBAT, Cangene Corporation) through a CDC-sponsored Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Investigational New Drug (IND) protocol. HBAT replaces a licensed bivalent botulinum antitoxin AB and an investigational monovalent botulinum antitoxin E (BAT-AB and BAT-E, Sanofi Pasteur) with expiration of these products on March 12, 2010. As of March 13, 2010, HBAT became the only botulinum antitoxin available in the United States for naturally occurring noninfant botulism.

Botulinum antitoxin for treatment of naturally occurring noninfant botulism is available only from CDC. The transition to HBAT ensures uninterrupted availability of antitoxin. BabyBIG (botulism immune globulin) remains available for infant botulism…

J Pediatr, 2/15/10

Study design

The study involved a medical chart review to assess the association of peanut allergy with asthma morbidity in children beyond age 3 years. Peanut allergy was assessed by specific and validated criteria. A Poisson regression model was used to compare the frequency of systemic steroid use and of hospitalization for asthma beyond age 3 years in children with asthma with and without peanut allergy.

Results

Children with peanut allergy had a 2.32-times greater rate of hospitalization (P = .03) and a 1.59-times greater rate of systemic steroid use (P <.001) after controlling for covariates.

Conclusions

Peanut allergy serves as an early marker for asthma morbidity. Early prevention and intervention can improve quality of care.

By JASON ROBERSON / The Dallas Morning News
jroberson@dallasnews.com

 http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/bus/stories/DN-ERwait_19bus.ART.State.Edition1.3ceac55.html

A long-held notion among hospital administrators says the emergency room is a money-loser. But a Texas company aims to disprove that idea by running emergency departments more efficiently.As a testament to its confidence, it’s promising patients no longer than a 15-minute wait to see a doctor or the medical care is free.

“When we started our company, everybody thought we were crazy,” said Dr. Hemant Vankawala, medical director of 24 Hour Emergency Room at The Hospital at Craig Ranch in McKinney.

Critics say the company’s 15-minute promotion is meaningless if after seeing a doctor a patient still must wait for hours on test results or procedural paperwork. Vankawala, however, said he’s confident he knows what patients want when they come…

]]> http://omniphysicians.com/2010/03/19/how-to-give-hospital-ceos-heartburn/  3/19/10

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today warned patients and healthcare providers about the potential for increased risk of muscle injury from the cholesterol-lowering medication Zocor (simvastatin) 80 mg. Although muscle injury (called myopathy) is a known side effect with all statins, today’s warning highlights the greater risk of developing muscle injury, including rhabdomyolysis, for patients when they are prescribed and use higher doses of this drug. Rhabdomyolysis is the most serious form of myopathy and can lead to severe kidney damage, kidney failure, and sometimes death.

Simvastatin is sold as a single-ingredient generic medication and as the brand-name Zocor. It also is sold in combination with ezetimibe as Vytorin, and in combination with niacin as Simcor.

For more information, please visit: Zocor

Pathologic Findings in Novel Influenza A (H1N1) Virus (“Swine Flu”) Infection

Contrasting Clinical Manifestations and Lung Pathology in Two Fatal Cases

AJCP 2010 133:380-387

Although novel influenza A (H1N1) virus infection has assumed pandemic proportions, there are few reports of the pathologic findings. Herein we describe the pathologic findings of novel influenza A (H1N1) infection based on findings in 2 autopsy cases. The first patient, a 36-year-old man, had flu-like symptoms; oseltamivir (Tamiflu) therapy was started 8 days after onset of symptoms, and he died on day 15 of his illness. At autopsy, the main finding was diffuse alveolar damage with extensive fresh intra-alveolar hemorrhage. The second patient, a 46-year-old woman with alcoholism, was found unresponsive in a basement and brought to the hospital intoxicated and confused.…

Link:  http://www.acha.org/ILI_Project/ILI_LatestWeek.cfm