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Less children and teens taking antidepressants

The number of children and teenagers prescribed antidepressant medications appears to have decreased following public warnings about suicidal behavior potentially associated with the drugs, according to a report published in the April issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

4 Apr 2007

Number of children worldwide with hearing impairment is increasing

Although newborn babies in rich countries routinely have their hearing tested, the major global health agencies, such as the World Bank and Unicef, have not prioritized funding for newborn hearing tests in poor countries, writes Dr Bolajoko Olusanya (University of Lagos, Nigeria and University College London, UK) in PLoS Medicine.

4 Apr 2007

Cochlear implants increase risk of bacterial infections that can cause meningitis

Confirming what physicians have long speculated, a new study published in the April edition of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery determines that the presence of cochlear implants increases the risk of bacterial infections that can cause meningitis in recipients.

3 Apr 2007

New understanding of the mechanics of hearing

Modern hearing aids, though quite sophisticated, still do not faithfully reproduce sound as hearing people perceive it.

3 Apr 2007

How the brain processes pain location

Is that pain in your chest a heart attack or indigestion? New research from Wake Forest University School of Medicine reveals that more areas of the brain than previously thought are involved in determining the location of pain.

2 Apr 2007

Mexico City lawmakers begin hearings on abortion during first three months

Mexico City lawmakers on Wednesday began hearings on a bill that would allow pregnant women in the city to obtain a legal abortion during the first three months' gestation, the Los Angeles Times reports (Tobar, Los Angeles Times, 3/29). Lawmakers from Mexico's Party of the Democratic Revolution recently proposed the measure.

2 Apr 2007

Hearing-protection tablet helps soldiers defend against hearing loss

Soldiers exposed to the deafening din of battle have little defense against hearing loss, and are often reluctant to wear protective gear like ear plugs that could make them less able to react to danger.

31 Mar 2007

FDA releases final report on 2006 E.coli spinach outbreak

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and California's Department of Health Services (CDHS) have released a joint report on an extensive investigation into the causes of an E.coli O157:H7 outbreak last fall that was associated with contaminated Dole brand Baby Spinach and resulted in 205 confirmed illnesses and three deaths.

27 Mar 2007

HPV vaccine proposals in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Dakota

Merck's HPV vaccine Gardasil and GlaxoSmithKline's HPV vaccine Cervarix in clinical trials have been shown to be 100% effective in preventing infection with HPV strains 16 and 18, which together cause about 70% of cervical cancer cases.

22 Mar 2007

FDA clears Xpert EV test for meningitis

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared for marketing a test that uses molecular biology to quickly detect the presence of viral meningitis.

19 Mar 2007

Call for health coverage for women of childbearing age and children

Dr. Marina L. Weiss, senior vice president, public policy and government affairs of the March of Dimes, made the following statement as the Senate Committee on Finance held a hearing entitled "Charting a Course for Health Care Reform: Moving Toward Universal Coverage".

14 Mar 2007

Guide to minimize microbial food safety hazards of fresh-cut fruits and vegetables

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today published a draft final guidance advising processors of fresh-cut produce how to minimize microbial food safety hazards common to the processing of most fresh-cut fruits and vegetables, which are often sold to consumers in a ready-to-eat form.

12 Mar 2007

Army appoints Deputy General of Walter Reed Army Medical Center

Gen. Richard Cody, the Army's vice chief of staff, announced on Thursday that Brig. Gen. Michael Tucker will take over as deputy commanding general of Walter Reed Army Medical Center, the Washington Post reports.

11 Mar 2007

House subcommittees hold hearing on stopping Medicare fraud

The House Ways and Means Oversight and Health subcommittees on Thursday held a joint hearing on Medicare fraud, with lawmakers estimating that as much as 50% of the $10.8 billion in Medicare overpayments in 2006 were the result of fraud, CQ HealthBeat reports.

11 Mar 2007

House panel requests marketing documents from pharmaceutical companies regarding off-label drug promotion

The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform has asked two stent manufacturers and three drug manufacturers to provide documents regarding the marketing of their products as part of the committee's investigation into the off-label use of drug-coated stents and prescription drugs, the Wall Street Journal reports.

8 Mar 2007

Congressional hearings begin for Walter Reed Army Medical Center

The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee's Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs on Monday held a hearing to address concerns about quality of care and living conditions at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, during which Army officials "acknowledg[ed] ... that they have failed in the care of wounded veterans," the Los Angeles Times reports.

8 Mar 2007

Senate hearing to debate junk food in schools

Tomorrow the Senate Agriculture Committee will hold a hearing on school nutrition issues, a move that the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) says signals new hope for strong, national action to get junk food out of schools.

5 Mar 2007

No decision on Office of Women's Health Funding, FDA Commissioner Von Eschenbach says

FDA Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach on Wednesday at a House Appropriations subcommittee hearing said he has not made a decision on fiscal year 2007 funding for the agency's Office of Women's Health, Reuters reports.

4 Mar 2007

U.S. Army fires Commander of Walter Reed over concerns about leadership abilities

Maj. Gen. George Weightman was fired as commander of Walter Reed Army Medical Center because the Army said it had lost confidence in his leadership abilities, the Washington Post reports.

4 Mar 2007

Former FDA commissioner Lester Crawford gets three years probation and $90,000 fine

U.S. Magistrate Judge Deborah Robinson on Tuesday sentenced former FDA commissioner Lester Crawford to three years of supervised probation and ordered him to pay fines of about $90,000 for false reporting and conflicts of interest related to ownership of stocks in companies regulated by the agency, the AP/Washington Times reports.

1 Mar 2007