Insidermedicine in 60 - October 25, 2007

From France - Women with painful period cramps, or endometriosis, are at higher risk for skin melanoma. Research on over 90 thousand French women has shown that those with endometriosis were 60% more likely to develop skin melanoma - a pigmented form of skin cancer.

From Washington - Supersaturated oxygen given while someone is having a heart attack can limit damage to the heart muscle. A randomized clinical trial on over 300 patients showed a 6% reduction in the size of a heart attack when patients were given supersaturated oxygen. In addition, oxygen therapy doubled the chance that ventricular function remained normal.

From Chicago - Nearly one in 3 patients with breathing problems like asthma or COPD, don't use their inhalers properly. A research study of over 200 patients, which evaluated the use of inhalers, showed that one-third of patients failed to get medication to their lungs; this number rose to over 50% in those who were not given proper instruction on how to use inhalers.

And finally from New York - Children with colds should wait a few weeks before having a general anesthetic. A study has demonstrated that children who received general anesthesia within 2 weeks of having a cold were 2 times more likely to experience spasm of the larynx, 3 times more likely to have cough and twice as likely to have oxygen desaturation.

For Insidermedicine in 60, I'm Dr. Susan Sharma.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• menstrual
• period
• cramp
• cancer
• melanoma
• oxygen
• mask
• heart
• attack
• asthma
• pulmonary
• inhaler
• puffer
• anesthetic
• cold
• infect