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Health Highlights: April 2, 2004 |
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Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay:
Preschoolers Fuel Growth of Antidepressant Use: Study
Children under 5 years old are the fastest growing group of new antidepressant users, according to a study published in the April issue of the journal Psychiatric Services.
The use of Paxil and similar antidepressants doubled among girls and grew by 64 percent among boys in the age group between 1998 and 2002, according to study sponsor Express Scripts, a St. Louis-based pharmacy benefit management firm. Overall, use of these drugs continued to grow by about 10 percent annually among children and adolescents, the researchers found.
The study's authors examined antidepressant use among some 2 million commercially insured patients 18 years and younger between 1998 and 2002.
The announcement followed last week's recommendation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that makers of Paxil and nine other popular antidepressants incorporate more stringent packaging labeling, warning of a possible link between the drugs and increased suicidal thinking among young users.
The 10 medications are among a class of drugs known as SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors), which also includes Prozac and Zoloft.
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New Antibiotic Fights Respiratory Infections
As more drugs become resistant to germs that cause respiratory tract infections (RTIs), the world's drugmakers must find new ways to treat these all-too-common conditions, including chronic bronchitis, bacterial sinusitis, and community-acquired pneumonia.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave the effort a boost Thursday when it approved Ketek (telithromycin), the first in a new class of antibiotics known as ketolides, which are designed specifically to treat these kinds of stubborn respiratory problems.
Ketek targets the airway germs without significantly affecting bacteria that don't cause the RTIs, manufacturer Aventis Pharmaceuticals said in a prepared statement. This may be an important factor in minimizing development of drug-resistant germs, the statement added.
More than 7 million prescriptions for the drug have been written since it was first approved in Europe in 2001, the company said. Common side effects include nausea, headache, dizziness, and diarrhea.
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Football Broadcaster Pat Summerall Awaits Liver Transplant
Veteran National Football League broadcaster Pat Summerall has been flown from his Texas home to Jacksonville, Fla., where he's likely to undergo a liver transplant over the weekend, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported.
An exact surgery schedule hasn't been established for Summerall, 73, who is a recovering alcoholic. An unidentified source close to the family told the newspaper that he has been on a waiting list for a donor liver.
His wife told the Star-Telegram that Summerall has been sober for 12 years, but that the progressive effects of alcoholism made the transplant necessary.
A 10-year NFL veteran before becoming a broadcaster, Summerall spent more than 40 years in the TV booth -- including calling a total of 16 Super Bowls.
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Bush Signs Law Protecting Fetuses
President Bush on Thursday signed a law that expands the rights of the unborn, making it a separate crime if a fetus is harmed when a violent act is committed on a pregnant woman on federal property.
Bush invited victims of such crimes, including the mother and stepfather of Laci Peterson, the California woman who was slain along with her unborn son, Connor, to the signing ceremony in the East Room, the Washington Post reported. Peterson's husband, Scott Peterson, is now standing trial for her murder.
"As of today, the law of our nation will acknowledge the plain fact that crimes of violence against a pregnant woman often have two victims," Bush said. "And therefore, in those cases, there are two offenses to be punished."
Although the law is limited in its scope -- it won't apply to most murders, which are prosecuted by states -- it re-opened the debate over abortion, the Post reported. While supporters of the legislation see it as further protecting the unborn, opponents see it as a back-door attempt to erode abortion rights.
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Recalled Child Books Pose Choking Hazard
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Britain-based Kingfisher Publications is recalling 5,000 "touch and feel" children's books containing a sponge that could detach or disintegrate, posing a choking hazard to young readers, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said.
The "My Easter Basket Book" incorporates textured surfaces and photographs of plush toys, lollipops, and other candy typically found in Easter baskets. U.S. retailers nationwide sold the books in February and March for about $8. The firm has learned of one incident in which a child began to choke, although no injuries have been reported. |
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Consumers should take the book away from young children immediately, and return it to: Kingfisher Publications PLC, Customer Service, 181 Ballardvale St., Wilmington, Mass., 01887 for a full refund and postage reimbursement.
For more information, contact the company toll-free at
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