hydroxyzine (brand names: Vistaril, Atarax)-

An antihistamine with anticholinergic (drying) and sedative properties that is used to treat allergic reactions and to relieve nasal and nonnasal symptoms such as those from seasonal allergic rhinitis. Histamine is released by the body during several types of allergic reactions and to a lesser extent during some viral infections, such as the common cold. When histamine binds to its receptors on cells, it causes changes within the cells that lead to sneezing, itching, and increased mucus production. Antihistamines compete with histamine for cell receptors; however, when they bind to the receptors, antihistamines do not stimulate the cells. In addition, antihistamines prevent histamine from binding and stimulating the cells. Generic is available.

methotrexate (brand names: Rheumatrex, Trexall)-A

A drug that is capable of blocking the metabolism of cells (an antimetabolite). As a result of this effect, methotrexate has been found to be helpful in treating certain diseases associated with abnormally rapid cell growth, such as cancer of the breast and psoriasis. Recently, methotrexate has been shown to be effective in inducing miscarriage (for example, in patients with ectopic pregnancy). This effect of methotrexate is attributed to its action of killing the rapidly growing cells of the placenta. Methotrexate has also been found to be very helpful in treating rheumatoid arthritis, although its mechanism of action in this illness is not known. Methotrexate seems to work, in part, by altering aspects of immune function that may play a role in causing rheumatoid arthritis. Generic is available.

heart surgery

A nurse prepares a robotic surgery system for heart surgery. The three approaches to robot surgery are shared-control, supervisory-controlled and the da Vinci surgical system. "Telesurgery" might also be an option in the future. Next, see heart technology that might keep you alive.

modern medicine

Vaccines developed in the 20th century took medicine to a new level, eradicating and preventing many illness. See the next page to take a look at what other modern medicine marvels and experimental treatments are available today.

Misdiagnosis of carcinoid syndrome

Some patients with carcinoid syndrome present with chronic pain in the lower right abdominal quadrant, and the condition is therefore frequently misdiagnosed as irritable bowel syndrome.

Medicine Reading Room Collection

The History of Medicine Reading Room collection includes the major bibliographic resources necessary for historical research, as well as standard works in the history of medicine.
The collection includes general histories of medicine, histories of diseases, medical directories, encyclopedias, biographies and collective biographies, and reprints of medical classics. Reference sources, such as directories, handbooks, regulations, abstract tools, statistical sources, and prepared bibliographies, are used by patrons and by staff to answer reference questions

Inflammatory Bowel Disease

This review gives an account of recent advances in our knowledge of the intestinal immune system and how it becomes perturbed in Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. The importance of genetic factors in these diseases

A Man with Cough, Hoarseness, and Abnormalities on Chest Imaging

A 23-year-old man had cough, hoarseness, fever, and dyspnea on exertion. Imaging studies showed pulmonary and mediastinal masses and a lesion in the pelvis.

Pancreatic Cancer and the Hedgehog

Treatment of a mouse model of aggressive pancreatic cancer with an inhibitor of the hedgehog pathway enhanced tumor sensitivity to gemcitabine and resulted in the stabilization of disease.

Lobbying, Campaign Contributions, and Health Care Reform

If current trends continue, the health sector is likely to spend more than a half billion dollars on lobbying of Congress and federal agencies in 2009. Dr. Robert Steinbrook reports on industry’s efforts to influence health care reform.

Medicaid and National Health Care Reform

Medicaid has once again become central to the U.S. health policy debate, this time figuring as a key to national health care reform. Sara Rosenbaum examines Medicaid under the House and Senate health care reform proposals.

About ClinicalTrials

ClinicalTrials.gov offers up-to-date information for locating federally and privately supported clinical trials for a wide range of diseases and conditions. A clinical trial (also clinical research) is a research study in human volunteers to answer specific health questions. Interventional trials determine whether experimental treatments or new ways of using known therapies are safe and effective under controlled environments. Observational trials address health issues in large groups of people or populations in natural settings.

A Message from the Director

Welcome to MedlinePlus, a goldmine of good health information from the world's largest medical library, the National Library of Medicine. Health professionals and consumers alike can depend on it for information that is authoritative and up to date. MedlinePlus has extensive information from the National Institutes of Health and other trusted sources on over 800 diseases and conditions. There are directories, a medical encyclopedia and a medical dictionary, easy-to-understand tutorials on common conditions, tests, and treatments, health information in Spanish, extensive information on prescription and nonprescription drugs, health information from the media, and links to thousands of clinical trials. MedlinePlus is updated daily and can be bookmarked at the URL: medlineplus.gov. There is no advertising on this site, nor does MedlinePlus endorse any company or product.

About MedlinePlus

MedlinePlus will direct you to information to help answer health questions. MedlinePlus brings together authoritative information from NLM, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and other government agencies and health-related organizations. Preformulated MEDLINE searches are included in MedlinePlus and give easy access to medical journal articles. MedlinePlus also has extensive information about drugs, an illustrated medical encyclopedia, interactive patient tutorials, and latest health news.

HealthSmart Completes Recapitalization to Support Continued Growth, Daniel D. Crowley Named Chairman

HealthSmart, an innovative healthcare benefit solutions company, today announced that it has successfully completed a recapitalization with Silver Point Capital, L.P. and the Company’s other lenders. Silver Point Capital, L.P. is a private investment firm based in.

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Osteoplug Bioresorbable Implant for Trephination Burr Holes

Description:Posteoplug is a bioresorbable implant that is used for covering trephination burr holes in neurosurgery. This proprietary, user-friendly design, shaped like a flattened button mushroom, allows a snap fit into burr holes and requires no fixation by screws, unlike titanium plates. It has superior mechanical strength and the scaffold architecture minimizes potential injuries to the exposed brain th...Company:Osteopore International

AMD Now

Description:AMD Now is a forum presenting interactive education on Age- related Macular Degeneration (AMD), AMD diagnosis and treatments, VEGF, aseptic technique and supportive care for patients and caregivers....Company:ASORN

Osteomesh Bioresorbable Implant for Craniofacial Surgery

Description:Osteomesh is a bioresorbable implant used in craniofacial surgery to repair various types of fractures, like the orbital floor fracture and to fill surgical defects. It has interconnected pores which allow rapid saturation with marrow, blood and nutrients, thus providing the patients own cells with chemical signals that are required for bone growth and remodeling. The mesh is malleable and can be...Company:Osteopore International

Go Healthy, Not Hungry for Holiday Eating

Planning ahead can help keep eating under control, expert says SUNDAY, Nov. 22 (HealthDay News) -- The holiday season means you'll be faced with a seemingly endless buffet of food temptation. While some people simply give in and eat too much, others deny themselves any holiday treats. But there are ways to navigate between overindulgence and deprivation, according to Julie Red..

New cancer target for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

NEW YORK (Nov. 22 2009) -- Physician-scientists from Weill Cornell Medical College have discovered a molecular mechanism that may prove to be a powerful target for the treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, a type of cancer that affects lymphocytes, or white blood cells. By exploiting this mechanism, researchers have been able to powerfully suppress tumor formation in lab testing and in animal .

Surface bacteria maintain skin's healthy balance

On the skin's surface, bacteria are abundant, diverse and constant, but inflammation is undesirable. Research at the University of California, San Diego School of medicine now shows that the normal bacteria living on the skin surface trigger a pathway that prevents excessive inflammation after injury. "These germs are actually good for us," said Richard L. Gallo, MD, PhD, professor of med.

Latest Invention: Brain Implants to Ease Serious Neurological Conditions

Recently a team of researchers from Medtronic of Minneapolis, Minnesota, announced about the development of a neurostimulator.

Latest Invention: Biogel that Heals Brain Injuries

Recently it was announced that in the next three years the field of medicine will benefit from the latest invention of U.S. researchers - an injectable biogel that can cure brain injuries

InfoNIAC Presents: Top 6 Latest Inventions of August 2009

InfoNIAC Presents is our new section in which we bring you the top 10 latest inventions selected from www.InfoNIAC.com each month.

Latest Invention: Liquid Condom Blocks HIV, Herpes, Papilloma Viruses

Researchers managed to come up with the latest invention in medicine called vaginal liquid condom that has the ability to block semen and anything that is contained in it, including viruses such as the human immunodeficiency virus.

Latest invention in medicine

Speaking about the latest invention in medicine, it is worth mentioning that scientists have invented drugs that not only improve the endurance of athletes, but also imitate the beneficial effects of exercising. These drugs will be used for treating a variety of muscle diseases, for example, wasting and frailty, and will be given to hospital patients unable to exercise, veterans and other people with disabilities, obesity and metabolic disorders, in order to provide them with the benefits of exercise.

WRHI-Medicine Shoppe

Cautions About Cold Medicine and Kids

These days, there are plenty of over-the-counter remedies that promise to ease your child's symptoms. But before you reach for a bottle of children's pain reliever or cold medicine, here are a few things to think about.The first is that while over-the-counter medications can make your child feel better, they don't actually help them get better. And cold remedies make some kids irritable or nervous, which can make it hard for them to sleep. So if your child has a low fever and a drippy nose but seems fine otherwise, there's probably no need to run to the medicine cabinet. In addition, you should never give children under 2 over-the-counter drugs without consulting your doctor first. Also, never give aspirin to kids under 16. It can cause a rare but dangerous condition called Reye's syndrome. And if your child is taking a prescription drug, check with their doctor before giving them an over-the-counter medication.

Robbery at the Medicine Shoppe Pharmacy

City Police Investigation Services are currently investigating a robbery that occurred at 1:41 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 10 at the Medicine Shoppe Pharmacy located at 955 Queen Street East. A lone male entered the pharmacy, produced a note demanding oxycontin and indicating that he was in possession of a gun. The male fled on foot with an undisclosed amount of oxycontin. City Police, with assistance from the OPP Canine Unit, searched the area for the suspect but he was not located. The male is described as being approximately 6 feet tall, 175 to 210 pounds, wearing a red long sleeve shirt, blue jeans and a black baseball hat. If anyone has any information regarding this robbery, please contact City Police at 949-6300 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.

"The prospect of owning and operating my own pharmacy is something that has excited me since I began my pharmacy career in 2005. With the guidance and tools provided by Medicine Shoppe Canada, I was able to achieve this goal early in my career. The professional pharmacy model allows me to provide my patients with dedicated and personalized service. I have the freedom to make my own decisions on how to meet the needs and expectations of my clients.

Make Us Part of Your Health Care Team.

As Medicine Shoppe Pharmacists, we want you to expect more from our pharmacies. We are 100% focused on your health needs, and dedicated to being an active partner in your health care. We will take the time to welcome you when you visit, listen to your concerns, and answer your questions.

Confidence and Peace of Mind.

As your personal pharmacists, we promise to provide you with the products, services and information you need to care for your family with confidence. The Medicine Shoppe Pharmacy experience focuses on prescriptions, medication management, health-related products and a variety of programs and services designed to help you live a healthy life. Our business is all about medicine. Our service is all about you.

Committed to your health. Dedicated to your needs.

Taking an active role in your health is important. And that’s the way it should be. That’s why our independant pharmacist-owners are committed to staying informed about the latest health care products, lifestyle modifications and medication treatment options so that we can help you get the most out of your medications - giving you the tools and resources to make the best decisions for you and your family.

Different Types of Pain Medicine

The formal term for painkillers is analgesics, a word derived from the Greek words an (without) and algia (pain). The three most commonly used types of pain medicine today are the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), the paracetamol based drugs and the opioid drugs.
The nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAIDs) group contains a wide range of different painkillers. Examples of commonly known NSAID painkillers are Aspirin, Diclofenac and Ibuprofen. NSAID pain killers do not only alleviate pain; they will also lower fever and decrease inflammations. They are called non-steroidal in order to discern them from the steroids, since the steroids are also used for their anti-inflammatory capacity. Aspirin was discovered in 1829 when salicylic acid was chemically isolated for the first time, but willow bark containing salicylic acid has been used as a pain killer long before the 19th century. A lot of NSAIDs are available over-the-counter but this does not mean that they are harmless. When misused, even comparatively weak NSAIDs can have severe side effects, including bleeding ulcers and photosensitivity. NSAIDs are generally not recommended during pregnancy.
Paracetamol is also known as acetaminophen. Both words are derived from the chemical name for this painkilling compound: N-acetyl-para-aminophenol and para-acetyl-amino-phenol. Two examples of commonly known brand names under which Paracetamol is marketed are Tylenol and Panadol. Painkillers containing Paracetamol will relieve pain and decrease a fever, but unlike the NSAID painkillers they have no anti-inflammatory properties. One of the advantages of Paracetamol compared to NSAIDs is that Paracetamol painkillers will not affect the blood’s ability to clot. Nor will they damage the kidney or lining of the stomach as long as you stay within the recommended limits and never use too much Paracetamol. High doses of Paracetamol will however be damaging to a wide range of bodily functions. Paracetamol should never be combined with alcohol since the liver will be overloaded with the burden of breaking down both alcohol and Paracetamol, which makes the risk of Paracetamol poisoning higher. If you are healthy, well-nourished and do not drink alcohol, a single 10 gram dose of Paracetamol can cause significant liver damage.
Opioid drugs are very potent painkillers but will come with a sever side effects, even in low concentrations. Morphine is one of the most commonly used opioids in pain killing drugs. An example of a morphine based painkiller is Tramal. Pethidine is another pain killing opiate and can be found in medications such as Alodan and Demerol. Morphine will act directly on the central nervous system and can relieve even sever pains, such as post surgery pains and cancer pains. Morphine is addictive and it is important that it is used with caution. The addiction can be physical as well as physiological. The side effects are also both physical and psychological. Among the physical side effects are constipation and an inhibition of the cough reflex. Psychological side effects include euphoria as well as nightmares, and drowsiness can come hand in hand with insomnia. Morphine was isolated from opium in 1803 by Friedrich Serturner, a German pharmacist. He named it morphium after the Greek god of dreams, Morpheus. Serturner soon discovered its usefulness as a painkiller, but morphine didn’t grow really popular until the hypodermic needle was invented in 1853.

Programs

Medicine Hat College offers academic, career training, and university transfer programs leading to degrees, diplomas, and certificates. The College has 10 bachelor degree options including applied degrees in Ecotourism and Outdoor Leadership, Paramedic, and Visual Communications, collaborative degrees in Nursing and Social Work with the University of Calgary, and joint degrees in Communication Studies, Criminal Justice, General Studies, Human Services, and Management with Athabasca University. The College also has over 69 university transfer programs with each option transferring to a specific university. For students wanting to pursue vocational and/or skills training, the College provides 6 apprenticeship opportunities leading to a career in a skilled trade and 6 pre-employment programs aimed at providing students with the skills which will give them an advantage when competing for employment in the skilled trades. Additionally, the College’s “Conservatory of Music and Dance” offer students courses and programs in the performing arts.

Medicine Hat College

Established: 1964 (Originally known as Medicine Hat Junior College; in 1969 the College was incorporated into the Colleges Act of Alberta and the "Junior" was subsequently dropped from the College's name.).

The AMA Vision for Health System Reform

No one said that achieving meaningful health system reform this year was going to be easy. But tackling the tough challenges is something the American Medical Association (AMA) has been doing for 162 years.As the nation’s largest organization representing physicians from every state and nearly every medical specialty—and the patients in their care—we are committed to achieving health system reform this year that:Protects the sacred relationship between patients and their physicians, without interference by insurance companies or the government Provides affordable health insurance for all through a choice of plans and eliminates denials for preexisting conditions Promotes quality, prevention and wellness initiatives Repeals the Medicare physician payment system that harms seniors' access to care Eases the crushing weight of medicalliabilityand insurance company bureaucracy Physicians, patients, policymakers and others have found common ground on real health system improvements. Difficult issues must still be resolved. But it’s time for results, not rhetoric. It's time to shift our focus from arguing about differences to working together to resolve them.
The status quo is unacceptable. America's patients and physicians deserve better. The AMA will press on until a better health system is a reality for all Americans.

Almost 10 Percent of U.S. Medical Costs Tied to Obesity

MONDAY, July 27 (HealthDay News) -- Obesity in the United States now carries the hefty price tag of $147 billion per year in direct medical costs, just over 9 percent of all medical spending, experts report.

In fact, people who are obese spend almost $1,500 more each year on health care -- about 41 percent more than an average-weight person. Beyond those costs are the disability and early deaths caused by obesity, Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said during a press conference Monday.

"Obesity, and with it diabetes, are the only major health problems that are getting worse in this country, and they are getting worse rapidly," Frieden said. "The average American is now 23 pounds overweight."

Frieden's comments were made at the CDC's "Weight of the Nation" conference, held this week in Washington, D.C.

Between 1998 and and 2006, obesity rates in the United States increased 37 percent and now one in three adults in the country are obese. Experts have long known the toll overweight takes on health, but the new report, published in the July 27 online edition of Health Affairs, outlines the financial cost of obesity.

"A normal-weight individual will spend about $3,400 per year in medical expenditures and that number rises to about $4,870 if that individual is obese," study author Eric Finkelstein, director, RTI Public Health Economics Program in Research Triangle Park, N.C., said during the press conference.

For people on Medicare, average expenses for a normal-weight person average about $4,700 a year, while costs for an obese person range about $6,400 annually, Finkelstein said.

The biggest driver of these excess costs are prescription drugs, Finkelstein said. Among the normal-weight population, prescription drug costs average about $700 a year, but among those who are obese the cost rises to about $1,300 a year, an 80 percent increase, he said.

"For Medicare, the costs of obesity are about 72 percent greater just for prescription drugs," Finkelstein said. An obese person on Medicare is going to pay $1,400 in drug costs more a year than a normal-weight person, he said.

"Today's report demonstrating the clear link between rising rates of obesity and increasing medical costs is alarming, but not unexpected," Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, president and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation said in a statement. "Obesity is the driver of so many chronic conditions -- heart disease, diabetes, cancer -- that generate the exorbitant costs that are crushing our health-care system," she said.

"The only way to show real savings in health expenditures in the future is through efforts to reduce the prevalence of obesity and related health conditions," Finkelstein said.

Hoping to turn the tide of the obesity epidemic, the CDC is taking several steps it hopes will alert people to the problem and get Americans to make the changes need to reduce obesity.

Among the strategies the CDC is promoting are making healthy food more available, promoting more choices of healthy foods, promoting breast-feeding, encouraging physical activity and creating sites in communities that support physical activity, Dr. William H. Dietz, director of CDC's Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity, said during the press conference.

"These recommendations, I believe, set the foundation for the community interventions necessary to reverse this problem in the United States," Dietz said.

One of the biggest problems facing Americans is soaring consumption of soda and other sugar-sweetened drinks, which add almost 150 calories to the daily diet, Frieden said.

Frieden believes that taxing sodas and other sugar-sweetened drinks will help cut down on consumption and raise revenues that can be used to fight the obesity epidemic.

The upshot of Monday's meeting is that stemming the obesity epidemic is going to take a societal effort.

"Reversing obesity is not going to be done successfully with individual effort," Frieden said. "We did not get to this situation over the past three decades because of any change in our genetics or any change in our food preferences. We got to this stage of the epidemic because of a change in our environment and only a change in our environment again will allow us to get back to a healthier place," he said.

SOURCES: July 27, 2009, teleconference with: Thomas R. Frieden, M.D., M.P.H. director, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Eric Finkelstein, Ph.D., director, RTI Public Health Economics Program, Research Triangle Park, NC; William H. Dietz, M.D., Ph.D., director, Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; July 27, 2009, Health Affairs, online

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