Foot Blog News this Week- Issue 8
Drug-treated salt helps limb swelling
UPI – PONDICHERRY, India, March 2 (UPI) — Researchers in India say lymphatic filariasis, which causes limbs and genitals to fill with fluid and swell, could be treated by treating salt with a drug.
In a systematic review of 21 studies, Srividya Adinarayanan of the Vector Control Research Center in Pondicherry, India, found that DEC-medicated salt — salt treated with the drug diethylcarbamazine, or DEC — is effective at reducing transmission of the disease, also known as elephantiasis, if maintained for at least six months.
Melanoma combo treatment not effective
UPI – SAO PAOLO, Brazil, March 2 (UPI) — Using both immunotherapy and chemotherapy to treat malignant melanoma has not been found to improve survival rates, according to a Brazilian review.
Study leader Dr. Andre Sasse of the research center Onco-Evidencias in Sao Paolo reviewed 18 studies of 2,625 patients who were treated with either chemotherapy alone or a combination of both.
FDA May Approve Cattle Drug Which Could Lead To Drug Resistant Superbugs
Medical News Today — The FDA may approve Cefquinome, an antibiotic, for cattle use. Cefquinome is currently used for human gastrointestinal diseases, as well as meningitis. According to an article in the Washington Post, giving this drug to cattle could lead to the emergence of superbugs - bugs that are resistant to drugs that are currently given to humans.
Many experts believe antibiotics are already being overused. Rather than approving more of them for animal use, we should be doing the opposite. The Veterinary Medical Advisory Committee, which advises the FDA, rejected the drug’s approval (for the use with cattle) last year. However, according to the Washington Post, it looks as though the FDA may well go ahead with the approval.
Angioplasty shown to save legs and feet
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Non-surgical treatment to unblock clogged arteries in legs and feet can save them from being amputated, even though those blood vessels are small and tricky to work in, researchers reported on Monday.Dr. Nael Saad and colleagues at the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York reported a 91 percent success rate in preventing amputations after 18 months.The procedure is called angioplasty, in which the clogged artery is stretched open using a tube inserted via a very small incision and a metal mesh tube called a stent to hold the blood vessel open.
IDIBAPS Participates In European Network On Antibiotic Resistances And Hospital Infections
Medical News Today – The MOSAR project (Mastering hOSpital Antimicrobial Resistance and its spread into the community) is the first European-scale work devoted to the control and study of antimicrobial resistance in hospitals. MOSAR is coordinated by the Institut national de la santé e de la recherche médicale (INSERM, Christian Brun-Buisson, unit 657 “Pharmaco-epidemiology and assessment of the impact of health products on populations”), and has about 20 public and private laboratories, and more than 50 hospitals in Europe and Israel. IDIBAPS-Hospital Clínic is the only nationwide representative of the network, and has the participation of the group of Dr. Jordi Vila, head of the Bacteriology Unit of Hospital Clínic, and member of the Public health, epidemiology and international health group of IDIBAPS.
A new geriatric sign predicts ability to dress independently: SOS: Sock/Stocking On Sign
| Fredrick T. Sherman, MD, MSc |
| Geriatrics |
My foot fetish is well known to those who regularly amble through this column. At various times in the past 6 years, I have written about the physiologic and, more commonly, pathologic aspects of pedal health in my older patients. I have watched thousands of seniors struggle to remove and replace their shoes and socks/stockings in preparation for a thorough evaluation of their feet. Based on these observations, I have suggested new ways to prevent cellulitis and diagnose chronic aortic regurgitation.2,3 I have also shared a mnemonic, the ABCDEFG’s of diabetes, to help you deliver comprehensive care to your elderly diabetic patients, where “F” is for foot care.4
Histologic anatomy of the lesser metatarsophalangeal joint plantar plate
Springlink Journal-The plantar plate is the fibrocartilaginous structure that supports the ball of the foot, withstanding considerable compressive and tensile forces. This study describes the morphology of the plantar plate in order to understand its function and the pathologic disorders associated with it. Eight lesser metatarsophalangeal joint plantar plates from three soft-embalmed cadavers (74–92 years, two males, one female), and eight lesser metatarsophalangeal joint plantar plates from a fresh cadaver (19-year-old male) were obtained for histology assessment. Paraffin sections (10 μm) in the longitudinal and transverse planes were analyzed with bright-field and polarized light microscopy. The central plantar plate collagen bundles run in the longitudinal plane with varying degrees of undulation. The plantar plate borders run transversely and merge with collateral ligaments and the deep transverse intermetatarsal ligament. Bright-field microscopic evaluation shows the plantar aspect of the plantar plate becomes ligament-like the further distally it tapers, containing fewer chondrocytes, and a greater abundance of fibroblasts. The enthesis reveals longitudinal and interwoven collagen bundles entering the proximal phalanx with multiple interdigitations. Longer interdigitations centrally compared to the dorsal and plantar aspects suggest that the central fibers experience the greatest loads.
Investment to come in handy for foot treatment
Safeguard Scientifics Inc. said Tuesday it has led a third-round, $25.5 million venture-capital financing of Advanced BioHealing Inc. with an $8 million investment.
Advanced BioHealing, which is based in La Jolla, Calif., intends to use the money to finish launching and expand the market for Dermagraft, which has been approved by the FDA for treatment of diabetic foot ulcers.
Appearance Concerns Related To Depression In Patients With Rheumatic Disease
Medical News Today - Patients with rheumatic disease can experience physical deformities, especially of the hands and feet in the case of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), or skin rashes and lesions and hand deformity in the case of systemic lupus erthyematosus. Few studies on body image concerns have been conducted, but research shows that women with lupus and RA have poorer body image than healthy women. A new study published in the March 2007 issue of Arthritis Care & Research examined the relationship between physical appearance concerns and psychological distress (depression and anxiety) in patients with RA and lupus.
Self Care Can Improve Plantar Fasciitis
Medical News Today- For some people, the first step in the morning sends pain shooting, as if they were stepping on a sharp rock.According to the March issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter, the most likely cause of heel pain is plantar fasciitis (PLAN-tur fas-e-I-tis). This inflammation of the plantar fascia, the fibrous tissue that runs along the bottom of the foot, may limit one’s regular range of motion.
The pain is usually worst in the morning and can be excruciating. Typically, as the foot limbers up, the pain lessens. Plantar fasciitis can affect people of all ages. Contributing factors can include wearing high heels or shoes with poor arch support; lifting heavy objects or making sudden increases in weight-bearing activities. Excess body weight also can be a factor.
Wright buys Darco segment for $17M
Memphis Business Journal - Wright Medical Group Inc. made clear Monday its promise to pursue the foot and ankle business, announcing the acquisition of the foot reconstruction business of Darco International Inc. for $17 million. Privately held Darco, based in Huntington, W.Va., will retain its other product lines for the foot and ankle, including soft goods for trauma and wound care.
Walking helps shed post-baby pounds
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - New moms who take walks instead of watching TV may lose those post-pregnancy pounds more easily, according to researchers. In a study that followed 900 women for a year after childbirth, researchers found that those who regularly walked were less likely to retain their extra pregnancy weight. The same was true of women who watched TV less often and those who ate less trans fat — artery-clogging fats found in a range of packaged snack foods and commercial baked goods. What’s more, the study found, the benefits of walking, limiting TV and shunning trans fats were cumulative — suggesting that women who do all of these things may get back in pre-baby form more easily.
Diabetic News This Week
- Sleep Expert Issues Wake Up Call To Women Who Snore-diabetes Is A Risk
- Asia-Pacific Has The Biggest Diabetes Burden In The World
- American Diabetes Association Strongly Supports Recently Introduced Diabetes Screening And Medicaid Savings Act
- Chronic Disease Management Quality Improvement Efforts Yield Better Care Delivery
- Strong Evidence Links Soft Drink Consumption To Obesity, Diabetes
Link Between Rheumatoid Arthritis And Cancer
Medical News Today - Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease, have a high risk of death from disease - at least double the risk of the general population, studies overwhelmingly show. Evidence has been less clear on whether RA patients are exceptionally vulnerable to dying from cancer. The first study to investigate whether patients with RA who develop cancer have a decreased rate of survival, featured in the March 2007 issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism, also examined the impact of rheumatic disease on overall cancer incidence. Conducted by a team of researchers in the United Kingdom, it focused on 2,105 patients with recent onset inflammatory polyarthritis (IP). Over time, a large proportion of new-onset IP cases evolve into RA, meeting the diagnostic criteria of the American College of Rheumatology.
March 9, 2007 at 6:08 pm
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