FDA Advisers Call ADHD Patch Safe, Effective
A U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory panel ruled Friday that the first skin patch to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children is both effective and safe, the Associated Press reported.
But, the panel voted to recommend to the full FDA that the patch carry a label encouraging its use only as an alternative treatment for children with ADHD -- in effect, saying doctors should prescribe it if taking pills is too difficult for a child, the AP said.
The unanimous vote by the FDA's Psychopharmacologic Drugs Advisory Committee came after a formerly critical FDA reviewer reversed his opinion about the patch.
The agency will now decide whether to approve the patch. It usually follows the recommendations of its advisory panels but is not required to.
ADHD is a neurobehavioral disorder that affects 3 percent to 5 percent of all American children. It interferes with the ability to focus on a task and to exercise age-appropriate inhibition. Some of the warning signs of ADHD include failure to listen to instructions, inability to organize oneself and school work, fidgeting with hands and feet, talking too much, leaving projects, chores and homework unfinished, and having trouble paying attention to and responding to details, according to the U.S. National Institutes of Health.
Face Transplant Patient's First Word is 'Merci'
The first word spoken by a French woman who had the world's first partial face transplant was "merci," one of her doctors said at a news conference Friday in Lyon.
The surgeons, Dr. Jean-Michel Dubernard and Dr. Bernard Devauchelle, said that the 38-year-old woman regained consciousness 24 hours after Sunday's transplant and there were no post-surgical problems, the Associated Press reported.
The woman, whose identity hasn't been disclosed, suffered severe facial injuries in May when she was attacked by a dog. The damage made it difficult for her to speak and eat. Doctors transplanted a section of nose, lips and chin that were taken from a brain-dead woman.
The transplant triggered a debate over ethics. One French surgeon charged that the transplant team violated advice from the French medical ethics panel because they didn't first attempt reconstructive surgery on the woman's face.
However, a member of the committee said that at long as the face transplant was not total, it was not unethical, the AP reported.
Carine Camby, director-general of the government agency that coordinates organ procurement, said that normal reconstructive surgery could not have been used in this case. "It is precisely because there was no way to restore the functions of this patient by normal plastic surgery that we attempted this transplant," Camby said. "She could no longer eat normally, she had great difficulty speaking, and there is no possibility with plastic surgery today to repair the muscles around the mouth, which allow people to articulate when they speak and not spit out food when they eat."
Many U.S. Companies Lack Flu Pandemic Plan
Many large businesses in the United States don't have a plan to keep operating during a flu pandemic, says a survey released Friday.
The survey of some of the largest U.S. companies found that two-thirds weren't adequately prepared to protect themselves during a pandemic and 39 percent said there wasn't much they could do to prepare, the Associated Press reported.
The results also cast doubt on whether companies would follow federal government advice to encourage potentially contagious workers to stay at home in order to prevent them from infecting co-workers.
According to the survey, 63 percent of companies said they were undecided and 10 percent said they wouldn't waive sick-leave restrictions to persuade employees with flu-like symptoms to stay home, the AP reported.
"Corporate America is like everybody -- they read it and see it on television but they really can't completely digest it," Tommy Thompson, former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary, said in regard to the threat of a flu pandemic.
The survey was sponsored by his new industry think-tank, which is part of Deloitte & Touche USA.
The U.S. federal government plans next week to release a checklist of business pandemic preparations, including having contingency plans for doing without 10 percent to 20 percent of their work force for as long as two to four weeks, the AP reported.
Marijuana Increases Fatal Crash Risk
Consuming a small amount of marijuana nearly doubles the risk of a fatal traffic crash, while larger amounts more than triple the risk, according to a French study in the British Medical Journal.
The French National Institute for Transport and Safety Research analyzed data on 10,748 drivers involved in fatal crashes between 2001 and 2003, BBC News reported.
As blood concentrations of marijuana increased, so did the risk of a fatal crash.
"Research like this proves just how dangerous it is to take drugs, and then get behind the wheel of a car," Roger Vincent of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, told BBC News. "It is totally irresponsible, as taking drugs such as cannabis does affect your reactions."
WHO Won't Hire Smokers
The World Health Organization announced Friday that it will no longer hire smokers, a move it says is part of its commitment to discourage tobacco use.
Effective immediately, all job vacancy notices include a line explaining that the WHO doesn't promote tobacco use or recruit smokers. Job seekers are asked if they smoke or use other tobacco products. If they answer "yes," the job application process is halted, the Associated Press reported.
"WHO has taken a very public lead in the fight against tobacco use. As a matter of principle, WHO does not want to recruit smokers," spokesman Iain Simpson told the AP.
Current staffers who smoke or use tobacco products won't be penalized. However, they're not allowed to smoke on WHO premises.
This move is legal under international law and applies to all WHO sites worldwide.
Risk of Vision Loss From Extended Wear Contacts Is Slight: Study
Thirty-day soft contact lenses pose only a small risk of vision loss from corneal infection, according to a study led by the Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute.
The study of 6,245 patients in North America who wore silicone hydrogel soft contact lenses for 30 consecutive 24-hour periods found that the overall annual rate of evident corneal infection was 18 per 10,000. There were two cases of corneal infection resulting in partial vision loss and eight cases of corneal infection without vision loss.
Users who wore the contact lenses for at least three weeks had lower infection rates than those who wore the lenses for less than the three-week continuous periods, the study said.
The infection rate associated with these 30-day extended-wear contact lenses is similar to that of older lens types worn for fewer consecutive 24-hour periods, the researchers said.
The study received funding from CIBA Vision, which makes the lenses used in the study. The findings are in the Dec. 1 issue of the journal Ophthalmology.
Health Tip: Bonding With Baby
Bonding is an intense attachment that develops between parents and their baby, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP).
Although babies and their mothers usually bond quickly, the process may take more time for fathers.
The AAFP offers these suggestions for new fathers:
Participate in labor and delivery.
Touch your baby.
Establish eye-to-eye contact.
Communicate vocally with your baby.
Feed and change the baby.
Mirror the baby's movements.
Let the baby touch you.
Use a front baby carrier while performing routine activities.
Health Tip: Signs of Domestic Abuse
Domestic violence is a fact of life in virtually all countries, cultures, classes and income groups. While ending it is never easy, recognizing its symptoms can be a first step.
Here, courtesy of the National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, are signs that someone may be abusive:
A history of past battering.
Threats of violence.
Breaking objects.
Using force during arguments.
Unreasonable jealousy.
Controlling behavior.
Cruelty to animals and children.
Abrupt mood changes.
Food Fact:
Rind-boggling.
Juicy, red watermelon is not only delicious, it may help men avoid prostate cancer. As long as you spit out the seeds, watermelon is the biggest supplier among fresh fruits and vegetables in the antioxidant lycopene, which is believed to play a big role in the prevention of the killer disease. Antioxidants such as lycopene work in your body by disarming free oxygen radicals, which are thought to contribute to the development of many cancers. A 2-cup serving of watermelon contains 15 - 20 milligrams of this vital plant pigment. Other sources include tomatoes, red grapefruits and guavas.
Fitness Tip of the day:
Want strong bones?
All it takes is 20 minutes of the right weight-bearing exercise three days per week. Activity such as walking will stimulate bone growth and prevent bone loss throughout life. Strength training, such as weight lifting, fortifies bone and can reduce your risk of developing osteoporosis.
FAQ of the day:
Do I need fiber in my diet?
While psyllium-based supplements can help relieve constipation, and have been shown to reduce high blood cholesterol, dietary changes have the same benefits. Better yet, if you get your fiber from whole foods -- whole grains, fruits and vegetables -- you'll get hundreds of health-protective compounds that your fiber supplement won't provide.
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