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New Ovarian Transplant Technique Could Expand Use Of Procedure To Preserve Fertility
Two recent advancements in ovarian transplant techniques could potentially expand the availability of the procedure for women seeking to avoid fertility problems as they age, researchers reported Monday at a meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology, the AP/Yahoo! News reports. According to the AP/Yahoo! News, ovary transplants traditionally have been performed on women with cancer as a method of preserving fertility after chemotherapy or other treatments that can affect the reproductive system. The procedure involves removing the ovaries before treatment and re-implanting them after treatment is complete. Because only a handful of these procedures have been successful, ovarian transplants have been an option only for women with serious diseases. However, as more women delay having children until their 30s or 40s, researchers say the new techniques, in theory, could make it simpler for healthy younger women to have an ovary removed, frozen and then re-implanted later in life when they are ready to have children.The first study examined how many eggs were lost or preserved in fresh and frozen ovarian tissue of 15 young women prior to the start of cancer treatment. According to the study, there was no difference in the quantity of eggs in the fresh tissue and in the ovaries frozen using a new ultra-fast technique. The study found that about 50% of a woman"s eggs were lost using the traditional, slow-freezing methods of preserving the ovaries.The second study reported on a new surgical technique to restore an ovary"s function after transplantation. For the study, Pascal Piver of Limoges University Hospital and colleagues divided the transplant process into two separate procedures in an attempt to more quickly re-establish blood and hormone supplies to the ovary. In the first procedure, the researchers performed a graft of small pieces of ovarian tissue to prompt blood vessels to grow. They performed the ovary transplant three days later. The technique was successful in a woman who lost fertility because of treatment for sickle cell anemia.Sherman Silber, director of the St. Louis Infertility Center in Missouri and a researcher for the first study, said the new techniques "could dramatically expand our reproductive life span." He added, "This is not an experimental procedure for cancer patients anymore. The question is whether more women should be able to have this option" (Cheng, AP/Yahoo! News, 6/29).

Nearly 1.4 Million Tennesseans Are In Families That Will Spend More Than 10 Percent Of Their Income On Health Care In 2009
A report released by the consumer health organization Families USA spotlights a growing crisis among insured families, as rising health care costs devour a growing portion of their pre-tax income.
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Positive Results From Salix Pivotal Phase III Study Of Rifaximin For The Prevention And Maintenance Of Remission Of Hepatic Encephalopathy (HE)
Salix Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. (NASDAQ:SLXP) announced on Monday the presentation of new data from its Phase III pivotal clinical trial evaluating the efficacy, safety and tolerability of rifaximin - a non-absorbed (O144. The Effect of Prognostic Factors on the Maintenance of Remission in Hepatic Encephalopathy Patients Treated with Rifaximin
Endocrinology

National Database Launches More Detailed Swine Flu Reports

Following the rapid rise in the spread of swine flu, the QSurveillance® primary care tracking database has increased the level of detail provided in its weekly and daily reports to government and health authorities. The system - part of a not-for-profit partnership between leading healthcare IT specialist EMIS and the University of Nottingham - automatically collects anonymous patient data from GP surgeries across the UK on a daily basis, providing a real-time picture of the spread of the disease. Daily and weekly reports are filed to the Health Protection Agency, the Department of Health and health authorities across the country. Currently, 3,500 GP practices using EMIS computer systems - covering a population of 23 million patients - are contributing to the database, with more GPs coming on line all the time. The system is believed to be the largest, most up-to-date real-time health tracking system worldwide. Following huge increases in cases of swine flu in the UK in recent weeks, QSurveillance® is now providing a more detailed anlaysis of a wider range of measurements, to enable more precise re planning. Daily reporting now includes: - patients reporting flu-like symptoms in the last day - patients with flu who have been prescribed antivirals - patients prescribed antivirals without a confirmed flu diagnosis - hospital admissions related to flu - the uptake of flu vaccinations - plus a wide range of other, more general public health indicators such as the uptake of childhood immunisations and patients reporting severe asthma or vomiting and diarrhoea - data on deaths related to flu is already being captured and will be added to the reports in the coming weeks. Dr David Stables, Medical Director of EMIS and a Director of QSurveillance®, said: "This powerful tool is enabling NHS planners to quickly identify swine flu hot spots across the UK, so that res can be focused where they are needed most. "The database gives the Department of Health an accurate national picture of the disease, as well helping local services to respond more effectively. We are encouraging even more GPs to sign up, to ensure we have the most comprehensive picture available." Daily reports are provided in table and graph format, and include comparisons with previous weeks and months, as well as regions with the highest instances of the disease Data is uploaded automatically from a surgery"s computer system, requiring no extra time or effort on the part of the GP. Julia Hippisley-Cox, Professor of Epidemiology at the University of Nottingham and Director of QSurveillance® said: "With thousands more swine flu cases being confirmed every day, Qsurveillance® has a vital role to play in helping the NHS meet this major re challenge. "Due to the flexibility of the system, we have quickly been able to update the reports we are providing to give an even more detailed picture to support the planning and delivery of vaccines and other res. "The database will also enable us to describe the epidemiology of the virus, monitor changes in its behaviour, and highlight the type of patient most affected. This data can then be used to make further essential predictions." In previous years, QSurveillance® has been used to track Flu B outbreaks and mumps epidemics. For instructions on how to activate the QSurveillance module within the EMIS LV system, GPs should visit: http://www.qresearch.org/public/QSurveillance.aspx. University of Nottingham


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