Healthcare Traveler - May 2008 - (Page 41)

Photo: Jim Shive vaccine, which can cut their risk by half; one reason for the slow adoption may be that doctors don’t get automatic Medicare reimbursement for office-based inoculations. As for whooping cough, which has been appearing in patients previously inoculated as children, only 2.1% of patients under 65 have gotten boosters. Reasons for the whoopingcough inoculation deficit remain unclear. Painter, K. “Shingles, adult whooping cough vaccines underused.” 2008. www.usa today.com/news/health/painter/2008-02-17-adult-vaccines_N.htm (4 Mar. 2008). U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “HPV vaccine questions and answers.” 2006. www.cdc.gov/std/hpv/STDFact-HPV-vaccine.htm (4 Mar. 2007). Just in! New malaria drug shows promise for toxoplasmosis Researchers at the University of Chicago Medical Center have discovered that a new oral malaria drug, JPC-2056, offers an unexpected benefit: It appears to be 10 times more potent in treating toxoplasmosis, and less dangerous to the patient, than the current treatment course. Over two billion people worldwide carry toxoplasmosis parasites, which can result in fetal blindness, brain damage, or death if a pregnant mother is infected. There’s no vaccine, and the standard drugs carry severe side effects. But JPC-2056 acts differently, inhibiting an enzyme common to malaria and toxoplasmosis parasites, and appears to destroy toxoplasmosis in tissue cultures and mice with less toxicity. It also kills mutant malarial organisms, reducing the chance of resistance. JPC-2056 is scheduled to enter clinical trials for malaria therapy, but with such widespread toxoplasmosis infection, the potential added benefit is welcome. Eurekalert.org. “Newly developed anti-malarial medicine treats toxoplasmosis.” 2008. www.eurekalert.org/emb_releases/2008-03/uocm-nda030108.php (4 Mar. 2008). This department originally appeared in RN, a sister publication. For subscription information, call 800-284-8945 or visit www.rnweb.com. Circle Career Card No. 635 May 2008 Healthcare Traveler 41 http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/painter/2008-02-17-adult-vaccines_N.htm http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/painter/2008-02-17-adult-vaccines_N.htm http://www.cdc.gov/std/hpv/STDFact-HPV-vaccine.htm http://www.Eurekalert.org http://www.eurekalert.org/emb_releases/2008-03/uocm-nda030108.php http://www.rnweb.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Healthcare Traveler - May 2008

Healthcare Traveler - May 2008 Editor's Desk Contents In a Flash Paws for Thought Field Notes Cardiac Care at the Heart of Many Travelers Careers The Current Economy Clinical Tips Drug Update On Assignment Name It When In Advertisers' Index Good for You Tax Facts Big Deals Contest Rules Starter's Kit Going the Distance Tales from the Road Allied Corner Classifieds

Healthcare Traveler - May 2008

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