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US man grows new finger after horse bite

A 33-year-old man in US has undergone a ‘miraculous’ medical procedure to grow back his index finger which was chomped down by an overzealous horse while he was feeding the animal.

Paul Halpern from Florida managed to save the severed digit and take it to the hospital, but doctors told him there was nothing they could do. Halpern then visited Dr Eugenio Rodriguez, a Deerfield Beach general surgeon who used an innovative procedure called xenograft implantation to regenerate the finger. Xenograft refers to transplantation of cells from one species to another.

Rodriguez created a scaffold of Halpern’s missing finger, using tissue from a pig bladder, and attached it to the severed portion. The finger grew into the mold, generating new bone and soft tissue and a new fingernail.

According to CBS Miami, Halpern had to apply pulverised pig bladder tissue to his wounded finger each day and cover it with a protective saline sheet. Rodriguez said the powder stimulates stem cells in the finger to regenerate, which causes the growth.

Source: Timesofindia.com

India seeks to regulate its booming ‘rent-a-womb’ industry

Dressed in a green surgical gown and cap, British restaurateur Rekha Patel cradled her newborn daughter at the Akanksha clinic in northwestern India as her husband Daniel smiled warmly, peering in through a glass door.

“I can’t believe we have our own child at last,” said Patel, 42, gazing in wonderment at five-day-old Gabrielle.

“We are really grateful to our surrogate mother who managed to get pregnant and kept our little daughter healthy. She gave nine months of her life to give us a child.”

It is the perfect promotion for India’s booming surrogacy industry that sees thousands of infertile couples, many from overseas, hiring the wombs of local women to carry their embryos through to birth.

But a debate over whether the unregulated industry exploits poor women prompted authorities to draft a law that could make it tougher for foreigners seeking babies made in India.

“There is a need to regulate the sector,” said Dr. Sudhir Ajja of Surrogacy India, a Mumbai-based fertility bank that has produced 295 surrogate babies – 90 percent for overseas clients and 40 percent for same-sex couples – since it opened in 2007.

“But if the new law tightens rules as suggested by the ministry of home affairs, which disallows surrogacy for same-sex couples and single parents, then it will clearly impact the industry and put off clients coming from overseas.”

India opened up to commercial surrogacy in 2002. It is among just a handful of countries – including Georgia, Russia, Thailand and Ukraine – and a few U.S. states where women can be paid to carry another’s genetic child through a process of in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) and embryo transfer.

The low-cost technology, skilled doctors, scant bureaucracy and a plentiful supply of surrogates have made India a preferred destination for fertility tourism, attracting nationals from Britain, the United States, Australia and Japan, to name a few.

Source: http://www.financialexpress.com/news/

High school pool shut down after water polo players start losing body hair

Thе swimming pool аt Berkeley High School іn Berkeley, Calif., wаѕ shut down last Wednesday, аftеr city officials ѕаіd thе level οf chemicals іn thе water exceeded normal operating conditions, Berkeleyside reported.

Thе dесіѕіοn wаѕ mаdе аftеr parents delivered a letter tο thе school’s principle thе day before, expressing concern over thе health οf students οn thе water polo team.  According tο thе letter, thе players wеrе dіѕрLауіnɡ ѕοmе disturbing symptoms, such аѕ burning eyes, bleached hair, аnd even thе disappearance οf body hair.

Thе city came іn tο test thе pool thе following day аnd found thаt thе water ѕhοwеd аn “exponentially high” pH level οf 8.5, whісh hаd bееn caused bу a defective CO2 tank.  Pool pH levels ѕhουLd typically bе kept between 7.2 аnd 8.0.

Thе school’s water polo coach, Bill Gaebler, reported thе test results іn аn email.

“Thе pH scale іѕ аn exponential scale, ѕο 8.5 іѕ very high (10x), аnd thе level οf rapid eye аnd skin irritation due tο chloramines rises significantly аt levels above 0.6.,” hе wrote. “Thе high pH wаѕ caused bу a defective CO2 tank, CO2 being thе gas thаt buffers (lowers) thе pH.”

Gaebler ехрLаіnеd thаt a nеw CO2 tank hаd bееn ordered аnd thаt іt ѕhουLd arrive within thе next week. Hе аLѕο ѕаіd thаt going forward, chemical readings οf thе pool wουLd bе taken three times daily.  According tο Berkeleyside, thіѕ іѕ thе second time thе Berkeley High School pool hаѕ bееn closed fοr similar problems wіth chemical imbalance.

Sοmе parents οf children οn thе water polo team wеrе upset wіth thе school administration fοr negligence, though thеу didn’t want tο mаkе thеіr complaints іntο a Lаrɡеr issue.

“Wе didn’t want thе pool closed. Wе don’t want tο mаkе a political issue out οf іt. Wе want a safe аnd healthy environment fοr ουr children,” one parent, whο wished tο remain anonymous, tοLd Berkeleyside. “Wе didn’t want thе school administration tο wait until thеrе wаѕ a crisis tο deal wіth thіѕ issue.”

Source; http://womenfitnes.com/high-school-pool-shut-down-after-water-polo-players-start-losing-body-hair/

 

 

 

 

Florida health officials warn of seawater bacteria after man’s death

Salt water was his life, according to the family of Henry “Butch” Konietzky, who died Monday night after he was exposed to bacteria in the Halifax River.

“It’s just horrifying, it’s just totally horrifying,” said Debbie Stack, Konietzky’s sister-in-law.

Stack said it took just 28 hours for the bacteria to kill Konietzky.

“They tried multiple antibiotics, but nothing was touching it — nothing even fazed it,” Stack said.

Konietzky, 59, was walking knee deep in the river on Saturday, setting crab traps.

The next day, he woke up and noticed what looked like a bug bite on his leg.

“They did not take it serious until it started festering and quickly, and then he started feeling ill,” said Stack.

Konietzky was in the emergency room by Sunday night. On Monday, he was gone.

Doctors said Konietzky was exposed to Vibrio vulnificus, bacteria that quickly spread through his body and shut down his kidneys and liver.

Experts said the bacteria lives in warm brackish or seawater.

Two cases of the same illness that killed Konietzky, have been reported in Volusia and Flagler counties in the last month.

Health officials are now urging people to avoid eating raw shellfish and going into the water with open wounds.

Jim Oliver, Professor in the Department of Biology at UNC Charlotte, has written over 200 papers and performed extensive research on Vibrio vulnificus, and said in most cases, the wound is very small — the size of an ant bite.

Konietzky’s family said more needs to be done to warn people that it’s in the water.

“If it’s that dangerous, for people to be in it, should be at least posted — we were tempted to make our own signs and go down there and post them on the trees,” she said.

Source:

http://www.clickorlando.com/news

Infertile woman, 30, gives birth after experimental ovary surgery

The treatment, designed to stimulate dormant ovarian follicles, is being tried on a small group of Japanese women with primary ovarian insufficiency, an uncommon form of infertility. Scientists hope it may eventually help women who have trouble getting pregnant due to age.

A 30-year-old infertile woman gave birth after surgeons removed her ovaries and re-implanted tissue they treated in a lab, researchers report.

The experimental technique was only tried in a small group of Japanese women with a specific kind of infertility problem, but scientists hope it can also help women in their early 40s who have trouble getting pregnant because of their age.

The new mother gave birth to a son in Tokyo last December, and she and the child continue to be healthy, said Dr. Kazuhiro Kawamura of the St. Marianna University School of Medicine in Kawasaki, Japan. He and others describe the technique in a report published online Monday by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The mother, who was not identified, had been diagnosed with primary ovarian insufficiency, an uncommon form of infertility sometimes called premature menopause. It appears in about 1 percent of women of childbearing age. The cause of most cases is unknown, but the outcome is that the ovary has trouble producing eggs.

source: http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health

Indian-origin scientist gets top Canadian award

 

A 42-year-old Indian-origin scientist has been named this year’s recipient of a prestigious Canadian award that recognizes excellence in complementary and alternative medicine.

Sunita Vohra, director of Canada’s first academic pediatric integrative at the University of Alberta medicine program was named the winner of the $250,000 Dr. Rogers Prize at a gala dinner in Vancouver on Thursday, the Vancouver Sun reported.

The Dr. Rogers Prize carries the largest cash prize of its kind in North America.

“It is overwhelming, about being chosen as this year’s recipient,” the report quoted Vohra as saying.

“It is a huge honour. I have not had enough time to digest it. It’s incredible and humbling at the same time,” she said.

Clinician scientist Vohra said that she didn’t have specific plans for the money other than she would use it to help get the kind of research she does out of books and into policy that makes changes in the world.

Vohra said since childhood she wanted to be a physician because her grandfather was a doctor but never thought of taking up medicine as a career.

Initially, Vohra decided to take up pediatrics but then she got interested in clinical science when she was doing her specialty training in pharmacology at a hospital for sick children in Canada’s financial capital Toronto as well as an advanced research degree in clinical epidemiology at McMaster University in Hamilton.

She learnt how little traditional medicine knew about the therapies being used to treat children.

Vohra said she was evaluating the effectiveness of pediatric integrative medicine alongside traditional care at Stollery Children’s Hospital in Edmonton.

She said she wanted to explore alternative and complementary therapies which were extremely popular in Canada.

“I think that therapies are along a continuum,” Vohra said.

“I think that patients make choices around therapies that interest them and the things they’re willing to take. I think that conversation with their healthcare provider can be inclusive around all their health care providers.”

The $250,000 Dr. Rogers Prize for Excellence in Complementary and Alternative Medicine is awarded every two years to celebrate the achievements of researchers, practitioners and others in the field of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) healthcare. The award was initiated in 2007.

The prize is funded by the Lotte and John Hecht Memorial Foundation in Vancouver.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/

Mobile phones, towers do not cause cancer’

The Delhi Medical Association (DMA) Friday rubbished reports that radiation emitted from cell phones and their towers cause cancer.

“Radiation from mobiles and mobile towers pose no threat to the health or cause cancer as it is commonly believed,” DMA president Anil Agarwal said at a press conference here.

“The radiation waves are too weak too cause such a deadly disease and moreover there are no empirical findings to establish that mobile tower radiation causes cancer or any such disease,” he said, adding the medical experts from the DMA have come to this conclusion after reviewing the study done by the World Health Organization (WHO).

The WHO conducted a research where they had consulted 4,50,000 cell phone users in the past 13 years, but had not been able to provide support for any relationship between the emission of radiation from mobile phones and cancer, said P. Ramakrishna, a consultant on electro-magnetic fields (EMF).

Even the study done by US’ National Cancer Institute shows no increased risk for brain tumors from cell phone use, he added.

Source: http://www.sify.com/news/

U.S. approves first artificial pancreas system for diabetics

U.S. approves first artificial pancreas system for diabetics

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the first artificial pancreas system for diabetics that reads blood sugar levels and automatically shuts off the flow of insulin.

The device, made by Medtronic Inc, could help the 3 million Americans living with type 1 diabetes better manage their disease, which causes the immune system to destroy cells in the pancreas that make insulin.

Patients suffering from type 1 diabetes, the inherited version of the disease, have to regularly monitor their blood sugar levels and take insulin several times a day.

Too little or too much of insulin can lead to several health problems, ranging from kidney failure and heart disease to brain damage.

The device includes an insulin pump and a glucose sensor that stops insulin delivery when blood glucose reaches a preset level.

The system has been approved for use by diabetics aged 16 years and older. Medtronic said it would conduct a post-approval study that would include children aged 2 years and older.

The Minneapolis, Minnesota-based company said it would begin ramping up production immediately to prepare for a launch in the next few weeks.

The company will also directly follow up with patients and make certain manufacturing changes according to the requirements of the approval and an accompanying warning letter it was issued on Sept. 19.

Medtronic said it has already addressed many of the observations in the warning letter and was committed to resolving the remaining issues as quickly as possible.

Source: Reuters.com

New 3D printed toothbrushes clean mouth in 6 seconds

New 3D printed toothbrushes clean mouth in 6 seconds

Engineers have invented a new kind of toothbrush that is tailor-made to fit into a person’s mouth.

According to Blizzident’s makers, the toothbrush cleans teeth completely within six seconds, though independent studies are yet to verify the claims.

To make the brush, the dentists take teeth’s digital scan then the makers use it to find out the optimal placement of 600 bristles by simulating biting and chewing movements.

The bristles look like normal bristles but are much finer and have been tapered to reach under the gumline better.

The makers print the brush with 3D printing. They use the dental scan to create a computer aided design (CAD) model of the brush that is then converted into a 3D object using stereolithography – a method in which liquid plastic is created into the shape with an ultraviolet laser, Fox News reported.

The bristles are then painstakingly attached to this object.

To use Blizzident, a person has to bite down on it and grind their teeth for about six seconds.

Source: http://www.business-standard.com

Portable devices save lives in sudden cardiac arrests

“An AED, if used during a cardiac arrest within the first 4-6 minutes, can save more than 95 percent of lives

Nimit Ahuja, a 35-year old software professional, was shopping at a mall when he suddenly collapsed. He was rushed to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. He had suffered from what doctors call a sudden cardiac arrest.

Cardiologists say young lives like these can be saved if there are facilities like Automated External Defibrillators (AED) available at public places in India. An AED is a portable device that can automatically diagnose a sudden cardiac arrest and help save life with the press of a button. It sends an electric shock to the heart to restore its normal rhythm and bring a person back from the verge of death.

“An AED, if used during a cardiac arrest within the first 4-6 minutes, can save more than 95 percent of lives,” Bipin Kumar Dubey, director, department of cardiology in the Rockland group of hospitals, told IANS.

“There should be at least one AED available at all public spaces like shopping malls and airports. The government should make it mandatory for builders to set up at least one AED in all public buildings,” he said.

Doctors said Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) is a leading cause of death and account for greater than 50 percent of cardiovascular deaths in India. More than 660,000 deaths occur every year in India alone as a result of SCA.

The SCA is a condition in which the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating. If this happens, blood stops flowing to the brain and other vital organs.

Experts said people who have heart disease are at a higher risk for SCA. SCA can however happen in people who appear healthy and have no known heart disease or other risk factors like hypertension.

Ram E. Rajagopalan in the department of critical care medicine in Sundaram Medical Foundation of Chennai said if an AED is used on a patient suffering with a sudden cardiac arrest his chances of survival will grow by more than 60 percent.

“We definitely need the common man to be aware of what an AED is, as anyone anywhere with access to an AED can save a life,” Rajagopalan told IANS.

Lamenting that very few people know how to respond to emergency situations like SCAs in India, Anil Bansal, chief cardiologist at Columbia Asia Hospital in Gurgaon, said people have to be trained to use an AED.

“The need of the hour is to make AED devices available at all public spaces and to train people on how to use them,” he added.

A recent study in medical journal Lancet said that by 2010, 60 percent of the world’s heart patients would be in India.

As per World Health Organization (WHO) statistics, mortality due to cardiac causes has overtaken mortality due to all cancers put together across the world.

Source : Zee News