Medication reactions and drug side effects are killing thousands.  In Great Britain, nearly 3,000 patients died in the past three years due to adverse reactions to drugs they thought would make them better, new figures reveal.  The patients suffered allergic reactions to, or serious side effects from, medicines which proved fatal, according to that country’s official figures.  Over 13,000 other patients needed long-term hospital treatment for the effects of their reaction.  These patients survived their adverse events.

Liberal Democrat health spokesman Norman Lamb, who obtained the statistics through Parliament, called for a full investigation of the problem, saying “This is a dangerously escalating problem, which is putting lives at risk and placing a big cost burden on the NHS.  This situation will only get worse as the number of older people receiving a lot of medication increases in coming years.  Doctors have a duty not to over-prescribe drugs, in a bid to meet government treatment targets on long-term conditions,” said Lamb who also indicated that he had written to the Health Secretary, Alan Johnson, to urge an inquiry.  Last year, 964 patients died because of suspected drug reactions, 203 after long-term hospital treatment.  In 2005, over1,000 patients died from similar suspected reasons and in 2004, 861 died.  A spokesman for the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, which monitors all suspected adverse drug reactions in that country, said the number of ADR reports did not necessarily correlate with the number of deaths.

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Some Louisiana oysters could cause norovirus.  The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning consumers against eating oysters harvested from a part of West Karako Bay in Louisiana for possible contamination of the norovirus, also called Norwalk.  The FDA said customers must avoid mussels harvested between December 3rd and December 21st from Growing Area Three of the bay.  At least seven victims have been reported after eating oysters at a Tennessee restaurant; the mussels were harvested from West Karako Bay and shipped by Prestige Oyster Company of Theriot, Louisiana.

Noroviruses are a group of related viruses that cause acute gastroenteritis in humans; recent studies confirm that norovirus causes around half of all gastroenteritis worldwide.  Norovirus infection causes nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach cramping.  Other symptoms include chills, headache, low-grade fever, muscle aches, and a general sense of tiredness.  The illness often begins suddenly and the infected person may feel very sick.  In most cases, the illness is self-limiting with symptoms lasting for a couple of days.  Children tend to vomit more than adults and very young children, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems are more vulnerable.  Symptoms usually occur within 12 to 48 hours from exposure.  People may feel very sick and vomit many times a day, but most people get better within a couple of days and suffer no long-term health effects; however, some are unable to drink enough liquids to replace what they lost and can become dehydrated and require medical attention.
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CT Scans could be putting Americans at a slightly higher risk of cancer, a recently-released study says.  According to researchers at the Columbia University Center for Radiological Research, the 62 million CT Scans American’s receive every year could be increasing the cancer rate by as much as 2%.   More disturbingly, the effects of CT scans on the cancer rates of children could be even more pronounced.

CT Scans, also called CAT Scans, produce three-dimensional x-ray images of the body that can be quickly taken in multiples and be displayed on a screen.  Diagnosticians favor CT Scans because they can reveal abnormalities that are too small or obscured to be seen by more traditional x-rays.   CT Scans have proven to be particularly useful in diagnosing trauma and cancer patients.

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A chemical used in the recently recalled Stand ‘n Seal grout sealer is still putting consumers in danger. A variety of products have been  linked to respiratory problems resulting from sprays with a water-repelling ingredient that contains a Teflon-like chemical resin known as a fluoropolymer.  In addition to the recalled Stand ‘n Seal product, fluoropolymer is found in Kenyon Water Repellent, Jobsite Heavy Duty Bootmate, Rocky Boot Weather and Stain Protector.  While the Consumer Product Safety Commission CPSC has issued a recall on Stand ’n Seal, which was involved in the most injuries and two deaths, it has done nothing about the other waterproofing sprays.  Jobsite and Rocky Boot, were removed at the request of Michigan officials.

The waterproofing chemical is not considered hazardous at the concentrations found in the sprays, so federal laws do not require labels mention its presenc, said Susan C. Smolinske, professor of toxicology at Wayne State University in Detroit and director of a Michigan regional poison control center.  Thousands are likely to have suffered respiratory problems after using these sprays, according to Smolinske, who also cited reports filed with poison control centers.  Generally, consumers suffer from chemical pneumonitis, a lung inflammation caused by inhaling a foreign object that prevents a person from receiving adequate oxygen.

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Chantix, an anti-smoking medication, continues to be touted as a  “wonder drug” by its maker, Pfizer, Inc., despite the fact that it has been linked to 63 deaths and thousands of reports of psychiatric symptoms in the Unites States and Great Britain in the past year.  Yet even though the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) recently issued a warning about serious Chantix side effects, the dangerous medication is still being aggressively marketed with a campaign that features slickly produced TV commercials that make no mention of Chantix’s potential problems.

Chantix, approved in 2006, works by blocking nicotine receptors to the brain.  Chantix is the first such nicotine receptor partial agonist approved by the FDA.  It was heralded as an alternative to other smoking cessation drugs and nicotine replacement therapy.  The Chantix label warns of various side effects, including nausea, changes in dreaming, constipation, gas and vomiting.    But those warnings are more prominent and easier to find than the fine print on the package insert that warns of the possibility of psychotic and suicidal behavior.

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Prostate Cancer, hormone treatments and aspirin therapy could be a deadly combination.   According to research published in the December 27th issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, men undergoing hormone therapy for prostate cancer—and who take baby aspirin to protect their heart—run a significantly higher risk of dying.  Apparently, baby aspirin side effects interact with the hormone therapy, elevating liver-function test levels.  Liver function testing is a routine part of cancer-fighting treatments.  Because of this, the man must stop potentially lifesaving hormone therapy.  Hormonal therapy involves reducing levels of male hormones called androgens and  is a common treatment for prostate cancer.  Because this type of therapy can raise the risk of a heart attack, men who are older or have known coronary risk factors such as diabetes or smoking, generally include baby aspirin in their treatment protocol while undergoing hormone therapy because aspirin helps prevent blood clots.

“Aspirin is being prescribed more widely for these men so we looked to see if there was any effect of aspirin on prostate cancer outcomes,” said lead researcher Dr. Anthony V. D’Amico, chief of the division of genitourinary radiation oncology at Brigham & Women’s Hospital and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, both in Boston.  The authors analyzed data on 206 men with localized prostate cancers who were enrolled in a trial to compare radiation therapy alone with radiation therapy plus hormone therapy.  The hormone therapy included six months of the anti-androgen flutamide, which had a tendency to elevate liver-function test results.  Although elevations were benign, they meant stopping hormonal therapy, at least temporarily, D’Amico explained.  Men who didn’t complete six months of hormone therapy were 3.5 times more likely to die compared to men receiving the full course of therapy.  “It was sort of a paradoxical finding,” D’Amico said. “Men who were taking aspirin were more likely to die of prostate cancer than those who were not, which didn’t make sense at first.”

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The asbestos-tainted CSI Fingerprint Examination Kit—is finally asking stores to pull its product from their shelves over asbestos fears.  Planet Toys, the maker of the toxic CSI Fingerprint Examination Kit, is only recalling the dangerous toy now, despite the fact that lab tests in very early December revealed two types of asbestos were present in the toys fingerprint powder and Connecticut ceased sale of the toy in that state.  Lab studies from the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization showed asbestos in some samples of the CSI Finger Print Examination Kit’s fingerprint dust and the New York toy manufacturer has sent a “stop sale” notice to stores while it investigates whether the kits pose a health threat.  Meanwhile, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) says it’s looking into the claims, but could not say whether an official recall would be issued.  Walgreens removed the CSI Fingerprint Examination Kit from its shelves and is conducting its own investigation.

Earlier this month, the Department of Consumer Protection stopped the sale of the CSI Fingerprint Examination Kit in Connecticut and alerted consumers to return the item to the original place of purchase.  “With the success of crime shows like CSI, it’s no surprise that kids want to get in on the excitement by pretending to be crime scene investigators, but our own investigation of the CSI Fingerprint Examination Kit identified a real-life culprit that must be promptly eliminated,” said Consumer Protection Commissioner Jerry Farrell Jr.  “We are immediately embargoing and recalling this item in Connecticut.”  The Department purchased the toys and Farrell Jr. contacted the Department of Public Health to request testing after reading a report identifying asbestos in the kit.  Department inspectors are embargoing the product at all retailers statewide—including Sears, Toys ‘R Us, Kay-Bee Toys, Walgreen’s Wal-Mart, and Costco—and is sending relevant information to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), which may issue a national recall.

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E. coli tainted beef that was recently stolen could become a public health threat.  U.S. regulators have issued a public health alert for about 14,800 pounds—671 kilos—of missing ground beef products that may be contaminated with the potentially deadly E. coli bacteria, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said on Thursday.  The alert came after a refrigerated trailer containing ground beef was reported stolen by Texas American Food Service Corporation.  A portion of the beef was set aside because the company thought it may have been tainted with E. coli.  The firm, based in Fort Worth, Texas, does business as American Fresh Foods, a privately held meat producer.  American Fresh Foods is working with the USDA and local and state police to recover the stolen product and truck and warned consumers not to buy its ground beef from questionable vendors.  The USDA’s public health alert covers ground beef products packaged for consumer use carrying the establishment number “EST. 13116″ on the package labels.  Bulk products carry labels bearing the establishment number “EST. 13116.”  The ground beef was produced on December 19th.

E. coli 0157:H7—Escherichia coli 0157:H7—is one of hundreds of E. coli strains, the vast majority of which are harmless.  Strain 0157:H7 is quite virulent and produces a powerful toxin that can cause severe illness and even death and is the leading cause of food and waterborne illness in the United States.  According to Center of Disease Control (CDC) estimates, there are over 70,000 cases of infection and 61 deaths occurring in the U.S. annually with most illness linked to undercooked or contaminated meat.  Although E. coli is routinely found on cattle farms and in the intestines of healthy livestock, outbreaks only occur when meat becomes tainted during slaughter, the bacteria contaminates the grounding process, and tainted meat is released and consumed by the public.  Symptoms of E. coli 0157:H7 illness include potentially severe stomach cramps, diarrhea and dehydration.  Children, the elderly and people with poor immune systems are most vulnerable.

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Government regulators and eeBoo Corporation issued a voluntary recall for the toy maker’s Tot Tower blocks on Thursday, saying a plastic covering poses a choking hazard to children. New York-based eeBoo has received two reports of young children mouthing the plastic covering after it became detached from the block.  About 170,000 dangerous toys are being recalled. The blocks are the latest in a string of recalls of products manufactured in China that pose safety risks due to lead content, powerful magnets, or choking hazards.  The Tot Tower toys come in 10-block sets in various themes, including:  Things I Know New, Garden Fairies, Hardware Store, Around the Land, Read-To-Me, Animal Sounds, Animal Alphabet, ABC, and Nursery Friends. “Tot Towers” and “eeBoo Corporation” are printed on the products’ packaging.  The products have been sold at specialty and gift shops across the U.S. from January 2003 through September 2007 and retail for about $20.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and eeBoo advised consumers to immediately take the toys away from children and return them to the place of purchase for a full refund.  Consumers can also contact eeBoo Corp. directly to receive a replacement toy at (800) 791-5619 between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Friday.  eeBoo can also be visited at their Web site at http://www.eeboo.com.

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Listeria tainted milk produced by Central Massachusetts’ Whittier Farms is the likely source of a listeriosis outbreak in that state, killing two elderly men and sickening two others.   Whittier has halted production and alerted its customers.  Listeriosis is a type of food poisoning especially dangerous to the elderly, pregnant women, newborns, and those with chronic medical conditions.  Investigators have been unable to pinpoint the exact listeria contamination source in the production process; however, samples tested positive for listeria, said Dr. Alfred DeMaria, the state’s director of communicable disease control.  DeMaria believes milk was tainted following pasteurization, perhaps when flavoring was added or during bottling.  Milk is sold under the names Whittier, Schultz, Balance Rock, Spring Brook, and Maple.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 2,500 people become seriously ill with listeriosis annually; 500 result in death.  In Massachusetts, about 25 cases are identified yearly, but DeMaria said those represent only a fraction since most people experience only mild flu like symptoms—fever, muscle aches, nausea, or diarrhea—never reporting them.  In serious cases, the disease spreads to the nervous system, causing headaches, stiff neck, and convulsions.  Listeria lives in soil and water and can easily contaminate dairy and beef products; because listeria thrives in cold, milk is an ideal environment.

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