Healthcare - Articles

A new national guideline will provide clarity on emergency oxygen use in adults
The first national guideline for the emergency use of oxygen in adults has been published, with the aim of simplifying oxygen delivery and better protecting acutely ill patients. Developed by a working party and led by the British Thoracic Society (BTS), the guideline is published in the October 2008 issue of Thorax1, the journal of the BTS, and is supported by 22 professional societies and institutions. Until now, most healthcare professionals have followed their own institution’s customary practice when administering oxygen therapy, and it is this lack of consistency and clear guidance that the BTS’ guideline aims to correct. Oxygen is one of the most widely used drugs, and is used across the whole range of…

Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia.
Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia. Dementia is a collective name for progressive degenerative brain syndromes which affect memory, thinking, behaviour and emotion. Symptoms may include: loss of memory difficulty in finding the right words or understanding what people are saying difficulty in performing previously routine tasks personality and mood changes Dementia is not a normal part of ageing. It knows no social, economic, ethnic or geographical boundaries. Although each person will experience dementia in their own way, eventually those affected are unable to care for themselves and need help with all aspects of daily life. There is currently no cure, but treatments, advice, and suppor…

This months feature focus from PharmiWeb.com covers the difference between a common cold and flu, the various symptoms and recent preventions.
The common cold and flu are both contagious viral infections of the respiratory tract. Although the symptoms can be similar, flu is much worse. A cold may drag you down a bit, but the flu can make you shudder at the very thought of getting out of bed. Congestion, sore throat, and sneezing are common with colds. Both cold and flu bring coughing, headache, and chest discomfort. With the flu, though, you are likely to run a high fever for several days and have headache, fatigue, and weakness. Usually, complications from colds are relatively minor, but a severe case of flu can lead to a life-threatening illness such as pneumonia. More than 100 types o…

- Examination of the UK, US and European regional markets for prescription pharmaceuticals 2008 -
 The importance of the Wholesale & Distribution sector of the pharmaceutical industry is often overlooked, but with the EU alone boasting some 3,000 pharmaceutical manufacturers producing some 50,000 products for 130,000 retail outlets, the supporting network provided by the wholesale distributor is essential to the healthcare industry. Visiongain believes that this sector of the industry is facing crisis, with the increasing use of the internet for direct sales, government imposed pricing controls in Europe and the proposed change in US re-importation law, the industry has been forced to re-assess many standard operational procedures. Visiongain further finds that The Wholesale an…

With Google now being 10 years old, a leading medical protection organisation is highlighting the increasing trend towards patient using the search engine for online self-diagnosis.
"incorrect self-diagnosis and misplaced patient expectations" Dr Stephanie Bown,director of policy and communications at the Medical Protection Society (MPS) said: “a vast spectrum of information available online has given patients a greater opportunity to explore the possibility of self-diagnosis. The downside is that difficulties can arise from lay interpretation of potentially complex medical information and terminology, and the variable quality of the information available. These factors can contribute to both incorrect self-diagnosis and misplaced patient expectations.” “GPs are faced with the additional…

Parkinson's is a progressive neurological condition affecting movements such as walking, talking, and writing. It is named after Dr. James Parkinson (1755-1824), the London doctor who first identified Parkinson's as a specific condition.
Parkinson's occurs as result of a loss of nerve cells in the part of the brain known as the substantia nigra. These cells are responsible for producing a chemical known as dopamine, which allows messages to be sent to the parts of the brain that co-ordinate movement. With the depletion of dopamine-producing cells, these parts of the brain are unable to function normally. The main symptoms of Parkinson's can also be symptoms of other disorders. Conditions that produce these symptoms are known collectively as parkinsonism. Parkinson's is the most common f…

Survey finds 38% of GP practices are currently underprepared for a flu pandemic, and one in ten do not have any emergency recovery plans in place.
A survey of UK general practice managers has revealed an uneven level of pandemic flu preparedness, with 38% admitting to having no plans in place for such an eventuality. The government’s recently published National Risk Register stated that a flu pandemic could pose the greatest threat to national security and could claim up to 750,000 lives.* However, in a survey conducted by Management in Practice, the leading print and online information resource for general practice managers, only 62% of GP managers said their surgeries had specific contingency plans in place for such an event (see www.managementinpractice.com/surveys ). While many…

Nearly six million people in the UK suffer from migraines with 190,000 attacks occurring every day*. Two out of three sufferers are women** and, in total, migraines cost the UK around £1 billion per annum***.
Since physicians do not fully understand the cause of migraines, sufferers frequently remain abandoned by their healthcare practitioner. As a consequence of this lack of understanding, the condition is not straightforward to treat and where preventative orthodox drug treatments do exist, many are associated with unwanted side effects - not ideal when used on an ongoing basis. Research with national charity Migraine Action, amongst extreme migraine sufferers has found that the Nature’s Best ginger supplement produces excellent results when tackling the debilitating symptoms of nausea…

Scientists have just announced the development of new medical imaging technology that can spot signs of osteoarthritis even before it starts causing joint damage.
Many health problems can be effectively treated and managed if they are caught early enough. But until now, diagnosing the early stage of osteoarthritis – the often cripplingly painful disease that causes damage to the joints and is thought to affect around 8.5m Brits – has been tricky. That's because diagnosis currently relies on x-ray evidence and physical examination, both of which may not spot signs of the disease until it's in its later stages. However scientists have just announced the development of new medical imaging technology that can spot signs of osteoarthritis even before it starts causing joint damage. Dr Alexej…

With these increasing pressures upon the pharmaceuticals industry, it has never been more important to formulate an accurately informed pricing strategy
Examining HE strategies and requirements in major markets and producing an effective pricing policy - 30th September/1st October 2008, BSG House, London, UK - Now in its seventh year, The Annual Pricing & Reimbursement conference will provide you with the information and analysis you need to understand the dynamics of the market and create an effective pricing policy for both the forthcoming year and subsequent strategic development. This 2-day event will assist in better planning and marketing strategy and enable you to share your insights on this evolving industry issue. Key Industry Speakers Include - Anne-Toni Rodgers, Dire…

A child born in a Glasgow, Scotland suburb can expect a life 28 years shorter than another living only 13 kilometers away. A girl in Lesotho is likely to live 42 years less than another in Japan. In Sweden, the risk of a woman dying during pregnancy and childbirth is 1 in 17,400; in Afghanistan, the odds are 1 in 8.
Biology does not explain any of this. Instead, the differences between and within countries result from the social environment where people are born, live, grow, work and age. These "social determinants of health" have been the focus of a three-year investigation by an eminent group of policy makers, academics, former heads of state and former ministers of health. Together, they comprise the World Health Organization's Commission on the Social Determinants of Health. Today,…

This feature 'What is Eczema?' is one of three features that focuses on the topic of skin conditions.
Eczema is a very common condition, and it affects all races and ages, including young infants. About 1-2 percent of adults have eczema, and as many as 20 percent of children are affected. It usually begins early in life, even before asthma or hay fever. Most affected individuals have their first episode before age 5 years. For some, the disease will improve with time. For others, however, eczema is a chronic or recurrent disorder. Although it can occur just once, it usually occurs on and off throughout life, or lasts the entire lifetime. Eczema can be a difficult, frustrating condition. The natural human desire to scratch or rub an itchy rash just makes the condition worse, and treatments…

This feature 'What is Psoriasis?' is one of three features that focuses on the topic of skin conditions.
Mild psoriasis (80% of people) is where there are a few patches that may need treatment but are not likely to cause problems and can be easily controlled. Moderate psoriasis (15% of people) is where more skin is involved and the condition is widespread but again can usually be controlled with self management under a GP or nurse supervision. Severe psoriasis (5% of people) is where large areas are covered with psoriasis and the condition becomes difficult to self-manage or no longer responds to treatment. At this stage referral to secondary care at a local hospital out-patient department or in extreme cases an in-patient stay may be felt necessary in order to provide optimum care and mo…

This feature 'What is Acne?' is one of three features that focuses on the topic of skin conditions.
During puberty, the production of male sex hormones (androgens) increases in both girls and boys, which can stimulate the sebaceous glands to produce more sebum. In some people, the sebaceous glands are extremely sensitive to androgens. These people, mostly men, get acne so severely that they need medical treatment. The increased production of sebum makes the openings of the sebaceous glands narrower, which prevents the sebum from getting out. Meanwhile, the sebum production continues regardless. Pimples are often caused by Propionebacterium acnes, a common bacterium on the skin that feeds on sebum. This bacterium produces waste products and fatty acids that irritate the sebaceous glan…

The development of innovative therapeutics and complimentary technologies for the effective management of pain 7th – 8th October 2008, BSG Conference Centre, London, UK.
“The market revenue from drug-delivery technologies in the pain management market is US$1.9billion, growing at a CAGR of 6.5% to reach US$2.6billion by the end of 2012.” [‘Pain Market Outlook Report’ - Business Insights] - Dr Emanuele Sher, Research Advisor, Pain Migraine Team Leader, Eli Lilly & Co - Dr Mark Field, Global Research & Development, Pfizer - Dr Adnan Al-Kaisy, Senior Physician, Pain Management Clinic London - Professor Peter McNaughton, Professor of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge - Professor Praveen Anand, Professor of Clinical Neurology, Imperial College London - Dr Dic Williams, Research…

Arthritis is not just a disease of older people – it can affect people of all ages, including children. It is not clear what causes arthritis and there is no cure at present. However, there is plenty you can do to manage yourcondition and lead a full and active life.
Arthritis is not just a disease of older people – it can affect people of all ages, including children. It is not clear what causes arthritis and there is no cure at present. However, there is plenty you can do to manage yourcondition and lead a full and active life. Two of the most common forms of arthritis are osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis(RA). Osteoarthritis (OA) Osteoarthritis is a very common condition, affecting the joints, often described as "wear and tear" arthritis. This can start from our teens and…

In recent years Negative Pressure Wound Therapy has revolutionised the way clinicians manage and treat a wide range of wounds, Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT) is a mechanical wound care treatment that uses controlled negative pressure to assist and accelerate wound healing (Bryant, R. 2000).
The growth in patients being treated with NPWT products has been dominated historically by KCI and their open cell polyurethane foam technology and V.A.C® product range. However over the last few years a number of new products have been launched into this market using alternative gauze based dressing technique. This gauze based dressing technique used and first described by Chariker–Jeter et al in 1989 involves the application of a moistened anti-microbial dressing (AMD) gauze and a silicone dr…

Cimzia (certolizumab pegol) is the first and so far, only, PEGylated, Fc-Free, anti-tumour necrosis factor (TNF) alpha treatment in development for rheumatoid arthritis. Data presented at the Annual European Rheumatology Congress (EULAR) suggest that, in combination with methotrexate, Cimzia acts fast to significantly suppress disease activity, prevent structural damage to joints, preserve physical function and help patients continue working productively.
Certolizumab pegol (Cimzia) is a PEGylated Fc-free anti-TNF alpha agent, administered subcutaneously, and currently licensed in the US and Switzerland for treatment of Crohn’s Disease. By not having the Fc region present in conventional anti-TNFs, Cimzia retains the potency of anti-TNFs without the possible cytotoxicity mediated by Fc. In…

Alzheimer disease (AD) is the third leading cause of death in recent times and with an unprecedented patient potential, this disease area attracts awareness from a broad base of stake holders. With the grey population being the single most influencial factor in driving the economic growth within this sector, Visiongain believes the real market of the AD industry still remains untapped.
Over the past decade the AD market has been flagged by a quartet of approved pharmacological agents; acetyl cholinesterase inhibitors (AchEIs), N-methyl D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists and other non-AD specific therapeutics for management of comorbidities. The AchEIs comprise products from some of the leading larger pharmaceutical companies; • Esia/Pfizer’s Aricept (Donepizel) • Novartis Exelon (Riv…

We have an enviable position of being visited by over 150,000 people each month looking for pharmaceutical news and jobs, and we need to satisfy their desire for content.
To do this, we need your expertise and your contributions. We are currently compiling a list of contributors who can either provide us with ad-hoc content through our news distribution service (press releases and features) or whom we can contact when we have specific requirements for editorial features. To become part of the PharmiTeam simply complete this quick registration form. PharmiWeb Statistics • 150,000+ visitors each month • 6500+ live jobs opportunities • 3000-4000 job applications processed each month • 20,000+ subscribed users receive our eNewsletter each week. • We publish on average 100 press releas…