Ulcers

There was a significant uptick in the number of serious problems reported by Maryland hospitals in fiscal 2010, according to the annual report on patient care and safety released by state health officials. There were 265 top level adverse events reported in 2010, compared with 190 the year before. Health officials attributed the rise to better identification and reporting rather than more problems – particularly when it came to pressure ulcers. Falls remained the No. 1 adverse event at the hospital.

BEWARE THE flesh-eating creature from the bottom of the bay! It's a perfect ad for one of those silly 1950s science fiction movies. It's also nonsense, with just a hint of reality, like those fantastical films.But it is true that the federal government has rushed through grants of $500,000 this month to study the toxic "ambush algae" that may have caused some ulcers and sores on fish in the Chesapeake Bay and has been detected in two fish kills.The suspect microorganism, one of more than 700 algae species in the bay, is pfiesteria piscicida.

An Antex Biologics vaccine against a bacteria that causes stomach ulcers and that has been associated with cancer will be moved into a second stage of human tests next year, after getting positive Phase I test results, the company said yesterday. The vaccine, known as Helivax, resulted in no serious side-effects when 45 healthy volunteers drank five doses over an unspecified period of days, the Gaithersburg company said. The vaccine also stimulated the production of antibodies, a sign of potential effectiveness.

Q. My parents live in Florida and have a grapefruit tree. Although they love the fresh fruit, they have stopped eating it because of the problem of grapefruit interactions with medicines. I eat a grapefruit almost every day because it is so satisfying. I find I am not tempted to snack after breakfast. My doctor has just prescribed BuSpar for stress, and I would like to know if there is a problem with grapefruit. Would I have to avoid grapefruit altogether, or could I take my pill an hour or two later?

In Maryland, an orthopedic practice agreed to pay $2.5 million to the federal government to settle allegations that it had billed for patients' visits that never took place and had double-charged for X-ray work to get higher reimbursements. In Connecticut, a health care facility paid nearly a half-million dollars to the federal government in a similar settlement over allegations that it had exaggerated costs associated with a prostate cancer treatment. Those allegations, and another leveled recently at a Baltimore-area hospital, have highlighted an arcane record-keeping practice called "upcoding.

How do you advise people to dispose of their prescription and over-the-counter drugs safely? I worry about this stuff being flushed down the toilet and contaminating the water supply. Flushing unused or outdated medications down the toilet is a bad idea for that very reason. The government is suggesting that unused drugs, especially potent pain relievers or sleeping pills, be mixed with something nasty before putting them in the trash. Used kitty litter has been proposed to make the pills unpalatable to children, pets and drug addicts.

MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital has opened an expanded center to treat chronic wounds with a procedure where patients are placed in oxygen chambers. The Wound Healing Center at the hospital has four hyperbaric oxygen therapy chambers that expose patients to 100 percent pure oxygen - nearly five times that found in air - and pressure that is two to three times atmospheric pressure. The process accelerates tissue formation that helps wounds heal more quickly. More than 8 million people in the United States suffer from chronic wounds that don't heal well because of conditions such as diabetes, obesity, aging and the late effects of radiation therapy.

A Columbia nursing home accused last month of neglecting an elderly patient has been cleared of any wrongdoing after a state investigation of the facility, state officials said yesterday.Patients at the Lorien Nursing Home & Rehabilitation Center in Hickory Ridge village were found to be free from any physical problems that might constitute neglect, according to Carol Benner, director of the state's Licensing and Certification Administration, which regulates nursing homes.However, the Lorien patient -- whose alleged overgrown fingernails, old dressings, dirty catheter and multiple bedsores prompted a Howard County General Hospital employee to call police after the man was admitted for treatment -- was found to have bedsores, technically known as decubitus ulcers, Benner said.

Coxsackieviruses can cause many clinical syndromes that overlap with other viruses, including common cold symptoms, fever, sore throat, rashes, eye infections and diarrhea, says Dr. Robert Ancona, chief of pediatrics at St. Joseph Medical Center. He writes that the three most identifiable syndromes caused by coxsackieviruses are: acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis, herpangina and hand, foot and mouth disease. * Preschool-age children, especially those 11/2 to 3 years old, are most at risk to catch these viruses, though any age group can be affected, especially with acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis.

ASPIRIN blocks production of a family of fatty acids called prostaglandins. Reducing prostaglandins reduces the pain and fever associated with colds and flu and also inflammation, helping make arthritis and bursitis victims more comfortable. The most recent revelation is that aspirin may help prevent deaths from colon cancer. But it's a serious drug -- doctors say check with a physician before taking on a regular basis -- and has other effects on the human body, as well.MAJOR DISCOVERIES* In the 1980s, research showed aspirin reduces risk of heart attacks and thrombotic (clot-caused)