Is Older Blood OK to Use in a Transfusion?
http://ift.tt/2wVWuAf By Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter WEDNESDAY, Sept. 27, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Using older red blood cells to give transfusions to critically ill patients doesn't appear to affect their risk of dying, Australian researchers report. It was once believed that fresh red blood cells were best suited for transfusions. But this new study adds to the evidence that older blood is just as good, if not better, the study authors said. "Red blood cells for transfusion for critically ill patients are like a good red wine -- a little older, a little better," said researcher Dr. Jamie Cooper. He is professor and director of the Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Research Center at Monash University in Melbourne. Study co-author Alistair Nichol added that a lot of inadequate research had suggested that fresher blood would be better to use in critically ill patients. Nichol is an associate professor of epidemiology and preventive medicine in the School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine at Monash University. The current practice is to use the oldest available blood, Nichol said. Red blood cells can be stored for up to 42 days, the researchers noted. "But due to concerns about the use of older blood, some blood banks had been reducing the age of the blood they transfuse," Nichol said. Reducing the age of blood for transfusions, however, may result in more blood shortages, he pointed out. "The current practice is safe and doctors no longer need to try and get the freshest available blood for their patients," Nichol said. He added that using newer blood to give transfusions to critically ill patients may be harmful. Cooper said, "We found two unexpected findings which support the use of older blood." Transfusion reactions were more common with fresher blood, and most seriously ill patients had better survival when they received older red blood cells, he explained. In addition, using older blood will make more blood available for transfusions, Cooper said. "Blood availability for transfusion will increase worldwide, because transfusion services will now avoid providing fresher blood for selected patient groups," he said. Continued"Countries who have reduced their blood storage time from 42 to 35 days through concerns about blood age should consider moving back to the standard 42 days," Cooper suggested. From November 2012 through December 2016, the researchers randomly assigned nearly 5,000 critically ill patients to receive blood transfusions with either newer or older blood. The patients were from 59 medical centers in five countries -- Australia, Finland, Ireland, New Zealand and Saudi Arabia. Newer blood had been stored for an average of 11 days, while older blood was about 22 days old. Ninety days after the transfusion, 24.8 percent of patients who received newer blood died, while 24.1 percent of those who had received older blood died, the findings showed. After six months, the difference in deaths between those who received newer or older blood remained less than 1 percent. According to Dr. Edward Murphy, a professor of laboratory medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, "These findings are consistent with other recent studies." Stored blood deteriorates as it ages, and it was a concern that these changes in blood might harm patients, said Murphy, who was not involved with the new study. For example, as blood gets older, the red cells get stiffer and might release iron as hemoglobin leaks out of the cells. There was also concern that the fluid and the plastic bags used to store the red blood cells might affect the cells, Murphy said. "To my mind, the issue is settled that there is not a significant difference in outcomes related to how you store the blood cells," Murphy said. "It's reassuring that there is no difference." The report was published online Sept. 27 in the New England Journal of Medicine to coincide with the presentation of the study findings at the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine meeting in Vienna, Austria. WebMD News from HealthDay SourcesSOURCES: Alistair Nichol, Ph.D., associate professor epidemiology and preventive medicine, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University,Melbourne, Australia; Jamie Cooper, M.D., professor and director, Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Research Centre, Monash University,Melbourne, Australia; Edward Murphy, M.D., M.P.H., professor, laboratory medicine, University of California, San Francisco; Sept. 27, 2017,New England Journal of Medicine, online, and presentation, European Society of Intensive Care Medicine, Vienna, Austria Copyright © 2013-2017 HealthDay. All rights reserved.Health via WebMD Health http://www.webmd.com/ September 27, 2017 at 01:31PM
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Confederate flag posters found on American University campus
http://ift.tt/2fQkrOD The posters were found in three buildings across the university's Washington campus Tuesday, the same night the school introduced plans for an Antiracist Research and Policy Center. "The significance of these posters appearing on the same night that Dr. Ibram Kendi shared his vision for the AU Antiracist Research and Policy Center cannot be ignored," the college's student government said in a statement. "The significance of this occurring as our country continues to struggle with its history of white supremacy also cannot be ignored." The posters were pinned to bulletin boards and left inside glass display cases. Each was emblazoned with the Confederate flag and the text: "Huzzah for DIXIE. I wish I was in the Land of Cotton!" On Wednesday, the college released a video of a man suspected of putting the posters: a white male wearing an orange hard hat and neon vest. He is seen walking through a university hallway. "We must stand together strongly against this act, which was intended to frighten and divide our community," college President Sylvia Burwell said in the statement. Earlier this year, a person dressed in black hung bananas on campus trees. All were tied with strings in the shape of nooses and specifically targeted the school's first African-American student government president, Taylor Dumpson. Scribbled on the bananas was the phrase "AKA Free," a reference to Dumpson's membership in the historically black sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha. Last year, students at a residence hall reported white students leaving a rotten banana at one black freshman's door and throwing a banana at another black student, the school newspaper reported. The Anti-Defamation League says that since September 1, 2016, it has documented 212 incidents of white supremacist flyers on 142 campuses in 37 states and the District of Columbia. Health via CNN.com - RSS Channel - Health http://ift.tt/1rsiniF September 27, 2017 at 01:31PM
Coroner's report: Details, but few answers, in death of Otto Warmbier
http://ift.tt/2ytiNtd The report -- an external examination, not an autopsy -- describes a 4.3-by-1.6-inch scar on Warmbier's right foot. Parents Fred and Cindy Warmbier mentioned this scar during an interview with CNN's Brooke Baldwinon Tuesday, when they broke their three-month silence. "How do you get a scar that covers the entire top of your foot?" Cindy Warmbier asked. "(The coroner) said it had to be an open wound for months and months and months." The coroner's report did not include this last detail. It describes a number of smaller scars, but does not contain details as to what caused them or how long they had been there. The report also offers information that seemingly conflicts with his parents' account. "His bottom teeth look like they had taken a pair of pliers and rearranged them," Fred Warmbier said. However, the coroner's report says, "the teeth are natural and in good repair." The coroner's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Unresponsive wakefulnessOn Tuesday, Warmbier's parents described what they saw when they approached the plane that returned their son in June. "We weren't prepared for this at all," said Cindy Warmbier. "No one had any idea, going in there, what we were going to see." "Halfway up the stairs, we hear this loud, guttural, howling, inhuman sound. We don't know what it is," Fred Warmbier said. "He's strapped to the stretcher, and he's moving around and jerking violently, making these howling, inhuman sounds." Warmbier's eyes were darting around, "as big as saucers," his father said. His head was shaved, and he had a feeding tube in place. His hands and legs were "totally deformed," Cindy Warmbier said. The coroner's report describes abnormal flexing of the arms and legs, which it attributes to severe brain damage from not getting enough oxygen. In June, doctors at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center described his state as "unresponsive wakefulness,"a product of this brain damage. For people in this condition, "their eyes may be open, they may be blinking, they may be even looking around, but they have no awareness of their surroundings," CNN's Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta said in June. Gupta has not reviewed Warmbier's medical records. "There's nothing that is voluntary in terms of movements, even though their eyes are open," Gupta added. "Some refer to it as a persistent vegetative state." The coroner's report lists the cause of death as an "unknown insult more than a year prior to death" and the complications of his brain injury. An MRI from April 2016 provided by North Korea showed brain damage that doctors suspected to be weeks old at that point, Gupta said.
Dr. Daniel Kanter
, one of Warmbier's doctors and director of UC Health's Neurocritical Care Program, said brain scans in June showed "extensive loss of brain tissue in all regions of the brain" but no evidence of a skull fracture. CT scans of the body similarly showed no evidence of recent or healing bone fractures, Kanter said in June when asked if there were any signs of trauma or injuries. Questions continue to swirl around how this happened -- and specifically, what happened to him in North Korean custody. On the coroner's report, Warmbier's manner of death is listed as "undetermined." 'Otto is at peace'Fred Warmbier alleged on Tuesday that "Otto was systematically tortured and intentionally injured" by Kim Jong Un's regime. "This was no accident." However, Warmbier's parents declined a full autopsy."The family's objection to an autopsy was honored, and only an external examination was performed," the coroner's office said in a statement in June. "I think it's a terrible mistake" not to perform an autopsy, Dr. Cyril Wecht, a prominent forensic pathologist who was not involved in Warmbier's case, previously told CNN."If you have something that could be anything other than a natural death, you're obligated to do an autopsy." Still, Wecht said it would be difficult to determine what caused Warmbier's brain damage, especially in someone who had been that way for such a long time. It could have been any number of things that prevented sufficient oxygen from reaching the brain, Wecht said, including strangulation, suffocation, medication or a botched suicide attempt. "One of a few things likely happened here -- and we may never know, especially if there's no autopsy," Gupta, who is also a member of the American College of Forensic Examiners and a practicing neurosurgeon, said in June. Warmbier's parents, when asked on Tuesday why they refused an autopsy, said that they wanted the ordeal to be put to rest. "Otto and our family have been through enough. Enough," Fred Warmbier said. "Otto is at peace, and it's about time." CNN's Ben Tinker contributed to this report. Health via CNN.com - RSS Channel - Health http://ift.tt/1rsiniF September 27, 2017 at 01:31PM
Restaurant report card: How is your fast food meat raised?
http://ift.tt/2wlbhQy Health via CNN.com - RSS Channel - Health http://ift.tt/1rsiniF September 27, 2017 at 01:31PM
Rise in HIV diagnoses among people over 50 in Europe
http://ift.tt/2hxis1D Between 2004 and 2015, the number of new HIV diagnoses increased by 2.1% each year among this age group, with people over 50 accounting for 17.3% of new HIV cases diagnosed in Europe in 2015. Experts argue sexual health programs should increasingly target this demographic, as well as the younger population. "Our findings suggest a new direction in which the HIV epidemic is evolving," said Lara Tavoschi, a scientific officer at the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control(ECDC), who led the study published Tuesday in the medical journal Lancet HIV. "We see a steady increase in the number of new (HIV) diagnoses among older adults in the region." The route of transmission was mostly heterosexual, Tavoschi confirmed. "We need to increase awareness campaigns among older age groups," she told CNN. Rise for some, fall for othersUsing routine annual surveillance data from 31 countries, reported to the European Surveillance System between 2004 and 2015, the team at the ECDC analyzed new HIV diagnoses among people aged 15 and above. The rate of HIV diagnosis among people over 50 increased in 16 countries, including Germany, Ireland and Belgium, and decreased in just one country, Portugal. Rates were highest in Estonia, Latvia and Malta, where more than seven new cases were diagnosed per 100,000 older people by 2015. Numbers also increased among younger people in these countries, aged 15 to 49 years. In certain countries, however, such as the United Kingdom and Norway, new diagnoses went down among young people, but increased in the over-50 population, with more than a 3.6% increase in newly diagnosed HIV cases each year in both of these nations. "This is a result of successful awareness campaigns that may not have targeted older adults enough," Tavoschi said, speculating on one reason behind the trend. England has a national HIV prevention programin place, for example, using local activities and social marketing to promote national HIV testing weeks and a campaign called "It starts with me" to increase testing and condom use, reduce stigma and inform people about sexually transmitted infections and practicing safe sex. Previous studies have shown a stigma attached to older people having a sex life being at play, added Tavoschi, and the lack of sex assumed among this age group "is not a real reflection of what is happening in this group today," she said, preventing health care providers from discussing sexual health with older patients. The data also showed that while diagnoses among men are rising among younger and older people across Europe, the numbers are decreasing among younger women, but increasing among older ones. For now, "it's unknown why," Tavoschi told CNN. Last to knowIn addition to rising rates, the study also discovered that people over 50 were also more likely to be diagnosed with advanced HIV disease -- meaning they will have been infected for longer without knowing. The team at the ECDC explored levels of CD4 immune cells -- the cells typically damaged by HIV -- of more than 60% of people diagnosed in 2015 to identify the proportion of people diagnosed later into their infection, shown by lower levels of these cells. Among all age groups, 47% of people analyzed were diagnosed late, but when divided out by age, 63% of people older than 50 were delayed in going to their clinic to be diagnosed, compared to 43% among those younger than 50. "Being HIV positive and not knowing may endanger other people by transmitting the disease unknowingly," said Tavoschi, adding that some studies have also shown lower survivability among older people living with HIV. "This study reminds us that we cannot afford complacency when it comes to HIV. People of all ages need to be reminded that the HIV epidemic is not over and viral transmission is still a very real possibility in all parts of the world in all populations and age groups," said Linda-Gail Bekker, president of the International AIDS Society, who was not involved in the research. "Surveillance such as this is critical for us to keep a real and present focus on where resources and efforts need to go ... With an increased focus on young people, we need to be sure our messaging doesn't leave out other critical populations." An evolving epidemicWhile the new findings offer insight into a previously under-recognised demographic in terms of HIV control, Tavoschi acknowledges that in terms of the global HIV control, older people are not driving the epidemic. More than 36 million people were estimated to be living with HIV/AIDS globally in 2015. While 2.5 people per 100,000 over the age of 50 were diagnosed with HIV in these 31 countries in 2015, 10.4 people per 100,000 under 50 were diagnosed that same year -- four times higher. "Clearly the magnitude of one group is bigger," said Tavoschi. But, she points out, "the epidemic is evolving and going in a new direction that we need to take into account ... by health care providers." "This issue is not something public health has given adequate attention to -- older people are 'at risk' but this is often not appreciated," said Janet Seeley, professor of anthropology and health at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine in the UK, who wrote a related commentary on the findings. She highlighted the importance of campaigns such as " Age is not a condom" in the UK. "It highlights the need to use a condom because even if pregnancy is no longer likely, sexually transmitted infections including HIV, are." Health via CNN.com - RSS Channel - Health http://ift.tt/1rsiniF September 26, 2017 at 06:04PM
Hospitalized children at risk in Puerto Rico due to lack of fuel
http://ift.tt/2xDXh7n The children depend on ventilators to survive, according to Domingo Cruz Vivaldi, executive director of the San Jorge Children's Hospital. But a shortage of diesel, which powers generators, meant that the ventilators had to run on batteries for eight hours Monday and supply is still limited. "Monday, at about two in the afternoon, we were able to get electricity back on because another hospital delivered 1,200 gallons of diesel and we were very thankful for that. We were very lucky," Cruz Vivaldi said. San Jorge Children's Hospital is the largest private children's medical center in the Caribbean. Before Hurricane Maria hit the island, the children's hospital had about 90 patients, according to Cruz Vivaldi. They discharged 30 who were in stable condition and are currently treating 60 who need to remain hospitalized. "Right now, we only have diesel for today and tomorrow. We're already working on refueling our tanks so we can extend our power generating capability, which is at 50% right now," Cruz Vivaldi said. Lack of power and water has severely weakened the ability to treat patients at dozens of hospitals around the island. CNN visited a local clinic in Yabucoa, a coastal community on the island's southeast, that was hit by the eye of the hurricane. A local official said the clinic is not currently operational. Medical personnel are sending patients to the nearest medical facility, located in the nearby city of Caguas. An unfolding medical crisisThe death toll from Hurricane Maria currently stands at 16. Authorities have not released information about the number of people who were injured during and after the hurricane. A medical crisis is unfolding around the island. Many people hurt during the hurricane have yet to be treated. The lack of power puts dialysis patients at risk, and diabetes patients may lose their insulin supply for lack of refrigeration. Dr. Israel Ayala Oliveras, medical director at the Puerto Rico Medical Center, said people are showing up there with all kinds of injuries related to the hurricane. "We're treating lacerations, concussions, deep cut wounds and others caused by flying objects. People have also gotten hurt by falling around their homes or when using or operating chainsaws and machetes as they try to clear access to their homes," Ayala said. Carmen Gutiérrez Molero, an 86-year-old woman who lives in the Caparra district in Guaynabo, said a gas line that broke during the hurricane caused an explosion in her kitchen. "I got up at eight and went to the kitchen for some coffee. When I lighted a match, the stove exploded and burned my feet. Thank God it was only my feet and nothing more. I jumped the best I could and was able to get outside," she said. Lefty Rodríguez suffered two ripped tendons in his arm after the hurricane blew open the front door of his house. "It all happened suddenly. I was near the door and it suddenly opened. When I saw it was coming toward me I tried to hold it, but ... boom! That's when it got my arm," Rodríguez said. The Puerto Rico Medical Center implemented a contingency plan to treat hurricane victims before Maria hit the island. Ayala said the flow of patients has increased by dozens. Still many roads are impassable, preventing many people from reaching medical facilities. The local department of health also installed two mobile hospitals with tents where basic surgeries and first aid can be offered to patients. Health via CNN.com - RSS Channel - Health http://ift.tt/1rsiniF September 26, 2017 at 06:04PM
Suspected cancer cluster sickens Cincinnati police
http://ift.tt/2y6H1NQ "A number of officers started to talk to me about an unusual number of cancer deaths here in District 5," said Hils, who became union president in 2015 and has been with the Cincinnati Police Department since 1987. "In two years, from 2015 to 2016, six officers died and they were all under the age of 60, most of them right around the age of 50, and all of them had worked in District 5," Hils told CNN before he addressed reporters at his news conference . All six officers had worked in jobs requiring a lot of time in the office and "many had spent large portions of their careers here," he said. "Those six people all lived very clean lives and were still young," said Hils. He added there are a number of "living cancer cases" among others who spent significant time in the District 5 building, but he would not release the names for "privacy reasons." Hils said the police department has five districts yet none of the other four districts has a comparable number of cancer cases. "The Police Department and other City Departments are in the process of assessing temporary locations on a leased basis and are working toward a long-term solution as well," said Steve Saunders, a spokesman with Cincinnati Police Department, on behalf of Police Chief Eliot Isaac. Cincinnati Councilman Charlie Winburn, who also spoke at the news conference, has requested a transfer of police personnel within 30 days. "This has been going on and on and on," said Winburn. "Close this place down -- close this place down now." Pesticides and possible contaminationAnyone who visits the building at 1012 Ludlow Avenue, which is nicknamed "the three bedroom ranch," can see the problems for themselves, said Hils. "The first problem is it just isn't big enough to house the folks and the records and all the things that we have there, which then makes it impossible to clean," said Hils. Because of this crowding, he said, the building has had "half a dozen, at least" bed bug infestations over the past year or so. "They're constantly throwing pesticides in here," he said. High power lines run over the building, which sits next to an expressway that is itself beside Mill creek "which has been known as a toxic place for many, many years," said Hils. Though named "the most endangered urban riverin North America" in 1997, Mill creek has shown improved water quality in recent years, according to American Rivers, a national river conservation organization. Add to that, there is asbestos on the boiler and there was a target range in the basement of the building up until the 1970s, "so lead contaminants are a possibility there," Hils said. Specifying that he does not have a Ph.D., he said "common sense" indicates something is wrong at the District 5 building. "It's like a cocktail," said Hils, who raised this issue within the police department beginning in November last year. Spokesman Saunders confirmed that testing of the building had been done and "the results did not show anything significant that would contribute to cancer or any other serious health issues." "Even though they can't point to one thing that's making people sick," said Hils, an "inordinate amount of officers" have become sick with cancer and at this point he just wants people out of the building. City government, though, has been slow to act, likely because there's no "one thing." Building is 'not ideal'In a January 25, 2017 memo to the mayor and city council, Harry Black, city manager, acknowledged that the administration was continuing to examine the building and investigate concerns. "Thus far, a series of internal and external inspections and tests have indicated the building is in good condition from an environmental perspective," wrote Black. "However it is not ideal in the long term primarily due to the lack of space." Black noted that the District 5 building was erected in 1957 and "was never intended as a permanent facility." "It was built as a temporary headquarters required as a result of the Mill Creek Expressway construction," Black wrote of the building. Hils said 122 police department employees are assigned to the building, though the majority are street officers who spend very little time there. "Somewhere in the range of 30" people, investigators and administrative officers, sit at their desks most of the day "making phone calls, doing computer searches things like that," said Hils. "It's the investigative unit where you will find a lot of those cancers," said Hils. In an email to the mayor and city council in February, Black referenced their discussion of a temporary relocation of "all or a portion" of District 5 headquarters staff. "Please do whatever you think makes the most sense," said Black at that time and offered his assistance with this matter. Winburn said "this issue has been going on forever" and the administration was "stonewalling this situation." Mentioning the fact that his wife suffered from cancer, the city councilman said the administration was "callus to this, they are not sensitive to what is going on here." "This is a disgrace," he said. Cancer cluster definedTo be considered a cancer cluster, a group of cancer cases must meet various criteria, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. First, the number of cases must be higher than typically observed in a similar setting -- in a group with similar population, age, race, or gender. "All of the cases must involve the same type of cancer, or types of cancer scientifically proven to have the same cause," the CDC website reads. Additionally, the time period and geographic area must be carefully defined when calculating both the number of cases in a suspected cluster and the number of expected cases in a comparison group. "It is possible to "create" or "obscure" a cluster by selection of a specific area," reads the website. The National Cancer Institutemaintains that most suspected cancer clusters turn out, on detailed investigation, not to be "true cancer clusters... no cause can be identified, and the clustering of cases turns out to be a random occurrence." 'Sworn to uphold their duty'Though many of District 5 staff have been diagnosed with cancer, Hils said, to get his point across he prefers to discuss just the six officers who died between 2015 and 2016. "Stephanie Bradford was an investigator here for 18 years," said Hils, noting the 50-year-old died of appendix cancer. "Darrell Chapman was in the neighborhood unit, had a lot of desk duty time and everything," said Hils. This 59-year-old died of some sort of gastrointestinal cancer, said Hils, just like Jana Cruise, who performed a good deal of desk duty, and passed in her early 50s. Robert McGuire, 50, "loved working the desk" and died of colon cancer, said Hils, while Anthony Wagers, 53, died of a rare stomach cancer following years of administrative duty in District 5. Ingrid Weber, 51, died of lymphoma following her stint in the investigative unit. "Almost all of them had [gastrointestinal] types of cancer," said Hils, who said he reported this cluster to the Cincinnati Department of Health. "I've talked to everyone who would listen," said Hils, who is clearly disappointed in the lack of response. The department of health did not return a request to comment from CNN. "I wanted to press the button and get them out of here," said Hils. A recent diagnosis of cancer in another officer "made me regret that I backed off," he said. "I want that to be their Christmas present -- to have another place to go." Asked whether police officers might strike if his demands are not met, Hils said "the men and women are sworn to uphold their duty. They're not allowed to take those actions." With a mayoral election in November, the timing may appear political, said Hils, but it's more a matter of family members reaching out to him and asking him to resolve this situation. "Do politics really matter right now?" said Hils. "There's elections -- and then there's life and death." Health via CNN.com - RSS Channel - Health http://ift.tt/1rsiniF September 26, 2017 at 05:37PM
Researchers identify CTE biomarker that may lead to diagnosis while alive
http://ift.tt/2wUBghh A team from the Boston University School of Medicine and VA Boston Healthcare System found a chronic traumatic encephalopathy biomarker, called CCL11, was "significantly elevated" in the brains of former college and professional football players who were diagnosed after death as having CTE. The study of deceased individuals also found CCL11 levels were higher in the players who had spent more years on the field. The research is early. The findings are based on a study of brains from 23 former football players, 50 non-athletes with Alzheimer's disease and 18 individuals who were not athletes and did not have Alzheimer's. And, it is not yet known if identifying CCL11 is an early or late sign of CTE. The researchers believe they can identify this biomarker in living individuals as a way to diagnose CTE. "Once we can successfully diagnose CTE in living individuals, we will be much closer to discovering treatments for those who suffer from it," said Dr. Ann McKee, one of the authors of the study and director of the Boston University CTE Center. CTE causes symptoms similar to those seen in patients with Alzheimer's disease including memory loss, confusion, aggression, rage and suicidal behavior. The disease, which can only be diagnosed by studying an individual's brain after death, has been diagnosed in a number of former NFL players, but has also been diagnosed in athletes from other sports and veterans. Developing story - more to come Health via CNN.com - RSS Channel - Health http://ift.tt/1rsiniF September 26, 2017 at 05:37PM
New STD cases hit record high in US, CDC says
http://ift.tt/2wjpSvQ "Clearly we need to reverse this disturbing trend," said Dr. Gail Bolan, director of CDC's Division of STD Prevention. "The CDC cannot do this alone and we need every community in America to be aware that this risk is out there and help educate their citizens on how to avoid it." The agency's annual Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance Reportshows that more than 1.6 million of the new cases were from chlamydia, 470,000 were from gonorrhea and nearly 28,000 cases were of primary and secondary syphilis. Secondary syphilis is the most contagious form of the disease, according to the CDC. While all of these can be cured by antibiotics, many people go undiagnosed and untreated. Only those three STDs are required by law to be reported to the CDC by physicians. When you include HIV, herpes and more of the dozens of diseases which can be transmitted sexually but which are not tracked, the CDC estimates there are more than 20 million new cases of STDs in the United States each year. At least half occur in young people ages 15 to 24. "STDs are out of control with enormous health implications for Americans," said David Harvey, executive director of the National Coalition of STD Directors. The coalition represents state, local and territorial health departments who focus on preventing STDs. "If not treated, gonorrhea, chlamydia and syphilis can have serious consequences, such as infertility, neurological issues, and an increased risk for HIV," said Harvey. Common STDsThe most common STD is chlamydia. It's caused by the bacteria chlamydia trachomatis, and like most STDs, is easily transmitted by all forms of sexual activity -- oral, vaginal or anal -- as well as during childbirth. Chlamydia is known as a "silent" infection, because most people have no symptoms, which means it often goes untreated. In women, it can ultimately cause pelvic inflammatory disease that can scar and affect fertility. In men, it can cause testicular pain and swelling.
Gonorrhea
is another bacterial STD that can be silent, but often displays symptoms such as burning during urination and vaginal or penile discharge. If caught anally, it can create itching, bleeding and painful bowel movements. If not treated, gonorrhea can cause severe and permanent health problems, including long-term pain and infertility.
Syphilis
is the most serious bacterial STD. Left untreated, syphilis can affect the brain, heart and other organs of the body, ultimately leading to death. It's called the "Great Pretender," because the symptoms of syphilis which include rashes and chancres, or sores, fever, swollen lymph glands, sore throat, headaches, muscles aches and fatigue, mimic other diseases. As the disease progresses, the symptoms go away, and progress silently to it's most deadly stage. At one point, the United States had all but eliminated syphilis, turning it into a "disease of the past," said Bolan. "Back in the '40s, the advent of penicillin, which is quite effective against syphilis, allowed us to dramatically reduce cases," she added. "I remember a professor in medical school explaining what it was to us but then said 'You'll never see it.' " However, the new data show that rates of this potentially deadly disease increased almost 18% between 2015 and 2016, with most of the cases in men who have sex with men. There was also a rise of the disease among women who pass it on to their newborns. There were 628 cases of congenital syphilis among newborns reported in 2016, with more than 40 deaths and severe health complications among the babies who survived. "For the first time in many years, we are now seeing more cases of babies born with congenital syphilis than babies born with HIV," said Harvey. "It means that women are not getting access to prenatal care, testing and treatment for syphilis. It's an unconscionable situation in America today." "This is a completely preventable problem," agreed Bolan. "Every baby born with syphilis represents a tragic public health system failure. All it takes is a simple STD test and antibiotic treatment to prevent this tragedy from occurring." What happened?Bolan and Harvey both point to funding deficits as a huge part of the reason STDs are on the rise. "Several factors are fueling the STD epidemic," Harvey said. "Funding cutbacks for prevention, education and healthcare programs, an on-going debate about sex education for young people, with cutbacks in that arena, particularly from this administration, and a rise in social media dating apps have all contributed to the rise." Another reason is the lack of symptoms for these diseases and a failure of practitioners to educate their patients on what to look for. To counter the problem, the CDC has recently published a provider guide for physicians and is creating a network of clinical training centers for doctors. "The fact that so many of these diseases are asymptomatic, which few tell-tale signals, mean that men and women aren't getting into their doctor to be tested," said Bolan. "We need to get the word out that everyone needs a yearly checkup. And we need to re-educate physicians to look for signs of such 'ancient' diseases as syphilis." But an even bigger issue to overcome, Harvey said, is the embarrassment of having an STD. "Unfortunately, STDs carry enormous stigma in this country, and it's hard for people to come forward for treatment," said Harvey. "Ironically, HIV is an STD, but we have a very visible community who advocates and works to tell stories about the impact of HIV on people's lives. We don't have that going for us with gonorrhea, syphilis and chlamydia. We need a network of voices that say it's OK to get help." Health via CNN.com - RSS Channel - Health http://ift.tt/1rsiniF September 26, 2017 at 05:37PM |
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