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HealthToday
T H U R S D A Y , S E P T E M B E R 27 , 2007
SECTION D
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CHILDREN
Vaccine could cause infections
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
CHICAGO | A vaccine that has dramatically curbed pneumonia and other serious illnesses in children is having an unfortunate effect: promoting new superbugs that cause ear infections. On Monday, doctors reported discovering the first such germ that is resistant to all drugs approved to treat childhood ear infections. Nine toddlers in Rochester, N.Y., have had the germ and researchers say it may be turning up elsewhere, too. It is a strain of strep bacteria not included in pneumococcal vaccine,
Wyeth’s Prevnar, which came on the market in 2000. It is recommended for children under age 2. Doctors say parents should continue to have their toddlers get the shots because the vaccine prevents serious illness and even saves lives. But the new resistant strep is a worry. “The best way to prevent these resistant infections from spreading is to be careful about how we use antibiotics,” said Dr. Cynthia Whitney, chief of respiratory diseases at the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Avoiding antibiotics when they are not needed is the best way to ensure they will work when they are, she said. Prevnar prevents seven strains responsible for most cases of pneumonia, meningitis and deadly bloodstream in-
fections. But dozens more strep strains exist, and some have flourished and become impervious to antibiotics since the vaccine combats the more common strains. If the new strains continue to spread, “it tells us the vaccine is becoming less effective” and needs to be revised, said Dr. Dennis Maki, infectious diseases chief at the University of WisconsinMadison Hospitals and Clinics. Wyeth anticipated this and is testing a second-generation vaccine. But it is at least two years from reaching the market, and the new strains could become a public health problem in the meantime if they spread hard-to-treat infections through day care centers and schools. — The Associated Press
TREATMENTS
Study: Night dialysis healthier
SACRAMENTO, CALIF. | His beloved Redskins’ win over Philadelphia locked in, and his belly full after two slices of chicken-pineapple pizza, Thomas Ross needed only his blanket before closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep. Six hours later, Ross awoke, still carefully tethered to a dialysis machine and feeling well-rested and ready for a full day of work. It was an encouraging start to a radical new approach to dialysis for the 42-year-old kidney failure patient who has chosen to get his dialysis while snoozing in a leather recliner three nights a week. The University Dialysis Clinic, which began the nocturnal treatments this month, is a rarity in the United States. Patients like Ross, who normally get dialysis in three- to four-hour increments three times a week, are being lured by mounting evidence that longer, more gentle dialysis delivered overnight not only allows them to lead more normal lives during the day but can improve their overall health as well. “Once I heard about this, I knew it was for me,” said Ross, who works as a security guard and attends college in addition to raising two young sons. “It makes sense: By running the machine longer you get more toxins out of your body.” A study appearing in a recent issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association appears to back him up on that. The research from the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada, found that end-stage renal disease patients who received nocturnal hemodialysis six nights per week over six months got healthier compared with similar patients who received standard dialysis treatment. Because of the relatively small numbers of participants, the Calgary study couldn’t prove that the frequent, nocturnal treatments improved survival among kidney failure patients. But those on the frequent nocturnal schedule did experience a significant decrease in the thickness of their heart muscle — one correlate of survival — and a reduction in need for medications to control high blood pressure. “It does in fact look very promising to improve survival,” said Dr. Alan Kliger, a nephrologist, Yale University professor, dialysis researcher and author of an editorial accompanying the JAMA study. — The Associated Press
TIP ADULT SITTER TRAINING Caring Days Adult Day Care will hold a two-day sitter/caregiver training class on Oct. 18 and 19 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The class is designed to give adult sitters and caregivers instruction to help them care for people with Alzheimer’s, dementia and other memory disorders. The class is limited to 20 participants, and registration is on a first-comefirst-serve basis. The cost is $25 and includes lunch and all materials. The class will be held at First Presbyterian Church. To register call 7526840.
HOW BIG IS THE INDUSTRY? Dietary supplements are a $21.4-billion industry, and the FDA lists about 29,000 dietary supplement products on the market. These include vitamins, minerals, botanicals, sports nutrition supplements, weight management products and specialty supplements. The Council for Responsible Nutrition, a Washington-based trade association representing ingredient suppliers and dietary supplement manufacturers, reports that more than 150 million Americans take dietary supplements annually.
WHO SHOULD TAKE SUPPLEMENTS?
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STAFF PHOTO ILLUSTRATION | ANTHONY BRATINA AND DUSTY COMPTON
People who don’t get a balanced diet of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean meats and low-fat dairy products. That might include vegetarians, vegans, those on low-calorie diets, pregnant women, smokers and post-menopausal women.
WHAT ABOUT FORTIFIED FOODS? Crowell said many foods are already fortified with the vitamins and minerals, such as orange juice, milk and cereal.
CAN YOU GET TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING? Yes. Very high levels of some supplements can be harmful or unpleasant. Crowell suggests that if you take a multivitamin or use other dietary supplements try not to use products that exceed 100 percent of the daily value recommended.
DO YOU HAVE TO TAKE SUPPLEMENTS DAILY? Not necessarily. Crowell said some people might decide to take a supplement if they have had a particularly unhealthy diet that day. Then, on days, when they are eating a healthy diet, skip the supplement.
WHAT SHOULD I LOOK FOR IN CHOOSING A SUPPLEMENT? Check the label. Find a multivitamin or mineral supplement that doesn’t exceed the 100 percent of daily value for any one supplement. Look for “USP” on the label.