Sandy Tests Hospital Preparedness

Sandy Tests Hospital Preparedness

When superstorm Sandy slammed into New York and New Jersey, it tested the emergency preparedness of hospitals housing some of the region's most vulnerable residents.

Despite all the hospitals' preparations, the storm's high winds and flooding forced a handful of hospitals in New York and New Jersey to evacuate all patients, including those that were in critical condition.

In New York City, NYU Langone Medical Center was forced to evacuate 300 patients after losing power in the historic storm. Among the evacuees were roughly 45 critical care patients and 20 babies, who were carefully carried down dark stairways as the 18-story hospital's elevators stood still.

A long line of ambulances lit up the dark streets surrounding the midtown Manhattan medical center, which spans four blocks along the East River, waiting to transport patients to other facilities amid gusts of wind that topped 70 miles per hour.

News of the "total evacuation" came roughly 12 hours after hospital officials said Monday morning that their emergency preparedness plan had been activated and that there were "no plans to evacuate" at the time.

But Sandy spawned record-breaking tides around lower Manhattan when it made landfall as a post-tropical storm just south of Atlantic City. The flooding prompted power outages from East 39th Street to the lower tip of Manhattan.

NYU Langone Medical Center is located at East 33rd Street on 1st Avenue. The 50-year-old building sits at sea level atop an extended bulkhead in Kips Bay.

The hospital had at least two backup generators: one in the basement and one on the roof, according to a spokeswoman. But basement flooding caused one generator to fail, and cut off the fuel supply to the other.

"We've had significant challenges at many of our hospitals and health care facilities," Mayor Michael Bloomberg said in a press conference, adding that the city health department is sending people to hospitals and chronic care facilities in the worst flood zones.

Bellevue Hospital also lost power Monday night after its back-up electricity generators failed, but Bellevue was able to get its power back up and running, Bloomberg said.

Bellevue has since completed a "partial evacuation," according to city health department spokeswoman Jean Weinberg.

Coney Island Hospital was also evacuated today, adding to the list of hospitals already emptied of patients ahead of the storm.

Not far away from New York City, Hackensack University Medical Center started receiving patients from Palisades Medical Center, whose back-up generator also failed, at 6 a.m. Although the Palisades generator was restored, conditions were too unstable to restore uninterrupted power, hospital spokeswoman Nancy Radner said. The National Guard was on hand to help transport patients.

"They were struck a bad blow, and they really needed help," said Dr. Joseph Feldman, chairman of emergency services at Hackensack University Medical Center. "So today we've taken about 23 patients already, and I see another caravan of patients are arriving in our ambulance bay."

Patients arrived with nurses from Palisades and packets of information about their medication and other health needs, he said.

"We have more than enough information to work with," Feldman said.

Hackensack is expecting 10 patients on a ventilator or in critical condition, Radner said.

"To transport even one patient in critical condition, who may be on a ventilator with multiple IV drips running on electric pumps, is a major endeavor often requiring three or more medical professionals," said Dr. Jennifer Ashton, Senior Medical Contributor to ABC News.

Study backs 'controversial' malaria drugs subsidy

Study backs 'controversial' malaria drugs subsidy

31 October 2012 Last updated at 05:07 ET By Jane Dreaper Health correspondent, BBC News Combining drugs can reduce the risk of resistance

Researchers who evaluated a global subsidy for malaria treatment say it had a substantial impact in a short space of time.

Publishing their results in The Lancet, the global health experts acknowledged that the scheme had been "highly controversial".

The Affordable Medicines Facility for malaria (AMFm) was called into question by Oxfam last week.

The research says it reduced the price of drugs and led to more treatment.

AMFm was launched in seven African countries by the Global Fund with the aim of bringing down the price of the most effective form of malaria treatment, to discourage problems with resistance.

Continue reading the main story

“Start Quote

"This programme rapidly met its benchmarks despite the many constraints, expectations and unrealistic timelines imposed on it”

End Quote Comment article by scientists The Lancet

The researchers, led by a team from London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, found the subsidy led to large falls in the price of drugs in most of the pilot schemes.

They said: "There had been concern that the poorest would not benefit from the programme, because the drugs were not free.

"The effect of AMFm in Niger and Madagascar was limited, with low orders.

"In all other pilots, it's likely AMFm had a dramatic effect on drugs sold through the private for-profit market.

"These changes were substantial and achieved in only a few months, which showed the power of tapping into the distributional capacity of the private sector."

Oxfam has criticised the scheme for focusing on "untrained shopkeepers" to help deliver treatment in rural communities - but supporters of AMFm claim these objections are purely ideological.

US opposition

The evaluation did not measure health outcomes, and the researchers said data on the use of treatment was not yet available.

In an accompanying comment article, 10 eminent scientists noted "unremitting opposition" to AMFm from the United States, and appealed for the scheme to be preserved in its current form when the Global Fund's board decides its future next month.

The scientists said: "This programme, when fully implemented, rapidly met its benchmarks despite the many constraints, expectations and unrealistic timelines imposed on it.

"We must acknowledge that an efficient approach to subsidising anti-malarial drugs has worked, making them available in the private sector where people go to buy them."

Northwest Community Schools brings awareness to breast cancer by serving up ... - The Jackson Citizen Patriot

Northwest Community Schools brings awareness to breast cancer by serving up ... - The Jackson Citizen Patriot

By Rene Wheaton | Jackson Citizen Patriot The Jackson Citizen Patriot
on October 31, 2012 at 8:30 AM, updated October 31, 2012 at 8:32 AM Brought to you by

JACKSON, MI -- What do sweet and sour meatballs, grilled chicken breast with chipotle cream sauce and salmon patties have in common?

Turns out they all have a pink cast to them, and that’s why they were on the menu at Northwest High School’s third annual Pink Day.

Patti Russell, food service director of Northwest Community Schools, started serving up pink dishes as part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month as a way to get students involved in the issue.

“I like a challenge so I liked the idea of making all the food pink,” Russell said.

The meatballs and salmon were served over pink rice and students were given a special treat of Cherry Chip Cake.

“We never have cake,” Russell said. “So that was a big treat.”

Many students also dressed in pink for the day, and gift bags were handed out to students really decked out in pink.

Jeremy Savicke, 15, was wearing pink in honor of his grandmother.

“My grandmother has breast cancer,” he said. “She beat it once, but it came back again, so I’m wearing this for her.”

Kaylee Steffes, 14, thought it was great to bring attention to Breast Cancer Awareness.

“I had a great-grandmother and great-aunt die from breast cancer,” she said. “I definitely wanted to wear pink, and I already had this outfit in my closet.”

Russell said there are often special meals at the high school, including a special lunch for veterans and Thanksgiving and Christmas feasts.

“Our students are always very appreciative,” she said. “These kids are great as far as issues go and what’s going on in the world. I’m very impressed with the kids we have here.”

Top medical innovations address headache, diabetes, cancer

Top medical innovations address headache, diabetes, cancer

By Debra Sherman

Wed Oct 31, 2012 7:39am EDT

(Reuters) - The best medical innovations for next year include an almond-size device that's implanted in the mouth to relieve severe headaches and a hand-held scanner resembling a blow dryer that detects skin cancer, the Cleveland Clinic said on Wednesday.

The clinic's annual list of the best medical innovations for 2013 also includes new drugs to treat advanced prostate cancer and better mammography technology.

But leading the 2013 list for innovations is an old procedure that has a new use due to findings in a recent study. Physicians and researchers at the clinic voted weight-loss surgery as the top medical innovation, not for its effectiveness in reducing obesity, but for its ability to control Type 2 diabetes, the most common form of the disease.

Over the years, bariatric surgeons noticed that the procedure would often rid obese patients of Type 2 diabetes, before they even left the hospital.

A study, led by Cleveland Clinic head of Bariatric and Metabolic Institute Dr. Philip Schauer, examining this phenomenon was published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine earlier this year.

"Bariatric surgery has been arou nd for a while. The reason it was chosen as the top innovation is because Medicare has broadened its indication for payment, and Medicaid in many states follows Medicare. A lot of the other (private) insurance companies started covering it, so it's much more accessible," Dr. Michael Roizen, the Cleveland Clinic's Chief Wellness Officer, said in an interview.

The criteria that insurers use to cover the surgery has been broadened because of its effectiveness in controlling Type 2 diabetes, he said.

The number of people affected by diabetes has tripled over the past 30 years to more than 20 million Americans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and more than 90 percent of those cases are Type 2.

Doctors and researchers at the Cleveland Clinic voted for what they thought were the biggest, most significant innovations from the 250 ideas submitted from their colleagues at the clinic. Roizen said one of the main contributing factors to getting on the list is the number of people that the product or procedure can potentially help.

For that reason, a device that helps relieve headaches, the second most common ailment after the cold, was second on the clinic's list.

The miniaturized device -- invented at the Cleveland Clinic and spun off into a separate, private company called Autonomic Technologies Inc -- is implanted in the upper gum above the second molar to treat cluster headaches and migraine headaches. A lead tip of the implant is placed near specific nerves behind the bridge of the nose.

When the patient feels the headache coming on, a remote control device is placed on the outside of the cheek and the device delivers stimulation to those nerves, blocking headache pain.

The implant is available in Europe, but not in the United States. The company needs to do more studies to get FDA approval, said Dr. Frank Papay, Department Chair of Dermatology and Plastic Surgery Institute at the Cleveland Clinic, and consultant to Autonomic Technologies.

A hand-held device used to detect melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer, was also on the list.

"Up until now, we've counted on our eyes," Dr. Allison Vidimos, Department Chair of Dermatology at the Cleveland Clinic, told Reuters. "This device offers an objective look underneath the skin using a special spectrum of light."

It compares moles and other things it finds on the patient's skin with a large database containing information on all types of melanoma. It also rates the risk.

"All dermatologists fear missing melanomas. The cure rate can be close to 100 percent if caught early," she said.

Vidimos said using the device, approved by FDA last year for use by trained dermatologists, helps prevent unnecessary biopsies.

Mela Sciences Inc make the scanning device.

Also on the list is a new type of mammography, called breast tomosynthesis. This technology provides greater detail of the image than the standard mammography, which renders a 2-dimensional image.

For the patient, it may seem like there's no difference. "You still have the squish," said Dr. Alice Rim, Section Head of Diagnostic Radiology. But the images produced by the new technology show the breast in slices, so far more detail can be seen.

"With 2-demensional mammography, there are shadows, so it can be like a polar bear running around in a snow storm. This eliminates the shadows, allowing increased detection and fewer call backs (for a second mammography)," Rim said.

Other devices that made the list include mass spectrometry for bacterial infections, which allow microbiology laboratories to identify the type of bacteria sooner and with more sp ecificity, a new modular stent graft to treat complex aortic aneurysm and a laser used for cataract surgery.

Novel drugs to treat advanced prostate cancer were on the clinic's list because of their ability to halt the progress of the disease by blocking testosterone receptors.

A new technique to repair and regenerate damaged lungs, called ex vivo lung perfusion, is on the list. Experts say as many as 40 percent of previously rejected donor lungs may now be suitable for transplantation after undergoing this novel "lung washing".

The procedure involves placing donor lungs into a bubble-like chamber connected to a cardiopulmonary pump and ventilator. Over four to six hours, the lungs are repaired as special fluids are forced through the blood vessels. Nutrients are used to recondition the lungs as they inflate and deflate.

The final item on the list is neither a procedure, a drug nor a device, but healt hcare programs that use incentives to encourage people to take better care of themselves.

The Medicare Better Health Rewards Program Act of 2012 provides incentive payments to Medicare participants who voluntarily establish and maintain better health.

"We are seeing efforts to avoid rationing of healthcare and seeing programs with incentives built in if people maintain their health. This can radically change the cost of care," said Roizen. "We're seeing this more in big companies, the GE's and JJ's of the world. All companies are looking at how much they are spending on healthcare and they are looking at ways they can reduce spending without rationing."

(Reporting By Debra Sherman; Editing by David Gregorio)

Study backs 'controversial' malaria drugs subsidy

Study backs 'controversial' malaria drugs subsidy

31 October 2012 Last updated at 05:07 ET By Jane Dreaper Health correspondent, BBC News Combining drugs can reduce the risk of resistance

Researchers who evaluated a global subsidy for malaria treatment say it had a substantial impact in a short space of time.

Publishing their results in The Lancet, the global health experts acknowledged that the scheme had been "highly controversial".

The Affordable Medicines Facility for malaria (AMFm) was called into question by Oxfam last week.

The research says it reduced the price of drugs and led to more treatment.

AMFm was launched in seven African countries by the Global Fund with the aim of bringing down the price of the most effective form of malaria treatment, to discourage problems with resistance.

Continue reading the main story

“Start Quote

"This programme rapidly met its benchmarks despite the many constraints, expectations and unrealistic timelines imposed on it”

End Quote Comment article by scientists The Lancet

The researchers, led by a team from London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, found the subsidy led to large falls in the price of drugs in most of the pilot schemes.

They said: "There had been concern that the poorest would not benefit from the programme, because the drugs were not free.

"The effect of AMFm in Niger and Madagascar was limited, with low orders.

"In all other pilots, it's likely AMFm had a dramatic effect on drugs sold through the private for-profit market.

"These changes were substantial and achieved in only a few months, which showed the power of tapping into the distributional capacity of the private sector."

Oxfam has criticised the scheme for focusing on "untrained shopkeepers" to help deliver treatment in rural communities - but supporters of AMFm claim these objections are purely ideological.

US opposition

The evaluation did not measure health outcomes, and the researchers said data on the use of treatment was not yet available.

In an accompanying comment article, 10 eminent scientists noted "unremitting opposition" to AMFm from the United States, and appealed for the scheme to be preserved in its current form when the Global Fund's board decides its future next month.

The scientists said: "This programme, when fully implemented, rapidly met its benchmarks despite the many constraints, expectations and unrealistic timelines imposed on it.

"We must acknowledge that an efficient approach to subsidising anti-malarial drugs has worked, making them available in the private sector where people go to buy them."

Top medical innovations address headache, diabetes, cancer

Top medical innovations address headache, diabetes, cancer

By Debra Sherman

Wed Oct 31, 2012 7:39am EDT

(Reuters) - The best medical innovations for next year include an almond-size device that's implanted in the mouth to relieve severe headaches and a hand-held scanner resembling a blow dryer that detects skin cancer, the Cleveland Clinic said on Wednesday.

The clinic's annual list of the best medical innovations for 2013 also includes new drugs to treat advanced prostate cancer and better mammography technology.

But leading the 2013 list for innovations is an old procedure that has a new use due to findings in a recent study. Physicians and researchers at the clinic voted weight-loss surgery as the top medical innovation, not for its effectiveness in reducing obesity, but for its ability to control Type 2 diabetes, the most common form of the disease.

Over the years, bariatric surgeons noticed that the procedure would often rid obese patients of Type 2 diabetes, before they even left the hospital.

A study, led by Cleveland Clinic head of Bariatric and Metabolic Institute Dr. Philip Schauer, examining this phenomenon was published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine earlier this year.

"Bariatric surgery has been arou nd for a while. The reason it was chosen as the top innovation is because Medicare has broadened its indication for payment, and Medicaid in many states follows Medicare. A lot of the other (private) insurance companies started covering it, so it's much more accessible," Dr. Michael Roizen, the Cleveland Clinic's Chief Wellness Officer, said in an interview.

The criteria that insurers use to cover the surgery has been broadened because of its effectiveness in controlling Type 2 diabetes, he said.

The number of people affected by diabetes has tripled over the past 30 years to more than 20 million Americans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and more than 90 percent of those cases are Type 2.

Doctors and researchers at the Cleveland Clinic voted for what they thought were the biggest, most significant innovations from the 250 ideas submitted from their colleagues at the clinic. Roizen said one of the main contributing factors to getting on the list is the number of people that the product or procedure can potentially help.

For that reason, a device that helps relieve headaches, the second most common ailment after the cold, was second on the clinic's list.

The miniaturized device -- invented at the Cleveland Clinic and spun off into a separate, private company called Autonomic Technologies Inc -- is implanted in the upper gum above the second molar to treat cluster headaches and migraine headaches. A lead tip of the implant is placed near specific nerves behind the bridge of the nose.

When the patient feels the headache coming on, a remote control device is placed on the outside of the cheek and the device delivers stimulation to those nerves, blocking headache pain.

The implant is available in Europe, but not in the United States. The company needs to do more studies to get FDA approval, said Dr. Frank Papay, Department Chair of Dermatology and Plastic Surgery Institute at the Cleveland Clinic, and consultant to Autonomic Technologies.

A hand-held device used to detect melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer, was also on the list.

"Up until now, we've counted on our eyes," Dr. Allison Vidimos, Department Chair of Dermatology at the Cleveland Clinic, told Reuters. "This device offers an objective look underneath the skin using a special spectrum of light."

It compares moles and other things it finds on the patient's skin with a large database containing information on all types of melanoma. It also rates the risk.

"All dermatologists fear missing melanomas. The cure rate can be close to 100 percent if caught early," she said.

Vidimos said using the device, approved by FDA last year for use by trained dermatologists, helps prevent unnecessary biopsies.

Mela Sciences Inc make the scanning device.

Also on the list is a new type of mammography, called breast tomosynthesis. This technology provides greater detail of the image than the standard mammography, which renders a 2-dimensional image.

For the patient, it may seem like there's no difference. "You still have the squish," said Dr. Alice Rim, Section Head of Diagnostic Radiology. But the images produced by the new technology show the breast in slices, so far more detail can be seen.

"With 2-demensional mammography, there are shadows, so it can be like a polar bear running around in a snow storm. This eliminates the shadows, allowing increased detection and fewer call backs (for a second mammography)," Rim said.

Other devices that made the list include mass spectrometry for bacterial infections, which allow microbiology laboratories to identify the type of bacteria sooner and with more sp ecificity, a new modular stent graft to treat complex aortic aneurysm and a laser used for cataract surgery.

Novel drugs to treat advanced prostate cancer were on the clinic's list because of their ability to halt the progress of the disease by blocking testosterone receptors.

A new technique to repair and regenerate damaged lungs, called ex vivo lung perfusion, is on the list. Experts say as many as 40 percent of previously rejected donor lungs may now be suitable for transplantation after undergoing this novel "lung washing".

The procedure involves placing donor lungs into a bubble-like chamber connected to a cardiopulmonary pump and ventilator. Over four to six hours, the lungs are repaired as special fluids are forced through the blood vessels. Nutrients are used to recondition the lungs as they inflate and deflate.

The final item on the list is neither a procedure, a drug nor a device, but healt hcare programs that use incentives to encourage people to take better care of themselves.

The Medicare Better Health Rewards Program Act of 2012 provides incentive payments to Medicare participants who voluntarily establish and maintain better health.

"We are seeing efforts to avoid rationing of healthcare and seeing programs with incentives built in if people maintain their health. This can radically change the cost of care," said Roizen. "We're seeing this more in big companies, the GE's and JJ's of the world. All companies are looking at how much they are spending on healthcare and they are looking at ways they can reduce spending without rationing."

(Reporting By Debra Sherman; Editing by David Gregorio)

Sandy Tests Hospital Preparedness

Sandy Tests Hospital Preparedness

When superstorm Sandy slammed into New York and New Jersey, it tested the emergency preparedness of hospitals housing some of the region's most vulnerable residents.

Despite all the hospitals' preparations, the storm's high winds and flooding forced a handful of hospitals in New York and New Jersey to evacuate all patients, including those that were in critical condition.

In New York City, NYU Langone Medical Center was forced to evacuate 300 patients after losing power in the historic storm. Among the evacuees were roughly 45 critical care patients and 20 babies, who were carefully carried down dark stairways as the 18-story hospital's elevators stood still.

A long line of ambulances lit up the dark streets surrounding the midtown Manhattan medical center, which spans four blocks along the East River, waiting to transport patients to other facilities amid gusts of wind that topped 70 miles per hour.

News of the "total evacuation" came roughly 12 hours after hospital officials said Monday morning that their emergency preparedness plan had been activated and that there were "no plans to evacuate" at the time.

But Sandy spawned record-breaking tides around lower Manhattan when it made landfall as a post-tropical storm just south of Atlantic City. The flooding prompted power outages from East 39th Street to the lower tip of Manhattan.

NYU Langone Medical Center is located at East 33rd Street on 1st Avenue. The 50-year-old building sits at sea level atop an extended bulkhead in Kips Bay.

The hospital had at least two backup generators: one in the basement and one on the roof, according to a spokeswoman. But basement flooding caused one generator to fail, and cut off the fuel supply to the other.

"We've had significant challenges at many of our hospitals and health care facilities," Mayor Michael Bloomberg said in a press conference, adding that the city health department is sending people to hospitals and chronic care facilities in the worst flood zones.

Bellevue Hospital also lost power Monday night after its back-up electricity generators failed, but Bellevue was able to get its power back up and running, Bloomberg said.

Bellevue has since completed a "partial evacuation," according to city health department spokeswoman Jean Weinberg.

Coney Island Hospital was also evacuated today, adding to the list of hospitals already emptied of patients ahead of the storm.

Not far away from New York City, Hackensack University Medical Center started receiving patients from Palisades Medical Center, whose back-up generator also failed, at 6 a.m. Although the Palisades generator was restored, conditions were too unstable to restore uninterrupted power, hospital spokeswoman Nancy Radner said. The National Guard was on hand to help transport patients.

"They were struck a bad blow, and they really needed help," said Dr. Joseph Feldman, chairman of emergency services at Hackensack University Medical Center. "So today we've taken about 23 patients already, and I see another caravan of patients are arriving in our ambulance bay."

Patients arrived with nurses from Palisades and packets of information about their medication and other health needs, he said.

"We have more than enough information to work with," Feldman said.

Hackensack is expecting 10 patients on a ventilator or in critical condition, Radner said.

"To transport even one patient in critical condition, who may be on a ventilator with multiple IV drips running on electric pumps, is a major endeavor often requiring three or more medical professionals," said Dr. Jennifer Ashton, Senior Medical Contributor to ABC News.

Northwest Community Schools brings awareness to breast cancer by serving up ... - The Jackson Citizen Patriot

Northwest Community Schools brings awareness to breast cancer by serving up ... - The Jackson Citizen Patriot

By Rene Wheaton | Jackson Citizen Patriot The Jackson Citizen Patriot
on October 31, 2012 at 8:30 AM, updated October 31, 2012 at 8:32 AM Brought to you by

JACKSON, MI -- What do sweet and sour meatballs, grilled chicken breast with chipotle cream sauce and salmon patties have in common?

Turns out they all have a pink cast to them, and that’s why they were on the menu at Northwest High School’s third annual Pink Day.

Patti Russell, food service director of Northwest Community Schools, started serving up pink dishes as part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month as a way to get students involved in the issue.

“I like a challenge so I liked the idea of making all the food pink,” Russell said.

The meatballs and salmon were served over pink rice and students were given a special treat of Cherry Chip Cake.

“We never have cake,” Russell said. “So that was a big treat.”

Many students also dressed in pink for the day, and gift bags were handed out to students really decked out in pink.

Jeremy Savicke, 15, was wearing pink in honor of his grandmother.

“My grandmother has breast cancer,” he said. “She beat it once, but it came back again, so I’m wearing this for her.”

Kaylee Steffes, 14, thought it was great to bring attention to Breast Cancer Awareness.

“I had a great-grandmother and great-aunt die from breast cancer,” she said. “I definitely wanted to wear pink, and I already had this outfit in my closet.”

Russell said there are often special meals at the high school, including a special lunch for veterans and Thanksgiving and Christmas feasts.

“Our students are always very appreciative,” she said. “These kids are great as far as issues go and what’s going on in the world. I’m very impressed with the kids we have here.”

Cheap colour test picks up HIV

Cheap colour test picks up HIV

28 October 2012 Last updated at 14:53 ET By James Gallagher Health and science reporter, BBC News Blue for yes, red for no

A cheap test which could detect even low levels of viruses and some cancers has been developed by UK researchers.

The colour of a liquid changes to give either a positive or negative result.

The designers from Imperial College London say the device could lead to more widespread testing for HIV and other diseases in parts of the world where other methods are unaffordable.

The prototype, which needs wider testing, is described in the journal Nature Nanotechnology.

The test can be configured to a unique signature of a disease or virus - such as a protein found on the surface of HIV.

If that marker is present it changes the course of a chemical reaction. The final result is blue if the marker is there, red if the marker is not.

The researchers say this allows the results to be detected with "the naked eye".

Prof Molly Stevens told the BBC: "This method should be used when the presence of a target molecule at ultra-low concentration could improve the diagnosis of disease.

"For example, it is important to detect some molecules at ultra-low concentrations to test cancer recurrence after tumour removal.

"It can also help with diagnosing HIV-infected patients whose viral load is too low to be detected with current methods."

Early testing showed the presence of markers of HIV and prostate cancer could be detected. However, trials on a much larger scale will be needed before it could be used clinically.

The researchers expect their design will cost 10 times less than current tests. They say this will be important in countries where the only options are unaffordable.

Fellow researcher Dr Roberto de la Rica said: "This test could be significantly cheaper to administer, which could pave the way for more widespread use of HIV testing in poorer parts of the world."

Minnesota links 10th meningitis case

Minnesota links 10th meningitis case

Minnesota has confirmed its 10th case of fungal meningitis in a national outbreak linked to a tainted steroid from a Massachusetts pharmacy.

The patient is a Twin Cities-area woman in her 60s, state officials said Tuesday. She did not require hospitalization but is being treated for the infection.

The woman received a spinal injection from one of the tainted batches of the steroid at Medical Advanced Pain Specialists (MAPS), according to Richard Danila, Minnesota's assistant state epidemiologist. MAPS is one of two Minnesota clinic groups that received contaminated steroids from the New England Compounding Center in Framingham, Mass.

The state Health Department says about 985 Minnesota patients of MAPS and Minnesota Surgery Center received the injections.

The Massachusetts firm recalled the steroids last month and federal health authorities have alerted clinics nationwide to stop using them.

So far, at least two of the Minnesota patients were hospitalized for treatment, but both have shown signs of recovery. State health officials have not released additional details on the others.

Scores of Minnesota patients have been tested for the fungal infection and although only 10 have been confirmed as positive, many more have reported related symptoms, including headaches and neck pain.

Danila said there's "a good chance" Minnesota will see more cases, although the national outbreak has shown signs of winding down. The two Minnesota clinics stopped using the tainted steroid about 35 days ago, but with an incubation period ranging from 42 to 66 days, it's possible that additional cases will still turn up, he said.

More than 100 Minnesota clinics bought various drugs from the New England Compounding Center, which has ceased operations and is under federal investigation. Minnesota has had no confirmed cases of illnesses from other drugs from the firm, but Danila said officials are "waiting for the other shoe to drop."

Also on Tuesday, federal officials raised the outbreak's national count to 356 cases of fungal meningitis and seven cases of related joint infections in 19 states. There have been 28 deaths.

Tennessee, where the outbreak was first reported, has 74 cases, but has been overtaken by Michigan, which now has 93 confirmed cases.

STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

Breast cancer survivorship: The power to live and share the experience with ...

Breast cancer survivorship: The power to live and share the experience with ...

By Nicole S. Huff October 30, 2012 8:24PM

• Reprints

Nicole Huff

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among African-American women. Researchers found that African-American women are diagnosed with breast cancer at a more advanced stage, which negatively affects survivorship.

Other researchers have proven that African-American women are disadvantaged as breast cancer survivors compared with other races and are more likely to die from breast cancer.

The causes of the disparity are complex and likely include an individual’s treatment choice, poverty, poorer environmental conditions, a lack of access to health care and individual risk behaviors, such as diet, lack of exercise, family history and genetics.

In 2007, approximately 380 women died of breast cancer in Chicago; more than 50 percent were African-American women, according to the Chicago Department of Public Health. The latest published data indicated the death rate for African-American and Hispanic women with breast cancer in Illinois is 36 percent compared with the U.S. rate of 32 percent.

Moreover, the death rate for the same population through 2008 is
even higher in Kankakee and Cook counties, at 48.1 percent and 37.6 percent, respectively, according to the Death Rate Report for Illinois by County.

In most cases, researchers have not been able to provide an explanation for the high death rates among African-American women with breast cancer compared to other races. An epidemic among African-American women, the statistics are too alarming to be ignored.

Many African-American women suffer the disease in quiet desperation because they are afraid to share their story with family, friends, health care professionals or others.

Traditionally, for some African-American women, religion has been a source for health care more than medicine.

Healing begins when a woman openly discusses her symptoms and seeks medical treatment, such as a mammogram, as soon as possible. Women who delay receiving a mammogram or medical treatment after receiving the mammogram results possibly could die.

Breast cancer, however, is not the end of life for an African-American woman destined to live as long as she seeks medical treatment from health professionals.

Furthermore, a decrease in the disparity can be achieved with more exploration of the complexities related to social support challenges and spiritual beliefs of African-American breast cancer survivors.

The outcome could lead to improved quality of life for African-American breast cancer survivors or women with breast cancer.

There is emerging evidence that African-American breast cancer survivors have different support needs. Help make a difference in the community by sharing your perception about social support, your belief that God controls your health and your satisfaction with quality of life.

Share your experience by participating in the breast cancer study. The research results will contribute to the disease management process for African-American breast cancer survivors and possibly help explain the high death rates.

Contact the author, a doctoral student at Central Michigan University, at (610) 395-4524 or HUFF1NS@CMICH.EDU, to participate in an AA breast cancer survivorship research study by completing written surveys.

Northeast Hospitals Carry On in Storm's Wake

Northeast Hospitals Carry On in Storm's Wake

By JONATHAN D. ROCKOFF, SUMATHI REDDY and ANNA WILDE MATHEWS

Hospitals around the New York City area have been struggling with power outages in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, with several evacuating completely and dozens relying on backup power sources to keep up curtailed operations.

Some of the most dramatic scenes came when most of the backup power failed at NYU Langone Medical Center on Manhattan's East Side, which had to transfer 300 patients, including prematurely born babies and adults and children in intensive care.

The whole transfer stretched over 12 hours, with a constant stream of ambulances taking one patient at a time to several other area hospitals. The transfers were completed by 11 a.m. Tuesday, according to the medical center.

A pediatrician resident at NYU Langone, Jon Farkas, described initial chaos after the hospital went dark, then a flurry of action. He said staff used battery-powered respirators or manually pumped bags to keep the babies breathing after the backup power failed. Twenty babies in the neonatal intensive-care unit were transported first, he said.

"Everybody had flashlights, and the stairways were lit up. Once we realized that the power went out, we found beds for everyone within an hour," he said. "All the patients were fine."

Charles Rosenbaum, whose wife Kimberly Landman had given birth on Sunday morning, said lights remained on and the couple could charge their phones in their 13th-floor room after the hospital lost power around 7 p.m. Monday and generators kicked in. But after a generator went out early Tuesday, the floor "was dark. It felt like we were camping," and nurses handed out glow sticks for light, Mr. Rosenbaum said. The couple and their newborn daughter left the hospital later Tuesday morning.

Lisa Greiner, an NYU Langone spokeswoman, said the hospital had reduced its patient load over the past few days in anticipation of the storm. She said the flooding in the basement, where some of the generators are kept, went as high as eight feet at one point. It was unclear how many generators the hospital has and what caused them to malfunction.

"We're right now in the middle of accessing what happened to the generators," she said. "We have generators not only in the basement but above, on the roof."

Kenneth Langone, chairman of the NYU Langone Medical Center's board, had been at the hospital since Sunday for treatment of pneumonia. From his 11th-floor room early Tuesday, he watched water from the East River surge over FDR Drive and into the medical center. Mr. Langone said senior hospital officials, such as the hospital's chief and the head of nursing, plotted which hospitals would get which patients from an impromptu command center set up at a table in the main lobby. Meantime, nurses helped patients get down from high floors by using bobsled-like sleds that wound down stairways.

"It was one of the most moving experiences of my life," Mr. Langone said. He was discharged from the hospital about 5:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Mr. Langone said the hospital "frequently" tested its generators and they had passed the tests. Mr. Langone said the hospital didn't anticipate such a strong storm surge. "We anticipated 12-foot surges, which we knew we could handle. We got 14-foot surges," he said. As part of its $3.2 billion modernization currently in the works, the medical center is planning on buying new generators and locating them in better locations than the basement, where some were.

Other New York Area hospitals also experienced complications. Coney Island Hospital closed because of flooding and a loss of power, and was transferring about 200 affected patients Tuesday, according to a spokeswoman for the New York City Health and Hospitals Corp. The hospital is running on emergency power.

Bellevue Hospital Center, also operated by the corporation, transferred some patients within its facility, which is running on backup generators, the spokeswoman said.

In New Jersey, Hoboken University Medical Center evacuated 130 patients Sunday night before the storm hit, said a spokeswoman for the New Jersey Hospital Association. Palisades Medical Center in North Bergen, N.J., evacuated its patients Tuesday morning because water damaged its generator, she said. Around 30 of New Jersey's 72 acute-care hospitals are operating on generator power and remain open but may not be offering certain nonemergency service, the association said.

University Medical Center of Princeton in Plainsboro, N.J., lost backup power briefly during the height of the storm Monday night, a spokesman said.

After losing power Monday, "the hospital immediately switched to generator power until the generators were disrupted at 7:04 p.m. Power was restored within 40 minutes, and the generators remained online until PSEG restored full power to the hospital at 5:52 a.m. [Tuesday]," he said in a statement.

North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System, one of the largest in metropolitan New York with 16 hospitals and 300 ambulatory centers, experienced power outages at several of its hospitals. Backup generators were working, but a data center that handles electronic patient records for Staten Island University Hospital lost service and forced staff to use paper records, according to the system.

Eastern Long Island Hospital in Greenport, N.Y., evacuated 26 patients on Monday due to flooding, a hospital spokesman said, and North Shore-LIJ's ambulances assisted in transporting patients to Stony Brook University Hospital and Peconic Bay Medical Center in Peconic.

Michael Dowling, chief executive of North Shore-LIJ, said it had been preparing for Sandy since Friday. Over the weekend it preemptively transferred about 130 patients who were relying on ventilators at hospitals on Staten Island and on Long Island to other hospitals within its system, because executives thought those locations were at high risk of flooding or losing power.

"Why hang around and assume things won't go wrong. Assume things go wrong," Mr. Dowling said.

The Connecticut Hospital Association said no acute-care hospitals in the state were evacuated, and two of Connecticut's 29 acute-care hospitals were on generators early Tuesday but back to full power by mid-day. However, Connecticut Hospice, in Branford, did evacuate, said a spokeswoman for the association.

In general, according to the American Hospital Association, hospitals are required by federal regulators and the Joint Commission to have updated hazard analyses and backup plans in place to keep their main systems running during a disaster.

The Joint Commission, which accredits most hospitals, requires them to do drills twice a year and says they should aim to be able to operate self-sufficiently for 96 hours, said Roslyne Schulman, director of policy at the AHA. They are also supposed to have updated plans in place for evacuations if needed, though these are a last resort, she said.

North Shore-LIJ has binders full of emergency protocols at its cinder block command center in Syosset, on Long Island, Mr. Dowling said. Periodically it conducts practice disaster scenarios and mock evaluations to prepare for emergencies. Every week, it tests the backup generators for its hospitals.

From experience with storms like last year's Irene, it knows which of its facilities on Long Island's South Shore and on Staten Island are vulnerable to flooding; others, in Huntington and Glen Cove on Long Island, are at risk of falling trees knocking out power lines.

How to keep your food safe if Hurricane Sandy cuts electricity

How to keep your food safe if Hurricane Sandy cuts electricity

Only a few water bottles remain on the shelves at the Waldbaums grocery store as Hurricane Sandy approaches on Oct. 28, 2012 in Long Beach, New York. / Getty