Convict loses his medical license
I’ve been waiting almost two years to post this news:
The Washington state medical board has revoked the medical license of Richard W. Illes for 10 years. Earlier this year, he was convicted of the 1999 murder of his estranged wife, Miriam Z. Illes, in the state of Pennsylvania and sentenced to life in prison without parole.
When Illes arrived in Spokane in 2001, he was hoping to work as a heart surgeon. But reports of the murder dogged him, perhaps circulated by the victim’s family. He could never obtain hospital privileges, so he opened a cut-rate plastic surgery center in the Spokane Valley.
That's when I started writing about him.
The state medical board investigated several complaints against Illes without taking action. The board couldn’t find enough evidence of deceptive advertising or of Illes omitting information from his application for a medical license.
Illes was arrested in December 2002 in Spokane. He was convicted of the murder in February of this year and sentenced in March.
Finally, the board found enough evidence to yank the man’s license.
For 10 years.
Live bodies needed
Spokane's public television station is looking for a studio audience for a program about threats to the U.S. health-care system.
The program will feature Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler and administrators from local hospitals and health-care agencies.
The show airs live on KSPS-TV Oct. 13 from 8 to 9 p.m., following the third presidential debate.
To be part of the studio audience, call KSPS at (509) 354-7800 and ask for a reservation for the Oct. 13 segment of "Health Matters." Reservations are required. Audience members should be at the station, 3911 South Regal St., by 7:30 p.m.
Roll up your sleeve, it's time for a flu shot
This year's flu shots are well matched to the virus strains detected so far in U.S. labs, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's flu web site.
Many grocery stores and pharmacies offer flu shots. Finding a location near you will be easier this year, thanks to a new web site. Plug in your ZIP code and the site pulls up a list of the closest flu shot clinics. The site is at www.findaflushot.com/lungusa.
'Super Size Me' director to speak at WSU
Filmmaker Morgan Spurlock, the man who lived on fast food for a month, will speak on the Washington State University campus Oct. 5. The Associated Students of WSU Student Entertainment Board is the sponsor.
Spurlock will discuss his movie "Super Size Me," which documents his all-McDonald's diet while exploring the fast food industry and American obesity, at 8 p.m. in the Compton Union Building Ballroom in Pullman, Wash. Tickets go on sale Monday in the CUB front entrance. It's $7 for WSU students and $10 for everyone else.
NIH imposes agency-wide ban on pharmaceutical consulting fees
The National Institutes of Health will ban all its employees from taking consulting fees from drug companies for at least a year, the Los Angeles Times reports today. Last December, the newspaper exposed how widespread the practice had become at the federal agency. In some cases, high-ranking NIH decision-makers were receiving consulting fees and stock options from the drug industry.
Souvenir fetal ultrasounds: Cute keepsakes worth uncertain risk?
Companies like Baby Insight and Womb’s Window offer elective ultrasounds to women who just can’t wait for their first baby pictures. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration warns against the practice, although the risk of harm is uncertain.
This New York Times story explores why women would want to spend $80 to $300 for the keepsake images.
Pediatricians can help spot autism early
I've been doing some reading on autism treatment trends for an upcoming story about one family’s search for answers about their son.
I discovered that there's a national effort to get pediatricians to do more screening for developmental problems during well-child visits. The American Academy of Pediatrics endorses this effort to raise awareness about the importance of early identification and early intervention.
Here's a helpful tool for parents called "Is Your Baby Meeting These Important Milestones?" It's produced by First Signs, a national non-profit organization dedicated to educating parents and doctors about the early signs of autism and other developmental disorders.
Learning from acupuncture
In a new study, an electrode stimulating an acupuncture point at the wrist reduced nausea and vomiting in patients following major breast surgery. The technique was more effective than a commonly prescribed medication for nausea and also eased pain.
The study, published in the October issue of Anesthesia and Analgesia, followed 75 patients.
Dr. T.J. Gan, anesthesiologist and director of clinical research at Duke University Medical Center, was the lead researcher. Read the abstract. Or read more on WebMD.
Crack babies a media myth
The crack babies of the 1980s were more media myth than medical reality, according to this story by Mariah Blake in Columbia Journalism Review.
Ask the boss about Medicare
Got a question about Medicare? Why not ask the Big Boss himself?
Mark McClellan, head of the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, will speak with Kaiser Family Foundation’s Jackie Judd on a live webcast Sept. 29 at 9:30 a.m. Pacific (12:30 p.m. Eastern). Send a question. Then watch the webcast here.
Just the facts on antidepressants and kids
USA Today has a quick, helpful Q&A about antidepressants and teenagers. On Tuesday, an advisory panel to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommended a “black box” label be put on the drugs to warn that they may increase the risk of suicidal behavior in children and teens.
America has heartburn
Reader Liz Cox wrote me an e-mail this morning:
"Over the past two weeks (at least) there has been an acute shortage of Prilosec at stores where I shop in the Spokane Valley. The Fred Meyer at Sullivan and Sprague has been completely out for more than three weeks. I went to the Walgreen's at Sprague and Sullivan -- also completely out. Finally I went to the Albertson's at 32nd and Hwy. 27 and bought the last two boxes in the store. Both were small quantity boxes, so I'll be scouring the stores again in two weeks.
"Before stores began to run out completely, a few weeks ago all I could find were promotional boxes. So one time I bought Prilosec packaged with a free roll of 35 mm film. The next time, I had to buy a box packaged with a Thermocare heatwrap.
"So, what's going on? Is there a national shortage? Is this an after-effect of Pig Out In The Park?
"Seriously, since the stuff went OTC and insurance plans quit paying for it, it's been selling like crazy."
Here's the story, Liz:
There is indeed a national run on over-the-counter Prilosec, which is marketed and distributed by Procter & Gamble. It's a problem created by demand, said P&G spokesman Kurt Weigand. The heartburn medication went over the counter one year ago.
Production will be increased over the next three to four months, Weigand said.
Such a deal on Botox ... or is it?
A skin treatment center in a local shopping mall recently advertised Botox for $10 per unit.
It turns out you're going to need 10 to 20 units to erase those scowl lines. When I called, identifying myself as a newspaper reporter, they told me to expect to pay $100 to $300 for a treatment. They'll give estimates, but the patient doesn't really know how many units the doctor will use until he or she is under the needle.
When shopping for a Botox center, one should also ask if they dilute the toxin before injecting it and exactly which toxin they use. More tips that will keep you from falling for Botox advertising traps are at this link.
Chat scheduled on alternative medicine and cancer
People Living With Cancer will host an online chat on complementary and alternative medicine for cancer on Monday, Sept. 20, from 11 a.m. to noon Pacific (2 to 3 p.m. Eastern).
Dr. Stephen Straus, director of National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, will answer questions.
To submit a question now, click here.
Back to school, organic-style
How did one Olympia, Wash., elementary school cut its lunch costs while offering organic food? By eliminating dessert, according to this Associated Press story by Rebecca Cook.
Tips from Broadway
Sometimes one finds health tips in the oddest places. Check out what Hugh Jackman told the New York Times about how he made it through eight performances a week of "The Boy from Oz." Click here.
Harvard studies toenails
What’s in a toenail clipping? Perhaps the key to better health.
Harvard researchers found that men with diabetes and heart disease had lower levels of chromium in their toenails than did healthy men. The study is in the September issue of Diabetes Care. Read the abstract.
Of course, more research is needed to determine whether supplementing the diet with chromium might make a person healthier. But, while the scientists are puzzling that out, sources of chromium include brewer's yeast, liver, oysters, wheat germ, eggs, bananas and spinach.
How many bypasses?
With the Associated Press reporting this morning that Bill Clinton may have quadruple heart bypass surgery, the talk in our office is: How many bypasses can you have?
MayoClinic.com says the typical number is three to five. The "single," "double," "triple," "quadruple" refers to the number of grafts needed to bypass clogged arteries.
Here’s an interactive site that explains the procedure with an animated slide show.
AP later updated its story to say that Clinton’s surgery isn’t likely today. And the update left out any reference to "quadruple."
Atkins diet no hoax, but side effects can be a problem
The Atkins diet works, according to a review of research published in the Sept. 4 Lancet. But people on the diet eventually regain weight and sometimes experience side effects, such as headaches and diarrhea, that are associated with carbohydrate deficiency, head researcher Dr. Arne Astrup told WebMD.
WebMD, which in my mind has the best coverage of the Lancet study this morning, also interviewed Atkins proponent Dr. Mary Vernon, a member of the Atkins Physicians Council. She said carb deficiency shouldn't be a problem:
"For me, the great thing about Atkins is it allows people to find their own level of carb tolerance. You go down to 20 grams of carbs at first, then you go back up until you find your own level. … An Atkins maintenance plan would have whole grains like barley and vegetables like baked squash at various levels according to your personal metabolic needs."
Drug maker posts scientific studies
As promised, drug maker GlaxoSmithKline today began posting summaries of clinical trials of its products on its web site.
The first summaries posted are on Avandia (generic name: rosiglitazone
maleate), a drug for type 2 diabetes.
The company told the New York Times that assembling and preparing the data for posting took 30 people about one month.
