Health Care News

• Pediatric exposure to pseudoephedrine common
  Survey results from 1999 through 2006 show almost 5% of 4,267 children ages birth to 17 had taken medicine containing the decongestant pseudoephedrine in a given week. Among children younger than 2, the rate was 8.1%. Pseudoephedrine has been linked to deaths and adverse events in young children. In 2006, however, the usage rate was down to 2.9%, likely because of a new law reducing availability of the decongestant. Yahoo!/HealthDay News (12/5)

• Report addresses use of CAM in children
  The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends clinicians counsel young patients and their families about appropriate, safe and effective health care options, including the use of complementary or alternative medicine. The AAP clinical report says providers should specifically ask about all treatments families are using because many times CAM therapies are not mentioned during an office visit. Medscape (free registration) (12/5)

• NPs: Share stress management tips to help patients
  Psychiatric nurse practitioners say providers who practice good stress management techniques themselves can help empower patients to make it through the holidays. NP Julie Kuebler of the University of Michigan Ann Arbor says this year's combination of economic woes, traffic and holiday challenges have joined to create a perfect storm when it comes to stress. Nurse.com (12/8)

• Study: Early CF detection may help preserve lung function
  Early detection of cystic fibrosis in infants may help control progression of the disease, according to an Australian study. Researchers found infants with CF had declining lung function sooner than previously thought, despite a normal diagnosis of lung function after birth. Researchers said early intervention may stop some of the lung function reduction in early infancy. Yahoo!/HealthDay News (12/5)

Pharmaceutical News

• FDA review: Long-acting asthma drugs pose serious risks
  The FDA should revoke clearance for asthma drugs known as long-acting beta agonists for children in light of clinical evidence linking them to a higher risk of asthma attacks and death, according to a review from the agency's drug-safety personnel. The FDA plans to gather a panel of outside experts this week to evaluate the safety of AstraZeneca's Symbicort, Novartis AG's Foradil and GlaxoSmithKline's Advair and Serevent. NYTimes.com (12/5), Reuters (12/5)

• Experts support wider access to stimulant drugs
  Healthy people should have access to brain-boosting pills, such as Ritalin, experts write in an online commentary for the journal Nature. They say that college students already take such stimulants illegally to help them study and that the demand for the drugs is likely to grow. The researchers called for more research into the use, risks and benefits of such drugs, as well as policies to govern their use. Houston Chronicle/The Associated Press (12/7)

Hot Topics

Top five news stories selected by AANP SmartBrief readers in the past week.

• Review: Chronic pain management in primary care (Medscape (free registration))

• Survey: Nearly 20% of young adults have personality disorder (Yahoo!)

• New guidelines issued for neuropathy testing (Forbes)

• U.S. providers lose money on childhood vaccines (Google)

• Happy people make those around them happy, too (Reuters)

• Results based on number of times each story was clicked by readers.

Emerging Trends, Products and Technologies

• Insurer bases five-point reform plan on health IT
  Blue Cross Blue Shield of America has released a five-point plan for health care reform that features IT as the "super highway and the cornerstone for change," president and CEO Scott Serota said. The company's initiatives include best-practice research, pay-for-performance programs, consumer and provider empowerment, increased health awareness and public-private coverage solutions. Healthcare IT News (12/5)

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Health Policy and Legislative News

• Obama team applies lessons learned in health reform
  The incoming Obama administration hopes that by giving Americans a say in the process for reforming the health care system and pushing forward with a clear-cut plan they can avoid mistakes made by the Clinton administration 15 years ago. HHS Secretary nominee Tom Daschle says the health reform movement must be inclusive, fast-acting and focused. The Washington Post/The Associated Press (12/6)

AANP News

• AANP nominations deadline is Jan. 9
  The Call for Nominations for the 2009 AANP Election is now open. AANP members interested in running for office can get nomination information and the 2009 nomination form here. Deadline for nominations to be received by AANP is Jan. 9. AANP board of director positions up for election are president-elect, treasurer and regional directors for Regions 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11. State representative positions open are Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York (N), New York (S), N. Carolina, N. Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, S. Carolina, S. Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. There are three open positions for the Nominations Committee.

• JAANP editor is editor of Nurse Author & Editor
  In addition to JAANP, Charon A. Pierson is also the Editor of Nurse Author & Editor, a free quarterly international publication dedicated to nurse authors, editors and reviewers. It is available online at www.NurseAuthorEditor.com. The latest issue includes an article by Dr. Pierson entitled, "Make Your Voice Heard: How to Present Editorial Comments Verbally."

SmartQuote

What great changes have not been ambitious?" --Melinda Gates, co-founder of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation