Following the news that one of the authors of the infamous Wakefield paper has advocated that parents use MMR and that the evidence to prove a link with autism does not exist, the BBC have started a debate on MMR on their website.
Two points about the BBC’s webpages. Firstly, they use the picture of [...]
A BBC report on intravenous drips:
Patients are being put at risk of serious infection because many nurses are not using intravenous drips properly, a report suggests.
The Royal College of Nursing said in some cases they may even be putting patients’ lives at risk.
It says some nurses are using the wrong equipment or are [...]
The Pharmaceutical Industry figure prominently in the BMJ again this week. First off is the Cochrane Collaboration attempting to allay fears about their use of industry sponsorship. They are trying to balance their future survival against having some drug company sponsorship. A difficult task. Widely respected for their reviews, which [...]
The media seem incredibly sensitive to the emotive anecdotal cases pushed forward by pressure groups. This is a case in point:
THE row over the controversial MMR jab was re-ignited last night when it emerged that a five-year-old boy was being tested for suspected autism after being accidentally administered a double dose of the vaccine.
Re-ignited? [...]
The UK Health Secretary John Reid is annoyed that drugs that are recommended nationally are not getting to patients:
Mr Reid has asked the government’s cancer tsar Professor Mike Richards to carry out an investigation to find out if patients are being denied cancer drugs.
“We need to make sure that money is getting through to [...]
The BBC have a mystery death set in ancient Rome that is rather fun. You can win a holiday for four in Italy if you find the reason for the death. It has some link to the subject of this blog, but that’s all the help you are getting.
The MHRA have issued a “Dear Health Professional” letter about Casodex [PDF] or you can read it here in HTML:
CASODEX 150 MG (BICALUTAMIDE): NO LONGER INDICATED FOR TREATMENT OF LOCALISED PROSTATE CANCER
I am writing to inform you that following review of new clinical trial data, Casodex 150mg (bicalutamide) is [...]
As the image of sport is again under the spotlight:
Swimming has become the latest sport to announce that it is considering retrospective testing of samples for the steroid THG.
Governing body Fina says it could re-test samples taken at the World Championships in July.
It is worth considering the health consequences that athletes may be risking in [...]
A short course on junk science.
A good extract here which should be at the back of your mind when reading the next health scare:
A few good rules to recognize junk science are:
Doubt everything: Be skeptical of scary health news. In science, credibility is earned, not self-evident. You think, therefore you doubt.
The Yoke’s on them: The [...]