Nurse’s Notes – Bulletin Blurbs for January 2010
January 3: The Food and Drug Administration has released a warning for those who are taking Plavix. Patients should avoid using the stomach acid reducer Prilosec/Prilosec OTC. According to Mary Ross Southworth, Pharmacist in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, “Patients at risk for heart attacks or strokes who use Plavix to prevent platelet aggregation [clot formation] will not get the full effect of this medication [Plavix] if they are also taking Prilosec.” If you are taking these two medications, contact your physician immediately. And as always, make sure you inform your doctor(s) regarding all medications you are taking, and why you are taking them – including over the counter medications! (www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm191169.htm)
January 10: According to a recent study in the Journal of Behavioral Health Services and Research, “more than 65% of the US mothers with depression don’t receive adequate treatment. Minority mothers are least likely to receive treatment, while those with insurance are three times more likely to receive the care they need. The study also found that working mothers were less likely to receive adequate treatment, possibly because long work hours make it difficult for them to find time to seek treatment. According to the study’s co-author, Kristin Litzelman, ‘Services like employee-assistance [EAP] can help these mothers get screened and treated…’ Depression in mothers can have a major impact on the entire family, especially in the health and well-being of their children.” www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/print/news/fullstory_91111.html)
January 17: Use care with tooth whiteners! According to Irwin Smigel, DDS, president of the American Society for Dental Aesthetics, if whiteners are used too often, they can ‘penetrate to the underlying dentin, causing teeth to look translucent. Resulting damage is irreversible.’ If you use a whitener make sure it carries the seal of the American Dental Association, which review products for safety and effectiveness. (Prevention Magazine, December 2009, pg. 29)
January 24: Chicken Soup for the Cold! This is one home remedy that has been around for centuries, and really works! During the cooking of chicken, an amino acid, cysteine, is released. The chemical make-up of cysteine is similar to acetylcystein, a drug used in treating bronchitis. The soup thins mucus and calms cold symptoms such as stuffy nose and cough by helping to block inflammation. (Prevention, December 2009, pg. 83)
January 31: Friday, February 5 is “Wear Red Day” to raise awareness of heart disease in women! “Heart disease doesn’t care what you wear. It is the #1 killer of women. (http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/educational/hearttruth/materials/wear-red-toolkit.htm)
