 |
|
Laser Therapy Offers Hope For Acne Sufferers (pp 1342, 1347)
October 22, 2003UK research in this week's issue of THE LANCET suggests that single-dose laser therapy could dramatically reduce inflammatory facial acne for up to 3 months.
Effective new treatments are required for people with acne; this common skin disease can be associated with social isolation, employment difficulties, and occasionally suicide. At present mild to moderate acne is treated with combinations of topical creams and oral antibiotics-treatment that is often unpopular because they need to be taken every day for several months and can cause skin irritation. Furthermore, there is concern that the bacterium responsible for acne is becoming resistant to many of the commonly prescribed antibiotics. Pulsed-dye laser therapy (PDL) is thought to be effective for treating acne, but no previous studies have assessed its potential benefit.
Tony Chu from London's Hammersmith Hospital, UK, and colleagues recruited 41 adults with mild-to-moderate facial inflammatory acne. 31 patients received one dose of pulse-dye laser therapy (PDL), the remaining 10 patients received sham treatment.
PDL treatment resulted in a halving of scores on an acne scale at three months follow-up; sham treatment had no effect on the acne scale. PDL therapy was well tolerated and had the largest effect within four weeks of treatment.
Tony Chu comments: "Our results suggest that this laser treatment could be developed as a new therapeutic approach that would allow simultaneous treatment of both active acne and associated scarring. We believe that laser treatment should be further explored as an adjuvant or alternative to daily conventional pharmacological treatments."
In an accompanying Commentary (p 1342), Guy F Webster from Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, USA, concludes: "The possibility that laser treatment is effective in acne is important in health economics terms. Infrequent treatments that make drugs unnecessary would benefit all concerned (except drug companies). But we are not yet at the point where acne patients are going to throw out their antibiotics and line up for the laser. More work is certainly needed, both to confirm the clinical benefit and best regimen and to elucidate its mechanism."
Lancet
PDL treatment resulted in a halving of scores on an acne scale at three months follow-up; sham treatment had no effect on the acne scale. PDL therapy was well tolerated and had the largest effect within four weeks of treatment.
Tony Chu comments: "Our results suggest that this laser treatment could be developed as a new therapeutic approach that would allow simultaneous treatment of both active acne and associated scarring. We believe that laser treatment should be further explored as an adjuvant or alternative to daily conventional pharmacological treatments."
In an accompanying Commentary (p 1342), Guy F Webster from Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, USA, concludes: "The possibility that laser treatment is effective in acne is important in health economics terms. Infrequent treatments that make drugs unnecessary would benefit all concerned (except drug companies). But we are not yet at the point where acne patients are going to throw out their antibiotics and line up for the laser. More work is certainly needed, both to confirm the clinical benefit and best regimen and to elucidate its mechanism."
Lancet
Antibiotics Current Events and Antibiotics News RSSNew study finds MRSA on the rise in hospital outpatients
The community-associated strain of the deadly superbug MRSA-an infection-causing bacteria resistant to most common antibiotics-poses a far greater health threat than previously known and is making its way into hospitals, according to a study in the December issue of Emerging Infectious Diseases.
A Second Skin
Despite advances in treatment regimens and the best efforts of nurses and doctors, about 70% of all people with severe burns die from related infections.
Study reveals why certain drug combinations backfire
Combination drug therapy has become a staple for treating many infections. For instance, doctors treat extensively drug resistant forms of tuberculosis with one drug that breaks down the pathogen's protective barriers and opens the door for another to deliver the deathblow.
New imagining technique could lead to better antibiotics and cancer drugs
A recently devised method of imaging the chemical communication and warfare between microorganisms could lead to new antibiotics, antifungal, antiviral and anti-cancer drugs, said a Texas AgriLife Research scientist.
UCLA researchers reconstitute enzyme that synthesizes cholesterol drug lovastatin
Researchers from the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science have for the first time successfully reconstituted in the laboratory the enzyme responsible for producing the blockbuster cholesterol-lowering drug lovastatin.
Progress made on group B streptococcus vaccine
Scientists supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, have completed a Phase II clinical study that indicates a vaccine to prevent Group B Streptococcus (GBS) infection is possible.
Henry Ford Hospital study: A MRSA strain linked to high death rates
A strain of MRSA that causes bloodstream infections is five times more lethal than other strains and has shown to have some resistance to the potent antibiotic drug vancomycin used to treat MRSA, according to a Henry Ford Hospital study.
Bacteria 'launch a shield' to resist attack
Researchers from the University of Copenhagen and the Technical University of Denmark along with other collaborators in Denmark and the US found that the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa can 'switch on' production of molecules that kill white blood cells - preventing the bacteria being eliminated by the body's immune system.
Pumpkin skin may scare away germs
The skin of that pumpkin you carve into a Jack-o'-Lantern to scare away ghosts and goblins on Halloween contains a substance that could put a scare into microbes that cause millions of cases of yeast infections in adults and infants each year.
Deadly stomach infection rising in community settings, Mayo Clinic study finds
Mayo Clinic researchers have found that a sometimes deadly stomach bug, Clostridium difficile is on the rise in outpatient settings.
More Antibiotics Current Events and Antibiotics News Articles
 |
Antibiotics Simplified by Jason Gallagher (Author) Antibiotics Simplified is a succinct guide designed to bridge knowledge gained in basic sciences courses with clinical practice in infectious diseases. Introductory chapters explain the rationale behind the treatment of infectious diseases, describe a system for selecting antimicrobial agents and briefly review basic microbiology. Later chapters present relevant characteristics of drug classes, emphasizing clinical "pearls" for individual agents, and also include content on antifungals. The concise nature of the text allows for emphasis on key points, allowing readers to extract the most important characteristics of anti-infective drugs from the larger mass of material that they learn from detailed pharmacology textbooks. This is an ideal handbook for students as well as practicing... |
 |
First Aid Only Triple Antibiotic Ointment Pack, 0.5 Gram, 25-Count Boxes (Pack of 3) by First Aid Only Use this triple antibiotic ointment pack to treat all kinds of minor cuts, burns and abrasions. Helps prevent infection while it promotes healing. May be applied 2 to 3 times daily as the condition indicates. Active ingredients: neomycin and polymyxin B sulfates and bacitracin zinc ointment USP. |
 |
Fish Mox (Amoxicillin 250 mg) - 100 Caps by THOMAS LABS Fish-Mox exerts a bactericidal action on gram positive and some gram negative bacteria. Useful for control of some common bacterial diseases of fish including aeromonas and pseudomonas genera and mysobacterial group (gill diseases, chondrococcus). Add contents of one capsule (250 mg) into aquarium for each 10 gallons of water to be treated. Repeat in 24 hours. It is suggested that a partial water change be made between treatments. While duration of treatment depends on type and severity of infection, it is recommended that extended medication baths continue for a minimum of 5 days & for not more than 10 days. Discontinue treatment if no improvement is noted within 5 days. To remove harmless yellow color, change 20% of water and use charcoal filter until clear. |
 |
Antibiotics Pocketcard 2009 by H. Hof (Author) Antibiotics pocketcard provides an initial choice of antimicrobial therapy for most common infections. These empirical therapies cover more than 90% of everyday scenarios. The reverse side of this durable plastic card shows a table of antimicrobial spectra for the most important antibiotics. **2009 edition, completely updated! **Initial choice of antimicrobials for: CNS, heart, blood, gastrointestinal tract, bones/joints, urogenital tract, eye, ENT, skin/soft tissue diseases, fever of unknown origin. **Antimicrobial agents against selected bacteria, e.g. streptococci, staphylococci. |
 |
Antibiotic Essentials 2009 by Burke Cunha MD (Author) Antibiotic Essentials is a concise, practical, and authoritative guide to the treatment and prevention of infectious diseases commonly encountered in adults. It covers 542 clinical infectious disease syndromes, HIV infection, 134 detailed drug summaries, pediatric infectious diseases, and a chest x-ray atlas. Topics include: Empiric Therapy Based on Clinical Syndrome; Initial Therapy Based on Isolates; Pending Susceptibility Testing; HIV Infection; Fungi, Parasites, Unusual Organisms; Antibiotic Prophylaxis and Immunizations; Drug Summaries |
 |
Fish Flex Cephalexin - 250 mg 100 capsules by THOMAS LABS Fish-Flex is for use in aquariums for treatment of bacterial activity. Add contents of one capsule (250 mg) into aquarium for each 10 gallons of water to be treated. Repeat in 24 hours. It is suggested that a partial water change be made between treatments. While duration of treatment depends on type and severity of infection, it is recommended that extended medication baths continue for a minimum of 5 days & for not more than 10 days. Discontinue treatment if no improvement is noted within 5 days. |
 |
Antibiotic Basics for Clinicians: Choosing the Right Antibacterial Agent (Point (Lippincott Williams & Wilkins)) by Alan R Hauser (Author) Designed for quick, easy comprehension, this handbook reference will assist medical students in understanding the rationale behind antibiotic selection for common bacterial pathogens and infectious disease presentations. By supplying the rationale for choosing antibiotics, the book reduces the amount of memorization necessary for proper antibiotic prescribing. The book is heavily illustrated with two-color figures and includes fact-anecdotes, interesting ancillary information, mnemonics, and questions to test understanding. Appendices include dosing in adults and children; antibacterial agents in pregnancy; generic and trade names of commonly used antibacterial agents; and treatment of infections caused by bacterial agents of bioterrorism. |
 |
Neosporin Plus Pain Relief First Aid Antibiotic/Pain Relieving Ointment, Maximum Strength, 1-Ounce Tubes (Pack of 3) by Neosporin Bacitracin Zinc-Neomycin Sulfate-Polymyxin B Sulfate-Pramoxine HCI. Maximum Strength Pain Relief. Soothes painful cuts, scrapes and burns while preventing infection. Keep In: Kitchen; Bathroom; Workshop; Travel Bag. Soothes the pain of burns; Suitable for |
 |
Antibiotics: Actions, Origins, Resistance by Christopher Walsh (Author) Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA. Text analyzes how small molecules interfere selectively with the processes central to the survival of bacterial cells. Focuses on the relatively few molecules in antibiotics having an impact on human infectious disease. DNLM: Antibiotics--pharmacology. |
 |
First Aid Only Triple Antibiotic Ointment Pack, 0.5 Gram, 10-Count Boxes (Pack of 10) by First Aid Only Use this triple antibiotic ointment pack to treat all kinds of minor cuts, burns and abrasions. Helps prevent infection while it promotes healing. May be applied 2 to 3 times daily as the condition indicates. Active ingredients: neomycin and polymyxin B sulfates and bacitracin zinc ointment USP. |
| © 2009 BrightSurf.com |