According to the Marion County Health Department, Indiana, Indianapolis, nearly 300 people who ate at the Olive Garden restaurant, Castleton area, got sick. Some people became so ill they had to be hospitalized. According to sources in the area, new reports of sickness continue to come in.
It is still not known what caused the sickness of so many people, but a food borne illness would be the logical choice, as the one thing everyone had in common was that they ate in the same place. The restaurant was open earlier on today, but is now closed.
John Althardt, who works at the Marlon Health Department, said that by closing the restaurant, authorities will be able to investigate the matter better and hopefully break the cycle of infection. It won't be until Monday when the Health Department decide whether to allow the Olive Garden to open again.
The restaurant was given a thorough inspection on Tuesday - nothing was detected that might shed some light on this spate of illnesses; they gave the restaurant a clean bill of health.
Not everyone who got ill ate there at the same time. Some had dined there last Saturday, others on Sunday, and Monday. Sick customers have experienced stomachache, vomiting, nausea, diarrhea and fever.
Marion County Health Department
суббота, 24 сентября 2011 г.
суббота, 17 сентября 2011 г.
Economic Impact Of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease Revealed
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) has a substantial economic impact on society due to its effect on productivity while at work, according to the results of a new systematic review published today in Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics.[1]
The review, which analysed data reported by patients from eight studies involving more than 7,000 people across seven countries, suggests that the average loss in productivity while at work in a general working population with reflux disease could be as great as 10 per cent.1
Reduced productivity at work increased with reflux symptom severity, and sleep disturbance due to reflux symptoms caused work productivity losses as high as 40 per cent.1
As an example, using these findings for the US, this translates into a total cost to US employers of up to $75 billion per year.1 In comparison, the direct yearly costs for treating reflux disease in the US via healthcare services and medication are estimated at $9.3 billion.1
Dr Alan Barkun, Director of the Division of Gastroenterology at McGill University and McGill University Health Center, Montreal, Canada, said that these results have important implications for the way in which reflux disease treatment should be viewed.
"The strong association between reduced work productivity and total symptom burden suggests that by relieving reflux symptoms patients may be able to perform better at work."
In addition the data also highlights that by initiating effective therapy, the costs may be offset by improvements in work productivity following treatment1.
The patient-reported results in this review are supported by data from a case-control study using objective assessments of work productivity that was recently presented at the annual Digestive Disease Week conference, Los Angeles, USA.[2] The study involved more than 27,000 employees with or without reflux disease, and results confirm that there truly is a link between reflux disease and reduced productivity at work - also when measuring productivity in terms of number of units processed per hour and per year.
The reduction in work productivity as a result of reflux disease is similar to that of people with other chronic and troublesome diseases, such as arthritis and back pain.1
Reflux disease - also known as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) - is a chronic disease that causes significant impairment to sufferer's health related quality of life.[3] In addition to its impact on work productivity, people with GERD experience physical, social and emotional problems as a result of the pain, worry and sleep disturbance caused by their condition.3,[4]
References:
[1]. Wahlqvist P et al. Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2006; 25
[2]. Wahlqvist P et al. Abstract S1124. DDW 2006 (Los Angeles, USA. 20-25 May)
[3]. Wiklund, I. Dig Dis 2004; 22: 108-14
[4]. Liker et al. J Am Board Fam Pract 2005; 18: 393-400
astrazeneca
The review, which analysed data reported by patients from eight studies involving more than 7,000 people across seven countries, suggests that the average loss in productivity while at work in a general working population with reflux disease could be as great as 10 per cent.1
Reduced productivity at work increased with reflux symptom severity, and sleep disturbance due to reflux symptoms caused work productivity losses as high as 40 per cent.1
As an example, using these findings for the US, this translates into a total cost to US employers of up to $75 billion per year.1 In comparison, the direct yearly costs for treating reflux disease in the US via healthcare services and medication are estimated at $9.3 billion.1
Dr Alan Barkun, Director of the Division of Gastroenterology at McGill University and McGill University Health Center, Montreal, Canada, said that these results have important implications for the way in which reflux disease treatment should be viewed.
"The strong association between reduced work productivity and total symptom burden suggests that by relieving reflux symptoms patients may be able to perform better at work."
In addition the data also highlights that by initiating effective therapy, the costs may be offset by improvements in work productivity following treatment1.
The patient-reported results in this review are supported by data from a case-control study using objective assessments of work productivity that was recently presented at the annual Digestive Disease Week conference, Los Angeles, USA.[2] The study involved more than 27,000 employees with or without reflux disease, and results confirm that there truly is a link between reflux disease and reduced productivity at work - also when measuring productivity in terms of number of units processed per hour and per year.
The reduction in work productivity as a result of reflux disease is similar to that of people with other chronic and troublesome diseases, such as arthritis and back pain.1
Reflux disease - also known as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) - is a chronic disease that causes significant impairment to sufferer's health related quality of life.[3] In addition to its impact on work productivity, people with GERD experience physical, social and emotional problems as a result of the pain, worry and sleep disturbance caused by their condition.3,[4]
References:
[1]. Wahlqvist P et al. Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2006; 25
[2]. Wahlqvist P et al. Abstract S1124. DDW 2006 (Los Angeles, USA. 20-25 May)
[3]. Wiklund, I. Dig Dis 2004; 22: 108-14
[4]. Liker et al. J Am Board Fam Pract 2005; 18: 393-400
astrazeneca
суббота, 10 сентября 2011 г.
Antioxidants Offer Pain Relief In Patients With Chronic Pancreatitis
Antioxidant supplementation was found to be effective in relieving pain and reducing levels of oxidative stress in patients with chronic pancreatitis (CP), reports a new study in Gastroenterology. CP is a progressive inflammatory disease of the pancreas in which patients experience abdominal pain (in early stage) and diabetes and maldigestion (in late stage). Pain is the major problem in 90 percent of patients with CP and currently, there is no effective medical therapy for pain relief. Gastroenterology is the official journal of the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Institute.
In this placebo-controlled, double blind trial, 127 patients, ages 30.5+/-10.5, were assigned to placebo or antioxidant groups. After six months, the reduction in the number of painful days/month was significantly higher in the antioxidant group, compared with the placebo group (7.4?±6.8 versus 3.2?±4, respectively). The reduction in the number of analgesic tablets/month was also higher in the antioxidant group (10.5?±11.8 versus 4.4?±5.8, respectively). Furthermore, 32 percent and 13 percent of patients became pain free in the antioxidant and placebo groups, respectively; the beneficial effect of antioxidants on pain relief was noted early at three months.
"Abdominal pain, the predominant symptom in patients with CP, is difficult to treat. The main reason for a largely ineffective medical treatment is that the mechanism of pain in CP is not well understood," said Pramod Kumar Garg, MD, DM, of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi and lead author of the study. "We are encouraged by our findings, as significant improvement was noted with antioxidants in respect to all the parameters of pain in this study. In addition, reduction in pain resulted in fewer man-days lost, thus providing functional employment gain to the patients. The findings should spur further research in this exciting area."
There are two important implications of this study - the fact that measures of oxidative stress were increased initially and decreased subsequently after supplementation with antioxidants suggests that there is a state of heightened free radical mediated injury in CP, and that injury is reversible. Second, with regard to pain management, this trial showed that antioxidant therapy is effective for pain relief in patients with CP. This assumes significance since no effective medical therapy exists for pain relief for such patients.
Pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas that usually begins as a sudden attack and is often caused by gallstones, alcohol abuse or genetic mutations. Symptoms of pancreatitis start with a gradual or sudden severe pain in the center part of the upper abdomen going through to the back. Treatment often focuses on the nutritional and metabolic needs of the patient and on relieving pain. Most people with chronic pancreatitis have a good prognosis if they follow their treatment regimen. "Aside from medication, abstaining from alcohol and smoking are most important and key to halt the progression of CP," added Dr. Garg.
Visit gastro/patient for more patient information about pancreatitis.
About the AGA Institute
The American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) is dedicated to the mission of advancing the science and practice of gastroenterology. Founded in 1897, the AGA is one of the oldest medical-specialty societies in the U.S. Comprised of two non-profit organizations - the AGA and the AGA Institute - our more than 16,000 members include physicians and scientists who research, diagnose and treat disorders of the gastrointestinal tract and liver. The AGA, a 501(c6) organization, administers all membership and public policy activities, while the AGA Institute, a 501(c3) organization, runs the organization's practice, research and educational programs. On a monthly basis, the AGA Institute publishes two highly respected journals, Gastroenterology and Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. The organization's annual meeting is Digestive Disease Week®, which is held each May and is the largest international gathering of physicians, researchers and academics in the fields of gastroenterology, hepatology, endoscopy and gastrointestinal surgery. For more information, please visit gastro.
About Gastroenterology
Gastroenterology, the official journal of the AGA Institute, is the most prominent scientific journal in the specialty and is in the top 1 percent of indexed medical journals internationally. The journal publishes clinical and basic science studies of all aspects of the digestive system, including the liver and pancreas, as well as nutrition. The journal is abstracted and indexed in Biological Abstracts, CABS, Chemical Abstracts, Current Contents, Excerpta Medica, Index Medicus, Nutrition Abstracts and Science Citation Index. For more information, visit gastrojournal.
Source: Alissa J. Cruz
American Gastroenterological Association
In this placebo-controlled, double blind trial, 127 patients, ages 30.5+/-10.5, were assigned to placebo or antioxidant groups. After six months, the reduction in the number of painful days/month was significantly higher in the antioxidant group, compared with the placebo group (7.4?±6.8 versus 3.2?±4, respectively). The reduction in the number of analgesic tablets/month was also higher in the antioxidant group (10.5?±11.8 versus 4.4?±5.8, respectively). Furthermore, 32 percent and 13 percent of patients became pain free in the antioxidant and placebo groups, respectively; the beneficial effect of antioxidants on pain relief was noted early at three months.
"Abdominal pain, the predominant symptom in patients with CP, is difficult to treat. The main reason for a largely ineffective medical treatment is that the mechanism of pain in CP is not well understood," said Pramod Kumar Garg, MD, DM, of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi and lead author of the study. "We are encouraged by our findings, as significant improvement was noted with antioxidants in respect to all the parameters of pain in this study. In addition, reduction in pain resulted in fewer man-days lost, thus providing functional employment gain to the patients. The findings should spur further research in this exciting area."
There are two important implications of this study - the fact that measures of oxidative stress were increased initially and decreased subsequently after supplementation with antioxidants suggests that there is a state of heightened free radical mediated injury in CP, and that injury is reversible. Second, with regard to pain management, this trial showed that antioxidant therapy is effective for pain relief in patients with CP. This assumes significance since no effective medical therapy exists for pain relief for such patients.
Pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas that usually begins as a sudden attack and is often caused by gallstones, alcohol abuse or genetic mutations. Symptoms of pancreatitis start with a gradual or sudden severe pain in the center part of the upper abdomen going through to the back. Treatment often focuses on the nutritional and metabolic needs of the patient and on relieving pain. Most people with chronic pancreatitis have a good prognosis if they follow their treatment regimen. "Aside from medication, abstaining from alcohol and smoking are most important and key to halt the progression of CP," added Dr. Garg.
Visit gastro/patient for more patient information about pancreatitis.
About the AGA Institute
The American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) is dedicated to the mission of advancing the science and practice of gastroenterology. Founded in 1897, the AGA is one of the oldest medical-specialty societies in the U.S. Comprised of two non-profit organizations - the AGA and the AGA Institute - our more than 16,000 members include physicians and scientists who research, diagnose and treat disorders of the gastrointestinal tract and liver. The AGA, a 501(c6) organization, administers all membership and public policy activities, while the AGA Institute, a 501(c3) organization, runs the organization's practice, research and educational programs. On a monthly basis, the AGA Institute publishes two highly respected journals, Gastroenterology and Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. The organization's annual meeting is Digestive Disease Week®, which is held each May and is the largest international gathering of physicians, researchers and academics in the fields of gastroenterology, hepatology, endoscopy and gastrointestinal surgery. For more information, please visit gastro.
About Gastroenterology
Gastroenterology, the official journal of the AGA Institute, is the most prominent scientific journal in the specialty and is in the top 1 percent of indexed medical journals internationally. The journal publishes clinical and basic science studies of all aspects of the digestive system, including the liver and pancreas, as well as nutrition. The journal is abstracted and indexed in Biological Abstracts, CABS, Chemical Abstracts, Current Contents, Excerpta Medica, Index Medicus, Nutrition Abstracts and Science Citation Index. For more information, visit gastrojournal.
Source: Alissa J. Cruz
American Gastroenterological Association
суббота, 3 сентября 2011 г.
Cardia Resection For Perforated Gastroesophageal Cancer
Iatrogenic perforation of cancer of the esophagus or the gastroesophageal (GE) junction is a severe complication. Its incidence has increased most likely because of more aggressive palliative endoscopic therapy and the current widespread use of endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) for accurate preoperative staging. Therapy, i.e. conservative versus surgical treatment remains controversial.
Professor J?¶rg Kleeff from the Munich (Germany) report a case of 82-year-old man with iatrogenic perforation of adenocarcinoma of the GE junction. This article was published in the World Journal of Gastroenterology.
Given serious complications brought by initial endoscopic intervention, they decided to choose immediate explorative laparotomy. Intraoperatively, the tumor was localized and removed completely by resection of the cardia and part of the distal esophagus. For reconstruction, a partial proximal gastric tube was constructed using linear staplers. After treatment, the patient recovered quickly and discharged from hospital within 2 wk. On a further follow-up after 4 wk, the patient held no complaint of reflux or dysphagic symptoms.
The study revealed that the management of esophageal perforation in the context of an underlying malignancy demands an individual approach that depends upon the site and etiology of the perforation. Irrespective of the therapeutic approach, the prognosis after tumor perforation is dismal.
Reference: Gillen S, Friess H, Kleeff J. Palliative cardia resection with gastroesophageal reconstruction for perforated carcinoma of the gastroesophageal junction. World J Gastroenterol 2009; 15(24): 3065-3067;
Source:
Lai-Fu Li
World Journal of Gastroenterology
Professor J?¶rg Kleeff from the Munich (Germany) report a case of 82-year-old man with iatrogenic perforation of adenocarcinoma of the GE junction. This article was published in the World Journal of Gastroenterology.
Given serious complications brought by initial endoscopic intervention, they decided to choose immediate explorative laparotomy. Intraoperatively, the tumor was localized and removed completely by resection of the cardia and part of the distal esophagus. For reconstruction, a partial proximal gastric tube was constructed using linear staplers. After treatment, the patient recovered quickly and discharged from hospital within 2 wk. On a further follow-up after 4 wk, the patient held no complaint of reflux or dysphagic symptoms.
The study revealed that the management of esophageal perforation in the context of an underlying malignancy demands an individual approach that depends upon the site and etiology of the perforation. Irrespective of the therapeutic approach, the prognosis after tumor perforation is dismal.
Reference: Gillen S, Friess H, Kleeff J. Palliative cardia resection with gastroesophageal reconstruction for perforated carcinoma of the gastroesophageal junction. World J Gastroenterol 2009; 15(24): 3065-3067;
Source:
Lai-Fu Li
World Journal of Gastroenterology
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