Health notes
Health notes: Sunday, Sept. 7, 2008

Published: September 7, 2008

One dose of pain relievers such as hydrocodone, oxycodone, codeine or morphine can be fatal to a young child, a new study by Researched Abuse, Diversion and Addiction-Related Surveillance System advises.

"When used under proper supervision, these medications are safe and effective in the management of pain,” said Randy Badillo, clinical supervisor at the Oklahoma Poison Control Center.

But misuse of these drugs in patients less than 6 years old can prove disastrous, Badillo said.

Symptoms can include decreased heart rate and blood pressure, loss of consciousness, shallow breathing and seizures.

A study published in the September issue of the American Journal of Surgery by physicians from Mercy Women's Center concludes that the routine use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is beneficial for breast cancer patients.

The study found that when an MRI is used before surgery, only 8.8 percent of women had to undergo further surgery to remove other lumps and fewer needed mastectomies.

The MRI also found other cancers in the body.

The 603-patient-study is the largest series of pre-operative patients ever by a single institution.

According to a new study in the September issue of Arthritis Care & Research, nearly half of adults in the United States will develop osteoarthritis of the knee by the age of 85.

Knee osteoarthritis — a common form of arthritis that wears away the cartilage cushioning the knee joint — is the leading cause of disability in the country, according to the CDC.

Two in three obese adults will develop knee osteoarthritis, compared with 35 percent of normal weight and 44 percent of overweight adults.

More than 300 health care providers received bonus payments from the Oklahoma Health Care Authority earlier this year for their increased efforts to improve the children's health in the state, the agency said.

The agency's Child Health Program allows providers who meet a specified standard for screening

examinations and immunizations to receive a bonus payment.

Since the program began in 1997, the number of qualified physicians has gone up along with the amount given in bonus payments, according to the agency.

The result has been more children receiving recommended immunizations and more health care providers becoming involved with necessary preventive measures to improve children's health.

Compiled by Staff Writers Jim Killackey and Vallery Brown

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