Eyespy brings you the latest quirky medical stories from around the world
People’s bottoms are getting so big that
injections into them are becoming
ineffective, a study in Ireland has
shown. Many are now so obese that commonly used needles are simply
not long enough to penetrate the fat and reach the muscle, where
they are aimed, Victoria Chan told the annual meeting of the
Radiological Society of America in Chicago. Dr Chan’s study
shows that 68% of “intramuscular” injections in the
buttocks do not reach the muscle. “The amount of fat tissue
overlying the muscles exceeds the length of the needles commonly
used for these injections,” she said. Researchers injected 50
patients and included a small air bubble in the injection, which
was then located by computed tomography scans. The team also
measured body mass index, distance to injection site, and thickness
of fat and muscle. Overall, the success rate of the injections was
only 32%. More than half (56%) of the injections in men reached the
muscle, but in women it was 8% (www.timesonline.co.uk).
Image source/rex
The bottom line: use a longer needle
Is breast cancer a zoonosis? In mice, breast
cancer is commonly caused by mouse mammary tumour virus, which is
transmitted in the germline and through infectious virions. The
existence of a human homologue of the virus has not been confirmed,
but some laboratories have detected sequences closely related to
mouse mammary tumour virus in DNA isolated from human breast cancer
tissue. Based on the evidence from the past six decades, the breast
cancer virus may be transmitted from mice to humans through cats,
as some cats seem to be infected with a slightly modified version
of the virus (Microscopy Research and
Technique 2005;68:197-208).
Not content with reading about ill thought out
health policies, Eyespy decided to dig up the most far fetched
medical story she could find. Sauerkraut may cure bird flu.
Scientists in Seoul believe that the German cabbage contains a
bacteria that fights the disease. Researchers fed 11 out of 13
chickens infected with avian flu with fermented cabbage—the
chickens showed signs of recovery within a week. Professor Kang
Saouk said, “The feed helps the fight against bird flu and
other flu viruses” (www.ananova.com).
If you’re still trying to figure out
what caused your traditional family Christmas spat, stop worrying,
apparently it’s all down to what we eat. Traditional
Christmas fare can lead to repeated changes in blood sugar levels,
according to Paul Clayton, president of the forum on food and
health at the Royal Society of Medicine. He and Helen Conn, a food
scientist, reviewed the content of the traditional Christmas lunch
and found that it tended to be low in micronutrients and had a high
glycaemic index. Salty foods, including crisps and peanuts, drive
thirst which on Christmas Day is often quenched with alcohol, a
poor combination that could help trigger arguments in an already
tense environment, they add (www.ananova.com).
US drug companies are hiring cheerleaders as
sales representatives to promote drugs to doctors, the New York Times said on its
front page on 28 November. The story claimed that drug companies
were turning to employing cheerleaders in sales roles because they
were good looking and had enthusiastic outgoing personalities.
“Some industry critics view wholesomely sexy drug
representatives as a variation on the seductive inducements, like
dinners, golf outings, and speaking fees that pharmaceutical
companies have dangled to sway doctors to their brands,” the
story reported. Several hundred former cheerleaders had become drug
sales representatives, a principal at Spirited Sales Leaders told
the newspaper. The sales recruitment agency has many former
cheerleaders on its books and a related firm runs cheerleading
camps. Ken Johnson, senior vice president of the Pharmaceutical
Research and Manufacturers of America, the major industry
organisation, complained that the article reinforced sexist
stereotypes. In a letter to the New York
Times he said that former cheerleaders
formed only a small percentage of the drug sales force. Drug
companies train their sales representatives, and doctors educate
themselves by reading journals and reviewing clinical data, he said
(BMJ 2005;331:
1358).
Eyespy has heard some half baked health
policies in her time, but this one takes the biscuit. Mayor Roberto
Pereira da Silva, of Biritiba-Mirim in Brazil, is trying to bring
in a law making it illegal for residents to die—because the
town’s only cemetery is full. He wants to bring in a law that
would see relatives of people who die before their time face fines
or even jail. The law would make it an offence for the town’s
citizens not to look after their health properly. The mayor said
that there was no way of expanding the cemetery or building a new
one. The state government had promised to help build a new vertical
cemetery—but nothing has yet been done. Gym memberships have
reportedly shot up since the mayor announced his plans, and more
people are visiting doctors (www.eltiempo.com).
Ever wondered why you prefer coffee to tea? An
Australian study of twins reports that women consume more hot
drinks than men but show less of a preference for coffee. Although
tendencies for drinking tea and coffee are inherited similarly in
men, common environmental factors influenced consumption of tea but
not coffee. The researchers say that as the patterns of genetic and
environmental variation are different for tea and coffee
consumption, it might be useful to treat them separately in future
studies of use of stimulants and perception of taste (Addiction 2005;100:
1510-7)
Eyespy is well versed in the health benefits
of a small glass of cabernet sauvignon and she’s pleased to
hear that she can round off her balanced meal with a brandy.
Drinking a shot of smooth full flavoured brandy could actually
benefit your health, Monash University researchers have found.
Gordon Troup from the School of Physics said that, in moderation,
brandy had been shown to have supplementary medicinal health
benefits and the better quality the brandy the greater the benefit.
The key to its benefit is the antioxidants in the brandy that come
mainly from copper during the distilling process, Dr Troup said. He
said a shot (30 ml) of brandy would give the equivalent antioxidant
potential to the daily recommended intake of vitamin C
(www.researchaustralia.com.au).
studentBMJ 2006;14:1-44 January ISSN 0966-6494
