Physician Knowledge e-Newsletter - V1 Issue 2, June 2004
Below you will find information related to the Knowledge Based Systems
at MGHS
(Please note you
must be connected to the MGHS Network to gain access to these systems)
Please check out the new evidence-based resource (POEMS)
New Clinical Queries feature on Ovid MEDLINE - Using recent research by the Health Information Research Unit (HIRU) at McMaster University*, Ovid has embedded optimum combinations of terms for retrieving clinically sound published reports in Ovid MEDLINE, making it easier for users to find the best evidence available on their topics. To use, simply select the Limit Icon from the Main Search Page and limit the results of your topic search to clinically sound studies. More details can be found in the MEDLINE Field Guide here.
Additional decade of bibliographic information with Ovid OLDMEDLINE® -
As an Ovid Online MEDLINE customer, you will also have free access
to an additional decade of bibliographic information from the National
Library of Medicine through Ovid OLDMEDLINE®. Citations in Ovid
OLDMEDLINE are for articles from international biomedical journals
covering the fields of medicine, preclinical sciences, and allied health
sciences; all were originally printed in hardcopy indexes published
from 1951 through 1965.
New Ovid Web Gateway Tutorial! - Finally, we invite you to take a
look at our new Gateway tutorial available here.
NEW TITLES IN STAT!REF
A Nurse's Guide to Cancer Care - 1st Ed. (2000)
AJCC Cancer Staging Handbook - 6th Ed. (2002)
Emergency Medicine: A comprehensive Study Guide - 6th Ed. (2004)
Goodman & Gilman's The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics -
10th Ed. (2001)
Holland-Frei Cancer Medicine - 6th Ed. (2003)
Natural Standard (2004)
Nursing Diagnosis Reference Manual - 5th Ed. (2001)
Red Book 2003 - 26th Ed.
Trauma - 5th Ed. (2004)
Here is your Natural
Database eUPDATE and eCE April 20,
'04
We've added some great new tools. Look at
www.naturaldatabase.com and see the new...
Natural Product Effectiveness
Checker, and
Natural Product /
Drug Interaction Checker, and
Disease
/ Medical Conditions Search, and
Colleagues
Interact Search.
Plus, we posted a new Natural Medicines CE course for you and members
of your group--each person gets CE credit at no charge.* The newest
one in the series is Natural Medicines in the Clinical Management of
Obesity
(Accredited for physicians, pharmacists, NPs, PAs, RDs.)
Here are a few recent updates in Natural Database.
• Glucosamine plus chondroitin combo products (Cosamin
DS, etc) have been
linked to a potential interaction with warfarin. It makes theoretical sense...
Chondroitin
is a small component of a heparinoid...and MIGHT have weak anticoagulant activity.
Glucosamine is also a small component of heparin...but it probably DOESN'T have
any anticoagulant activity. This is now being put out as a caution, but explain
that nobody knows if it's clinically significant.
• Strontium is the latest supplement for preventing bone loss. Strontium
is a trace element that's incorporated into bone similar to calcium or fluoride.
Researchers
are excited about strontium because it helps slow bone loss AND stimulate bone
growth. Most osteoporosis drugs only slow bone loss. A specific form of strontium...strontium
ranelate (Protelos)...is being tested. This is different than the supplements
that are on the market now. Don't recommend strontium supplements until more
is learned about the form to use...the dose...and safety.
• Zinc nasal sprays (Zicam, etc) are now being scrutinized by the FDA to
see if they might cause permanent loss of smell. We reported this possibility
in Natural
Database last year. Intranasal zinc is rated Possibly Unsafe due to this potential
side effect. There's still no solid proof that Zicam can cause this adverse effect.
But, for now, encourage using products with a more proven safety and efficacy
record. Explain that loss of smell has not been linked to ORAL zinc products.
• Longevinex is now being promoted for (you guessed it), longevity. Its
main ingredient is resveratrol...the wine constituent that some experts believe
is responsible
for wine's healthy benefits. Most experts agree that a moderate amount of wine
is beneficial. But there's no proof that the pure resveratrol in this product
has any benefit.
*CE is at NO CHARGE for individual subscribers and all members of group
subscribers. You may forward this to members of your group.
We posted a new Natural Medicines CE course for you and members of
your group--each person gets CE credit at no charge.* The newest one
in the series is Natural Medicines in the Clinical Management of Inflammatory
Bowel Disease (IBD)
(Accredited for physicians, pharmacists, NPs, PAs, RDs.)
Here are a few recent updates in Natural Database.
• Hoodia is the hot new weight-loss ingredient. It's in one of the Trimspaproducts. Wandering tribesmen chewed this cactus over the centuries to stave
off hunger
on long treks. Now Anna Nicole Smith is enticing modern day people to try it.
Pfizer was developing a product based on an ingredient in hoodia, but dropped
it.
• Black
cohosh is being scrutinized over reports of liver toxicity, liver
failure, and hepatitis. So far, we still rate it Possibly Safe. But it makes
sense to
occasionally monitor liver function tests in people taking it.
• Xango
juice is now the health drink rage...and for immune system, mental
health, and joint movement. Its main ingredient is the tropical fruit mangosteen,
also
known as Garcinia
mangostana. It contains xanthones that are antioxidants.
There's no known downsides...but also no proven benefit either.
• Altovis is a new supplement for fatigue. It contains 100 mg of caffeine,
plus Panax ginseng, Siberian
ginseng, cordyceps, vinpocetine and other
ingredients.
Be careful recommending it to cardiac patients who could be susceptible to
too much stimulation.
*CE is at NO CHARGE for individual subscribers and all members of group
subscribers. You may forward this to members of your group.
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Therapeutic Research Faculty. All rights reserved.
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