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Blogs Comment On Supreme Court News, Pregnant Prisoner Health Care, Withdrawal Method, Other Topics
The following summarizes selected women"s health-related blog entries.~"Considering Common Ground and Our New Supreme Court Nominee," Cristina Page, Birth Control Watch: Page writes that the fact that appeals court Judge Sonia Sotomayor, Obama"s nominee to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice David Souter, has served on the board of Childbirth Connection is of great interest, since Sotomayor"s own views on women"s health could mirror those of the organization. Page explains that the organization "takes no policy position on abortion, but it is very much a proponent of women"s rights during childbirth." According to Page, Sotomayor"s work with Childbirth Connection "stands out" on her resume as "the only entry that does not have a purely legal focus." Page writes, "To me, it"s an important sign, and one from which pro-choice and women"s health advocates can derive some comfort," as the group is "dedicated to identifying and promoting best practices in women"s health based on rigorous scientific evidence." She adds, "If Sotomayor"s connection to the group is any indication of the value she places in science and her respect for the field of medicine, her nomination is good news for women"s health." Page also provides a link to audio of her appearance on a radio show to discuss "common ground" in the abortion-rights debate. She writes that David Gushee, an abortion-rights opponent who also appeared on the show, was genuinely "reasonable and looking for solutions." Page adds, "Listening to him gives me faith in this new and albeit small movement of pro-lifers who genuinely want to support policies that help reduce the need for abortion" (Page, Birth Control Watch, 5/27).~ "Unshackling Female Prisoners in Labor," Abigail Kramer, Salon"s "Broadsheet": Last week, the New York state Legislature passed a measure that would prevent the state"s prisons from using handcuffs or shackles on pregnant female inmates during labor. Similar laws exist in three other states. Kramer writes, "Handcuffs and shackles for women in labor pose problems beyond the obvious snafu of being brutal, inhumane and bat"s balls freaking crazy." She continues, "Having a baby is generally understood to be a wee bit uncomfortable," adding, "Not being able to move can increase the pain and slow down or complicate labor" and "restraints can cause a delay if a woman has to be rushed off for an emergency C-section -- which, as a doctor points out in Amnesty"s original report on institutional violence against women prisoners, can lead to brain damage for the baby." In addition, "women giving birth have not turned out to pose a tremendous flight risk to the nation"s criminal [justice] system: When Amnesty International asked prison administrators to provide examples of past in-labor escape attempts, they came up with exactly... well, zero," Kramer concludes (Kramer, "Broadsheet," Salon, 5/28).~ "Be Responsible: Give Your Partner Drugs!" Norah Hazelton, National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association"s "Family PlanIt": "One thing I remember pretty clearly from sex ed in high school health class ... was that if one person in a couple is diagnosed with an [sexually transmitted infection] and gets treatment, it"s very important to get the other partner tested and treated because otherwise you can just end up passing it back and forth," Hazelton writes. She continues, "Trouble is, a lot of STIs don"t have symptoms and it can be difficult getting someone with no symptoms to take the time (and money) to go see a doctor." Hazelton writes, "Thankfully, expedited partner therapy (EPT), the practice of treating partners without a medical assessment, is becoming more and more popular." She adds, "With 19 million new cases of STIs each year in the U.S. (costing an estimated $15.9 billion annually), any options that could reduce those numbers need to be considered seriously." Although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended and endorsed EPT, "there are still many legal barr
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Beloit Memorial Hospital Selects GE Healthcare's Optima XR640 Digital Radiographic System For Emergency Department Expansion
GE Healthcare, a division of General Electric Company (NYSE:GE) announced that Beloit Memorial Hospital, Beloit, Wis., has selected an Optima® XR640 digital radiographic system for its expanded emergency department.
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Quality Data Made Accessible To Clinical Teams
NHS clinical teams will have access to data showing their performance against a set of more than 200 indicators of high quality care in the NHS in one place. It is the next phase in the drive to help NHS professionals improve the quality of care they deliver to patients, and will also support providers and commissioners of NHS services.
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Less Invasive CT-Scan Based Colorectal Cancer Screening Method Shows Good Accuracy

Computed tomographic (CT) colonography may offer patients at increased risk of colorectal cancer an alternative to colonoscopy that is less-invasive, is better-tolerated and has good diagnostic accuracy, according to a study in the June 17 issue of JAMA. Colorectal cancer (CRC) accounts for approximately 210,000 deaths each year in Europe. CT colonography is a procedure in which a detailed picture of the colon is created by an x-ray machine linked to a computer. It has been shown to be sufficiently accurate in detecting colorectal neoplasia (abnormal growth of cells) and is now considered a valid alternative for CRC screening in the general population. Individuals at increased risk of CRC include those with a first-degree family history of advanced colorectal neoplasia and those with positive results from fecal occult blood tests (FOBTs). "However, adherence to follow-up colonoscopy in these individuals is suboptimal. Being less invasive and thus more tolerable, CT colonography may increase acceptability and adherence to screening, but little information is available on its performance," the authors write. Daniele Regge, M.D., of the Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment, Candiolo, Turin, Italy, and colleagues assessed the accuracy of CT colonography in detecting advanced colorectal neoplasia in asymptomatic individuals at increased risk of CRC using colonoscopy as the reference standard. The multicenter study included individuals at increased risk of CRC due to either family history of advanced neoplasia in first-degree relatives, personal history of colorectal adenomas (benign tumors), or positive results from FOBTs. Each participant underwent CT colonography followed by colonoscopy on the same day. Of 1,103 participants, 937 were included in the final analysis: 373 cases in the family-history group, 343 in the group with personal history of adenomas, and 221 in the FOBT-positive group. The prevalence of advanced neoplasia was 7.5 percent in the family-history group; 11.1 percent in the post-polypectomy group (had a polyp removed); and 50.2 percent in the FOBT-positive group. Overall, CT colonography identified 151 of 177 participants with advanced neoplasia 6 mm or larger (sensitivity, 85.3 percent) and correctly classified results as negative for 667 of 760 participants without such lesions (specificity, 87.8 percent). The positive and negative predictive values were 61.9 percent and 96.3, respectively. The negative predictive value ranged between 84.9 percent in the FOBT-positive group and 98.5 percent in the family-history group. The authors write that these results "suggest a potentially effective use of CT colonography as an alternative to colonoscopy for screening individuals with family history of advanced colorectal neoplasia. Computed tomographic colonography has been shown to be better accepted than colonoscopy and has a negligible risk of serious adverse events; thus, it may help increase the low adherence reported for individuals who are candidates for screening, which is the main negative factor affecting its efficacy in reducing mortality from CRC." Editor"s Note: Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, financial disclosures, funding and support, etc. Editorial: Computed Tomographic Colonography for Patients at High Risk of Colorectal Cancer - Trading Accuracy for Access and Compliance Emily Finlayson, M.D., M.S., of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, comments on these findings in an accompanying editorial. "While the use of CT colonography as a screening and surveillance modality is still a matter of debate, the study by Regge et al suggests that CT colonography may be an acceptable alternative to colonoscopy in patients with a history of adenoma and those with a family history of colorectal neoplasm. The question remains whether clinicians are willing to accept a study with decreased sensitivity for the potential of increased adherence with recommended screening and surveillance guidelines. With the majority of individuals in the United States who meet criteria for colorectal cancer screening and surveillance not undergoing recommended procedures, an imperfect test that has a lower risk profile and greater acceptance among patients seems to be an appealing solution." American Medical Association (AMA)


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