Friday, May 27, 2011

Unforgivable

Smoking-pill suicides overlooked in missing reports

From MSNBC:

Hundreds of reports of suicides, psychotic reactions and other serious problems tied to the popular stop-smoking drug Chantix were left out of a crucial government safety review because Pfizer Inc., the drug’s manufacturer, submitted years of data through “improper channels.”

Some 150 suicides — more than doubling those previously known — were among 589 delayed reports of severe issues turned up in a new analysis by the non-profit Institute for Safe Medication Practices.

“We’ve had a major breakdown in safety surveillance,” said Thomas J. Moore, the ISMP senior scientist who analyzed the data. The serious problems — including reports of completed suicides, suicide attempts, aggression and hostility and depression — had been mixed among some 26,000 records of non-serious side effects such as nausea and rashes, with some dating back to 2006, the year Chantix, or varenicline, was approved.

Friday, May 20, 2011

End of the World

From the CDC:

Preparedness 101: Zombie Apocalypse

The rise of zombies in pop culture has given credence to the idea that a zombie apocalypse could happen. In such a scenario zombies would take over entire countries, roaming city streets eating anything living that got in their way. The proliferation of this idea has led many people to wonder “How do I prepare for a zombie apocalypse?”

Friday, May 13, 2011

This is Why

Christina graduated from college last weekend. And she has been accepted to a graduate school to get her PhD.

It just doesn't get any better than that.
Because her doctor told her she was imagining it too.

Ha. She's a zombie brainiac. A neuro-surfing wunderkind. He should have listened to her. She IS the bleeding edge of medicine.

You go, girlfriend. Make those dreams come true.