Island Drug Podcast

Strep throat is a bacterial infection caused group A streptococcus. It is most common in children and spreads easy during school when kids are in close contact. Infected children develop a dry, scratchy throat that hurts with swallowing. While people do recover without intervention, Strep throat is treated with antibiotics (usually penicillin), which help speed recovery but more importantly help prevent complications, specifically rheumatic fever.

According to the National Institute of Health, osteoporosis is a major public health threat for nearly 44 million Americans, 68% of whom are women. In the United States, as many as 8 million women and 2 million men have osteoporosis, and an additional 18 million individuals have bone mass levels that put them at increased risk of developing osteoporosis. Please click here to view the accompanying text; http://islanddrug.com/podcasts/Osteoporosis.pdf

This week we’ll be completing our discussion of the blood thinner warfarin. Last week, we introduced the idea of a narrow therapeutic window and how important it is to dose warfarin properly. Today we’ll cover some of the practical strategies for taking warfarin that can help ensure you stay inside that window with minimal risk of clot or hemorrhage. Please click here to download the accompanying text; http://islanddrug.com/podcasts/warfarin2.pdf

For the next two weeks we’ll be covering the blood thinner, warfarin (Coumadin). This week I’ll be discussing why the medication is prescribed, its history, and how it works. Next week we’ll cover the more practical end of the medication – like dietary restrictions, drug interactions, and INR monitoring. Please click here to download the accompanying text; http://islanddrug.com/podcasts/warfarin1.pdf

September is Atrial Fibrillation Awareness Month. Please click here to download the accompanying text; http://islanddrug.com/podcasts/AFib.pdf

September is Reye’s Syndrome Awareness Month. Reye’s is a very serious, life-threatening disease and it is important to understand the risks and signs of this disease as we head back to school and into flu season. Please click here to download the accompanying text; http://islanddrug.com/podcasts/Reyes.pdf

September has arrived and kids will be heading back to soon. This week I’ll be discussing head lice, a common problem that many families will be dealing with in the next few months. Head lice are the second most communicable disease among young schoolchildren behind only the common cold. The CDC estimates that there are approximately 12 million infestations each year among children between the ages of three and eleven. Please click here to download the accompanying text; http://islanddrug.com/podcasts/lice.pdf

We have recently become very aware of the risk of food borne illness, demonstrated by the massive recall of factory-farm produced eggs infected with the salmonella bacterium. Today’s podcast will cover what salmonellosis is, what causes it, the symptoms, how it is diagnosed, how it is treated and how it can be prevented. Please click here to download the accompanying text; http://islanddrug.com/podcasts/Salmonella.pdf

August is Psoriasis Awareness Month, so we’ll use that as the topic of this week’s podcast. Psoriasis is a disease of the skin. It causes dead skin cells to build up rapidly on the surface of the skin, which in turn forms thick silvery scales and itchy, dry, red patches that are sometimes painful. Please click here to download the accompanying text; http://islanddrug.com/podcasts/Psoriasis.pdf

Hello and welcome to the Island Drug Podcast. This is Chris. Last year the emergence of the H1N1 swine flu complicated the vaccination effort. There were delays in the production and distribution of both the H1N1 and seasonal vaccine, and initially only certain populations could receive the H1N1 vaccine. These complications were widely publicized in the press. This year we don’t anticipate any of these problems. Even though this year influenza isn’t receiving much press, getting vaccinated is just as important. Each year in the US the flu is responsible for over 35 thousand deaths and over 200 thousand hospitalizations. Today I’d like to provide you with information regarding the 2010-11 flu vaccine. Please click here to downloand the accompanying text; http://islanddrug.com/podcasts/flu2010.pdf

August is Cataract Awareness Month. More than half of all Americans develop cataracts by age 80 and there are no medications or exercises that will prevent the formation or progression of cataracts or make a cataract disappear. Please click here to download the accompanying text; http://islanddrug.com/podcasts/Cataract.pdf

Constipation is very common. More than 4 million people in the United States experience frequent constipation, and women are more affected than men. Please click here to download the accompanying text; http://islanddrug.com/podcasts/ConstipationOTC.pdf

. On July eighth the FDA issued a safety warning regarding the off-label use of quinine, sold under the brand name Qualaquin, for the treatment of nighttime leg cramps. This week we’ll be examining nighttime leg cramps, some possible solutions for them and the problems associated with using Qualaquin to treat them. To view the accompanying text, please click here; http://islanddrug.com/podcasts/LegCramps.pdf