Insidermedicine in 60 – July 10, 2008

From New York – According to research from Columbia University’s National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, a significant majority of the 365 online pharmacies which advertise online dispensing of controlled substances will provide them without a prescription. Over 80% of internet prescription sales are for controlled drugs. From Barcelona – According to research presented at a meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology, obesity may affect male fertility. Researchers analyzed the sperm quality in over 5000 men as a function of body mass index. Their results showed that obese males had a 60% higher chance of sperm abnormalities and a 40% higher chance of low semen volumes. And finally, from Corpus Cristi – A child who was erroneously given an extremely high dose of the blood thinning agent heparin has died. The child was one of as many as 17 newborns who were given heparin at what was believed to be 100 times the correct dose. Heparin is routinely used to prevent IV lines from becoming clotted. For Insidermedicine in 60, I’m Dr. Susan Sharma.