A new vaccine has been licensed to protect people against smallpox. ACAM 2000 (Acambis) is indicated for the inoculation of those at high risk of exposure to smallpox, and it can be used in the event of a bioterrorist attack. It will be inland Prevention’s (CDC’s) strategic national stockpile of medical supplies. The CDC considers [...]]]...

Second-line antibiotics may be more effective than first-line antibiotics for patients with acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis, say researchers from Athens, Greece. Analyzing data from 12 randomized, controlled trials involving 2,261 patients, the team found that first-line antibiotics (e.g., amoxicillin, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole [Bactrim, Women First], ampicillin drags, and generic doxycycline [Vibramycin, Pfizer]) were associated with lower rates [...]]]...

For patients with new-onset atrial fibrillation, amiodarone tablets (Pacerone, Upsher-Smith; Cordarone drags, Wyeth) may increase the risk of bradyarrhythmia, thus necessitating the insertion of a pacemaker—and the risk is higher in women. Researchers from McGill University, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, the University of Ottawa Heart Institute, University of Iowa Hospitals, and Rhode Island Hospital studied [...]]]...

Although some animal studies have suggested that selenium supplements may help prevent vascular complications in patients with diabetes, findings from the Nutritional Prevention of Cancer trial in 1,202 patients from dermatology clinics suggest otherwise. Not only did selenium not help, it might have even heightened the risk of diabetes. None of the patients had type-2 diabetes [...]]]...

Valproate sodium (Depacon, Abbott) and meropenem (Merrem, AstraZeneca) are often used in intensive care units to treat seizures and serious infections. In an 18-month study at University Hospital Gasthuisberg in Leuven, Belgium, 39 patients simultaneously receiving both drugs demonstrated an alarming interaction—an average drop of 66% in valproate plasma concentrations within 24 hours in 19 [...]]]...