Aimed at highlighting the dangers of buying drugs online, the initiative lasted for a week and led to a series of arrests and seizure of thousands of potentially harmful medical products.

From News-Medical.Net:

During the operation, Internet monitoring revealed 751 websites engaged in illegal activity, including offering controlled or prescription only drugs, 72 of which have now been taken down. In addition, more than 16,000 packages were inspected by regulators and customs, 995 packages were seized and nearly 167,000 illicit and counterfeit pills – including antibiotics, steroids and slimming pills, confiscated.

Twenty-two individuals are currently under investigation for a range of crimes including illegally selling and supplying unlicensed or prescription-only medicines.

“As the very positive results of this global effort are made public, INTERPOL and its member countries will prove again that the Internet is not an anonymous safe haven for those who use it for criminal purposes. We hope that by raising public awareness about the dangers of illegal internet pharmacies, consumers will exercise greater care when purchasing medicines on the Internet,” added Secretary General Noble.

“Our thanks go to the police, customs and regulatory officials in the 24 participating countries as well as to our partner international organizations such as the World Health Organization’s IMPACT, the World Customs Organization and Universal Postal Union whose tireless efforts and dedication have made Operation Pangea II such a success,” Noble concluded.

The operation received significant support from the Permanent Forum on International Pharmaceutical Crime (PFIPC) the World Customs Organization, the UK’s Medicines and Health Care products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and Health Canada.

The finding is believed to have implications to provide crucial insights for handling bacterial stems that develop resistance to previously considered life-saving antibiotics.

From Sciencedaily.com:

The cells of virtually all life forms synthesize essential natural substances belonging to the class of terpenes and steroids from the small isoprene building blocks dimethylallyl pyrophosphate (DMAPP) and isopentenyl pyrophosphate (IPP). Mammals and a large number of other organisms generate these essential metabolites via the so-called mevalonate pathway. But most human pathogens, including Plasmodium falciparum, have developed an alternate mechanism for producing these important substances. Now, this special pathway may spell doom for those bacteria. The TUM researchers have unraveled the structural basis of the terminal step in bacterial isoprene synthesis. The crucial enzyme has a most unusual structure, similar to a three-leaf clover, and may open a forceful line of attack for custom-tailored antibiotics.

The results were presented in an issue of the chemistry journal Angewandte Chemie.

A combination of steroids and antibiotics could be one of the best ways to provide relief to patients suffering with pneumonia, as per the study. The combination holds good even in midst of an asthma attack (M pneumoniae infection).

From News-medical.net:

Adding corticosteroids to traditional antimicrobial therapy might help people with pneumonia recover more quickly than with antibiotics alone, UT Southwestern Medical Center scientists have found.

Unlike the anabolic steroids used to bulk up muscle, corticosteroids are often used to treat inflammation related to infectious diseases, such as bacterial meningitis. Used against other infectious diseases, however, steroid therapy has been shown to be ineffective or even harmful.

In a study available online and in a future issue of the Journal of Infectious Diseases, researchers at UT Southwestern show that mice infected with a type of severe bacterial pneumonia and subsequently treated with steroids and antibiotics recovered faster and had far less inflammation in their lungs than mice treated with antibiotics alone.

Dr. Robert Hardy, Study’s Senior Author & Associate Professor of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, said that clinical trials will soon start for confirming findings of the study.

It was revealed by the review that administering fluoroquinolone in a systemic manner for treating a wide range of infections could possible lead to double vision or diplopia.

From News-Medical.net:

The researchers, led by Frederick W. Fraunfelder, M.D., found 171 cases between 1986 and 2009 of fluoroquinolone use associated with double vision through a review of reports from the Food and Drug Administration, World Health Organization, and the National Registry of Drug-Induced Ocular Side Effects. The median patient age was 51.6 years, medication doses were within recommended levels, and the interval from starting medication to onset of double vision was 9.6 days on average. Medication was discontinued in 53 patients, and diplopia resolved in all cases.

“Doctors need to be aware of this potential reaction when prescribing these antibiotics and consider stopping therapy if diplopia occurs,” Dr. Fraunfelder said. He also said that special care should be taken with patients who are older than 60, have had renal failure, or are taking steroids, and that thorough ophthalmic and neurological exams should be done to rule out other causes of double vision.

It was previously thought that diplopia was caused by tendinitis in the muscles around the eyes.

The finding is expected to have implications to tackle bacterial stems developing resistance to previously considered life-saving antibiotics.

From Sciencedaily.com:

The cells of virtually all life forms synthesize essential natural substances belonging to the class of terpenes and steroids from the small isoprene building blocks dimethylallyl pyrophosphate (DMAPP) and isopentenyl pyrophosphate (IPP). Mammals and a large number of other organisms generate these essential metabolites via the so-called mevalonate pathway. But most human pathogens, including Plasmodium falciparum, have developed an alternate mechanism for producing these important substances. Now, this special pathway may spell doom for those bacteria. The TUM researchers have unraveled the structural basis of the terminal step in bacterial isoprene synthesis. The crucial enzyme has a most unusual structure, similar to a three-leaf clover, and may open a forceful line of attack for custom-tailored antibiotics.

The structural basis for new reaction steps important to micro-organisms but playing no relevant role among humans was described in detail by Professor Michael Groll, Dr. Jörg Eppinger and Dr. Tobias Gräwert, biochemists at the Technische Universität München, and their team of researchers.

The results were presented in an issue of the chemistry journal Angewandte Chemie.

Cohen, director of pediatric dermatology at Hopkins Children’s, said that toilet seat dermatitis is one of the legendary conditions described in medical textbooks but young pediatricians do not come across such incidents in their daily practice.

From Sciencedaily.com:

Cohen says children can develop irritation after several uses of a wooden seat or repeated exposure to residue from harsh cleaning chemicals. He urges pediatricians to inquire about toilet seats and cleaners used both at home and at school any time they see a toddler or a young child with skin irritation around the buttocks or upper thighs.

The researchers say most cases are fairly benign and easy to treat with topical steroids, but because many pediatricians don’t suspect the cause and don’t treat it properly, the inflammation can persist and spread further, causing painful and itchy skin eruptions and unnecessary misery for both children and parents. Persistently irritated skin is vulnerable to bacteria and may lead to more serious infections requiring oral antibiotics. Indeed, missed and delayed diagnoses were a hallmark of every single case described in the review.

Dermatologist Paramoo Sugathan, M.D., of Baby Memorial Hospital, Calicut, Kerala, India, was co-investigator in the study.

Disease factors consist of the number of prescribed antibiotics, lung function decline, and onset time of acute chest exacerbation or frequency of using a bronchodilator.

From News-Medical.Net:

“Oral corticosteroids slow the progression of CF lung disease, but long-term use is precluded by unacceptable side effects,” said Dr. Balfour-Lynn. “A systematic review of inhaled corticosteroid use in CF revealed 10 randomized controlled trials, with six having been published. The trials studied 293 adults and children. Although there was variable methodological quality among the studies, the conclusion was that there was ‘no evidence from existing trials to support the practice of prescribing inhaled steroids in cystic fibrosis.’”

The authors noted that 52 percent of the patients were on high-dose inhaled corticosteroids (1,000 micrograms or more per day). At those levels, the drug can lead to significant symptoms related to adrenal suppression and insufficiency. Also, among pediatric patients, slowing of linear growth has been a problem for individuals taking the drug for a year or more.

Ian M. Balfour-Lynn, M.D., F.R.C.P., of the Department of Pediatric Respiratory Medicine at Royal Brompton Hospital in London, and six associates, concluded that patients can stop making the use of inhaled corticosteroids for reducing drug burden and to reduce potential adverse side effects.

The discovery is expected to make it possible for solving a treatment issue faced by doctors while handling patients who develop rashes on a frequent basis after bone marrow transplantations with a simple blood test. The researchers noted that the biomarker would make it easier for identifying who is at greatest risk of dying of graft-versus-host disease, or GVHD.

From Sciencedaily.com:

Rashes are very common in patients after bone marrow transplants. They may signal the onset of acute GVHD. But until now, a skin biopsy was the only reliable way for doctors to determine whether the rash is caused by antibiotics commonly used to treat bone marrow transplant patients, or is instead GVHD of the skin, where the disease appears in about half of cases.

Because a firm diagnosis is not easy and the threat of GVHD is grave, many doctors who suspect a rash is due to GVHD prescribe systemic high-dose steroids to suppress GVHD, which further weaken a patient’s already compromised immune system.

The U-M scientists identified a key biomarker or signature protein of GVHD of the skin called elafin. Elafin levels can be measured in a blood test to identify which bone marrow transplant patients with skin rashes actually have GVHD.

It was remarked by James Ferrara, M.D., Ruth Heyn Endowed Professor of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases and director of the bone marrow transplant program at U-M, and senior author of this study, that the test is believed to facilitate informed treatment.

Study author Dr. Noel Horgan of the Children’s University Hospital in Dublin, Ireland, revealed that it appeared that children instinctively grasp and squeeze these gel-liquid tablets, which can burst easily in the hands and even splash the caustic contents in their eyes.

From News-Medical.Net:

Alkali eye injuries occur when an alkaline substance, such as detergent or lime in plaster or cement, comes in contact with the eye, damaging the stem cells at the edge of the cornea.

This it seems is very significant because these stem cells provide new cells to line the surface of the cornea and are essential for clarity and normal vision.

In severe cases, stem cells can be permanently damaged, permanently affecting vision.

Fortunately, all of the children included in the report, received prompt treatment such as eye irrigation, anesthetic drops, antibiotics, and steroids to reduce inflammation, so they eventually left hospital with healed eyes and normal vision, says Horgan.

Horgan and his team report that the children ranged in age from 18 months to 3 years old, and all experienced eye injuries after playing with gel-capsules of washing detergent, designed to go directly into the washing machine.

Horgan recommended that design packages must be made childproof and warning labels by manufacturers should be made prominent.

It is worth noting here that unlike the anabolic steroids that are generally used to add muscles, corticosteroids are primarily used to treat inflammation related to infectious diseases.

From News-Medical.Net:

“Some people might think that if you give steroids, it would counteract the effect of the antibiotic,” said Dr. Robert Hardy, associate professor of internal medicine and pediatrics and the study’s senior author. “But it turns out you need the antibiotic to kill the bug and the steroid to make the inflammation in the lung from the infection get better. The steroids don’t kill the bugs, but they do help restore health.”

Pneumonia is a lung infection typically characterized by breathing difficulties and spread by coughing and sneezing. Symptoms include headache, fever, chills, coughs, chest pain, sore throat and nausea. Pneumonia caused by the Mycoplasma pneumoniae bacterium is generally a less severe form of the disease that can occur in any age group. It accounts for 20 percent to 30 percent of all community-acquired pneumonia cases.

It was remarked by Dr. Hardy that the group receiving both the steroids and antibiotics did the best.

Other researchers from the UT Southwestern included Dr. Christine Salvatore, infectious-disease fellow in pediatrics; Dr. Chonnamet Techasaensiri, postdoctoral trainee in pediatrics; Dr. Asunción Mejías, assistant professor of pediatrics; Dr. Juan Torres, visiting senior researcher in pediatrics; Kathy Katz, senior research associate in pediatrics; and Dr. Ana Maria Gomez, assistant professor of pathology. Some researchers from the University of Milan also contributed to this study.