Antibiotics

When Ruth Burns had surgery to relieve a pinched nerve in her back, the operation was supposed to be an "in-and-out thing," recalled her daughter, Kacia Warren. But Burns developed pneumonia and was put on a ventilator. Five days later, she was discharged -- only to be rushed by her daughter to the hospital hours later, disoriented and in alarming pain. Seventeen days after the surgery, the 67-year-old nurse was dead.

Hundreds of bacteria in soil can thrive with antibiotics as their sole source of nutrition, Harvard University researchers reported Friday in the journal Science. These bacteria outwit antibiotics in a disturbingly novel way, and now the race is on to figure out just how they do it -- in case more dangerous germs that sicken people could develop the same ability. The next step is to identify the actual genes that let these bacteria devour and degrade antibiotics. Then the question becomes whether that genetic mechanism is something soil bacteria might be able to transfer to human pathogens, thus making them more drug-resistant.

Tyson Foods Inc., the second-largest U.S. chicken producer, said it would discontinue its "Raised Without Antibiotics" label because of uncertainty over regulations. Tyson has asked the Department of Agriculture to clarify labeling and advertising rules, the Springdale, Ark.-based company said. A federal judge ordered Tyson in April to halt ads touting chicken as being "raised without antibiotics" after finding the claims to be misleading.

Southern California's supermarket price war found a new front Wednesday when Stater Bros. started filling a selection of antibiotic prescriptions for free. Albertsons said that it would match the offer at the Albertsons Sav-on Pharmacies in its stores, but that customers would have to ask for the deal. Vons said it had no plans to follow Stater Bros. Ralphs also said it would not match the offer but might introduce a similar program at a later date. Analysts said the move was part of a recession-fueled battle for customers among the large grocery chains.

Drug safety officials Tuesday imposed the government's most urgent safety warning on Cipro and similar antibiotics, citing evidence that they might lead to serious tendon ruptures that could leave patients incapacitated and needing extensive surgery. The Food and Drug Administration ordered makers of fluoroquinolone drugs -- a potent class of antibacterials -- to add a prominent "black box" warning to their products and develop literature for patients emphasizing the risks.

Rapid flu tests can help doctors decide when patients need antibiotics and when they do not, researchers have reported. Experts almost universally agree that antibiotics are overused in the U.S. and elsewhere and that this overuse has helped new, drug-resistant strains of bacteria to evolve. Antibiotics are useless against viruses, such as influenza, but bacterial and viral infection often cause very similar symptoms. The new findings, published in the Jan.

Administering the antibiotic minocycline within 24 hours after a stroke significantly reduces brain damage and physical impairment, Israeli researchers reported. Researchers hope the drug, which also combats inflammation, may widen the "golden window" during which strokes can be treated. Clot-dissolving drugs -- the current gold standard for stroke treatment -- must be administered in the first three hours to be effective, and many patients do not receive them in time.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has told Tyson Foods Inc. to stop labeling chicken as "raised without antibiotics" after the agency said it made a mistake in approving that term. Tyson disputed the finding Monday and said it hoped to win approval for a modified label. The world's largest meat processor said it has been in discussions for months with the USDA about the label it introduced this summer in a major marketing campaign for its fresh chicken. According to a Nov.

The widespread use of standard antibiotics to treat sinus infections does not help cure patients and may harm them by increasing their resistance to the drugs, according to a study released Tuesday. The researchers found that the percentage of patients who recovered in 10 days was about the same whether they took an antibiotic or a placebo. "With a little bit of patience, the body will usually heal itself," said Dr.

IF it seems that your child's strep throat is lasting longer than it should, there might be a reason for those extra weeks of painful swallowing and malaise. The commonly prescribed antibiotics penicillin and amoxicillin are becoming less effective against it, according to a study by pediatricians at the University of Rochester Medical Center. The reason: increased rates of antibiotic resistance among bacteria in the mouth. The study, conducted by Dr. Michael Pichichero and Dr.