MCW HealthLink -- vol. 5 no. 1

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MCW HealthLink

Medical College of Wisconsin

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

http://healthlink.mcw.edu/

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1 January 2001

Vol. 5 No. 1

In this issue:

(1) Diagnosis and Treatment of Fibromyalgia

(2) Preventing Firearm Injuries and Fatalities

(3) Scooter Safety Gear

(4) What's New on MCW HealthLink

(5) Subscriber Information

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(1) Diagnosis and Treatment of Fibromyalgia

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Fibromyalgia is a poorly understood medical condition

characterized by soft tissue pain, fatigue, sleep disturbance and

widely distributed areas of tenderness known as tender points. It

is a chronic condition with no cure that affects about 3.4% of

women and 0.5% of men. This information comes from Medical College

of Wisconsin faculty J. Millea, MD, MS, Assistant Professor

of Family and Community Medicine, and L. Holloway, PhD,

Professor of Family and Community Medicine. Their article on

fibromyalgia appeared in the Oct. 1, 2000, issue of American

Family Physician.

There is no laboratory test to diagnose fibromyalgia, but

fibromyalgia patients typically have altered sleep patterns and

brain chemistry. One-third of patients with fibromyalgia also have

low insulin growth factor levels, which indicates low growth

hormone secretion.

Researchers have also found that fibromyalgia patients have

elevated levels of a neurotransmitter -- cerebrospinal fluid

substance P -- which is associated with enhanced pain perception.

In essence, pain is not caused by inflammation or damage, but is

instead associated with a central defect in pain processing. Some

speculate that physical or psychological trauma may cause such

changes in the central nervous system, leading to fibromyalgia.

Fibromyalgia tender points are painful to the touch and will shift

location over time. Fibromyalgia is often accompanied by other

conditions such as migraine headaches, irritable bowel syndrome,

depression and temporomandibular joint syndrome.

An active exercise program, low-dose anti-depressants,

acupuncture, psychotherapy, behavior modification therapy,

prescription opioid painkillers, chiropractic care, growth hormone

therapy, massage and physical therapy, used alone or in

conjunction with one another, may provide some relief of symptoms.

A treatment plan should be tailored to the needs of the individual

patient.

>> http://healthlink.mcw.edu/content/article/29499/977865667.html

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(2) Preventing Firearm Injuries and Fatalities

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The latest firearm injury research, involving three large American

cities, indicates that a handgun in your home is 22 times more

likely to injure or kill a family member or an acquaintance rather

than an intruder. But there are a number of ways to reduce firearm

injuries and fatalities, including the use of gun locks and

selecting a firearm that has built-in safety features. This

information comes from L. Withers, JD, Co-director of the

Firearm Injury Center at the Medical College of Wisconsin.

Up to 40% of American homes have firearms. Making firearms

inaccessible to everyone but the owner can be done with locking

mechanisms, safe storage practices and, in the future,

personalized firearms that can be used only by the person

authorized to use them. For example, lockboxes are small,

portable, safe-like boxes or cases specifically designed for the

storage and/or transport of handguns. The lockbox is the device

most often recommended by police to prevent unauthorized access to

a handgun.

Nationwide, there were about 30,000 firearm fatalities in 1998.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, about one of

every eight firearm deaths was a person under age 20. Suicides

comprise 55% of all gun-related injuries and fatalities.

Gathering better information about gun-related events is essential

to developing effective prevention efforts. Currently, such data

is not collected in a uniform manner. The Firearm Injury Center

takes the position that firearms, like other consumer products,

can be more safely designed. Firearms and tobacco are the only

consumer products not subject to national product safety

oversight. Toy guns and BB guns have safety oversight, but not

firearms.

>> http://healthlink.mcw.edu/content/article/29499/977863273.html

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(3) Scooter Safety Gear

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Read this if you got a scooter for Christmas. Emergency room-

treated injuries related to scooters increased 700% in the US over

the summer of 2000, according to the Consumer Product Safety

Commission (CPSC). There were more than 4,000 scooter-related

injuries treated in hospital emergency rooms in August alone.

Nearly 90% of the injuries are to children under 15 years of age.

Most injuries resulted when riders fell from the scooter. In all,

44% of injuries were to hands and arms, 29% were injuries to the

head and face, and 22% of injuries affected the leg and foot.

Fractures and dislocations accounted for 29% of the injuries.

Other categories include lacerations (28%), contusions or

abrasions (17%) and strains or sprains (15%).

The scooters, which first went on the market in the United States

in 1999, are new versions of the foot-propelled scooters first

popular in the 1950s. They are made of lightweight metal such as

aluminum and have small low-friction wheels similar to those on

in-line skates.

CPSC recommends that riders, especially children, wear proper

safety gear including a helmet, and knee and elbow pads to help

prevent injuries. This is the same safety gear CPSC recommends for

in-line skating. CPSC estimates that more than 60% of injuries

could be prevented or reduced in severity if protective gear had

been worn. The best investment against injury is protective gear

which can cost less than $35. In addition, scooters should only be

ridden on smooth, paved surfaces without any traffic. Do not ride

scooters at night.

>> http://healthlink.mcw.edu/content/article/29499/969991069.html

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(4) What's New on MCW HealthLink

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* New Standards for Assessment and Treatment of Pain

Every patient has the right to have their pain assessed and

managed properly.

http://healthlink.mcw.edu/content/article/29499/977857835.html

* Preventing the Spread of Infectious Disease

The most important thing you can do to keep from getting

sick is to wash your hands.

http://healthlink.mcw.edu/content/article/29499/977858513.html

* Global Health in the 21st Century

By the year 2020 tobacco is expected to kill more people

than any single disease, surpassing even the HIV epidemic.

http://healthlink.mcw.edu/content/article/29499/977858884.html

* Do You Need a Multivitamin Supplement?

Take this short quiz to see if you might benefit from a

multivitamin supplement.

http://healthlink.mcw.edu/content/article/29499/977862014.html

* Brain Aneurysms

About 3% to 4% of the population have aneurysms, or

weaknesses, in a blood vessel in the brain. Most of the time

they don't burst or cause problems.

http://healthlink.mcw.edu/content/article/29499/977868587.html

* Seizures are More Common Than You Think

Epilepsy is not a childhood illness, but most cases occur in

adults after head injury, brain infections, strokes or

tumors. In about 50% to 60% of patients, the cause or

etiology is unknown.

http://healthlink.mcw.edu/content/article/29499/977869211.html

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(5) Subscriber Information

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MCW HealthLink is published by the Medical College of Wisconsin,

Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as a service to our patients and the

community at large. Subscription is free of charge.

To inform your friends and relations about our website and

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MCW HealthLink is provided for educational purposes. The

information is not intended as a substitute for medical care, or

for the advice of a physician. Please consult your doctor to

determine how the information here pertains to you.

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Medical College Physicians

9200 West Wisconsin Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53226-3522 USA

HealthLink home page: http://healthlink.mcw.edu/

e-mail: mailto:healthlink@...

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Appointments & information: (414) 805-3666 or

1-800-272-3666 toll-free

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Copyright © 2001, Medical College of Wisconsin.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

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