News in brief - Oct. 9, 2000

Manufacturer issues stronger advisory regarding Norplant - Antibiotic prescribing for children is on the decline - Health issues on daytime television

Manufacturer issues stronger advisory regarding Norplant

Physicians are being advised by Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories, the maker of the Norplant System, a five-year contraceptive implant, to inform patients who had the product inserted since Oct. 20, 1999, to use an additional method of contraception.

However, products containing hormones, such as birth control pills and injectable contraceptives, should not be used for these patients. Instead, barrier contraceptive methods are recommended.

This most recent communication is an update of an Aug. 10 letter advising health care professionals to discontinue use of kits from the following lots: 3990729, 3990775, 3990776, 3993006, 3003127, 3003166 and 3003355.

Laboratory stability testing indicated these kits, with expiration dates in January or February 2004, may not release enough of the hormone levonorgestrel to deliver effective ongoing contraception.

Wyeth-Ayerst is working with the Food and Drug Administration to ensure that patients who may have these implants are aware of the situation. The updated letter, sent Sept. 13, requests that doctors search their records and immediately notify patients.

Antibiotic prescribing for children is on the decline

Physicians are prescribing antibiotics less frequently to treat children with respiratory illnesses, according to results of a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey presented at last month's meeting of the Infectious Disease Society of America.

"Our survey suggests that physicians are getting the message that the overuse of antibiotics can be harmful," said Linda F. McCaig, MPH, a survey statistician at the CDC National Centers for Health Statistics, in a statement issued by IDSA.

According to the CDC, about half of all antibiotics prescribed during office visits are for colds, coughs and other viral infections that do not respond to antibiotics and that are therefore not appropriate indications for antibiotic use.

The study demonstrated a steady decline. For example, the annual rate at which office-based physicians prescribed antibiotics in cases where the patient was younger than age 15 and diagnosed with infectious respiratory diseases; middle-ear infections; upper respiratory infections including the common cold, bronchitis and sinusitis; and sore throats decreased by 34% between 1989 and 1998. In 1989 and 1990, approximately 669 prescriptions were written for every 1,000 children. Between 1997 and 1998, the rate was 439 per 1,000 children.

Health issues on daytime television

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is watching daytime television and giving credit to soap operas that do a good job informing viewers about health risks and healthy lifestyles.

The CDC announced early last month its finalists for the first-ever Sentinel for Health Award for Daytime Drama. Topics ranging from drunk driving and cancer to pediatric and adolescent AIDS awareness have been explored on "All My Children," "One Life to Live," "General Hospital" and "Port Charles." The winner will be announced at the Oct. 14 Soap Summit V conference in Los Angeles.

According to a CDC analysis, about 48% of daytime viewers report that they have learned about a disease or how to prevent it from a soap opera.