Dr. Gustin's Blog | Blog | Page 11 | Medical Toxicology Expert Witness

A Vaccine for Substance Abuse?

Details: Published: Tuesday, 04 October 2011 23:48

Can you imagine a vaccine that would eliminate smoking, cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin or opiate use? Researchers are tantalizingly close to developing a vaccine that would permanently block those receptors that when stimulated by these and other substances of abuse provide the addictive euphoric and mind-altering effects.

Addicts would no longer be able to use and enjoy the effects of the substances they abuse. The research is being headed by Dr. Janda at Scripps Research Institute.

To read the full NY Times article: Click Here

ZOCOR SAFETY ALERT

Details: Published: Thursday, 09 June 2011 01:21

The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday announced new safety restrictions on high-dose simvastatin, also known as Zocor, a cholesterol-lowering drug taken by an estimated 2.1 million Americans.

The agency said the 80-milligram dose caused a potentially severe muscle disease, called myopathy, especially in the first year of taking the medication.

No new patients should be put on the high dosage, the F.D.A. said, recommending that existing patients should continue only if they have used the drug for more than a year without experiencing muscle pains. Alternative statins may be safer, the agency said.

This surely will lead to a spate of product/medical liability lawsuits against the manufacturers of this drug.

See the entire article in the NY Times by: Clicking Here

Arsenic in Chicken

Details: Published: Thursday, 09 June 2011 01:13

The latest report from the FDA says that for decades chickens have consumed feed contaminated with Arsenic, a known poison and carcinogen. The FDA backpedals on this finding by saying that chicken is still safe to eat because the amount of Arsenic that has found its way into edible portions of chicken are too low to be significant. But they do not comment on the cumulative effect of regular Arsenic ingestion.

In response to this discovery, the companies that produce substances contaminated with Arsenic have stopped their production of these substances because of the possible adverse effect on the health of Americans. To read the full NY Times article, CLICK HERE.

Methamphetamine and New Legislation

Details: Published: Tuesday, 03 May 2011 10:30

Several states are considering new legislation that will make decongestants prescription medication requiring a doctor's signature. The main ingredient of these medications is pseudoephedrine, an essential ingredient in the production of Methamphetamine. In one state alone, Tennessee, police shut down over 2000 Methamphetamine labs last year, about a 50% increase from the year before.

Methamphetamine is an extremely dangerous street drug. Once an individual becomes habituated, studies show that their life expectancy is less than 10 years. Once hooked, because of its effects on dopaminergic receptors of the brain, it is extremely difficult to stop use, and relapse is the rule rather than the exception.

Methamphetamine damages the brain, central nervous system, heart and other organs. It not only destroys the life of the user, but often seriously impacts those closest to the person including friends and family. Methamphetamine has become a serious public health problem in the U.S., and state legislation will be a big step in helping to curb access to this substance.

Adverse Drug Reactions: Terbutaline and Preterm Labor

Details: Published: Thursday, 17 February 2011 15:12

Normally, I would put information like this in my "Latest News" section, but this is too important not to be on my front page where my blog is located. Terbutaline, given orally or intravenously, is routinely used to treat preterm labor. It has now been shown to significantly increase the risk of maternal heart problems and sudden death. You can read more about this by clicking my link, and you can also read more about this on the FDA website: http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/ucm243539.htm

De-escalating the Toxicologically Altered Aggressive Individual

Details: Published: Tuesday, 11 May 2010 21:52

Toxicologists when reviewing cases are often faced with a subject in question that had altered mental status as a consequence of the effects of illicit substances. In this setting, dealing with aggressive patients can make a big difference in outcome. Patient death or injury resulting from the use of restraint and seclusion is an increasing concern in the field and in prison. Excessive and inappropriate TASER use has also been associated with sudden death. A well-known 1998 article documented 142 restraint-related deaths nationwide over a decade, 40% of which were attributed to unintentional asphyxiation during restraint. Restraint not only poses a risk for patient harm but also is physically and emotionally traumatizing for staff involved in the incident. Many have pointed out that high restraint rates are now understood as evidence of treatment failure. Since the Joint Commission began tracking sentinel events in 1996, it has reviewed the deaths of 20 patients who were physically restrained. Since then, the Joint Commission has advocated standards based on prevention as an intervention and the use of restraint as a last resort only after the least restrictive measures are exhausted.