Michael Jackson's heart attack has been linked to Diprivan Propofol

Propofol or Diprivan is used to place a patient under anesthesia before surgery. It can only be given by IV. Michael Jackson may have been taking it Diprivan to treat his insomnia. Nurse Cherilyn Lee told CNN and Good Morning America that Michael Jackson had begged her for the drug. She told CNN's Anderson Copper that Michael Jackson said, "I am so sleepy. I cannot sleep. I want to have at least eight hours of sleep,"

Diprvian has never been approved to treat insomnia.

A source told TMZ that "There is no conceivable way this drug can be properly prescribed for home use." TMZ also noted that if a doctor gave Michael Jackson Propofol and it caused his death, that doctor may be charged with manslaugher.


DIPRIVAN

DRUG DESCRIPTION
DIPRIVAN® (propofol) Injectable Emulsion is a sterile, nonpyrogenic emulsion containing 10 mg/mL of propofol suitable for intravenous administration. Propofol is chemically described as 2,6-diisopropylphenol and has a molecular weight of 178.27. The structural and molecular formulas are:

DIPRIVAN® (propofol) Structural Formula Illustration

Propofol is slightly soluble in water and, thus, is formulated in a white, oil-in-water emulsion. The pKa is 11. The octanol/water partition coefficient for propofol is 6761:1 at a pH of 6-8.5. In addition to the active component, propofol, the formulation also contains soybean oil (100 mg/mL), glycerol (22.5 mg/mL), egg lecithin (12 mg/mL); and disodium edetate (0.005%); with sodium hydroxide to adjust pH. The DIPRIVAN Injectable Emulsion is isotonic and has a pH of 7-8.5.


FOR IV ADMINISTRATION
Strict aseptic technique must always be maintained during handling. Diprivan Injectable Emulsion is a single-use parenteral product which contains 0.005% disodium edetate to inhibit the rate of growth of microorganisms, for up to 12 hours, in the event of accidental extrinsic contamination. However, Diprivan Injectable Emulsion can still support the growth of microorganisms, as it is not an antimicrobially preserved product under USP standards. Accordingly, strict aseptic technique must still be adhered to. Do not use if contamination is suspected. Discard unused portions as directed within the required time limits (see DOSAGE AND ADMINSTRATION, Handling Procedures). There have been reports in which failure to use aseptic technique when handling Diprivan Injectable Emulsion was associated with microbial contamination of the product and with fever, infection/sepsis, other life-threatening illness, and/or death.

Safety, effectiveness and dosing guidelines for DIPRIVAN Injectable Emulsion have not been established for MAC Sedation in the pediatric population; therefore, it is not recommended for this use. (See PRECAUTIONS, Pediatric Use).

DIPRIVAN Injectable Emulsion is not recommended for induction of anesthesia below the age of 3 years or for maintenance of anesthesia below the age of 2 months because its safety and effectiveness have not been established in those populations.

In the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), DIPRIVAN Injectable Emulsion can be administered to intubated, mechanically ventilated adult patients to provide continuous sedation and control of stress responses only by persons skilled in the medical management of critically ill patients and trained in cardiovascular resuscitation and airway management.

DIPRIVAN Injectable Emulsion is not indicated for use in Pediatric ICU sedation since the safety of this regimen has not been established. (See PRECAUTIONS, Pediatric Use).

DIPRIVAN Injectable Emulsion is not recommended for obstetrics, including Cesarean section deliveries. DIPRIVAN Injectable Emulsion crosses the placenta, and as with other general anesthetic agents, the administration of DIPRIVAN Injectable Emulsion may be associated with neonatal depression. (See PRECAUTIONS.)

DIPRIVAN Injectable Emulsion is not recommended for use in nursing mothers because DIPRIVAN Injectable Emulsion has been reported to be excreted in human milk, and the effects of oral absorption of small amounts of propofol are not known.

ADVERT SIDE EFFECTS

Adverse event information is derived from controlled clinical trials and worldwide marketing experience. In the description below, rates of the more common events represent US/Canadian clinical study results. Less frequent events are also derived from publications and marketing experience in over 8 million patients; there are insufficient data to support an accurate estimate of their incidence rates. These studies were conducted using a variety of premedicants, varying lengths of surgical/diagnostic procedures, and various other anesthetic/sedative agents. Most adverse events were mild and transient.
Anesthesia and MAC Sedation in Adults

The following estimates of adverse events for DIPRIVAN Injectable Emulsion include data from clinical trials in general anesthesia/MAC sedation (N=2889 adult patients). The adverse events listed below as probably causally related are those events in which the actual incidence rate in patients treated with DIPRIVAN Injectable Emulsion was greater than the comparator incidence rate in these trials. Therefore, incidence rates for anesthesia and MAC sedation in adults generally represent estimates of the percentage of clinical trial patients which appeared to have probable causal relationship.

The adverse experience profile from reports of 150 patients in the MAC sedation clinical trials is similar to the profile established with DIPRIVAN Injectable Emulsion during anesthesia (see below). During MAC sedation clinical trials, significant respiratory events included cough, upper airway obstruction, apnea, hypoventilation, and dyspnea.
Anesthesia in Pediatric Patients

Generally the adverse experience profile from reports of 506 DIPRIVAN Injectable Emulsion pediatric patients from 6 days through 16 years of age in the US/Canadian anesthesia clinical trials is similar to the profile established with DIPRIVAN Injectable Emulsion during anesthesia in adults (see Pediatric percentages [Peds %] below). Although not reported as an adverse event in clinical trials, apnea is frequently observed in pediatric patients.
ICU Sedation in Adults

The following estimates of adverse events include data from clinical trials in ICU sedation (N=159 adult patients). Probably related incidence rates for ICU sedation were determined by individual case report form review. Probable causality was based upon an apparent dose response relationship and/or positive responses to rechallenge. In many instances the presence of concomitant disease and concomitant therapy made the causal relationship unknown. Therefore, incidence rates for ICU sedation generally represent estimates of the percentage of clinical trial patients which appeared to have a probable causal relationship.

Incidence greater than 1% - Probably Causally Related

DRUG INTERACTIONS

The induction dose requirements of DIPRIVAN Injectable Emulsion may be reduced in patients with intramuscular or intravenous premedication, particularly with narcotics (e.g., morphine, meperidine, and fentanyl, etc.) and combinations of opioids and sedatives (e.g., benzodiazepines, barbiturates, chloral hydrate, droperidol, etc.). These agents may increase the anesthetic or sedative effects of DIPRIVAN Injectable Emulsion and may also result in more pronounced decreases in systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial pressures and cardiac output.

During maintenance of anesthesia or sedation, the rate of DIPRIVAN Injectable Emulsion administration should be adjusted according to the desired level of anesthesia or sedation and may be reduced in the presence of supplemental analgesic agents (e.g., nitrous oxide or opioids). The concurrent administration of potent inhalational agents (e.g., isoflurane, enflurane, and halothane) during maintenance with DIPRIVAN Injectable Emulsion has not been extensively evaluated. These inhalational agents can also be expected to increase the anesthetic or sedative and cardiorespiratory effects of DIPRIVAN Injectable Emulsion.

DIPRIVAN Injectable Emulsion does not cause a clinically significant change in onset, intensity or duration of action of the commonly used neuromuscular blocking agents (e.g., succinylcholine and nondepolarizing muscle relaxants).

No significant adverse interactions with commonly used premedications or drugs used during anesthesia or sedation (including a range of muscle relaxants, inhalational agents, analgesic agents, and local anesthetic agents) have been observed in adults. In pediatric patients, administration of fentanyl concomitantly with DIPRIVAN Injectable Emulsion may result in serious bradycardia.

embrionic stem cells and medical application

Embryonic stem cells are pluripotent, meaning they are able to grow (i.e.

differentiate) into all derivatives of the three primary germ layers: ectoderm, endoderm and mesoderm.

In other words, they can develop into each of the more than 200 cell types of the adult body as long as they are specified to do so stem cells derived from the inner cell mass of an early stage embryo known as a blastocyst. Human embryos reach the blastocyst stage 4–5 days post fertilization, at which time they consist of 50–150 cells.


Embryonic Stem (ES) cells are pluripotent. This means they are able to differentiate into all derivatives of the three primary germ layers: ectoderm, endoderm, and mesoderm. These include each of the more than 220 cell types in the adult body. Pluripotency distinguishes ES cells from multipotent progenitor cells found in the adult; these only form a limited number of cell types. When given no stimuli for differentiation, (i.e. when grown in vitro), ES cells maintain pluripotency through multiple cell divisions. The presence of pluripotent adult stem cells remains a subject of scientific debate; however, research has demonstrated that pluripotent stem cells can be directly generated from adult fibroblast cultures.


Stem Cell Research
There has been a lot of discussion about embryonic stem cell research lately. Has the debate left you with questions about the medical potential for control and cures for diseases like Parkinson's, diabetes, and Alzheimer's? Pathologist Michael Shelanski, MD, PhD, joined us on Sept. 22, 2004, to discuss what he and other researchers might find down the stem cell path.
There is also ongoing research to reduce the potential for rejection of the differentiated cells derived from ES cells once researchers are capable of creating an approved therapy from ES cell research. One of the possibilities to prevent rejection is by creating embryonic stem cells that are genetically identical to the patient via therapeutic cloning.

An alternative solution for rejection by the patient to therapies derived from non-cloned ES cells is to derive many well-characterized ES cell lines from different genetic backgrounds and use the cell line that is most similar to the patient; treatment can then be tailored to the patient, minimizing the risk of rejection.

The thing that makes stem cells different is that they are cells that have no defined characteristics and that you can cause to grow in number. So if you start with one stem cell and keep it as a stem cell, over time you can have 10 cells or 10,000 cells. Then by providing the proper signals to those cells you can turn all 10,000 cells into a nerve, a kidney, or pancreas cell.

Therapeutic application

On January 23, 2009, Phase I clinical trials for transplantation of a human-ES-derived cell population into spinal cord-injured individuals received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), marking it the world's first human ES cell human trial . The study leading to this scientific advancement was conducted by Hans Keirstead and colleagues at the University of California, Irvine and supported by Geron Corporation of Menlo Park, CA. The results of this experiment suggested an improvement in locomotor recovery in spinal cord-injured rats after a 7-day delayed transplantation of human ES cells that were pushed towards an oligodendrocytic lineage.

Michael Jackson Dies Of Cardiac Arrest

June 25, 2009 -- Pop star Michael Jackson has died at age 50 after suffering a cardiac arrest, according to media reports.

Los Angeles TV station KTLA reports that Los Angeles fire officials said they responded to a 911 call at Jackson's home and that Jackson wasn't breathing when they arrived; paramedics performed CPR and rushed him to UCLA Medical Center, although the hospital, due to privacy rules, could not confirm that.

In a cardiac arrest, the heart stops working properly. A cardiac arrest is not the same as a heart attack, but it can happen because of a heart attack, notes Douglas Zipes, MD, MACC, distinguished professor at Indiana University School of Medicine and past president of the American College of Cardiology.

Zipes explains that "cardiac arrest is a heart rhythm disturbance when the bottom chamber of the heart, the ventricles, beat an at extremely rapid rate -- 4 to 600 times a minute."

Zipes says that heart rhythm "prevents that bottom chamber from effective contraction and pumping blood to the brain and to the rest of the body, and death results if it's not reversed within four or five minutes, generally."

According to his doctor and other physicians, when that heart rhythm disturbance, which is called ventricular fibrillation, happens, the bottom chambers of the heart are "like a bag of squiggly worms without an effective squeeze, and no blood gets pumped to the rest of the body, and without the necessary oxygen in the blood vessels going to the brain, and so on, the brain then begins to die."

Though the family is requesting another autopsy.

Rest in peace michael.

What is swine flu?

for some weeks now ,the world has been rocked with cases and news of swine flu.so the posts that follows should do justice to this issue by enunciating this topic.


Like people, pigs can get influenza (flu), but swine flu viruses aren't the same as human flu viruses. Swine flu doesn't often infect people, and the rare human cases that have occurred in the past have mainly affected people who had direct contact with pigs. But the current "swine flu" outbreak is different. It's caused by a new swine flu virus that has changed in ways that allow it to spread from person to person -- and it's happening among people who haven't had any contact with pigs. That makes it a human flu virus. In an effort to avoid confusion, the CDC is calling the virus "novel influenza A (H1N1) virus" to distinguish it both from flu viruses that infect mainly pigs and from the seasonal influenza A H1N1 viruses that have been in circulation for many years.

What are symptoms of swine flu?

Symptoms of swine flu are like regular flu symptoms and include fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, body aches, headache, chills, and fatigue. Many people with swine flu have had diarrhea and vomiting. Nearly everyone with flu has at least two of these symptoms. But these symptoms can also be caused by many other conditions. That means that you and your doctor can't know, just based on your symptoms, if you've got swine flu. Health care professionals may offer a rapid flu test, although a negative result doesn't necessarily mean you don't have the flu.

Only lab tests can definitively show whether you've got swine flu. State health departments can do these tests. But given the large volume of samples coming in to state labs, these tests are being reserved for patients with severe flu symptoms. Currently, doctors are reserving antiviral drugs for people with or at risk of severe influenza.

Who is at highest risk of swine flu

Most U.S. cases of H1N1 swine flu have been in older children and young adults. It's not clear why, and it's not clear whether this will change.

But certain groups are at particularly high risk of severe disease or bad outcomes if they get the flu:

1. Pregnant women
2. Young children, especially those under 12 months of age
3. Elderly people are at high risk of severe flu disease
4. People with heart disease or risk factors for heart disease
5. People with HIV infection
6. People with chronic diseases
7. People taking immune-suppressing drugs, such as cancer chemotherapy or anti-rejection drugs for transplants.

How does swine flu spread? Is it airborne?

The swine flu virus can become airborne if you cough or sneeze without covering your nose and mouth, sending germs into the air.
The U.S. residents infected with swine flu virus had no direct contact with pigs. The only way to get the new swine flu is from another person.

How is swine flu treated?

The new swine flu virus is sensitive to the antiviral drugs Tamiflu and Relenza. The CDC recommends those drugs to prevent or treat swine flu; the drugs are most effective when taken within 48 hours of the start of flu symptoms. But not everyone needs those drugs. Most people who have come down with swine flu have recovered without treatment. The Department of Homeland Security has released 25% of its stockpile of Tamiflu and Relenza to states. Health officials have asked people not to hoard Tamiflu or Relenza.

Is there a vaccine against the new swine flu virus?

No. But the CDC and the World Health Organization are already taking the first steps toward making such a vaccine. That's a lengthy process that takes months.

How can I prevent swine flu infection?

The WHO recommends taking these steps:

1. Wash your hands regularly with soap and water, especially after coughing or sneezing. Or, use an alcohol-based hand cleaner if soap and water are not available.
2. Avoid close contact -- that is, being within six feet -- with people who have flu-like symptoms.
3. Avoid touching your mouth, nose, or eyes. That's not easy to do, so keep those hands clean.
4. If you have flu-like symptoms -- fever plus at least cough or sore throat or other flu symptoms -- stay home for seven days after symptoms begin or until you've been symptom-free for 24 hours -- whichever is longer.
5. The CDC does not recommend using a face mask or respirator in community or home settings. However, the CDC says that people at increased risk of severe flu illness may consider wearing a N-95 respirator or face mask in crowded settings in communities where swine flu is circulating or when taking care of a person with flu-like illness. It's not known whether face masks actually protect against flu transmission.
6. People who have or are suspected of having swine flu should wear a face mask, if available and tolerable, when sharing common spaces with other household members, when outside the home, or when breastfeeding.

How long does the flu virus survive on surfaces?

Flu bugs can survive for hours on surfaces. One study showed that flu viruses can live for up to 48 hours on hard, nonporous surfaces such as stainless steel and for up to 12 hours on cloth and tissues. The virus seems to survive for only minutes on your hands -- but that's plenty of time for you to transfer it to your mouth, nose, or eyes.

Can I still eat pork?

yep.

Thats all for now.

Chinese Herb Could help Treat immune Diseases

June 4, 2009 -- A drug derived from an herb used in medicines used in china for 2,000 years is the first to target specific cells that are overactive in rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and other autoimmune diseases.

The ancient herb is chang shan, from the root of the blue evergreen hydrangea. It's been used in Chinese medicine to reduce fever and fight malaria.

The herb's active compound, febrifugine, is too toxic for use as a modern drug. In the 1960s, U.S. Army scientists created a febrifugine derivative called halofuginone as a possible malaria drug, but further study was soon discontinued.

More recently, halofuginone was found to reduce skin collagen and was tested as a possible treatment for scleroderma. But until now, nobody knew how the drug worked.

That may be because the drug's target -- a specific kind of immune cell called a Th17 cell -- was identified only in 2006. But now Harvard Medical School researchers Mark S. Sundrud, PhD, Anjana Rao, PhD, and colleagues show that halofuginone does indeed inhibit Th17 cells.

That's important, because Th17 cells regulate autoimmune inflammatory responses. That's the kind of immune response that goes haywire in a wide range of diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes, eczema, and psoriasis.

"Halofuginone may herald a revolution in the treatment of certain types of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases," i found out in a news release.

That may be because the drug's target -- a specific kind of immune cell called a Th17 cell -- was identified only in 2006. But now Harvard Medical School researchers Mark S. Sundrud, PhD, Anjana Rao, PhD, and colleagues show that halofuginone does indeed inhibit Th17 cells.

That's important, because Th17 cells regulate autoimmune inflammatory responses. That's the kind of immune response that goes haywire in a wide range of diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes, eczema, and psoriasis.

"Halofuginone may herald a revolution in the treatment of certain types of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases," Rao says in a news release.

Why? Current drugs for autoimmune diseases take a sledgehammer approach. They smash down many different immune responses, leaving patients vulnerable to infections and cancers.

A drug that can specifically inhibit one type of immune response would be a major breakthrough. Halofuginone may turn out to be such a drug.

"This is really the first description of a small molecule that interferes with autoimmune pathology but is not a general immune suppressant," Sundrud says in the news release.

An added bonus: Halofuginone could probably be taken orally, rather than by injection.

Yet the findings by Sundrud and Rao are based only on mouse studies. They must be refined and confirmed in humans before any actual drug is developed.