Sound Medicine -- April 5, 2003

Hosts Diane Willis and Dr. Ora Pescovitz talk to physicians and researchers about:

Indiana's response to the bioterrorism threat

An anti-chemical-weapon treatment from WWII

Childhood obesity

Indiana's response to the bioterrorism threat

Today, Americans face the possibility of bioterrorism attacks. Our preparations include stockpiling pharmaceuticals, providing smallpox vaccinations and assembling local, state, and national emergency plans. In addition, the Indiana State Department of Health and Indiana public broadcasting have collaborated to produce a three-part TV program called "The Bioterrorism Threat: Indiana Responds." It airs later this month around the state. We're joined by State Health Commissioner Dr. Gregory Wilson, and Margaret Joseph, director of public affairs. They put the threat of bioterrorism into perspective for Hoosiers and preview of the television series.

Dr. Wilson discusses biological agents categorized by the Centers for Disease Control as most likely to be used, including anthrax and plague. Because they are difficult to render airborne, he says, the likelihood is low that these poisons will affect large populations. He discusses smallpox, how it spreads, and he details how the state is prepared to respond to an outbreak. Ms. Joseph outlines ways the state has prepared the media to inform the public, including the production of the "Bioterrorism Threat" program.

Resources:

Find continually updated bioterrorism information from the Indiana State Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control Web sites.

Visit WFYI for details about the public broadcasting series, The Bioterrorism Threat: Indiana Responds. The program airs throughout Indiana in mid-April. Click here to view the schedule on a station in your area.

Anti-chemical-weapon treatment from WWII

A compound developed by British scientists early in World War II as a treatment against chemical weapons still has value today. British Anti-Lewisite, a heavy metal chelating agent, is an antidote capable of removing heavy metals such as arsenic, copper, mercury and lead from the human body. Known as BAL, the compound was created out of fear that the German Army would use Lewisite, a deadly arsenic-based liquid similar to mustard gas. Joel Vilensky, Phd, and Kent Redman, PhD, Indiana University School of Medicine researchers at the Fort Wayne Center for Medical Education, published an article on BAL in the March issue of the Annals of Emergency Medicine. Today we speak with Dr. Vilensky, medical historian and professor of anatomy.

Dr. Vilensky provides a 100-year overview of the powerful poison chemical Lewisite -- its invention in the U.S., its production, its actual use in warfare, and the development of its antidote during WWII. He reveals how chemical-weapon use was rationalized during the 20th century, and says even today countries like Korea, Iraq, and Russia probably still have large stockpiles. He explains how the antidote for Lewisite, BAL, is still an excellent way to rid the human body of arsenic and heavy metal toxins.

Resources:

Find out more about BAL in the IU School of Medicine newsroom.

The Annals of Emergency Medicine provides an abstract of the Vilensky/Redman article.

Read an extensive history of Lewisite from Notre Dame Magazine.

Childhood obesity

Childhood obesity is considered an epidemic in the United States. Without intervention, overweight children become overweight adults with mounting health problems and medical expenses. Why are our nation's children getting fatter? What can we do to halt the trend? Joining us to discuss this public health threat is Tamara Hannon, MD, assistant professor of clinical pediatrics at the IU School of Medicine.

Dr. Hannon explains the how body mass index determines "overweight" versus "obesity" in children. Children over the 85th percentile are considered overweight; those over the 95th percentile are considered obese. In the 2-to-5-year-old range, 20% of children are overweight, she reports. In the 6-to-18-year old age group, 30% are overweight. She attributes much of the increase to consuming fast food and high-sugar beverages, and she provides lots of statistics about the sedentary habits of modern American children.

The medical implications for children include orthopedic, psychosocial, and sleep problems as well as more well-known conditions like heart disease and diabetes. She discusses the difficulty of reversing obesity in children and stresses the involvement of families and schools in changing diets and increasing physical activity.

Resources:

Read about a Harvard study that finds soft drinks contribute to childhood obesity.

The Mayo Clinic offers tips to parents of overweight children.

Explore the problems overweight children can face in adulthood at Duke University.

 

Is there a medical topic you'd like us to cover? Reach us by email: soundmed@iu.edu
or by phone:
(317) 274-4848.

Nearly 34 percent of the American population is overweight despite warnings from physicians about health problems associated with obesity. So researchers at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the University of Alabama Birmingham decided to study the relationship between obesity and life expectancy. In today’s health quiz we ask what the researchers found?

A. They found no relationship between obesity and life expectancy.

B. Obesity reduces life expectancy in both men and women.

C. There is a relationship for men but not women.

Find out!

A standard Red Cross disaster preparedness kit is recommended by most medical experts for both natural and manmade disasters, rather than a "home bio-terrorism medical kit" complete with gas masks to prepare for a possible chemical or biological attack.

A standard disaster supplies kit, according to the Red Cross Web site, should consist of water, non-perishable foods, first aid supplies, clothing and bedding, tools and important documents. These items should be kept stocked in the house in an easy-to carry container such as a trash container or a camping backpack, in case of confinement or need for evacuation.

According to Stephen Jay, MD, professor of medicine and chair of Department of Public Health at the IU School of Medicine, a disaster preparedness kit consisting of gas masks may not be economical for everyone; additionally, it is impossible to anticipate the nature of a terrorist or a natural disaster. "To my knowledge," he says, "no one has tested the hypothesis that a home bio-terrorism kit is effective. One might argue that over reliance on "self-help" kits could delay families from seeking appropriate health care services."

Find more information on preparing for natural and man-made disasters from the Red Cross Web site.