PATH News Network Daily Edition

Health Tips for the World Cup

• College of American Pathologists

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Nick Lanyi

Empowering paramedics in the field. A pathologist testifies on drug safety and health tips for the World Cup. These stories and more coming up next. This is Path News Network Daily Edition from the College of American Pathologists. I'm Nick Lanyi. It's Friday, June 12th. A bill in the New Jersey legislature would allow paramedics to administer blood transfusions to patients in the field. The CAP and the New Jersey Society of Pathologists support the bill. It allows specially trained paramedics to administer blood products under established protocols if there's an urgent need. Hemorrhage is the leading cause of preventable death after traumatic injury, with up to 55% of these deaths occurring before patients reach the hospital. Pre-hospital blood transfusion programs could save 10,000 lives a year nationwide, yet only about 2% of EMS programs currently carry blood products, according to a CAP position statement issued last year. Blood tests seem to detect a relapse in mantle cell lymphoma significantly sooner than PET CT scans for patients who received CAR T therapy. Mantle cell lymphoma is an aggressive form of non-Hodgkin B cell lymphoma that responds well to CAR T therapy, but more than 40% of patients suffer a relapse within a year of treatment. Researchers at Stanford University conducted a small study of 37 patients who received CAR T infusions. After 28 days, they tested their blood for measurable residual disease, MRD, and also conducted a PET CT scan. The patients whose blood contained MRD had worse progression-free survival than those with undetectable MRD. The PET CT scan was unable to predict relapse. Further study is needed, but the predictive benefits could lead to improved patient outcomes. Blood tests also are simpler, safer, and quicker than PET CT scans, they said. Some generic medications produced overseas contain harmful contaminants, suggesting the need for more rigorous oversight and monitoring, according to a pathologist’s testimony at a U.S. Senate Committee on Aging hearing last week. Dr. Suzanne de la Monte, professor and vice chair of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine at Brown University’s Alpert Medical School, told the committee that when levels of impurities called nitrosamines are too high, they can cause a range of health problems:

Dr. Suzanne de la Monte

We know that chronic low-dose exposures can cause insulin-resistance diseases, diabetes, obesity, dementia.

Nick Lanyi

Nitrosamine contamination is uncommon in the U.S. thanks to standardized manufacturing protocols, monitoring and testing. But some foreign generic sources have lax oversight, Dr. de la Monte said. The risk is especially acute for seniors.

Nick Lanyi

 

Dr. Suzanne de la Monte

More than 40 percent of Americans who are over 65 take five prescribed medications a day, and between 10 percent and 20 percent take 10 or more per day. Healthcare providers often prescribe additional drugs to combat the side effects of the targeted therapeutics. However, side effects from those drugs add even more prescriptions. Matters are worsened by many non-prescription generic medications used by seniors. More drugs mean increased risk for adverse events like toxin contamination exposure.

Nick Lanyi

And finally, as the World Cup kicks off this week in North America, the Centers for Disease Control has posted a website with essential public health information to help fans stay healthy and safe as they attend the matches. The World Cup is the most widely viewed sporting event in the world, and more than 5 million fans are expected to attend the games culminating in the July 19th final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. The CDC site includes articles on hygiene, food safety, heat, and sun, travel safety, and other health topics. If you're attending a World Cup watch party, stay healthy and safe out there. That's all for today. See the show notes for more information on today's stories, and feel free to share this edition on social media. One more thing before we sign off. Path News is getting a new look. This Monday morning we'll launch our first video edition, kicking off a new weekly feature. You'll have the option to watch or listen as Nancy Johnson gets you ready for the week ahead. Our audio newscasts will continue Tuesday through Friday. Be sure to tune in Monday for the premiere. I'm Nick Lanyi. Have a wonderful weekend.