Scrape - Topical Antibiotic
A local hospital is taking part in a study involving a new type of topical antibiotic; one that's even showing promise in treating so-called super bugs.
Many different strains of certain diseases are becoming resistant to conventional antibiotics.
Some of the so called super bugs such as MRSA are spreading because there are very few drugs that can stop it.
However, a new topical drug may be the answer and you could be a part of the study.
Dr. Frederick Epstein is the medical director for the Emergency Department at Bay Medical.
He is the only so called "investigator" in this area for a new type of topical antibiotic called Scrape.
"Scrape is a new study that's being conducted by Glaxo in an effort to bring a new drug to the market," Dr. Epstein said.
If you want to be a part of this study, the primary eligibility criteria is you need what is considered a minor laceration or wound that has become infected.
"As long as they are approximately 10 cm or 4 inches in length or what we call 2% body surface area. The palm of your hand is one percent of body surface area. So, relatively small or contained wound and the key is they have to show clinical evidence of infection," Dr. Epstein explained.
The wound can't have come from an animal bite or human bite; patients have to be at least 2-months-old and pregnant or breast feeding women are not eligible.
"It is a study and the study has a control, which means the tube of ointment that they are given, two out of three of these tubes will be actual study drugs,” Dr. Epstein continued. “One out of three of the drugs are actually the vehicle with no antibiotic in it."
If you choose to take part in the study, the safe guard is you are closely monitored.
"We call you the very next day to check on the wound to find out if you're not responding,” Dr. Epstein said, reassuringly. “We would withdraw you from the study promptly and put them on a conventional antibiotic."
Patients will get a backpack with all the dressing materials required to go along with the antibiotics; it has to be applied twice daily for five days.
The only other obligation is keeping a journal of the times of day and the number of days the antibiotic was applied.
Patients will get a check-up four times in nine days, so there's very little chance something could go wrong.
However, there's more exciting news about Scrape.
Dr. Epstein explains, "The potential excitement about the drug is that it may be affective against some of these super bugs that have been much discussed in the media the last few years and have become virtually epidemic in ordinary wound infection."
That includes the tough to treat super bug MRSA.
Scrape is already approved for use in Europe and has been proven affective against MRSA.
For more information on Scrape, call Bay Medical.
Medical News
-
'Uninsurables' at risk as states fear losing health aid
Thousands of people with serious medical problems are in danger of losing coverage under President Barack Obama's health care overhaul because of cost overruns, state officials say. -
Your kitchen isn't as clean as you think!
If you're a smoothie lover, take note. Eight spots in your kitchen -- including your blender -- may be alive with foodborne pathogens potent enough to sicken you and your family, a new study finds.
-
'Rapid strides': Advances offer hope for amputees
It will be weeks, at least, before Celeste Corcoran is anywhere near ready to think about artificial limbs. The 47-year-old Lowell, Mass.
-
FDA ups pressure on compounding pharmacies
The Food and Drug Administration is stepping up pressure on firms that make drugs for specific individuals, known as compounding pharmacies, as it seeks greater regulatory authority following a deadly meningitis outbreak traced to one such pharmacy. -
Doctor-assisted death: Seattle cancer hospital shares its experience
Ethan Remmel was only 41 when he died on June 13, 2011, barely a year after being diagnosed with terminal colon cancer that quickly spread to his bone. The Bellingham, Wash.
-
Report questioning salt guidelines riles heart experts
An unusual medical brawl erupted on Tuesday when the influential Institute of Medicine issued a report questioning the basis of years of advice for Americans to cut their salt intake in half. -
Chris Christie's weight-loss procedure doesn't always work
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie revealed that he's had gastric-band weight-loss surgery, which experts say has the least amount of short-term risk but also yields the least amount of weight loss.
-
Caffeinated gum raises health buzz
A new line of caffeinated chewing gum is causing jitters among health advocates and prompting federal officials to take a new look at the proliferation of jolt-infused foods, including those marketed to children and teens.
-
Dr. Oz's tips for losing those last 10 pounds
Stress, the slowing of metabolism of middle age, and hormone changes after having a baby are three main reasons why many people see the numbers on the scale going up. Dr. Mehmet Oz shares tips on how to shed those final 10 pounds.
-
How First Lady won over Miss. on school lunches
Despite its deeply red political leanings, it was Mississippi that early on embraced the first lady’s ideas about healthy food, and was the site where Mrs. Obama kicked off a two day, three-city tour touting the three-year anniversary of her “Let’s Move” initiative, which encourages kids to get and stay fit.
-
Anger may raise heart attack risk, study finds
Bottling up emotions is thought to harm both mind and body, but a new study suggests that the opposite extreme may be no better. -
Just one daily soda can raise diabetes risk
Drinking just one 12-ounce soda a day may increase the risk of Type 2 diabetes, a new study from Europe suggests. -
Gut bugs linked to heart attacks, strokes
Thousands of heart attack victims every year have none of the notorious risk factors before their crisis - not high cholesterol, not unhealthy triglycerides. -
12 school football players die each year, study finds
Each year in the U.S. an average of a dozen high school and college football players die during practices and games, according to a new study that finds heart conditions, heat and other non-traumatic causes of death are twice as common as injury-related ones. -
Chelation little help for heart disease: study
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Removing metals from the body through a controversial treatment has little effect on the long-term health of people who've previously suffered a heart attack, according to the results of a government-funded trial released Tuesday.
-
Brisk walk may be as good as a run, study finds
Walking really is just as good for you as running – but only if you compare it in terms of calories burned and not merely on time spent, researchers reported on Thursday. -
Smart jocks: Fit kids do better at math, reading
Forget the old high school clichés about athletes not doing as well academically as less sporty kids -- a new study shows that children who exercise more do better in math, reading tests.
-
Seeing green might make your workout better
The positive effects of green exercise may have more to do with the color green than with being surrounded by nature, according to a new study. -
No time to exercise? Try 10-minute workouts
The procrastinators, the super-busy, and the easily bored in pursuit of a manageable fitness routine may find what they seek in the 10-minute workout.
-
Stressed? Exercise may help ward off anxiety
Exercise not only improves mood, it may help people maintain reduced anxiety in the face of stressful or emotional events, a new study says.
