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Reports on community-associated meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or CA-MRSA, which are resitant to all β-lactam antibiotics, including cephalosporins. Virulence of CA-MRSA in some United States communities; Outbreak among prison inmates and others; Indication that hospital strains are resistant to several drugs; Characteristics that distinguish CA-MRSA strains from hospital MRSA strains; Mention of pediatric research and mortality by Robert Daum and co-workers in Chicago and by Sheldon Kaplan and co-workers in Texas; How β-lactam antibiotics kill staphylococci; Significance of the mecA gene and cassette in MRSA strains; Efforts to determine the virulence and prevalence of CA-MRSA; Recommended first-line therapy.

Focuses on the ALLHAT hypertension and lipid treatment trial. Comment of epidemiology professor, Paul Whelton, who was on the ALLHAT steering committee; Details of the Antihypertensive and Lipid-Lowering Treatment to Prevent Heart Attack study which compared calcium-channel blocker amlopidine, the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor lisinopril, and the α-adrenergic blocker doxazosin with chlorthalidone, an old thiazide diuretic; Reaction of drug companies to the results; Discussion of the outlook for marketing campaigns.

This article reports on the spread of drug-resistant gonorrhoeae in the United States. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) no longer recommends fluoroquinolones for the treatment of Neisseria gonorrhoeae. The drugs have lost their therapeutic effect as a drug resistant strain of the disease, believed to have come from south east Asia, took hold in America. The CDC is recommending the use of ceftriaxone or cefixime in the treatment of uncomplicated urogenital or anorectal gonorrhoeae. Cephalosporins are the last class of antibiotic for which resistance has not been detected.

The article profiles Tadtaka Yamada, president of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Global Health Program. Yamada was enlightened regarding the problems of world health when his employer, SmithKline Beecham, sued to keep South Africa from obtaining cheap generic copies of its HIV drug. Yamada went from academic medicine to industry at SmithKline. After the South Africa suit, Yamada set up the Developing World Drug Discovery Unit in the company to find treatments and cures for malaria and tuberculosis.

The narrative describes the author's travel experience, which began at the Mumbai airport where he had symptoms of gastroenteritis. He was relieved to think that the abdominal pain that subsided during the flight to London was caused by a kidney stone. The hotel doctor concurred that the pain and vomiting was caused by "gravel". The author decided not to go to the hospital and continued his chosen treatment of water and ibuprofen. After a flight to America, the condition was diagnosed as nephrolithiasis. The recommended treatment was fluids and ibuprofen.

Reports that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has decided to reapprove the use of alosetron hydrochloride to treat irritable bowel syndrome. Controversy about the drug, which was pulled from the market after reports of dangerous side effects; Restrictions on the use of the drug; Response of the drug's manufacturer, GlaxoSmithKline.

Focuses on drugs that appear to be potent against HIV, including strains that are resistant, according to research presented at the 9th Annual Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, which was held in Seattle, Washington in February 2002. Mention of anti-HIV drugs that are entry inhibitors and integrase inhibitors.; Discussion of non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTI) and of TMC 125, a drug developed by Tibotec-Virco in Belgium.

Reports that weeds may have more medicinal value than jungle plants. How weeds are more likely to rely on chemical warfare to fight off plant-eating animals and insects than are jungle plants, which increases their likelihood of containing compounds that have pharmacological effects; Details of studies on the medicinal plant use of residents of Chiapas, Mexico, and of native Americans.

Reports a revision of United States HIV treatment guidelines which reflects a more conservative approach to patients who have not developed symptoms. Effect on the use of antiretroviral agents; Role of the Department of Health and Human Services and the Henry J Kaiser Foundation; Recommendations for conditions under which treatment should begin that should minimize side effects and reduce the likelihood of drug-resistant strains.

Reports on the concern over the use of psychotropic drugs to treat young children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in the United States. Efforts of First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton to launch an initiative to improve care of children with ADHD; Four federal programs included in the initiative; Concern that psychotropic drugs are being overprescribed.

Reports that neostigmine, an inhibitor of acetylcholinesterase can effectively decompress dilated colons of patients with acute colonic pseudo-obstruction. Severe form of adynamic ileus; Loss of normal colonic motility by imbalance in the parasympathetic and sympathetic stimulation of the bowel.

Reports on results of a phase II study of nose drops containing IM862. The ability of this peptide to inhibit production of vascular endothelial growth factor and basic fibroblast growth factor; The success rate of this treatment in patients with AIDS-related Kaposi's sarcoma; Trials of the drug for other cancers.

Reports on the findings of three studies done regarding possible treatments for HIV. Use of a protein which causes HIV-infected cells to under go apoptosis, or cell death; Efforts to settle the debate regarding the role of HIV-specific CD8 cytoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) in HIV infection; Indications that HIV may reduce CD4 T-cell counts by inhibiting their production.

Reports on studies being conducted to determine whether the human adult can manufacture new T-cells. How T cell counts in patients with HIV-1 rebound after highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART); Search for T-cell-receptor rearrangement excision circles (TRECs); Findings.

Reports that patients with metastatic prostate cancer treated with the antiandrogen flutamide after orchiectomy reported a lower quality of life (Qol). Carol Moinpour and co-workers in Seattle, Washington conducting a Qol study; Brief details of the study; The suspected ability of flutamide to block androgen receptors in the brain.

Reports on the United States National heart, Lung, and Blood Institute working group's advise to the United States emergency departments on their patient evaluation procedures for heart attack patients. Identification of four points by the National Heart Attack Alert Program (NHAAP); Recommendation of the NHAAP report.

Reports on the preventive treatment of neonatal jaundice with tin-mesoporphyrin (SnMP) or other synthetic haem analogues. Usefulness in developing countries where it is not possible to provide phototherapy or exchange transfusions; Test on 517 preterm babies born at Athen's Metera Maternity Hospital; Efficacy of the injections; Photosensitivity as a side-effect.

Reports on the proposed bill that would place a 25 percent sales tax on firearms and increase the fee for a three-year federal gun dealer's license, which will all help pay for the health care reform. Federal expenses incurred by medical care for gunshot victims; Placing of the generated revenues in a health care trust fund; Rationale of the bill's opponents.

Focuses on the guidelines issued by the US Agency for Health Care Policy and Research on the treatment of depression for primary-care doctors which urges them to be more aggressive in their diagnosis and treatment of the disease. Numbers of Americans not being properly diagnosed and treated; Recommendations for medication; Other conclusions.

Reports on the work of Richard Morgan who, along with colleagues, investigated the use of gene therapy in the treatment of HIV-1 infection. Details of the study; Findings.

States the United States Food and Drug Administration banned the sale of Cholestin, made by Pharmanex. The drug used as a dietary supplement to lower cholesterol; Cholestin containing red yeast rice; How the product is made; Manipulation of the fermentation process to produce lovastatin; The pharmaceutical company, Merck, marketing the drug under the name Mevcor. INSET: And AFCAPS/TexCAPS reports.

Reports on a United States study which suggests that doctors taking care of patients with cerebral arteriovenous malformations (AVM) may do less harm by simply leaving them alone. The findings in the journal `Stroke,' (1998; 29: 931-934), by Andreas Hartmann and colleagues of the Neurological Institute at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center in New York City.