"Medical research misconduct" on brain injured soldiers

[Judi Lynn]

Source: CBS News

May 6, 2011 2:56 PM
"Medical research misconduct" on brain injured soldiers
Posted by Laura Strickler

Eighty soldiers suffering from mild traumatic brain injury in Iraq participated in a clinical trial in 2008-2009 that was found to have "medical research misconduct" according to an investigation by the Department of Defense's Inspector General obtained by CBS News.

Soldiers who participated in the study had been exposed to blasts within 24 hours and were flown to Camp Al Taqaddum, Iraq. Half of the soldiers were treated with a placebo while the other half were given an anti-oxidant called N-acetylcysteine or NAC.

While there is no standard treatment for mild traumatic brain injury, investigators found the study did not use standard military concussion assessments on the soldiers possibly resulting in "sub-standard care".

In addition to the NAC, soldiers were also given seizure and migraine medications to treat headaches that "should be avoided in the treatment of post-concussive symptoms" according to the report which indicates that "clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of in theater" dictates that only Tylenol should be used.



Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-31727_162-20060551-10391695.html

[Solly Mack]

1. K/R

[truedelphi]

2. Just when you think that nothing could make you any sicker...

A big K & R for this information.

[defendandprotect]

3. kr

[defendandprotect]

4. We officially have "government by gangsters" -- wake up, America!!

Trust some of the weather conditions are finally waking up Americans

re Global Warming?


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_severe_weather_flooding

[pasto76]

5. tylenol is like, the only thing they ever give you. Its kind of a joke.

A buddy of mine took a 15 foot fall, lawn darting onto the ground. He was out cold. He told us later that when he was in the hospital they thought they were going to just give him tylenol and tell him to drink water. ha ha, right.

they did hook him up with some real painkiller. He could have been killed in that fall and dealt with some serious pain during our deployment.

[midnight]

6. Great .... Just when our soldiers need the care the most, we pull this crap on them....

There is no ethical reason to experiment on our soldiers.

[provis99]

7. the Tuskegee Experiments, Part Two.

[midnight]

8. Right...That's what came to my mind too...

[Patiod]

9. I came to this thread ready to defend the research....

since I work with clinical trials all the time in my job, and find that a lot of DU posters have ridiculous knee-jerk reaction to anything related to pharma (no one is "sitting on" a cure for cancer or diabetes that might help someone in their own family. Trust me on that one.)

However....this stinks to high heaven. On more than one ground.

Really? You're letting the guy with the patent design the protocol? Really?

Ugh - it's guys like this that frighten people away from legitimate and carefully-designed trials that might actually save lives and alleviate suffering. Words fail me.

[w8liftinglady]

12. do did I, since my neurologist and neurosurgeon have done dozens of studies

...But neither had the profit motive drive them.
This sounds like medical corruption at its worst. As a nurse, I've seen it before.
I hope the marines have no long-term effects from their TBI. History has proven otherwise,and the delay in treatment could have affected their outcome.

[formercia]

10. Calling Doktor Mengele!

Wars supply a never-ending supply of Guinea Pigs.

[No Elephants]

11. Dr. Michael E. Hoffer-story buries his name. No true consent from subjects,

conflicts of interest--a real prince. Dr. Michael E. Hoffer. Remember his name.

[defendandprotect]

13. Isn't this why we fought the Nazis? Oh ... and TORTURE was another issue, wasn't it?