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tHe History of Medicine Medicine Today 2000 To The PresenT tHe History of Medicine Medicine Today 2000 To The PresenT Ka e Kelly KaT MEDICINE TODAY: 2000 to the Present Copyright © 2010 by Kate Kelly All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher. For information contact: Facts On File, Inc. An imprint of Infobase Publishing 132 West 31st Street New York NY 10001 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Kelly, Kate, 1950– Medicine today: 2000 to the present / Kate Kelly. p. ; cm.—(History of medicine) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-8160-7210-1 (hardcover: alk. paper) ISBN 978-1-4381-2860-3 (e-book) 1. Medicine—History—21st century. I. Title. II. Series: History of medicine (Facts on File, Inc.) [DNLM: I. History of Medicine. 2. History, 21st Century. 3. Ethics, Medical. 4. History, 20th Century. WZ40 K29ma 2010] R131.K43 2010 610.9—dc22 2009016629 Facts On File books are available at special discounts when purchased in bulk quantities for businesses, associations, institutions, or sales promotions. Please call our Special Sales Department in New York at (212) 967-8800 or (800) 322-8755. You can fi nd Facts On File on the World Wide Web at http://www.factsonfi le.com Excerpts included herewith have been reprinted by permission of the copyright holders; the author has made every effort to contact copyright holders. The publishers will be glad to rectify, in future editions, any errors or omissions brought to their notice. Text design by Annie O’Donnell Illustrations by Bobbi McCutcheon Photo research by Elizabeth H. Oakes Composition by Hermitage Publishing Services Cover printed by Bang Printing, Inc., Brainerd, Minn. Book printed and bound by Bang Printing, Inc., Brainerd, Minn. Date printed: February, 2010 Printed in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 This book is printed on acid-free paper. HM-MedToday.FNL.indd 4 2/11/10 3:34:45 PM Contents Preface Acknowledgments Introduction viii xii xiii 1 ReCently CRossed MediCal FRontieRs 1 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention How the CDC Identifies an Illness Medical Frontiers Recently Crossed Transplants: A Recent Accomplishment The First Test Tube Baby Advances in Surgery Conclusion 3 7 10 12 17 20 22 2 HuMan HealtH and tHe enviRonMent 23 The Dangers of Mercury Mercury: Early Use as a Medicine Lead and Asbestos Radon and Electromagnetic Fields Global Warming Expected to Affect Human Health Rise in Asthma Partially Due to Pollutants Medical Waste Conclusion 3 aniMal and HuMan diseases— a deFinite link SARS—a Clear Alert HIV/AIDS Worries about Avian Flu How the Virus Might Mutate Hope for the Future—Conservation Medicine What Scientists Learned from the 1918 Flu Virus 24 28 30 36 38 40 42 45 47 48 50 51 55 61 62 The Deadly Dozen from the Wildlife Conservation Society Conclusion 65 67 4 Medical Frontiers of the Future 69 The Hope for Stem Cells The Controversy over Stem Cells Genetic Testing and Gene-Based Medicine How a Cloned Sheep Could Help Medicine Nanotechnology and Nanomedicine The Goals of Nanotechnology Nanomedicine—Not without Risks Conclusion 70 75 77 78 83 85 88 89 5 Modern Medicine and Medical Ethics Baby K Karen Ann Quinlan The Pillow Angel Case The Ethics of Medical Studies Correcting Ethical Mistakes of the Past The Creation of Hospital Ethics Boards Values in Medical Ethics Conclusion 90 92 93 94 95 96 98 99 101 6 Health Care in Crisis—Who Will Pay? <