The Morning Drill: October 17, 2011

A collection of dentistry and health related links/comments for your day.

VA whistle-blower suffered heart attack before fatal crash

Wallace “Ray” Perdue of Fairborn, a key figure in recent investigations of infection-control practices at the Dayton VA Medical Center dental clinic, had a fatal heart attack behind the wheel of his Corvette, which crashed into a tree on Kemp Road in Beavercreek shortly before noon on Saturday, Oct. 15.

“Just before we crashed, Ray said he couldn’t see; that he had lost his eyesight. He was blacking out,” said his widow, Sherry Perdue, who was in the car with him. “I grabbed the wheel, but his foot was on the gas.”

Mr. Perdue, 45, who was recovering from pneumonia, was pronounced dead at the scene just west of Beaver Valley Road. Mrs. Perdue, who was taken to Miami Valley Hospital and released later Saturday with minor injuries, said the official cause was a heart attack.

The Perdues, who worked in the dental lab as technicians for a decade but were reassigned to other VA facilities after expressing concerns to authorities along with a third informant, were still involved in investigations related to VA dentist Dr. Dwight Pemberton’s failure to sterilize instruments and change latex gloves between patients.

They resigned in November 2010, later found jobs in Chillicothe, but were laid off in August. They had sought to get their old jobs back at the Dayton VA Center, plus lost pay.

“We just started drawing unemployment benefits,” Mrs. Perdue said. “We lost everything because we came forward about the VA.”

Lindsay Lohan makes unflattering red carpet appearance - dental hygiene neglect

Lindsay Lohan has had a very public struggle with drugs and alcohol, and it appears her habits have taken a toll on the 25-year-old’s appearance.

Lohan attended the launch of the new video game Saints Row: The Third in Los Angeles on Wednesday, where she showed off an unflattering look. The actress noticeably had streaks of nail polish on her hands, and her teeth were worn down, yellow, and stained.

According to a Beverly Hills dentist, Lindsay’s teeth are being neglected.

"There are signs of definite neglect," Dr. Naz Tofigh of Thirty-2 Advanced Dentistry told RadarOnline.com. "This is what someone looks like when they haven’t been to the dentist for a long time and they just haven’t taken care of themselves."

"There are a lot of stains on her teeth, the yellow spots are typical of people who drink a lot of red wine and smoke," he added.

Lohan reportedly hasn’t eased up on her hard partying ways.

“As someone that is supposed to be in recovery to an addiction to drugs and alcohol, Lindsay shouldn't be partying until the wee hours of the morning," a source told the website, but still, Lindsay’s rep won’t comment on her unhealthy smile.

New ADHD Guidelines Include Preschoolers, Older Teens

In new guidelines released Sunday, the American Academy of Pediatrics has expanded the age range for the diagnosis and treatment of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) to children as young as 4 and as old as 18.

For the youngest children, the academy is emphasizing the use of behavior treatments over medication in most cases.

"I think the most significant changes are expanding the ages from preschool through adolescence. The original guidelines were from 6 to 12, because that's where the evidence was. We've been able to broaden the scope of the guidelines because there was more evidence available for preschoolers and adolescents," said the lead author of the new recommendations, Dr. Mark Wolraich, CMRI Shaun Walters Professor of Pediatrics and the Edith Kinney Gaylord Presidential Professor at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City.

Wolraich added that the new guidelines also give pediatricians advice on managing inattention or hyperactivity problems that don't quite meet the definition of ADHD.

The new guidelines will be presented at the academy's annual meeting in Boston and will be published in the November issue of Pediatrics.

More than 5 million children in the United States have been diagnosed with ADHD, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Children with the disorder show signs of inattentiveness, impulsivity and hyperactivity. They may be unable to pay attention in class, or may spend a lot of time fidgeting in their seats or talking nonstop. Although most kids may display this type of behavior at one time or another, it becomes a problem when it occurs most of the time, according to the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health.

Treatment for ADHD may include medications or behavior therapy, or both. In fact, Wolraich said that "the combination of both medication and behavioral therapy is probably the best choice when possible."

Obama drops long-term health care program

Citing cost concerns, the Obama administration said Friday it has halted a long-term care insurance program that was part of the massive health care law passed in 2010.

Called the CLASS Act (Community Living Assistance Services and Supports), the program was canceled by Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius after a 19-month effort to find a way to make it financially viable.

In a letter to Congress, Sebelius wrote, "Despite our best analytical efforts, I do not see a viable path forward for CLASS implementation at this time."

The CLASS program was similar to long-term care plans available in the private sector in which workers sign up and pay a monthly premium. It was voluntary and was to be paid for entirely by the premiums from those who signed up. In return, subscribers would get a daily benefit.

But a senior administration official told CNN that there were big questions whether CLASS could be self-sustaining even when the health care reform law was being considered by Congress. And as a result, lawmakers specified that the HHS secretary had to determine that the program would be sustainable for 75 years before certifying it.

Enjoy your morning!