How Cranberry Juice Prevents Urinary Tract Infections

Urinary Tract Infections are painful and can become a reoccurring problem for many males and females throughout their lifetime. UTIs must be treated with antibiotics to eradicate most of the bacteria so that the individual does not feel anymore symptoms. Individuals may or may not have a UTI again however some individuals always ask about the use of Cranberry Juice to treat or prevent UTIs? Cranberry Juice can be an alternative to PREVENT reoccurring UTIs; however it does not TREAT UTIs. You will need antibiotics in this case.

In this video I discuss information about Cranberry Juice and Capsules as an alternative medicine in the prevention of reoccurring UTIs. I talk about the efficiency, safety, drug interactions, how to take it, and possible adverse reactions from taking medicinal amounts of cranberry. Enjoy!

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This video was created by Paul Tran, PharmD Candidate 2012, UWSOP

Disclaimer
Please do not self treat without consulting a medical professional. This video provides basic information about medications and should be used for education purposes only. It should not be used as a tool to self diagnose and treat.

References
Avorn J, Manone M, Gurwitz JH, et al. Reduction of bacteriuria and pyuria after ingestion of cranberry juice. JAMA 1994;271:751-4.
Walker EB, Barney DP, Mickelsen JN, et al. Cranberry concentrate: UTI prophylaxis. J Fam Pract 1997;45:167-8.
Lowe FC, Fagelman E. Cranberry juice and urinary tract infections: what is the evidence? Urology 2001;57:407-13.
Jepson RG, Mihaljevic L, Craig J. Cranberries for treating urinary tract infections. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2004;2:CD001322.
Sobota AE. Inhibition of bacterial adherence by cranberry juice: potential use for the treatment of urinary tract infections. J Urol 1984;131:1013-6.
Wing DA, Rumney PJ, Preslicka CW, Chung JH. Daily cranberry juice for the prevention of asymptomatic bacteriuria in pregnancy: a randomized, controlled pilot study. J Urol 2008;180:1367-72.
Jackson B, Hicks LE. Effect of cranberry juice on urinary pH in older adults. Home Healthc Nurse 1997;15:199-202.
Anon. Possible interaction between warfarin and cranberry juice. Current Problems in Pharmacovigilance 2003;29:8.
Cranberry. Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database. Accessed 09-27-10. Full Monograph.

How to get into Pharmacy School

I get the question from people all the time how to get into pharmacy school or any sort of graduate level healthcare program. Basically in this video I’m going to tell you everything I learned over the years prepping my application and resume to get into pharmacy school. All these tips pretty much apply to ever program in healthcare such as medical school, dental school, nursing, optometry, physical therapy, and so on and so forth. Overall this is my recommendations and what you should aim for:

1. Research the schools you want to go to and see what the requirements are. This is important because you need to start planning what classes you need to take and not waste time. Extra year doing undergrad is a big chunk of money that you do not want to waste and especially since that is one year of your life you cannot get back. This is very important because you have to strategically plan your classes for each quarter or semester because some classes are only offered at a certain time of the year.

2. Get volunteer experience or work experience in pharmacies. Try to get different areas of pharmacy (compounding, informatics, oncology, family medicine, retail, ambulatory, pediatrics, inpatient hospital experience, ect…) The more the better, and the more you will have to talk about in the actual interview. This will also give you an opportunity to get to know a pharmacist that you will eventually have to ask to get a letter of recommendation (Most schools require 2-3 letters of recommendations)

3. Try to maintain a GPA around 3.5 if possible (this will not make or break you if you have a low 3.0 GPA as long as you are stronger in other areas of your application).

4. PCAT score goal of 80% overall and aim higher on Biology and Chemistry. (Kaplan is the gold standard book for review on this exam) (Again this will not make or break you if you do not attain these percentages, depends on other things as well).

5. If possible get research experience and get close to a professor that can write you a letter of recommendation. One of the best ways for a professor to write you a good letter is to do research with them.

6. Do something that makes you stand out and unique. Examples:
a. Some travel to other countries in the summer time to do medical excursions to make them stand out.
b. Organize a health clinic in your community.
c. Be an advocate for a certain cause that you choose and organize an event to raise money for that cause.
d. Be creative in what you do, for example I made educational videos that were health related and posted them on YouTube. They found this very intriguing in my approach to health advocacy. They want to see that you can think outside the box and they will test you in the interview as well.

7. Make sure you have lots of people proof your required essays.

8. If you have time take other courses that pertains to pharmacy (example Medical Ethics, human anatomy, biochemistry, public speaking, immunology, ect…)

9. Know how the interview will be conducted, and do MOCK INTERVIEWS (practice!). For example some schools know everything about you when you walk into the interview. Others know nothing about you when you walk through the door. Some schools will have questions specifically for you and what you had written in your essays as opposed to others who will ask you very generic questions. The interview is the most important in my opinion, you can have a 4.0 GPA and if they don’t like you, then that is it try again next year. Here are the qualities they want to see in your interview:

a. Leadership
b. Critical Thinking
c. Ability to adapt to Change
d. Open Minded
e. Be able to formulate your own conclusion/opinion and explain why you believe in that particular argument and still understand the other side of the argument.

10. Check out Student Doctor Network Forums
a. This is a forum that allows you to see how other students across the nation are doing with their application process.
b. You can find out your questions on here or post a question.
c. Provides you with previous questions asked at each pharmacy school.

11. Be aware of pharmacy news, healthcare and what is going on in the world. You cannot live under a rock and expect to get into pharmacy school. They may ask you in the interview about any pharmacy news you may have heard and what you think about it, be prepared!

I hope this information helps you out! Good Luck.

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How to treat Shin Splints

Ever wonder what that dull ache that follows by a worsening pain is after you play sports or run? It is something that occurs due to forces placed on the shinbone and connective tissues from training or playing on hard surfaces. I remember back in the day when I ran track and cross country, it became a big problem for me. I didn’t know why it was happening or how to prevent or treat it. Here is a rundown on all the things you need to know for treating and preventing shin splints in the future. Michael Tran and Paul Tran, PharmD Candidate 2012, present the information in this video.

What are Shin Splints?
The most common cause is inflammation on the connective tissue on the tibia. This occurs due to the forces placed on the shinbone and the connective tissues from training on hard surfaces. Stress fractures may also be contributing to the pain which are very small hairline breaks in the lower leg bones.

What are the symptoms of shin splints?
Usually it begins as a dull ache followed by a gradually worsening pain.
1. Lumps and bumps when feeling around the inside of the shin bone.
2. Pain is felt when toes or foot is extended.
3. Mild swelling, tenderness, soreness or inflammation
4. Redness around the pain area.
5. Pain over the inside lower half of the shin.
6. After an exercise the pain returns
7. Painful when starting an exercise with the pain gradually easing.

How do you get shin splints?
1. Playing Basketball and Tennis (any sport that has frequent stop and go movements)
2. Running on a slanted or tilted surface
3. Bad worn out shoes
4. Training on hard surfaces
5. Your running technique is causing the shin splints, this may be due to overpronation or also known as flat feet.

Treatments and Prevention
Its something that is difficult to recover from but some techniques for treating of preventing Shin Splints are:

• Do stretches for the lower leg muscles. (Demonstrate one)
• Exercises where you point your toes towards your body or walk on your heels to strengthen muscles around your shins.
• Massage, ice, massage, ice (reduces inflammation and pain)
• Wear a shin sleeve lightly tape around the shins for support
• Get special shock absorbing insoles for your shoes.
• Make sure you have the right shoes, do not wear shoes that are overly old and replace them regularly when they are worn out.
• Get rest for the injury to fully heal.
• Apply some heat with a heat retainer or calf supporter after the shin splints starts healing. This will bring blood to the area and support the healing process.
• You can take over the counter pain relievers such as Ibuprofen, naproxen, or aspirin to reduce the inflammation and pain; however please consult a pharmacist or medical professional before self treating.
• Try strengthening your shin muscles by doing toe raises.
• Gradually work up to a higher level of exercise or sport play to reduce the impact on your shin bone and connective tissue.
• Physical Therapy

These are for good steps to consider when you are physically active playing sports or exercising. The best way to recover is to rest with minimal activity taking the steps above and it should go away in about 2 weeks with proper treatment.

Do not self treat and seek out medical assistance if:
• You have a fall or accident that caused the shin pain
• If you’ve tried all the previously mentioned remedies
• Your shin is hot and inflamed.
• When you are resting the pain still persists.
• Swelling keeps getting worse.

I hope this video has helped you. Thanks for watching and remember, eat your vegetables!

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References:
UptoDate. Overview of running injuries of the lower extremity. Accessed Oct. 7, 2010.
Shin splints. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00407. Accessed Oct. 7, 2010.
Callahan L, et al. Overview of running injuries of the lower extremity. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Oct. 7, 2010.
Handout on health: Sports injuries. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Sports_Injuries/default.asp. Accessed Oct. 7, 2010.
Wilder RP, et al. Overuse injuries: tendinopathies, stress fractures, compartment syndrome, and shin splints. Clinics in Sports Medicine. 2004;23:55-81.