Product Description:
#34123 Immune System - The Immune System at Work (Run time 17 min.) DVD $49.95
This edition of Science Screen Report illustrates how the human immune system protects against the pathogens humans encounter on a daily basis. It explains the function of first-line defenses and white blood cells, the distinction between viruses and bacteria, and the different functions of vaccines and penicillin. It also shows what happens when the immune system falters or fails, and how immunological understanding is increasing. Use this video to highlight a dimension of human anatomy that healthy people too often take for granted. A viewable/printable instructor's guide is available online. Correlates to National Science Education Standards. Produced in association with the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology and the Junior Engineering Technical Society. (17 minutes)
#5390 Infectious Diseases - AIDS: No-Nonsense Answers (Run time 10 min.) DVD $49.95
This is far from the first program about AIDS but it is one of the very best in demonstrating and motivating prevention behaviors and lifestyle modifications and presenting the basic facts about HIV infections and AIDS. If one in a group of children is HIV-positive, are the others at risk? If a restaurant chef has AIDS, are his customers at risk? If a patient has AIDS, is the doctor at risk? The program answers these and many other questions about AIDS by explaining how viewers can protect themselves and their families, what the disease is, how it affects the body, and how it is transmitted from person to person. (10 minutes)
#8178 Infectious Diseases - Gone Tomorrow: AIDS Awareness (Run time 36 min.) DVD $49.95
Designed to raise awareness and educate young adults about AIDS, this video focuses on Rick, a heterosexual, all-American male, with good grades and a positive outlook on life. While Rick takes a look at his bright future, the video takes you through his adolescent years and the romances that have influenced his life. Viewers not only share his visions on life and love, they get to meet Amanda, Jessica, Rhonda, Jennifer, and Allison, his companions who have their own futures to look forward to. Characters begin to understand, along with the viewer, that there are more important things in life and that their actions can indirectly affect many other people. Contains a question-and-answer segment at the end in hopes of creating class discussion on this very emotional topic.A Cambridge Educational Production. One 40-minute video.
#8220 Infectious Diseases - AIDS: A Biological Perspective (Run time 30 min.) DVD $49.95
Why is a cure so elusive? Why has it been so difficult to find a cure or vaccine for AIDS? What makes AIDS so deadly? What is the HIV virus, and how does it devastate the immune system? This eye-opening video explores these questions, providing fascinating insights into the unique qualities of the HIV virus that make AIDS such a relentless killer.A Cambridge Educational Production. One 30-minute video.
#34126 Infectious Diseases - Measuring Risk: Living in Scary Times (Run time 13 min.) DVD $49.95
This program studies the emerging field of risk assessment and its relationship to the exploitation of fear. Prominent figures in the burgeoning risk industry-including mathematician John Allen Paulos as well as the consulting team of Peter Sandman and Jody Lanard-discuss strategies for analyzing and communicating danger. Focusing on the idea that people have a limited reservoir of worry, and that notorious public threats too easily overshadow everyday ubiquitous hazards, the program suggests that corporate interests compete for the public's fears in the same way they compete for other resources. A viewable/printable instructor's guide is available online. (13 minutes)
#2530 Infectious Diseases - The Microbiology of AIDS (Run time 10 min.) DVD $59.95
Produced in conjunction with the Pasteur Institute, this program examines the destructive effects of the AIDS virus on a microscopic level. By blending computer graphics with live-action photography made possible by an electron microscope, this brief but fascinating program shows the virus in action. It illustrates how persons with AIDS become infected, how the structure of the AIDS virus differs from that of other viruses, and how the AIDS virus systematically attacks and kills healthy cells. While explaining the difficulties involved in developing a cure, the program also presents potential avenues of future research. (10 minutes)
#5336 Non-Infectious Diseases & Disorders - 1 in 20: Cystic Fibrosis (Run time 10 min.) DVD $59.95
The title of this animated film about a little girl with CF refers to the ratio of people who carry the Cystic Fibrosis gene. The program explains simply and effectively how CF affects the body, how it is treated and managed, and what those who have it and those who care for them can expect. The narrator delivers a very personal account of her life with CF, talking openly about physiotherapy, enzymes, and gastrostomy operations, as well as the social and psychological effects of the condition. The program communicates a serious message sensitively, but in a humorous and positive way. It is an ideal introduction to CF for both CF and non-CF children and adults. (10 minutes)
#37388 Bones, Joints & Muscles - Living and Dying with Muscular Dystrophy (Run time 12 min.) DVD $69.95
Duchenne muscular dystrophy is the world's most frequently occurring fatal genetic disease among children-although its victims sometimes live into their teens or early adulthood. This ABC News program features a young man named Darius Weems who decided early on not to become a victim. Paralleling the celebrated documentary Darius Goes West, the program describes a life-affirming cross-country adventure undertaken by the wheelchair-bound hero and his friends. Reporter Martin Bashir explores the painful challenges Darius has overcome and their similarity to struggles Bashir has witnessed before-in the life of his own brother, who succumbed to DMD in 1991. (13 minutes)
#3970 Cancer - Colorectal Cancer (Run time 24 min.) DVD $69.95
This program explains the different areas of the colon where cancer may strike, covering the American Cancer Society guidelines for colorectal exams; risk factors, including genetics, diet, and IBD; indications for colostomy and the uses of chemotherapy and radiation after surgery; and why colon cancer is so deadly. (24 minutes)
#5510 Immune System - Our Immune System (Run time 23 min.) DVD $69.95
A veritable army of cells is constantly on the alert in our bodies. Its mission is to destroy any foreign cells, viruses, or bacteria that attack the fortress they are protecting, the human body. This program uses stunning imagery to describe the battles our immune system wages inside our bodies, showing how it sets up defenses against viral invasion. It explains how, by means of vaccination, we can use the functions of the immune system to prevent disease. The program also shows how, in the case of organ transplants, the immune system must be suppressed, and shows how the anti-rejection drug, Cyclosporine, works. (23 minutes)
#8157 Infectious Diseases - Understanding AIDS (Run time 30 min.) DVD $69.95
This program stresses education and awareness of the risks as the best way of combating the threat of AIDS. Emphasis is on getting teens to think seriously about the responsibilities connected with sex, and the importance of using sound judgment in personal health decisions. Topics examined include high-risk groups; modes of transmission; and safe-sex methods, which are carefully presented as being far from foolproof. Interviews with AIDS patients drive home these points while encouraging sensitivity toward those with AIDS. A Cambridge Educational Production. (30 minutes)
#11320 Neurological Disorders & Injuries - Struggling with Life: Asperger's Syndrome (Run time 14 min.) DVD $69.95
Chad is mesmerized by trains. Mikki's passion is washers and dryers. And for Derek, life is a game show, where he is the host and anyone within listening range is a contestant. While these boys might seem like any other children, their intense obsessions are early symptoms of Asperger's syndrome. In this program, ABC News correspondent Jay Schadler reports on that neurological disorder, which makes normal interactions with peers virtually impossible. Studies conducted by Yale University's Fred Volkmar shed light on both the compulsive fixations and the difficulties in comprehending facial expressions that characterize Asperger's patients. (14 minutes)
#11065 Allergies & Asthma - Food Sensitivities: Allergy and Intolerance (Run time 9 min.) DVD $79.95
Food allergies or intolerance can mean anything from minor discomfort or inconvenience to a life-threatening situation. This informative program explains the difference between food allergy and food intolerance and examines the eight most common food allergens. Symptoms of food allergy or intolerance are given, as well as ways they can be relieved. The video also covers the creation of a response plan in case of a severe allergic reaction. A Meridian Production. (10 minutes)
#2649 Allergies & Asthma - Childhood Asthma (Run time 19 min.) DVD $89.95
This program deals with the nature of bronchial and allergic asthma and with the diagnosis and treatment of childhood allergies. It explains how asthma attacks can be triggered by allergies, respiratory infections, exercise, and emotional stress; shows by means of animation how the bronchial tubes of asthmatics become inflamed and constricted during an attack; stresses the early diagnosis and treatment of childhood asthma; and explains what treatments are recommended. (19 minutes)
#4285 Allergies & Asthma - Attacking Your Allergies (Run time 19 min.) DVD $89.95
This program describes the genetic and environmental components of allergies and how allergic reactions occur in the body. It describes how and why skin tests are used to diagnose allergies, covers some of the more common allergens, and discusses antihistamines, topical steroids, and-when other medications fail-immunotherapy. The program emphasizes the avoidance of allergy triggers, getting the right medication, and communicating with the physician. (19 minutes)
#4414 Allergies & Asthma - New Ways to Treat Asthma (Run time 24 min.) DVD $89.95
This program focuses on the national asthma guidelines. Explaining what happens during an asthma attack, the program discusses objective measurements of the patient's breathing, environmental control, and pharmacological treatment with anti-inflammatory medications and their side-effects, as well as the controversial beta-agonists. (24 minutes)
#1436 Bones, Joints & Muscles - Osteoporosis: The Calcium Connection (Run time 19 min.) DVD $89.95
Osteoporosis may be a biological time bomb set in youth to go off much later in life. This program focuses on current knowledge about osteoporosis, its causes, effects, and diagnosis, and profiles a woman athlete protecting herself against the suspected causes of this crippling disease. (19 minutes)
#1469 Bones, Joints & Muscles - Spinal Injury (Run time 19 min.) DVD $89.95
This program offers an in-depth look at paraplegia and quadriplegia, explaining the physical, social, sexual, and psychological effects of spinal injury. It profiles a member of the first American expedition to climb Mt. Everest and a paraplegic since 1968, who discusses what life is like in a wheelchair, and a quadriplegic family-sexual counselor, who discusses some of the sexual and psychological effects of paralysis on the family. The program emphasizes the need for paralysis education and for specialized spinal cord injury treatment and rehabilitation. (19 minutes)
#3178 Bones, Joints & Muscles - Ligament Repair (Run time 19 min.) DVD $89.95
This program profiles a middle-aged man who tore a ligament while skiing. The program explains how allografts or ligament transplants work. After successful surgery and weeks of rehabilitation, the patient was back on the slopes, only to tear the ligament in his other knee. Since the original surgery, new procedures were developed and the two are compared. The program ends as the patient returns to his very active life. (19 minutes)
#4168 Bones, Joints & Muscles - Kids with Arthritis (Run time 18 min.) DVD $89.95
This program follows four children, from 5 to 16 years old, with chronic arthritis. It shows children and their parents how to deal with the sense of unfairness, occasional sadness, and pain; how to adapt to the problems of movement; and how to make the most of the available therapies to help the process of recovery. The program explains what the disease is, why it is not contagious, and how medicine and therapy can help. It also addresses children's need to understand what they have, and to know they are not alone. (18 minutes)
#5376 Bones, Joints & Muscles - Good News for Bad Backs (Run time 18 min.) DVD $89.95
Most people ignore back pain until they are forced to seek medical advice. This program explains how most people hurt their backs; how to prevent back pain; early signals of a back attack, and the first thing to do when an attack strikes; when to see a doctor and what kind of doctor to see; how back pain is diagnosed; why it's so difficult to determine the causes of back pain; the latest techniques in diagnosis; indications for surgery; chances for success in surgery; and alternatives to surgery-pain management, exercise, and other treatments. (18 minutes)
#5377 Bones, Joints & Muscles - Good News for Sore Shoulders (Run time 20 min.) DVD $89.95
This program describes the function and mechanics of the shoulder, the demands placed on it, and the most frequent types of injury to it. It describes the kinds of exercises that strengthen the shoulder, explains the old mentality for treating pain and the reluctance to treat injuries, and describes advancements in diagnostic and surgical techniques. The program also covers the recovery and rehabilitation process, the role of physical therapy, and lists the steps necessary to prevent further injury. (20 minutes)
#6307 Bones, Joints & Muscles - Back to Basics: New Treatments for Bad Backs (Run time 46 min.) DVD $89.95
Walking upright on two legs makes humans vulnerable to back pain. In fact, more work time is lost to backaches than to any other medical problem. This program looks at some of the treatments currently offered to ease back pain, including acupuncture and chiropractic. It also explores the techniques that weightlifters use to allow them to raise enormous loads without hurting themselves. The latest information on the value of exercise in the prevention, management, and treatment of back pain is also provided. Hosted by David Suzuki. (46 minutes)
#6557 Bones, Joints & Muscles - Repetitive Strain Injuries (Run time 28 min.) DVD $89.95
Repetitive strain injuries are a result of a single activity performed over and over again. Athletes are subject to these injuries, as are musicians, who also spend long hours practicing. The most well-publicized injuries are those incurred by office workers who spend extended periods working at computers. Whatever the cause of the injury, this timely program from The Doctor Is In provides helpful information on how such injuries develop, their treatment, and prevention-with a stress on prevention. Ways in which work sites are adapted to reduce the incidence of repetitive strain injuries are also addressed. A Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center production. (28 minutes)
#36353 Bones, Joints & Muscles - Learning about Rheumatoid Arthritis (Run time 28 min.) DVD $89.95
This program provides a detailed look at how rheumatoid arthritis appears, progresses, and responds to treatment. It also features case studies that demonstrate the potential dangers of RA while outlining new therapies that have noticeably reduced the effects of the disease. Helpful animation sequences shed light on how rheumatoid arthritis attacks a joint's synovial membrane, while Dr. Salahuddin Kazi of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and Dr. Kathryn Hobbs of the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center explain the RA diagnostic process-including anti-CCP blood testing-and the importance of "biologics" that battle tumor necrosis factor. (28 minutes)
#36354 Bones, Joints & Muscles - Living with Rheumatoid Arthritis (Run time 28 min.) DVD $89.95
Rheumatoid arthritis can ravage the human body if not treated in time, but there is good news. This program explores medical innovations that are improving the quality of life for patients with advanced RA. Case studies profile patients who have resumed active lives after struggling with pain and fatigue for years. Renowned RA experts-including Dr. Steven Paget of Cornell University's Weill School of Medicine and Dr. Alvin Wells, director of the Rheumatology and Immunotherapy Center in Oak Creek, Wisconsin-explain the use of TNF alpha inhibitors and groundbreaking MRI and ultrasound applications that are helping to fight the battle against RA. (28 minutes)
#2365 Cancer - Skin Cancer (Run time 26 min.) DVD $89.95
This program from The Doctor Is In deals with basal cell and squamous cell malignancies and melanoma: their symptoms, causes, prevention, treatments, and cure rates. It shows various types of lesions; explains when and how they should be treated; explains why melanoma is so dangerous; indicates how long one can wait before seeking medical attention when a pimple, ulceration, or mole appears to be undergoing change; and discusses the uses of sunscreens. A Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center production. (26 minutes)
#2657 Cancer - Preventing Cancer (Run time 19 min.) DVD $89.95
This program profiles a 66-year-old man who had colorectal cancer and a colostomy six years previously and has changed his lifestyle to prevent a recurrence, reducing cholesterol and alcohol in his diet and increasing dietary fiber and exercise. The program discusses ways of preventing certain cancers in the first place: follow the NCI guidelines on eating, modify alcohol intake, don't smoke. The program also covers the general field of carcinogens or suspected carcinogens in chemicals and pollutants to which we are exposed every day, and seeks to draw a distinction between reasonable caution and excessive fear. (19 minutes)
#3129 Cancer - Cancers That Affect Women (Run time 19 min.) DVD $89.95
Ovarian and breast cancer are the principal focus of this program, which covers the symptoms, diagnosis, and treatments for ovarian cancer; guidelines for mammograms, and the need for early detection of breast cancer; the link between oral contraceptives and breast cancer, where there is an arguable increase, and endometrial and ovarian cancer, where there appears to be a decrease. (19 minutes)
#3137 Cancer - Lung Cancer (Run time 19 min.) DVD $89.95
This program explains what we know about the causes of lung cancer, presenting the statistical and epidemiological evidence linking smoking to lung cancer and discussing other known and suspected causes, including asbestos, radon, and other environmental factors. (19 minutes)
#3919 Cancer - Thread of Uncertainty (Run time 26 min.) DVD $89.95
The staff of a hospital talks frankly about how they cope working with children who have cancer. They speak about what they feel they can do to make it easier for parents and how they themselves come to terms with losing children they had hoped to save. (26 minutes)
#3920 Cancer - Cheryl, Dying of Cancer (Run time 26 min.) DVD $89.95
Rose and Ken are taking care of their 5-year-old daughter, Cheryl, who is dying of cancer. Keeping her at home with her family is made possible by the regular support of a specialized home care team from the hospital. (26 minutes)
#4275 Cancer - New Cancer Treatments (Run time 19 min.) DVD $89.95
Where in the past a choice would be made between chemotherapy and radiation after or instead of surgery, today's trend is to use combination therapies. This program shows some examples of such combinations, including chemo followed by an autologous bone marrow transplant. Greater understanding of the side-effects of various therapies and of the effects of one therapy upon another has led to a greater understanding of the risks and potential benefits of one or more cancer treatments. The program focuses on the treatment choices available to a patient whose cancer has spread beyond her breast. (19 minutes)
#4417 Cancer - Detecting Cervical Cancer (Run time 24 min.) DVD $89.95
This program describes the pap smear, the possibility of a false negative, and the development of cancer without a premalignant phase. It also explains dysplasia and the current methods of treating it, discusses the various human papilloma viruses and their cancer link, explains the treatment for cervical cancer, and stresses the importance of regular gynecological exams. (24 minutes)
#4583 Cancer - Cancer: Easing the Pain of Treatment (Run time 19 min.) DVD $89.95
Hair loss, nausea, bone marrow depletion, kidney damage-the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation treatment for cancer are severe. This program examines some of the benefits of new medical research and techniques designed to alleviate some of these side effects: chemotherapy administered through ports that lead into the veins via implanted catheters; lots of fluids given with Cisplatin to prevent kidney failure; and computer technology that decreases the side effects of radiation. (19 minutes)
#4632 Cancer - Faith, Food, and Medicine: Battling Cancer (Run time 28 min.) DVD $89.95
She has been diagnosed as having terminal cancer, but will not lie down and die. "I am going to try everything in my power that I think will help me," she says. Pauline has four sons aged between 16 months and 17 years and has been told there is no medical cure for her illness. Undeterred, she has tried health foods, herbalism, homeopathy, aromatherapy, and spiritual healing. "While I am still able to get up and move about I am not going to sit down and let my life just go away." Her case is the subject of discussion by a Pentecostal minister who himself overcame cancer nearly two decades ago; a member of the (British) National Federation of Spiritual Healers, which is currently involved in research with the British Medical Association; and a clinical oncologist. (28 minutes)
#5365 Cancer - Cancer and Men: Prostate and Bladder Cancer (Run time 18 min.) DVD $89.95
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in American men, and it is also one of the most treatable. This program tells the story of two prostate cancer patients for whom early detection was the key to successful treatment. Unfortunately, many men are too embarrassed to get the necessary exam and put the tests off until it's too late. The program also features a patient with bladder cancer. Treatment of bladder cancer is explained, and the role of smoking as the cause of nearly half of all bladder cancer deaths among men is examined. (18 minutes)
#5391 Cancer - Breast Cancer Update (Run time 22 min.) DVD $89.95
This program focuses on what a woman needs to know and do when it comes to breast cancer: self-exams and how to do them, what to look for, when to see a doctor; risk factors and who is most at risk, precautions a woman can take, and warnings of possible environmental factors; and mammograms-when a woman should start having them, how often, how to choose a mammogram center, and the nature of and reason for the controversy about mammograms. (22 minutes)
#5549 Cancer - Cancer (Run time 23 min.) DVD $89.95
The word "cancer" strikes more terror than any other disease. This program looks at cancer as what we have only recently learned it really is: a flaw in the genetic program in certain body cells, which begin to divide in an uncontrolled fashion. In its fight against these rogue cells, modern medicine makes use of three major procedures: chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery. New techniques are constantly being developed and the program describes two promising new procedures in the fight against cancer: photochemotherapy and monoclonal antibodies. (23 minutes)
#7095 Cancer - Cancer Cell Research: The Way of All Flesh (Run time 60 min.) DVD $89.95
For years scientists tried to get cancer cells to reproduce outside of the body, with little success. Forty-five years ago, a few days before a woman named Henrietta died of cancer, a scientist took samples of her cancerous cells and placed them in human placenta to see if they would grow. Not only did they grow, but Henrietta's cells have since proven vital to cancer research worldwide. This program examines how the cells advanced the war on cancer, and why they have caused controversy among scientists in the highly politicized research community. (60 minutes)
#8145 Cancer - A Harvest of Hope: Surviving Cancer (Run time 41 min.) DVD $89.95
Television actress Loni Anderson hosts this hopeful look at fighting the war on six different types of cancer-breast, prostate, skin, colon, leukemia, and lung. Cancer is defined, and interviews with various cancer specialists, including Nobel Prize-winning researcher Dr. Donnall Thomas, discuss risk factors, the importance of early detection, nutrition, and wellness. Particular avoidance tactics discussed include giving up smoking, avoiding the sun, limiting alcohol intake, being wary of estrogen treatments, and developing good nutritional habits. (41 minutes)
#38777 Cancer - History of Cancer (Run time 28 min.) DVD $89.95
Cancer treatments have changed dramatically since Congress declared war on cancer in 1971 with the passage of the National Cancer Act. This program explores the history of the Cancer Act and takes a look at breakthrough treatments that would not have occurred without it. Patients who have benefited from these once-experimental therapies tell their stories, and scientists who have been at the forefront of cancer research for several decades talk about the vast difference in treating cancer then-before the Cancer Act-and now. Commentators include Dr. Vincent DeVita, former director of the National Cancer Institute, and Dr. Steven Rosenberg, NCI Chief of Surgery. (28 minutes)
#38778 Cancer - Childhood Cancers (Run time 28 min.) DVD $89.95
Just a generation ago, pediatric cancers were almost always fatal. But today, 80 percent of childhood cancers are cured-young patients are disease-free and go on to live a normal life span. This program explores how doctors and researchers achieved this milestone, considered one of the greatest success stories in modern medicine. Also, scientists detail how research into pediatric cancer helped oncologists to develop effective anticancer regimens for adults. Interviewees include Dr. Eugenie Kleinerman of the M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Dr. Elliot Vichinsky of Oakland Children's Hospital, and Dr. Stacy Berg of Baylor College of Medicine. (28 minutes)
#38779 Cancer - Breast Cancer (Run time 28 min.) DVD $89.95
Without question, breast cancer is the disease many women fear the most-not only because of the disease, but also because of what treatment involves. However, as this program illustrates, dramatic differences exist between today's breast cancer therapies and the way the illness was treated a generation ago. Women with breast cancer detail their experiences with this disease, their reactions to the diagnosis, and the treatments that saved their lives. They also offer advice to other women about how to emotionally survive the breast cancer experience. Experts include Dr. Edith Perez of the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, and Dr. Dennis Slamon of UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center. (28 minutes)
#38780 Cancer - Types of Cancer (Run time 28 min.) DVD $89.95
A cancer diagnosis is always bad news, but the words "You have cancer" don't necessarily instill the fear and confusion they did three decades ago. This program demystifies cancer by explaining how varieties of the disease typically begin and develop. The program also highlights some of the innovative treatments that are helping more and more patients to become cancer survivors. In addition, scientists discuss the importance of early detection in giving cancer patients more treatment options. Commentators include Dr. Vincent DeVita, former director of the National Cancer Institute; Dr. Robert Figlin of City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center; and Dr. Michael Atkins of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. (28 minutes)
#38784 Cancer - MDS (Run time 28 min.) DVD $89.95
Often beginning as a seemingly harmless case of fatigue, myelodysplastic syndrome, or MDS, is a disorder of the bone marrow which can lead to leukemia. This program provides an overview of the disease, pointing out that it is virtually unknown to the general public and often not diagnosed by medical caregivers. Whereas little could be done for MDS patients in previous years, the program features several success stories as it details recent research into the disease. Specific procedures, including blood transfusions and bone marrow transplants, are identified. Interview subjects include Dr. Alan List of the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Dr. James Rossetti of the Western Pennsylvania Cancer Institute. (28 minutes)
#2225 Heart Disease - Pacemakers: The Electric Heartbeat (Run time 19 min.) DVD $89.95
This program illustrates the function of a pacemaker, explains advances in pacemaker technology-including programmability and compact design-and explains the function of the META M-V, which automatically senses when the heartbeat should be accelerated or decreased. The program also covers the AICD-the automatic internal cardioverter defibrillator-and explains how a defibrillator works and what happens when the AICD is triggered. (19 minutes)
#2656 Heart Disease - Getting Your Heart in Shape (Run time 19 min.) DVD $89.95
This program is devoted to the types of activities and exercises that are best for building a healthy heart. It describes the steps to get the cardiovascular system in shape and points out that exercise can potentially slow the aging process. The program also looks at sudden death in athletes, discussing athletic heart syndrome and collateralization. (19 minutes)
#3143 Heart Disease - Blacks and High Blood Pressure (Run time 19 min.) DVD $89.95
This program explores ways of reducing the high incidence of hypertension among African Americans. Patient attitude is shown to be an important factor-failure to maintain the prescribed diet, take medication, or keep medical appointments is common; socioeconomic factors and genetics are also significant factors; reliance on folk medicine is another issue. The program shows an older man who is negligent in controlling his high blood pressure and a young woman who carefully follows a healthy diet, followed by a cardiologist who stresses education as the key to controlling hypertension. (19 minutes)
#4274 Heart Disease - Taking Charge of Your Heart (Run time 19 min.) DVD $89.95
There are things that can be done to prevent or postpone heart disease or speed up recovery from a heart attack. This program describes the warning signs of a heart attack and some of the reasons why people wait to get medical attention, stresses the role of exercise in heart attack prevention and explains the American Heart Association exercise guidelines, and discusses the benefits of a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet. (19 minutes)
#4582 Heart Disease - Pacing for Life: Controlling Irregular Heartbeats (Run time 19 min.) DVD $89.95
This program examines two different types of arrhythmias-bradycardia and tachycardia-and how pacing technology is used to control these irregular heartbeats. It profiles a patient who experienced a sudden cardiac arrest, was resuscitated, and received a pacer-cardioverter-defibrillator. The program describes how a defibrillator works and explains the tiered therapy PCD offers; it also examines advances in pacing technology, including smaller and more sophisticated pacemakers, dual-chamber pacemakers, and rate-adaptive pacemakers. (19 minutes)
#5174 Heart Disease - A Woman's Heart (Run time 57 min.) DVD $89.95
Heart disease kills over 500,000 people each year in the U.S. Half of them are women. Yet most women are unaware that heart disease is an equal opportunity killer. This program presents the stories of six women, from a 29-year-old who had a heart attack to a 72-year-old who is conquering her heart problems. Through animation, special photography, and stunning MRI imaging of a woman's heart, the program illustrates how heart disease develops in women and discusses such important issues as the myth of women's immunity to heart disease; sexual discrimination in the medical establishment; the physical and psychological causes of heart disease in women; new research on medication, surgery, and non-invasive procedures; and, perhaps most important, prevention. Narrated by Joanne Woodward. (57 minutes)
#5378 Heart Disease - Hypertension: The Silent Killer (Run time 18 min.) DVD $89.95
This program looks at hypertension, identifying some of its causes and explaining why it is known as the "silent killer." Profiling two brothers who both need to control their high blood pressure, the program shows how different patients respond to different ways of reducing blood pressure: diet, exercise, not smoking, and medication. The program explains that doctors can't always identify the cause for hypertension, but must be content to treat it, knowing that treating hypertension greatly reduces the risks of the disease. (18 minutes)
#5392 Heart Disease - Cardiac Patient's Spouse (Run time 18 min.) DVD $89.95
What is it like when one's spouse has a heart attack? What are the other partner's feelings-stress and anxiety? fear of a recurrence? financial worries? anger and resentment at added responsibilities and lost opportunities? This program looks at the pressures on couples when one has had a heart attack and both must alter their lifestyles in order to survive, literally and psychologically. (18 minutes)
#5785 Heart Disease - Are You Having a Heart Attack? (Run time 19 min.) DVD $89.95
Half of all Americans will die from heart disease or heart attacks, yet many people often misunderstand or deny their symptoms. This program provides a definition of a heart attack, identifies the most common warning signs and symptoms, and stresses the importance of seeking help. The program profiles a middle-aged man who ignored the early warning signs and suffered a massive heart attack. His delay in seeking treatment nearly cost him his life. Unfortunately, many people delay seeking treatment because of denial or simply because they don't recognize the symptoms. The program stresses that the most important factor in surviving a heart attack is early recognition and treatment. (19 minutes)
#38773 Heart Disease - Heart Failure (Run time 28 min.) DVD $89.95
Many people who have suffered from cardiac arrest live in constant fear of complete heart failure. This program makes clear that, for the average heart attack survivor, nothing could be further from the truth. Viewers will learn about current procedures and treatments, including exercise, state-of-the-art medications, and heart transplants, that have helped heart attack patients live healthy, normal lives-even when patients are also undergoing other treatments such as chemotherapy. Interviews with veteran cardiologists, researchers, and patients form illuminating case studies-providing ample evidence that, despite the ominous name, a heart attack doesn't have to be a death sentence. (28 minutes)
#38774 Heart Disease - Life After Heart Attack (Run time 28 min.) DVD $89.95
Each year, more than one million men and women suffer a heart attack. This event suddenly and dramatically alters a person's life forever, but studies show that if sufferers can get to a hospital quickly, more than 90 percent will survive. This program explores the radical and unexpected changes that heart attack sufferers must deal with. Spotlighting the importance of targeted medications, lifestyle modifications, and-no less importantly-determination, the program provides case studies in which patients have regained productive and enjoyable lives. In addition to expert commentary, the program also overviews the warning signs of a heart attack and how they might differ between men and women. (30 minutes)
#1558 Immune System - The Human Immune System: The Fighting Edge (Run time 44 min.) DVD $89.95
This program tells the stories of four individuals whose immune systems failed to function properly: a toddler born without an immune system who received a bone marrow transplant at six weeks, has survived minor illnesses and infections, and faces a healthy future; a man who developed B-cell lymphoma (cancer of the immune system), was treated with a new product, and 11 years later is cancer free; one of the first men to be diagnosed with AIDS and one of its longest survivors-doctors and psychologists are uncertain whether his survival is due to certain cells in his immune system or to his positive mental attitude; and a woman who nearly died after an allergic reaction to a wasp sting, who can expect to overcome her potentially fatal allergy through a series of shots. The program provides information on how the immune system works, and explains why some treatments work and others don't. Narrated by Merlin Olsen. (44 minutes)
#1375 Infectious Diseases - Sexually Transmitted Diseases (Run time 19 min.) DVD $89.95
This examination of the epidemic of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) focuses on chlamydia, herpes, and venereal warts as well as AIDS. The program strongly emphasizes the importance of prevention and the early detection of problems through new diagnostic tests. It also explains the complications that can arise from sexually transmitted infections, including infertility, tubal pregnancy, and infected babies. (19 minutes)
#1579 Infectious Diseases - AIDS: The Classroom Conflict (Run time 28 min.) DVD $89.95
What should youngsters be taught about AIDS, at what age should they be taught, and who should teach them? This program addresses the questions of abstinence and safe sex, and asserts that children taught about AIDS can better confront it in adolescence and adulthood. (28 minutes)
#1688 Infectious Diseases - Telling Teens About AIDS (Run time 52 min.) DVD $89.95
Teens and those who contracted AIDS in their teens seek to penetrate the It-Can't-Happen-to-Me curtain that so often falls when adults seek to warn teens about potentially hazardous activities. Helping teachers and parents to confront the issue of AIDS with respect to their own children and speaking directly to teenagers, this program shows, without moralizing, how one seemingly innocent liaison can lead to death. Whether the viewer chooses safe sex or no sex, he or she will take away from this program the awareness that a choice must be made. Former NBA star Julius Irving is the presenter. (52 minutes)
#1796 Infectious Diseases - Bacteria and Viruses (Run time 20 min.) DVD $89.95
Entire populations have been wiped out by diseases like bubonic plague, typhus, and cholera, because no one knew how they were transmitted. Knowing that bacteria or viruses are the agents of transmission is only one part of the solution, though-witness the famous influenza epidemic in 1918 that killed 21 million people; we must also know how to cure the disease or prevent it. This program shows how bacteria multiply, distinguishes between those which are beneficial and those which are inimical to the normal functioning of the body's various systems, and shows how invading bacteria trigger the body's defense mechanisms so that white blood corpuscles or antibodies are produced to destroy the invading organism. The program also explains the differences between bacteria and viruses, and the ways in which immunization serves to provide antibodies to protect against future attack by bacteria or viruses. (20 minutes)
#1797 Infectious Diseases - How Infection Strikes (Run time 20 min.) DVD $89.95
This program covers the various ways in which infection is transmitted and how the likelihood of contracting disease can be minimized by taking certain precautions: hand washing to avoid transmitting skin-carried bacteria; precautions against salmonella, staphylococcus, and clostridium; refrigeration and cooking; keeping cooking and eating utensils clean; washing hands after using the bathroom; covering the nose and mouth when sneezing and coughing; cleaning and disinfecting lesions. The program also covers the role of immunization and vaccination in preventing infection, and explains both how unborn babies can pick up infections across the placenta from their mothers and how they can take up antibodies from their mothers while breast-feeding. It makes a particular point of the dangers of infection to intravenous drug abusers, who are more than likely to inject themselves with a host of pathogens as well. (20 minutes)
#1798 Infectious Diseases - The Nature and Transmission of AIDS (Run time 20 min.) DVD $89.95
This program shows how, in the most severe cases, the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that causes acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) depresses the immune system, leaving the infected individual open to a range of opportunistic infections, leading, seemingly inevitably, to death. The program also addresses the problems that arise from the long incubation period of the virus and clarifies how the virus can and cannot be transmitted-an area in which there is ongoing confusion. (20 minutes)
#1952 Infectious Diseases - Sexual Roulette: AIDS and the Heterosexual (Run time 26 min.) DVD $89.95
The groups most at risk of being infected with the AIDS virus are gay men and intravenous drug abusers. Nonetheless, every sexually active person faces the risk of developing AIDS-the degree of risk varies according to geographic area and the kind of sexual behavior practiced. This program enables viewers to gauge their risk levels and provides perspective by comparing the chances of developing AIDS with the likelihood of dying from other hazardous or potentially hazardous activities. Medical experts make it clear that, with the exception of those involved in long-term monogamous relationships, all sexually active persons need to protect themselves against the AIDS virus. (26 minutes)
#2603 Infectious Diseases - AIDS: The Women Speak (Run time 28 min.) DVD $89.95
The AIDS epidemic is affecting more and more women-women who are HIV-positive, women who live with HIV-positive partners and children, and women who are caring for AIDS patients. This program tells of a grieving mother whose son died of AIDS; a social worker who almost burned out after working with AIDS patients for a year; a woman volunteer AIDS buddy; a friend of a dying AIDS patient; and the foster mother of an HIV-infected baby with a 50% chance of survival. Their stories show the many ways AIDS has affected women. (28 minutes)
#4022 Infectious Diseases - AIDS, Teens, and Latinos (Run time 28 min.) DVD $89.95
Teenage pregnancies and teen HIV infection are major problems in the Latino community. This program profiles a Cuban-American teenager with AIDS who is dedicating his remaining life to public awareness efforts and education of Miami Latinos (this section contains sexually explicit language deemed necessary for clarity); traces the major factors contributing to the fact that 72% of minority women infected with the HIV virus are Hispanic; and focuses on the cultural factors that may underlie the extraordinarily high-and rising-number of teenage pregnancies among Latinas. (28 minutes)
#5000 Infectious Diseases - The Science of Hope: Jonas Salk (Run time 30 min.) DVD $89.95
Jonas Salk was a young doctor in 1955 when he announced his discovery of a vaccine that could prevent polio. He was hailed as a modern miracle worker. Today, at the Salk Institute for Biomedical Studies, he leads scientists from the world over in studies of cancer, heredity, the brain, the immune system, and AIDS. Now, as then, Jonas Salk is in search of the next medical miracle. In this program with Bill Moyers, Salk discusses AIDS research and how the technique of "negotiating" with the AIDS virus offers a way of thinking about human beings as "part of, not apart from" nature. Salk sees the development of an AIDS vaccine as "just a matter of time and ... just a matter of strategy." (30 minutes)
#6802 Infectious Diseases - Bill T. Jones: Still/Here (Run time 57 min.) DVD $89.95
What is it like to live with a life-threatening illness? Can fear, anger, and joy be translated into movement? In this program, journalist Bill Moyers and filmmaker David Grubin give viewers a rare glimpse into dancer/choreographer Bill T. Jones's highly acclaimed dance, "Still/Here." At workshops around the country, people facing life-threatening illnesses are asked to remember the highs and lows of their lives, and even imagine their own deaths. They then transform their feelings into expressive movement, which Jones incorporates into the dance performed later in the program. Jones demonstrates for Moyers the movements of his own life story-his first encounter with white people, confusion over his sexuality, his partner Arnie Zane's untimely death from AIDS, and Jones's own HIV status. "My job," Jones tells Moyers, "is to evoke the spirit of survival." (57 minutes)
#7470 Infectious Diseases - Malaria: Battle of the Merozoites (Run time 50 min.) DVD $89.95
There is no known cure for malaria, a disease that afflicts from 300 to 500 million people each year. Carried by the Anopheles mosquito, the malaria sporozoan has a complex life cycle that becomes destructively active as a merozoite in the human liver, before moving on to invade the body's red cells. This program closely examines the pathology of the malaria organism and the immune system's efforts to defeat it. Also discussed is the international medical debate surrounding a new vaccine discovered by a Colombian researcher that apparently attacks the malaria organism in its merozoite state. A BBC Production. (50 minutes)
#7873 Infectious Diseases - Tuberculosis: Its Origins and Effects (Run time 17 min.) DVD $89.95
This is a detailed medical overview of one of the world's most feared killers. It uses actual body organs and excellent microscopy to illustrate the lecture. The various types of the disease discussed are primary, secondary, non-pulmonary, open, miliary, and bovine tuberculosis, and Pott's disease. Subtopics include epithelioid cells, Langhans giant cell, granuloma, hypersensitivity reaction, and casseous necrosis. Tuberculosis meningitis and bronchial tuberculosis are examined as complications of the more basic strains. Vaccines and how they work are also addressed. (17 minutes)
#8802 Infectious Diseases - Just Like Me: Talking about AIDS (Run time 21 min.) DVD $89.95
"It could never happen to me." This program dispels the myths still surrounding HIV transmission through interviews with six ethnically diverse young men and women who contracted HIV while teenagers. They speak out about their relationships prior to infection, how they believed they wouldn't contract this virus, and the physical, psychological, and social effects of being HIV-positive. They also discuss the difference between birth control and disease protection, plus the crucial importance of always using condoms or abstaining from sexual intercourse. HIV is a life-or-death reality that needs greater clarification now-and this program can help. (21 minutes)
#8803 Infectious Diseases - Stakes Are High: Asserting Yourself (Run time 25 min.) DVD $89.95
In this street-smart, soap opera-style program shot in New York City, multicultural high school students convincingly portray couples dealing with the common obstacles to practicing abstinence and safer sex. Within the context of building new romantic relationships, the scenarios show how to buy and use condoms and model behaviors that effectively convey the decision to approach sexual intercourse with caution and good sense. By presenting alternative behaviors through peer-age role models, the program helps adolescents shape their own behavior in a sexually volatile situation. (25 minutes)
#8804 Infectious Diseases - Knowing the Facts: Preventing Infection (Run time 17 min.) DVD $89.95
This straight-talking, down-to-earth program describes in detail how HIV is acquired, how it can be prevented, and the relative risks of a wide range of sexual behaviors. Hosted by a young African-American man and Latina woman, the program addresses HIV and AIDS; condoms-what type to use, how to use them correctly, where to get them, and how to properly carry them; injection drug risks; mother-child HIV transmission; and HIV testing. In addition, adolescent myths about AIDS are addressed and dispelled. Contains explicit language and demonstrations. (17 minutes)
#9191 Infectious Diseases - HPV: Issues and Answers (Run time 24 min.) DVD $89.95
According to The American Journal of Medicine, over 70% of Americans have been infected with a genital human papillomavirus, yet few are aware that they have it-or even know what HPV is. This eye-opening program delivers the facts that high school and college students-the primary victims-need to raise their awareness about an incurable sexually transmitted disease. Doctors, professors, peer educators, and others provide concise information on topics including HPV's link to genital warts and cervical cancer, the vital importance of pap smears, treatments, and research being done to eliminate HPV once and for all. (24 minutes)
#9343 Infectious Diseases - The Origin of AIDS: Mystery of the Chimps (Run time 22 min.) DVD $89.95
Did the HIV1 virus originate with an endangered subspecies of chimpanzees in sub-Saharan Africa? In this program, ABC News correspondent John Donvan sums up the chain of events leading to that remarkable hypothesis. Then, anchor Forrest Sawyer; Dr. Anthony Fauci, of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases; Laurie Garrett, Pulitzer Prize-winning writer for Newsday; and conservationist Stewart Hudson, of the Jane Goodall Foundation, discuss the nature of infectious diseases, whether the chimp theory is viable, and the causes and effects of the African bush meat trade. Can researchers determine how these chimps stay healthy, despite HIV, before hunters drive them to extinction? (22 minutes)
#11850 Infectious Diseases - Cure from the Crypt: Fighting Tuberculosis, Again (Run time 27 min.) DVD $89.95
When a crypt containing 200 extraordinarily preserved bodies was discovered in 1994 in the Hungarian town of Vac, it caught the interest of a scientist fighting tuberculosis on the other side of the globe. This program presents the fascinating story of Professor Mark Spigelman, an Australian surgeon turned archaeologist who is using ancient DNA to contend with the biggest bacterial killer in the world today. In what many call the post-antibiotic era, Spigelman's unique genetic research has yielded encouraging results: all the tubercular mummies were missing a TB-resistant gene in their genome; those mummies without TB had the gene. (27 minutes)
#30791 Infectious Diseases - AIDS: A Global Crisis (Run time 27 min.) DVD $89.95
This program offers an excellent worldview of AIDS, providing background on the disease's history, its transmission and symptoms, innovative awareness campaigns, and the ongoing search by scientists from around the globe to find an effective long-term treatment. Fred Valentine, director of the Center for AIDS Research at the New York University School of Medicine; Lawrence Altman, medical correspondent for The New York Times; Andrew McMichael, principal investigator for the Oxford AIDS Vaccine Initiative; and others share their insights into a pandemic that has already infected and killed tens of millions. (28 minutes)
#33414 Infectious Diseases - Alien Invaders (Run time 51 min.) DVD $89.95
With 1.5 billion people travelling by air each year, lethal tropical infections and pathogens we thought we had eradicated are hitching a ride. In this program, case studies of West Nile virus, Chagas disease, tuberculosis, and Hanta virus-only a ten-hour flight away from unsuspecting populations around the globe-illustrate the scope of the danger, while the doctors and health officials on the frontlines explain the battle. Interviews with Ben Beard, of the CDC; Deborah Asnis, M.D., infectious disease specialist at Flushing Hospital Medical Center; and Francis Drobniewski, of the U.K. Public Health Laboratory Service, are included, among others. A Discovery Channel Production. (51 minutes)
#33415 Infectious Diseases - New Killers (Run time 51 min.) DVD $89.95
In this program, four chilling case studies-cryptosporidiosis, CJD, staph superbug MRSA, and ehrlichiosis-demonstrate that humankind is being threatened by new enemies. Thirty unique and deadly pathogens have appeared in the past 25 years to wage an unrelenting war on humanity. Experts including epidemiologist Dr. Robert Sheretz, from Wake Forest University, and neurologist Dr. Richard Abbott, from the Leicester Royal Infirmary, detail outbreaks in Wisconsin, North Carolina, Tennessee, and England. A Discovery Channel Production. (51 minutes)
#37141 Infectious Diseases - Understanding Hepatitis A (Run time 23 min.) DVD $89.95
Although it's the least menacing type of hepatitis, the virus strain known as HAV should not be underestimated. This program focuses on the causes and typical treatments for Hepatitis A and guides viewers through the different levels of danger that the virus poses to victims. Medical experts-including Dr. Harold Margolis, Former Chief of the CDC Hepatitis Branch, Dr. Jay Keystone of the University of Toronto, and travel medicine specialist Dr. Bradley Connor-explain the basic science behind HAV infections, describe common symptoms, and spell out preventive and palliative strategies. Also, a traveling businessman describes his frustrating experiences with Hepatitis A. A Films for the Humanities & Sciences Production. (23 minutes)
#37143 Infectious Diseases - Understanding Hepatitis C (Run time 23 min.) DVD $89.95
Most people associate cirrhosis with alcoholism-but another cause of liver scarring and failure is HCV, one of the most severe strains of hepatitis. This program provides a basic medical understanding of the virus, presents various ways that it is transmitted, and explores what many call a groundbreaking method of Hepatitis C treatment. Veteran researchers and doctors-Professor Eugene Shiff of the University of Miami Center of Liver Disease, Dr. Ira Jacobson of Weill Cornell Medical College, Dr. Beth P. Bell of the CDC, and others-describe typical HCV danger zones and causes and the pronounced risk of liver damage that the virus represents. Advanced antiviral therapies combining interferon and ribavirin are also discussed. A Films for the Humanities & Sciences Production. (23 minutes)
#1410 Neurological Disorders & Injuries - Autism: Childhood and Beyond (Run time 19 min.) DVD $89.95
This program examines the therapies currently in use or under study for autism: drugs, sign language, and the highly controversial aversive therapy. The program profiles a 26-year-old autistic man whose amazing mathematical abilities contradict his IQ of 90. (19 minutes)
#1465 Neurological Disorders & Injuries - Seizures (Run time 19 min.) DVD $89.95
This program explains the diagnosis and treatment of epilepsy, how EEGs measure the electrical activity of the brain, and how CAT and MRI scans take pictures of it; it discusses some of the misconceptions about epilepsy, the available drug therapies and surgical treatments, and shows what to do for someone experiencing a seizure. (19 minutes)
#2049 Neurological Disorders & Injuries - Stroke: The New Treatments (Run time 19 min.) DVD $89.95
This program focuses on treatments used to prevent stroke or minimize its effects, shows what happens during a stroke, and discusses the pros and cons of tPA and carotid endarterectomy. The program also shows the kind of determination and family support that are essential to recovery, and demonstrates the conventional forms of rehabilitative therapy. (19 minutes)
#3126 Neurological Disorders & Injuries - Alzheimer's: Effects on Patients and Their Families (Run time 19 min.) DVD $89.95
This program explains what is now known about the mechanisms of Alzheimer's and what remains unknown about brain changes in the disease, and discusses the use of drugs to prevent the breakdown of acetylcholine and other strategies to preserve memory. The program also shows how Alzheimer's affects the lives of a patient's family, and what relief-in the form of adult daycare canters and support groups-is available until the feared day arrives when the patient must be institutionalized. (19 minutes)
#3132 Neurological Disorders & Injuries - Concussions and Spinal Cord Injuries (Run time 19 min.) DVD $89.95
This program covers spinal cord injuries that commonly lead to paraplegia, and the existence of an eight-hour window during which methylprednisolone may be used to block or reduce the secondary damage of spinal injuries and restore or save function. The program goes on to explore concussions and the more serious injury a concussion can sometimes mask. (19 minutes)
#3276 Neurological Disorders & Injuries - An Autistic Child (Run time 26 min.) DVD $89.95
Debra was like any other child until she was two. She had just started speaking when, for no apparent reason, she stopped talking and started screaming for days on end. Her mental development came to a halt, and for the next seven years she remained at the same developmental level. In desperation, her parents took her to a doctor whose controversial methods had been successful with a number of other autistic children. This program follows the efforts made over a period of two years to treat Debra, and shows the limited but encouraging improvement in her condition. (26 minutes)
#5787 Neurological Disorders & Injuries - Headaches (Run time 19 min.) DVD $89.95
Five million Americans get a headache every day and four out of five take an over-the-counter pain reliever at least once a month. This program examines the three basic categories of chronic headache-tension, vascular, and organic-and their symptoms. The program profiles a woman who suffers from migraines and how it has impacted her life. Her doctor points out the importance of seeking medical care if over-the-counter remedies don't work. The program also explains the differences between aspirin, ibuprofen, and acetaminophen and their effect on the body. (19 minutes)
#6053 Neurological Disorders & Injuries - Understanding Autism (Run time 24 min.) DVD $89.95
A family with an autistic child can provide support and therapy, but when children become young adults, where do they go? This documentary focuses on the social and health programs that provide support for autistic people outside the home. It examines a high-functioning autistic adult and his family and shows the struggles of parents of autistic children in their effort to provide freedom and independence for those children. The documentary also explores a group home for autistic young adults, showing the tremendous challenge that people living with autism face, and how these programs provide hope and opportunity in a situation that seems hopeless. (24 minutes)
#10908 Neurological Disorders & Injuries - Brain Disorders: Seeking New Remedies (Run time 44 min.) DVD $89.95
In this program, ABC News anchor Ted Koppel and correspondent Robert Krulwich follow a husband-and-wife team of pioneering brain surgeons at Mount Sinai Medical Center as they operate on patients with dystonia and an arteriovenous malformation. Then, the focus shifts to a pair of couples with children with special needs: a 6-year-old with autism and a 43-year-old with Williams syndrome. Are the two fathers-a brain and language development specialist at Johns Hopkins University and a retired biology professor-more able to connect with their children than other parents would be? (44 minutes)
#11767 Neurological Disorders & Injuries - Strangers in a Familiar Land: Encounters with Asperger's Syndrome (Run time 19 min.) DVD $89.95
Imagine living in a world where sensations are nearly overwhelming-noises louder, colors brighter-and people's speech and facial gestures are familiar yet somehow indecipherable. Asperger's syndrome, a neurological disorder that has only recently become widely known, can wreck the lives of its sufferers with fear, frustration, and social isolation. This program looks at how Brian, Leonora, Angus, and Anthony-Asperger's patients of various ages-cope with the challenges of this ailment. Their poignant interviews reveal that even diagnosis itself can feel like being set free. (19 minutes)
#11776 Neurological Disorders & Injuries - Autism and Applied Behavioral Analysis (Run time 22 min.) DVD $89.95
Research has shown that some children with autism who are enrolled in a curriculum of applied behavioral analysis at a young enough age can be mainstreamed right into the public school system. This ABC News program profiles two children with autism who receive this intensive form of therapy and discusses the mixed results of it. Although the degree of improvement attributable to ABA varies from child to child, any gains, large or small, are of immense value to the children-and to those who love them. (22 minutes)
#29624 Neurological Disorders & Injuries - Understanding Autism: A Biochemical Approach? (Run time 12 min.) DVD $89.95
Autism, a complex developmental disability, is generally believed to be a genetic disorder. But Dr. William Walsh, a senior scientist at the Pfeiffer Institute, believes he has isolated a biochemical cause, based on analysis of blood, urine, and hair samples from 503 autistic children. His pioneering research attributes autism to the inability of a protein-metallothionein-to balance the body's metal metabolism. In this program, Dr. Walsh discusses his controversial findings bolstered by parents whose children have shown dramatic results from dietary supplements that counteract metal imbalance. (12 minutes)
#35410 Neurological Disorders & Injuries - Measuring Success in Treatment for Autism (Run time 22 min.) DVD $89.95
Four years have gone by since the two preschool boys profiled in Autism and Applied Behavioral Analysis began intensive ABA therapy-formerly considered controversial, but now hailed as one of the few effective approaches to treating the disorder. This ABC News program brings viewers up to date on the boys and on the benefits of ABA in treating autism. But the program communicates a sense of frustration, as well-with the financial expense of ABA therapy, with the limited success of even this form of autism treatment, and with how much is simply still not understood about this mysterious disorder. (22 minutes)
#38783 Neurological Disorders & Injuries - Migraines (Run time 28 min.) DVD $89.95
In terms of lost and reduced productivity, migraines cost U.S. employers more than $10 billion each year. How can these debilitating headaches be prevented? Using case studies, this program discusses the biomechanics of migraine, including postmonitory and postdromal phases; diagnosis of migraine; and treatment of migraine with beta-blockers and neuromodulators as well as with biofeedback and dietary supplements such as coenzyme Q-10 and vitamin B-10. Doctors from Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Diamond Headache Clinic, and Nashville Neuroscience Group provide expert commentary. (28 minutes)
#38788 Neurological Disorders & Injuries - Living with Alzheimer's (Run time 28 min.) DVD $89.95
What is the difference between run-of-the-mill memory difficulties and the effects of Alzheimer's disease? If an older person is experiencing more "senior moments" than usual, should he or she be concerned? What happens inside the brain of an Alzheimer's patient? This program addresses those questions with the help of expert interviews and compelling case studies. Viewers will learn how the disease alters brain chemistry and leads to brain cell loss, and how it is typically diagnosed with cognitive tests and by studying patterns in a patient's history. Interviewees include Dr. Stephen Aronson of the University of Michigan Medical School and Dr. Marc Agronin of the Miami Jewish Home and Hospital for the Aged. (28 minutes)
#1437 Non-Infectious Diseases & Disorders - Parkinson's Disease (Run time 19 min.) DVD $89.95
This program examines the pharmaceutical and surgical treatments for Parkinson's disease, profiling a 61-year-old author and educator who has struggled for a quarter of a century to control his symptoms. The program also explores the relationship between "designer drugs" and the sudden onset of Parkinson's symptoms in young drug abusers. (19 minutes)
#2195 Non-Infectious Diseases & Disorders - Cystic Fibrosis (Run time 26 min.) DVD $89.95
Cystic fibrosis is the most common genetic killer. In the past, most children with the disease died by the age of 20; today a variety of antibiotics are helping some to live into their 40s. Progress is also being made on creating a genetic test for parents that would detect the defective gene before a child is born. This program from The Doctor Is In looks at how families cope with the uncertainties accompanying the disease and the daily therapies it requires. The camera follows a two-year-old, twenty-year-old, and forty-year-old around at their homes. It also interviews pediatrician William Boyle of the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center; Joan Milsaps, CF Coordinator for the State of New Hampshire; and Dr. Walter Nolls, a researcher in genetic testing at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. A Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center production. (26 minutes)
#2230 Non-Infectious Diseases & Disorders - Cerebral Palsy: What Every Parent Should Know (Run time 19 min.) DVD $89.95
This program covers the causes, symptoms, and range of possible treatments of cerebral palsy, including the relationship between physical and mental handicaps, and the role of medications and physical therapy in treatment. Animation illustrates the area of the brain damaged in patients with cerebral palsy; the medical director of the United Cerebral Palsy Association lists such causes as maternal infections during pregnancy, complications during childbirth, and infant head injuries; and selective posterior rhizotomy surgery is examined as a means of easing spasticity in certain types of patients. (19 minutes)
#2865 Non-Infectious Diseases & Disorders - Lyme Disease in Our Own Backyard (Run time 56 min.) DVD $89.95
Lying in wait in our own backyards is a tick-borne ailment called Lyme disease. It is insidious and unpredictable. In this detailed and compelling program, New Jersey health officials trace the background of the disease, its devastating impact, and the efforts to control it. Lyme disease is a public health problem requiring community and individual vigilance. This program offers lessons in controlling the disease for all who live in high-risk areas. (56 minutes)
#2935 Non-Infectious Diseases & Disorders - HB Masters Sickle-Cell Anemia (Run time 20 min.) DVD $89.95
A teacher and her foil, a clay-mation character named HB after the hemoglobin molecule, explain the nature of this debilitating disease so common among African Americans and how school-age patients can manage their disease. (20 minutes)
#3133 Non-Infectious Diseases & Disorders - Detecting Diabetes (Run time 19 min.) DVD $89.95
This program distinguishes between insulin-requiring and insulin-dependent diabetics, and explains who is at risk, and the symptoms that warrant screening; it also covers the fine-tuning of insulin/blood sugar levels to avoid the complications of diabetes, explains the belief that exercise helps the body use insulin more efficiently, and discusses some of the problems, from arteriosclerosis to diabetic retinopathy, that can occur when diabetics ignore their disease. Profiling an 11-year-old Type I diabetic, the program discusses the genetic component, the belief that a virus may be the trigger for an autoimmune reaction that kills islet cells, and the symptoms and management of the disease. (19 minutes)
#3175 Non-Infectious Diseases & Disorders - Genetics and Disease Prevention (Run time 19 min.) DVD $89.95
This program explores the field of genetic testing and genetically inherited diseases. The patient profiled, who has familial polyposis, underwent a bowel resection to reduce his risk of colon cancer; the program explains that the damaged genes that cause polyposis and other colon cancers have been identified, and discusses the role of lifestyle and environment in allowing a damaged gene to express itself. The program uses the example of fatal cardiac arrhythmia, specifically QT syndrome, to show that information from genetic testing can be helpful or harmful-to help a predisposed person take preventive measures, or to discriminate against him or her by denying health coverage or employment. (19 minutes)
#3361 Non-Infectious Diseases & Disorders - Voices of Lupus (Run time 28 min.) DVD $89.95
This inspiring program uses strong, positive role models to show how women afflicted with lupus can help themselves through peer group support and better communication with their physicians and families. This autoimmune disease affects more than half a million women from diverse social, cultural, and economic backgrounds. Interviews with patients and physicians demonstrate positive strategies that can help people with lupus, their families, and their physicians to cope better with this painful, unpredictable illness. (28 minutes)
#8160 Non-Infectious Diseases & Disorders - Rare Diseases, Orphan Drugs: Living on the Edge (Run time 28 min.) DVD $89.95
Twenty million Americans are afflicted by rare diseases. However, because these afflictions affect fewer than 200,000 people each, they are often denied research dollars. This program examines these "orphan" maladies, and the obstacles that too often prevent research funding and preclude treatment for sufferers. Diseases discussed include neurofibromatosis, lupus, and sickle-cell anemia. Strategies for ascertaining a diagnosis are provided, and recommendations as to how sufferers can secure proper treatment are offered. (28 minutes)
#10981 Non-Infectious Diseases & Disorders - Sickle-Cell Anemia (Run time 16 min.) DVD $89.95
How does sickle-cell anemia differ from sickle-cell trait? How is the disease transmitted? And who is at highest risk? This program answers these and other frequently asked questions, providing a thorough overview of the sickle-cell phenomenon. Symptoms, treatment, and possible complications are discussed, as well as screening methods and the biochemical reason why sickle cells take on their characteristic shape. (16 minutes)
#33287 Non-Infectious Diseases & Disorders - World of Pain: Coping and Caring (Run time 49 min.) DVD $89.95
This program mixes dramatizations from a painful day in the life of a hypothetical family with real-life case studies to better understand the dynamics of pain caused by a wide range of injuries and conditions: headaches, backaches, burns, abrasions, broken bones, sports injuries, and rheumatoid arthritis. Sophisticated 3-D computer animations illustrate how the body processes pain, while pain specialists provide information on pharmaceutical and non-drug approaches to pain management involving anesthesia and analgesics, distraction and reframing, acupuncture, and self-hypnosis. A Discovery Channel Production. (49 minutes)
#33553 Non-Infectious Diseases & Disorders - Peripheral Artery Disease: Staying on Your Feet (Run time 28 min.) DVD $89.95
When it comes to clogged arteries, your legs are no safer than your heart. This incisive clinical program raises awareness of peripheral artery disease, a very dangerous and often misdiagnosed vascular ailment. Doctors from Lenox Hill Hospital and Temple University Hospital explain the physiology of the disease and identify its most common risk factors, symptoms, diagnostic testing, and methods of treatment. They also stress the crucial need for early detection, citing that only one quarter of the 12 million Americans who have the disease are aware that their symptoms are PAD-induced. An informative and alarming learning resource. (27 minutes)
#37380 Non-Infectious Diseases & Disorders - Health News and Interviews: Diseases and Disorders Video Clips (Run time 85 min.) DVD $89.95
This collection of 54 video clips takes a close look at infectious diseases and medical disorders, spotlighting AIDS, ALS, Alzheimer's disease, aneurysms, asthma, autism, avian flu, cystic fibrosis, diabetes, food allergies, heart attack, Huntington's disease, macular degeneration, malaria, Marburg virus, muscular dystrophy, Parkinson's disease, Spanish influenza, spinal cord injury, stroke, and West Nile virus. Video clips include... Infectious Diseases • Marburg Virus Treatment • AIDS-Immune • How Viruses Infect • Disease Travel • Flu-Blocker • Flu Shot • Making Killer Flu • Flu Jail Cells • Bird Flu Clues • Killer Flu Re-created • MD on a Chip • Cell Scouts • Malaria Milestone • West Nile Airplanes • West Nile Shot Medical Disorders • Allergies and Genes • Food Allergy Vaccines • Food Allergy Hope • Lost Nerve Power • Alzheimer's Gene • Alzheimer's Trial Update • Alzheimer's Identification • Alzheimer's Smell Test • Shrinking Brains • Curry and Alzheimer's • Apples for Alzheimer's • Brain Pills • Wine Therapy • Alzheimer's Scans • Reagan and Alzheimer's • Breathing Clear • Asthma Treatment • Autism Gene • Vaccine Safety • Vaccines and Autism • Coronary Predictor • Pre-term Babies • Stroke Brain Regrowth • Stroke Brain Fix • Heart Stem Cells • Heart and Mouth Disease • Sudden Killer • Cystic Fibrosis Mucus • Diabetes Nerve Drug • Stop That Gene • Huntington's Advance • Blindness Gene • Muscular Dystrophy Gene Therapy • Pope's Parkinson's • Parkinson's Tremors • Spine Injuries • Reeve Injury Gene • Paralysis Push • New Nerve Cells (80 minutes)
#38775 Non-Infectious Diseases & Disorders - Chronic Care (Run time 28 min.) DVD $89.95
A chronic condition is a long-term or permanent illness with no known cure. This program provides a framework for dealing with chronic illnesses-such as stroke, emphysema, or rheumatoid arthritis-whether viewers are seeking general knowledge, attending to their own health concerns, or caring for a loved one. The program explores ways for family members and other caregivers to participate in the development of a realistic chronic care plan. Valuable perspectives are included through interviews with healthcare support professionals, private individuals who are responsible for the day-to-day needs of others, and chronically ill patients. Case studies illustrate smart decision-making and home care options. (30 minutes)
#38786 Non-Infectious Diseases & Disorders - COPD: The Struggle to Breathe (Run time 28 min.) DVD $89.95
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is an umbrella term used to describe patients with chronic bronchitis, emphysema, asthma, or any combination among those three ailments. This program examines the impairments of COPD, including shortness of breath and mobility so restricted that simple tasks like walking to the car are almost impossible. Several case studies reveal both the clinical and the human dimensions of COPD, while newly developed drug treatments for the disease are also highlighted. Expert commentary comes from John Kirkwood, President and CEO of the American Lung Association; Dr. Frank Rahaghi of the Cleveland Clinic Florida; and Dr. Gene Colice of Washington Hospital Center. (28 minutes)
#38787 Non-Infectious Diseases & Disorders - Pulmonary Fibrosis (Run time 28 min.) DVD $89.95
Lung disease-or pulmonary fibrosis, to use a more clinical term-is actually a set of illnesses that cause progressive scarring inside the lungs. This program takes a close look at the disease, the ways in which it is often detected, and current strategies for treating it. Showing how, over time, pulmonary fibrosis replaces healthy lung tissue with scar tissue, the program demonstrates how this causes airways to constrict, making oxygenation difficult and eventually impossible. Doctors, researchers, and patients are interviewed, presenting several case studies. Viewers will discover how clinical trials may one day lead to a drug that prevents lung function from worsening-allowing patients to live longer. (28 minutes)
#39422 Non-Infectious Diseases & Disorders - Lou Gehrig's Disease: Insights into ALS (Run time min.) DVD $89.95
Although doctors don't know exactly what causes ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, the last decade has brought new scientific insight into the disorder. This program follows the quest for better ALS treatments, assesses the possibility of a cure, and illustrates what life is like for ALS patients today. Dartmouth professor Dr. Elijah Stommel discusses the potential use of thalidomide to help prolong and improve lives, while Dr. Bonnie Gerecke of the UMD Medical Center and Dr. Pat Frieberg, former director of the ALS Association, also provide expertise. Case studies include a middle school teacher and a retired arts commissioner, both of whom have grappled with the anxiety and life changes ALS brings on. (30 minutes)
#39423 Non-Infectious Diseases & Disorders - Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (Run time min.) DVD $89.95
It can turn a hard-driving, energetic person into a walking zombie-exhausted, confused, and unable to work. This program sheds light on the mysterious illness known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, which has no known cause or cure. Case studies feature a former congressional worker who eventually found it impossible to perform her duties on Capitol Hill, and a clinical psychologist whose personal experience with CFS has helped others suffering from this life-altering condition. Expert commentary is provided by Dr. Eleanor Hanna, chair of the NIH working group on Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and Dr. Maria DiGiovanni, a specialist with the Fibromyalgia and Fatigue Centers. (30 minutes)
#39424 Non-Infectious Diseases & Disorders - Lyme Disease (Run time min.) DVD $89.95
With wild deer and deer ticks increasingly common in suburban areas, Lyme disease has become a serious public health threat. This program familiarizes viewers with the symptoms of and treatments for Lyme disease, while providing additional information on how to prevent deer tick bites. Case studies feature a woman hospitalized with the illness after sustaining a tick bite hidden in her hair, and two patients who both contracted Lyme disease from deer ticks yet experienced widely varying symptoms and effects. The program includes the expert commentary of two authorities on Lyme disease: Dr Leila Zackrison, a rheumatologist, and Dr. Gary Manko, an internist. (30 minutes)
#8219 Infectious Diseases - AIDS Education (Run time min.) DVD $99.9
This two-part video series explains what the HIV virus is, how it behaves, and why it has been so diffcult to erradicate. The series also seeks to raise awareness of AIDS and promote responsible behavior amoung young adults. A Cambridge Educational Production.
#3152 Bones, Joints & Muscles - Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis (Run time 19 min.) DVD $99.95
This program distinguishes between the two types of arthritis and describes the nature of the diseases and the treatments: in the case of osteoarthritis, described as a wear-and-tear disease, arthroscopic surgery, cortisone shots and anti-inflammatory medications, and surgical joint replacement; in the case of rheumatoid arthritis, various medications, from aspirin to gold salts and methotrexate, and surgery, including the benefits of early surgical intervention. (19 minutes)
#5384 Bones, Joints & Muscles - Spinal Injuries: Recovery of Function (Run time 20 min.) DVD $99.95
This program describes the need for immediate treatment of spinal injuries at the scene of the accident or in the hospital; the diagnosis of spinal injury and the different levels of spinal injury; when immediate treatment may slow or stop the damage that causes paralysis; the use, effectiveness, and side effects of methylprednisolone; electrical stimulation; advances in rehabilitation, and why it starts sooner today; the team approach; assisted technology; and what rehabilitation holds in store. (20 minutes)
#3144 Cancer - Leukemia (Run time 19 min.) DVD $99.95
This program shows and explains how this cancer spreads through the body. It distinguishes between acute and chronic leukemia; covers the history of leukemia treatments from chemotherapy through the combination of chemotherapy and radiation, to bone marrow transplants and a host of new devices and techniques for diagnosing and treating the illness; explains that more than half of today's young leukemia patients will be cured; and shows how a patient copes with chronic leukemia. (19 minutes)
#33568 Cancer - Early Breast Cancer: With Knowledge Comes Hope (Run time 23 min.) DVD $99.95
A woman is diagnosed with breast cancer every three minutes in the United States, but the more than two million survivors are proof that the diagnosis does not have to be a death sentence. Indeed, if breast cancer is found early, it has a cure rate of 90 percent. This FREDDIE Award winner explains the four stages of tumor properties, provides key insight into studies linking the disease to estrogen-genetic factors, and explores the new drugs, treatment benefits, and diagnostic techniques used by leading cancer centers. Most important, it espouses the need for early detection. Featured interviews include survivors and leading physicians from M. D. Anderson Cancer Center and Northwestern University. (23 minutes)
#5791 Heart Disease - Preventing a Heart Attack (Run time 19 min.) DVD $99.95
This program examines heart disease through the eyes of a young man who's at risk of a heart attack because of a family history of the disease. The program explains the four major factors that contribute to heart disease: smoking, cholesterol, high blood pressure, and lack of physical activity. The program compares risk factors and their significance and discusses which can be controlled, and explains the importance of cholesterol, the role of family history in predicting heart attacks, the effectiveness of lifestyle changes, and the importance of exercise. (19 minutes)
#5333 Infectious Diseases - Living with AIDS (Run time 28 min.) DVD $99.95
Most of us link death with AIDS, but the fact is that most people who have HIV or AIDS live for many years with the disease. This program from The Doctor Is In profiles several people with the HIV virus over the course of two years and examines the issues they face-issues of medication, handling the emotional ups and downs, dealing with family members, paying for medical care, and dealing with guilt. Profiled are a 25-year-old former drug abuser from New York City and her infected baby, currently "adopted" by a family to help care for the two; a 29-year-old female victim of sexual abuse; a musical composer and performer; and a steer-wrestler. In addition to exploring traditional medical care, the program also examines alternative therapies and social support systems. A Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center Production. (28 minutes)
#6313 Infectious Diseases - Cholera (Run time 29 min.) DVD $99.95
Poverty is the breeding ground for a whole range of killer diseases, and for the have-nots of the world, chronic ill health is a constant and unwelcome companion. One of the most terrifying epidemic diseases is cholera-which causes extremely severe diarrhea and can kill within three hours. Up until recently, cholera epidemics were confined to Africa and Asia, but since 1991 the disease has spread rapidly through South America, where it had not been seen in over 100 years. This program examines why the disease has returned and the medical, economic, and political factors that are involved. The program explains how the disease can be eliminated and what the obstacles are to doing so. (29 minutes)
#9342 Infectious Diseases - Hepatitis C: Unknown Epidemic (Run time 22 min.) DVD $99.95
For every American with AIDS, there are four who have Hepatitis C. Is this disease always fatal? How does it spread? And why has so little been said about it until recently? In this program, ABC News anchor Forrest Sawyer investigates this virus with Dr. Miriam Alter, epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Dr. Jerome Groopman, professor at Harvard Medical School; and Andi Thomas, founder of the advocacy group Hep-C ALERT. Together they examine topics including risk factors associated with the disease, improvements in blood screening, the results of targeted look-backs at past blood recipients, and the need for additional funding to increase research. (22 minutes)
#4277 Neurological Disorders & Injuries - Treating Stroke (Run time 19 min.) DVD $99.95
Focusing on a patient who suffered a subarachnoid hemorrhage, this program explains how specialized therapies provided during the critical period after the stroke can prevent the customary consequences of a stroke. It lists the warning signs of a stroke, illustrates the difference between hemorrhagic and thromboembolic strokes, explains the importance of CAT scans in diagnosis, shows how damaged nerve tissue can cause neurological deficits, and discusses the use of drug therapy. (19 minutes)
#2364 Non-Infectious Diseases & Disorders - Kidney Disease (Run time 26 min.) DVD $99.95
This program from The Doctor Is In deals with end-state renal disease-progressive kidney failure which, up until a generation ago, was routinely fatal but which can now be treated by means of hemodialysis and organ transplantation. Neither of these is simple, painless, or inexpensive; but both represent realistic alternatives to debilitating disease and may restore the patient to a full and normal life. The program covers the symptoms and some of the causes of kidney failure, explains how dialysis works, and covers the advantages and difficulties of kidney transplantation, including finding donor organs, tissue matching, and rejection. A Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center production. (26 minutes)
#3968 Non-Infectious Diseases & Disorders - Digestive Disorders and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (Run time 18 min.) DVD $99.95
This program focuses on inflammatory bowel disease, explaining the difference between ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, listing the common symptoms, theorizing about causes and links to genetics, diet, and stress, and discussing treatments and the outlook for long-term improvement. (18 minutes)
#7957 Non-Infectious Diseases & Disorders - The Bournville Disease (Run time 18 min.) DVD $99.95
In this program, four patients-a baby with muscle spasms, a young man with a skin rash, an autistic child suffering from staring episodes, and a man with severe abdominal pain-are examined for signs of tuberous sclerosis, or Bournville disease. Using scans from the various diagnostic tests performed, viewers are guided through the diagnostic process conducted on each patient by specialists including dermatologists, neurologists, and oncologists. All of the possible symptoms of the disease are discussed and illustrated. Patients are counseled regarding the genetic risks of passing the disease on to children. (18 minutes)
#10041 Heart Disease - Hypertension: The Facts (Run time 29 min.) DVD $109.95
This clinical program thoroughly addresses all aspects of hypertension, including risk factors, impact on the vascular system and organs, diagnosis, and treatment through lifestyle modification and pharmaceutical means. Special attention is given to the proper technique for taking blood pressure. In addition, the therapeutic values and side effects of hypertension medicines such as thiazide diuretics, beta blockers, ACE inhibitors, calcium channel blockers, and angiotensin II receptor antagonists are described. (29 minutes)
#8988 Allergies & Asthma - Breathless: Living with Severe Asthma (Run time 51 min.) DVD $129.95
What is it like to live in the shadow of sudden asphyxiation? This compassionate program, hosted by renowned actress Margot Kidder, captures the challenges of living with severe asthma for speed skater and Olympic medalist Susan Auch, a working mother, and a young woman in high school. Their determination to live fulfilling lives despite-or perhaps because of-the constant vigilance necessary to keep the condition at bay defines these heroic women. (51 minutes)
#36521 Allergies & Asthma - Allergies and Hay Fever (Run time 27 min.) DVD $129.95
While hay fever-also known as allergic rhinitis-can cause seasonal or even year-round misery, allergy sufferers have reason for optimism. This program presents case studies that show how physicians diagnose allergies and determine the best treatment for them. Highlighting a diagnosis method in which doctors inject chemical triggers into a patient's skin and examine the reactions, the program explains the importance of an accurate diagnosis and how genetic factors come into play. The choice between oral medication and immunotherapy shots is also discussed. Expert commentary is provided by prominent allergists, including Dr. Eli Meltzer of UC San Diego and Dr. Gary Rachelefsky of UCLA. (27 minutes)
#10443 Bones, Joints & Muscles - The Toughest Break: Christopher Reeve on Spinal Cord Injury (Run time 57 min.) DVD $129.95
This remarkable program, hosted and narrated by Christopher Reeve, records Martin Schmieg's odyssey of despair and triumph. From the truck crash that broke his neck, to his fight for life in an acute care spinal ward, to his courageous struggle to transcend his injury, Martin's story is counterpointed by details of Reeve's own experiences. In addition, the documentary showcases new technologies to enhance mobility and presents research by some of the world's leading scientists-including the work of Dr. Lars Olson, who succeeded in enabling rodents with severed spinal cords to walk. (57 minutes)
#12040 Bones, Joints & Muscles - Osteoporosis: New Treatments for Bone Loss (Run time 23 min.) DVD $129.95
Osteoporosis eats away at bones, leaving them dangerously weak-and there is no specific age group, gender, or ethnicity that is immune from it. What causes such debilitating deterioration, and what can be done to resist it? This program describes the symptoms of osteoporosis while providing information on medications such as raloxifene, Fosamax, Actonel, and calcitonin. The importance of good nutrition and regular exercise as preventive measures is emphasized. (23 minutes)
#30010 Bones, Joints & Muscles - Arthritis: New Hope for Patients (Run time 29 min.) DVD $129.95
This program from The Doctor Is In uses case studies involving osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis to explore how a number of patients cope with these conditions. In addition, Dr. Michael Weinblatt, former director of the Robert B. Brigham Arthritis Center at Brigham and Women's Hospital and chairman of the American College of Rheumatology, and Dr. William Arnold, medical editor of The Arthritis Foundation's Guide to Alternative Therapies, discuss the most effective treatments currently in use. Quack remedies touted via the Internet are also addressed. A Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center Production. (29 minutes)
#36519 Bones, Joints & Muscles - Living with Arthritis (Run time 28 min.) DVD $129.95
One out of three American adults suffers from arthritis or related joint pain. This program examines the widespread affliction and the treatment protocols for it. Explaining the difference between arthritis pain and the natural stiffness of aging, the program describes the early warning signs of the disease, demonstrates its impact when left untreated, and details treatment options. Expert medical commentary is provided by Dr. John Klimkeiwicz of Georgetown Medical Center, Dr. John Bruno of the Tennessee Orthopedic Alliance, and Dr. Wayne Goldstein of the Illinois Bone and Joint Institute-the creator of sophisticated joint implants that have given arthritis sufferers unprecedented mobility. (28 minutes)
#7526 Cancer - Breast Cancer: Coping with Your Diagnosis (Run time 37 min.) DVD $129.95
UPDATED IN 2002. This program reviews the various types and stages of breast cancer, the methods for diagnosing the disease, surgical treatment options, and how various patients and their partners can learn to cope with their emotions while wrestling with the reality of the diagnosis. Additional content introduces or expands upon topics such as stereotactic breast biopsy, advanced breast biopsy instrumentation, vacuum-assisted core biopsy, and sentinel node biopsy; infiltrating lobular carcinomas; growth factor analysis; and pre-surgery chemotherapy. Also, genetic testing, hormone replacement therapy for survivors, and breast reconstruction surgery are set forth as issues to consider carefully with one's physician. New on-screen text and graphics are included as well. (40 minutes)
#7527 Cancer - Breast Cancer: Recovering from Surgery (Run time 30 min.) DVD $129.95
The types of surgery available, from lumpectomy to modified radical mastectomy, are discussed in this program, along with ways to promote emotional and physical recovery, create a support system among family and friends, and get back to good health. The viewpoints and feelings of the patients' partners are emphasized. (30 minutes)
#7528 Cancer - Breast Cancer: Understanding Adjuvant Therapy (Run time 31 min.) DVD $129.95
UPDATED IN 2003. The cancer treatment options of chemotherapy, radiation, and hormone therapy are discussed in this program, along with how to choose a treatment or mixture of treatments with the help of a healthcare team. The program also discusses how patients and their partners can cope with the physical and emotional stress of treatment side effects. Additional content introduces or expands upon the topics of combining chemotherapy agents and increasing treatment cycles to promote optimal results, the impact of chemotherapy agents on blood counts, and side effects of tamoxifen. Treatment guidelines from the National Comprehensive Cancer Network and the contents of pathology reports are also addressed. New on-screen text and graphics are included as well. (32 minutes)
#7529 Cancer - Breast Cancer: Your Ongoing Recovery (Run time 31 min.) DVD $129.95
UPDATED IN 2003. Creating a healthy lifestyle after completion of surgery and adjuvant treatment can be the most difficult part of recovery. And it is the recovery stage itself that is often the most difficult for partners, putting relationships at risk. This program addresses these issues by explaining how patients can help partners, family, and friends adjust to the new lifestyle, and how patients and partners can cope with the ongoing emotional aspects of living with breast cancer. Additional content introduces or expands upon the topics of tamoxifen's side effects and the importance of communicating symptoms or changes in breast shape after breast reconstruction surgery, particularly when implants are involved. New on-screen text is included as well. (31 minutes)
#11031 Cancer - Chemotherapy and Radiation for Cancer Treatment (Run time 29 min.) DVD $129.95
A regimen of chemotherapy and radiation treatment is a severe test of both physical and emotional endurance. In this program from The Doctor Is In, people with breast, lung, prostate, and ovarian cancer and Hodgkin's disease describe the treatments-what they are like, how they incorporate them into their daily routines, and how they deal with the side-effects-and the emotional ups and downs that accompany them. Information is also provided on new treatments that are extending the life expectancies of lung cancer patients. A Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center Production. (29 minutes)
#11049 Cancer - Diseases of the Blood: Issues and Answers (Run time 23 min.) DVD $129.95
Multiple myeloma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia are two blood cancers that are known to devastate the human immune system. In this program, Bart Barlogie of the Arkansas Cancer Research Center, Michael Keating of the M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, and other medical experts explore how breakthroughs in chemotherapy and other treatments including stem cell transplants can aid remission of multiple myeloma and CLL. The efforts of educational foundations to increase awareness, provide vital information and support to patients, and fund new research are also spotlighted. (23 minutes)
#11125 Cancer - Pancreatic Cancer: Search for the Cure (Run time 23 min.) DVD $129.95
Despite its ranking as one of the most lethal of diseases, pancreatic cancer has been largely neglected in terms of funding and public awareness, further contributing to its high mortality rate. This program examines efforts being made by dedicated specialists to hold the disease at bay while caring professionals and celebrities strive to inform the public and raise money. Margaret Tempero, Beppino Giovanella, James Abbruzzese, and other key figures in pancreatic research discuss therapies that have proved helpful to a number of patients, including 9-nitro camptothecin, gemcitabine, and the Whipple procedure. (23 minutes)
#11362 Cancer - Dealing with Cancer (Run time 29 min.) DVD $129.95
Cancer is currently the second leading cause of death in the United States, exceeded only by heart disease. In fact, 1 of every 4 fatalities in America is attributed to cancer, amounting to more than 1,500 deaths each day. After introducing the broad topic of cancer, this program narrows its focus to scrutinize breast, cervical, prostate, testicular, lung, and skin cancers. The symptoms of these cancers, as well as the steps that can be taken to minimize the risk of contracting them, are identified. Factors that appear to increase susceptibility, such as age, diet, gender, race, and personal behavior patterns, are considered as well. (29 minutes)
#29995 Cancer - Prostate Cancer (Run time 29 min.) DVD $129.95
Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death for men. This program from The Doctor Is In examines the importance of patient involvement in decisions concerning prostate cancer, such as which, if any, medical option to choose: surgery, external beam radiation, or brachytherapy, a new procedure where tiny, radioactive metal seeds are implanted in the prostate. Two men who opted for surgery are interviewed, along with a man diagnosed with the cancer who has decided to wait before starting a treatment. Discussing diagnosis and treatment are Robert Nadler, assistant professor of urology at Northwestern University Medical School; H. Gilbert Welch of the VA Medical Center in White River Junction, Vermont; and Eric M. Wallen, urologist at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. A Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center Production. (29 minutes)
#31430 Cancer - Cancer: A Personal Voyage (Run time 58 min.) DVD $129.95
"I am writing this because of the infinite love I have for my family, and it also makes me feel good to write. I will never re-read what I have written." So begins the diary of Dr. Peter J. Morgan, a physician who learned at age 29 that he had terminal cancer. This program intimately chronicles Dr. Morgan's last two years through readings of his diary by actor Matthew Broderick, along with interviews with Dr. Morgan's family and friends. The program provides a rich exploration of coming to terms with mortality on a professional as well as personal level. A Ruth Yorkin Drazen Production. (58 minutes)
#33284 Cancer - The Dangers of Melanoma (Run time 29 min.) DVD $129.95
Left untreated for too long, melanoma-almost always curable when treated early-becomes one of the deadliest of all cancers. This program from The Doctor Is In promotes sun exposure precautions and self-examinations as ways to lower risk of contracting and dying of melanoma, describes standard medical practices once melanoma is diagnosed, and investigates the ongoing research to find more effective treatments, including a cancer vaccine. Commentary is provided by oncologists, a dermatologist, and an epidemiologist, as well as by patients who have lived with melanoma. A Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center Production. (29 minutes)
#33290 Cancer - Men Don't Cry: Prostate Cancer Stories (Run time 48 min.) DVD $129.95
When Oscar-winning documentarist John Zaritsky started directing this program, he had no idea he was about to be diagnosed with prostate cancer himself. Men Don't Cry tells the intimate stories of Greenpeace cofounder Bob Hunter and two other patients as they come to terms with the disease. Each, with the support of his spouse, chooses to fight it in his own way, balancing treatment options, rates of cure and survival, and quality-of-life concerns about impotence and incontinence. A video that is as human as it is candid, Men Don't Cry reinforces the importance of PSA screening to catch the disease early. Contains clinically explicit language. (48 minutes)
#34010 Cancer - What Is Cancer? (Run time 57 min.) DVD $129.95
The first episode in the Cancer Story series provides a primer on how cancer begins and grows. Using colorful animation and interviews with medical experts, the program explains normal cell behavior and cancer etiology within a larger, dramatized story of a cancer patient undergoing diagnosis and treatment. With straightforward commentary from Drs. C. Norman Coleman, Christopher Lowrey, and three other renowned M.D.s, What Is Cancer painlessly introduces a complicated and often intimidating subject. A Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center Production. (57 minutes)
#34011 Cancer - Voices: Cancer Patients Speak Out (Run time 57 min.) DVD $129.95
This program presents the reality of cancer as experienced by patients. Commentary from Dr. Julia Rowland, director of the NCI's Office of Cancer Survivorship, focuses on a patient's quality of life as cancer treatment proceeds, as well as the impact of the disease on a patient's family. Five patients of varied ages and at different stages of the disease-including a 28-year-old woman with breast cancer and a 54-year-old man with Hodgkin's lymphoma and lung cancer-progress with their families and caregivers through diagnosis, treatment, and the hopes and uncertainties that follow. A Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center Production. (58 minutes)
#34012 Cancer - New Directions: The Fight Against Cancer (Run time 57 min.) DVD $129.95
This program illustrates the excitement and frustration inherent in cancer research, and outlines the steps by which drugs are tested for safety and effectiveness. Dr. Randy Noelle, professor of microbiology and immunology at Dartmouth Medical School, and Dr. Richard Stone of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute focus on the recruitment of patients for clinical trials and the procedures in place to maximize their safety. Highlighting promising new treatments and the FDA's fast-track approval process, New Directions offers a revealing look at the present and future of cancer treatment. A Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center Production. (57 minutes)
#34013 Cancer - Prevention and Screening: New Cancer Defenses (Run time 58 min.) DVD $129.95
This program highlights prevention models that have led to reductions in the incidence of cancer by prompting changes in behaviors and medical procedures. Correlating the discontinuation of tobacco and alcohol use with a lower susceptibility to throat cancer, the program also demonstrates the effectiveness of the PSA test in screening for prostate cancer, and how test results may suggest a variety of options. Efforts in the manufacturing sector to protect workers from carcinogens, and ways in which scientists link carcinogenic risk to environmental substances, are also examined in this engaging final episode of the Cancer Story series. A Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center Production. (59 minutes)
#35050 Cancer - Curing Cancer: Clinical Research Trials (Run time 28 min.) DVD $129.95
No drug or medicine has ever been proven safe and effective without a clinical trial. This program demonstrates the vital role of clinical trials in current cancer research, and explains why many medical experts view the clinical trial system as the basis for curing all forms of cancer-or turning it into a manageable disease that patients can live with. Personal testimony from trial participants who have survived lung, breast, and other types of cancer is juxtaposed with the problem of cultural and psychological barriers to participation, providing valuable insight into the sometimes mysterious clinical trial process. (28 minutes)
#36194 Cancer - Setbacks: Realities of the War on Cancer (Run time 53 min.) DVD $129.95
For decades, the medical establishment has focused on producing pharmaceutical weapons to fight cancer-but some scientists are disillusioned with that approach. This program looks at developments in late-20th-century cancer research, showing how environmental and dietary studies have become marginalized. Biostatistician John Bailar laments conventional wisdom, calling for more preventive emphasis, while Andrew Von Eschenbach, former National Cancer Institute director, ignores Nixon's 1971 declaration and blithely predicts a cure by 2015. The challenges involved in banning asbestos, expanding breast cancer awareness, and other concerns are also explored. Not available in French-speaking Canada. (53 minutes)
#36349 Cancer - Kidney Cancer: The Silent Destroyer (Run time 28 min.) DVD $129.95
An estimated 12,000 Americans die from kidney cancer every year, succumbing to a distressingly stealthy disease. This program studies kidney-related cancers and the risk factors, physical impact, and treatments associated with renal cell carcinoma-the most common form of nephritic cancer. Touching on the disease's tendency to afflict elderly men, the video describes surgical approaches to fighting it and also describes the advent of new drugs, such as oral medications, that have manageable side effects. Dr. Robert Motzer of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and Dr. Daniel Petrylak of Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center provide expert commentary. (28 minutes)
#7945 Food-Borne Illness - E. Coli: Case of the Mysterious Microbe (Run time 26 min.) DVD $129.95
In this factual case study, revelers at a Burns Day celebration in Scotland become ill. When E. coli is suspected, health officials conduct a medical manhunt to discover its source. They and researchers move cautiously from one possible cause to the next-the food served, the water drunk, improper food handling. When none of the investigations prove conclusive, suspicions mount that the microbe was probably passed on by someone sitting at the table where people became ill. During the program, researchers working on the case trace the evolution of the deadly 0157 E. coli strain from animals to ancient humans, and make connections between E. coli and diseases including flu and tuberculosis. (26 minutes)
#9156 Food-Borne Illness - Core Evidence: E. Coli and Apple Juice (Run time 26 min.) DVD $129.95
How could E. coli, historically associated with tainted meat, infect apple juice? In this program, investigators use DNA testing to reveal that disregard for federal food safety laws and quality control protocols at a major fruit juice producer caused an outbreak of food poisoning in 1996 that left one person dead and many others seriously ill. This case led to the first criminal conviction in American history resulting from a large outbreak of food poisoning. (26 minutes)
#5369 Heart Disease - Diagnosing Heart Disease (Run time 18 min.) DVD $129.95
Most patients who end up in an emergency room for heart disease have already had a heart attack or die before they reach the hospital. This program explains what heart disease is and how it may be prevented. The program examines warning signs of heart attacks such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, a family history of heart disease, and the increased risk of heart disease caused by smoking. The program also shows a patient having an electrocardiogram and explains other tests such as the use of the radioactive substance, thallium, which allows doctors to view the blood flow in the heart; a non-invasive test which uses sound waves to produce a picture of the heart and its movement; and cardio-catheterization. (18 minutes)
#11048 Heart Disease - Angina Pectoris and Hypertension (Run time 23 min.) DVD $129.95
Angina pectoris is the clinical term for chest pain due to coronary heart disease, and hypertension translates to high blood pressure-two potentially life-threatening conditions that affect 10 million Americans every year. In this program, William Frishman, of New York Medical College; Steve Glasser, of the University of Minnesota; and Henry Black, of Rush Presbyterian/St. Luke's Medical Center in Chicago, address the causes and effects of those conditions. Treatments and preventive measures are considered as well, including lifestyle and risk factor modification and new drug therapies. (23 minutes)
#11361 Heart Disease - Reducing the Risks of Cardiovascular Disease (Run time 27 min.) DVD $129.95
According to current estimates, cardiovascular disease is responsible for more deaths each year than the next seven leading causes of death-combined. This program begins with a concise overview of how the heart and circulatory system function and why a healthy heart is so important to overall bodily health. Common heart- and circulatory system-related problems are then addressed, with an emphasis on pathology and long-term preventive and palliative measures. The major risk factors for cardiovascular disease in the U.S. are also described, distinguishing between those that are controllable and those that are not. (27 minutes)
#35047 Heart Disease - Coronary Artery Disease (Run time 28 min.) DVD $129.95
The number one killer of both men and women in America today is coronary artery disease, also known as heart disease. This program explores the risk factors and symptoms associated with CAD, emphasizing that it can lead to a heart attack or cardiac death without warning. Promoting a positive approach, the video portrays these traumas as life-changing occurrences for patients who do survive a cardiac event and commit to improving their health. Case studies and personal commentary from patients, along with explanations of advanced medical procedures developed to treat CAD, are also included. (28 minutes)
#35052 Heart Disease - Atrial Fibrillation (Run time 28 min.) DVD $129.95
More than 2 million people suffer from atrial fibrillation, an irregular heartbeat caused by abnormal electrical signals in the atria, the heart's upper chambers. This program analyzes the disorder, showing how the irregularity can create discomfort, blackouts, and blood clotting in the valves of the heart, potentially leading to a stroke. The video also features expert commentary from medical professionals, personal stories from patients, and detailed explanations of effective treatments for atrial fibrillation, including medication and a minimally invasive surgical procedure known as ablation therapy. (28 minutes)
#33697 Immune System - War Against Deadly Microbes and Lethal Viruses (Run time 53 min.) DVD $129.95
This eye-opening program delves into humanity's war with lethal microorganisms and viruses. Astoundingly detailed images by medical photographer Lennart Nilsson illuminate how microbes attack the body and how our immune systems defend it. Reenactments of remarkable medical discoveries-penicillin, blood groups, methods of malaria control, and the polio vaccine-are portrayed, and cutting-edge stem cell research is discussed. The rapid speed with which the SARS virus spread around the globe is also investigated. Leading immunologist Robert Gallo urges awareness to prevent these mounting threats...AIDS and SARS will not be the last new diseases to endanger humans. (54 minutes)
#35068 Immune System - Sepsis: The Peril of Infection (Run time 24 min.) DVD $129.95
A frightening and often deadly affliction, sepsis is a result of the immune system overreacting to bacterial infection. This program thoroughly examines the cause of sepsis, its specific symptoms and effects, and the possibility of treatment and recovery if life support and antibiotics are administered in time. Describing how immunological defenses shift into overdrive to rid the blood stream and organs of invaders, the video illustrates the all-too-frequent results of the human body attacking itself: organ damage and, typically, system failure. Case studies of sepsis survival and expert commentary from physicians at major medical centers are also included. (24 minutes)
#36355 Immune System - Super Staph: Invincible Bacteria? (Run time 28 min.) DVD $129.95
Antibiotics have saved countless lives from potentially deadly infections-but bacteria keep rebounding in stronger mutations. This program focuses on one of the most lethal pathogens: methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA. Outlining the microbe's alarming ability to withstand methicillin, amoxicillin, and related antibiotics, the program examines the emergence of two separate staph strains, healthcare-associated and community-associated, and features case studies of each. Dr. Benjamin Lipsky of the University of Washington and Dr. John Jernigan of the CDC explain the challenges of fighting these resilient killers. They also explore the possibility of an MRSA vaccine. (28 minutes)
#7467 Infectious Diseases - The Emerging Viruses (Run time 50 min.) DVD $129.95
Scientists have identified over 200 viruses, and an estimated 1,000 more may lurk undiscovered throughout the world. This program examines current scientific research on emerging viruses. Live-action microscopy shows the impact of the HIV virus on the human immune system. Sophisticated animation depicting viral life cycles reinforces the concept that the best defense against dangerous viruses may well be a more complete understanding of how they work. A BBC Production. (50 minutes)
#7508 Infectious Diseases - The Trouble with Malaria (Run time 46 min.) DVD $129.95
Malaria infection rates are increasing each year. The migration of infected people to the West has caused the disease to spread. Our abuse of the environment and improper use of malaria drugs have enhanced its resistance to treatment. This program, hosted by David Suzuki, examines the problem and what health officials are doing to combat more virulent strains. Efforts by the American military are detailed at the Mai La refugee camp in Thailand-epicenter of the world's deadliest drug-resistant strain. (46 minutes)
#8349 Infectious Diseases - Superbugs: When Antibiotics Don't Work (Run time 45 min.) DVD $129.95
They lurk in nursing homes and hospitals-anywhere where people's resistance is down. One, VRE, a usually harmless microbe found in the human bowel and genital tract, is already drug-resistant; the other, MSRA, currently treatable with vancomycin-type antibiotics, is quickly becoming resistant to their effects. Using real-life case studies of patients who are infected, this program studies the effects of the diseases, how they are contracted, and their often deadly consequences. (45 minutes)
#8363 Infectious Diseases - Around the World: Global Immunization (Run time 52 min.) DVD $129.95
This program begins with the development of the polio vaccine in 1959 and traces the disease to Uganda in 1997, where 40,000 cases per year are found in South Africa and the sub-Sahara. The World Health Organization's campaign to immunize 4 million children against the disease is discussed, along with political and cultural difficulties that arise when health organizations attempt to initiate immunization campaigns in non-industrialized nations. The issue of parental rights versus community obligations as it relates to the spread of disease is explored within the context of a possible outbreak of the disease worldwide. (52 minutes)
#8364 Infectious Diseases - Conquering an Invisible World (Run time min.) DVD $129.95
This program examines the history of scientific research into the study of viruses. Beginning in Panama during the building of the Panama Canal, it studies the outbreak of yellow fever in 1893, the emergence of the unknown flu virus during World War I, the discovery of the first viruses in 1939, the 1950s discovery of the polio vaccine by Dr. Jonas Salk, the eradication of smallpox in 1967, and the emergence of AIDS in the 1980s. (52 minutes, color
#8366 Infectious Diseases - Ebola: Chasing the Virus (Run time 52 min.) DVD $129.95
This program takes viewers into the heart of the African jungle to hunt down the deadly killer, ebola. Viewers accompany research scientists as they track the disease from its first deadly outbreak in 1994, through the deaths of 19 people in 1996 who contracted the disease by eating monkey meat. Visits to villages where people lie dying reinforce the human impact of the virus, as well as the need for further research into its causes and cure. (52 minutes)
#8610 Infectious Diseases - Foreign Body: Mad Cow Disease (Run time 26 min.) DVD $129.95
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), an incurable illness that destroys the human brain, is generally transmitted genetically or through blood transfusions. Cattle share a similar illness called bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), also known as mad cow disease. When people with no history of CJD or blood transfusions began contracting the disease, the question arose: could eating tainted beef be the cause? This program illuminates the dark subjects of animal and human encephalopathies, shedding light on the neurological research that led to the discovery of the harmless prion and its deadly mutated form-the cause of both CJD and BSE. (26 minutes)
#9157 Infectious Diseases - With Every Breath: The Hanta Virus (Run time 26 min.) DVD $129.95
In 1993, Native Americans in the Southwest were struck by a lethal epidemic that inexplicably caused victims' lungs to fill with fluid. With pneumonia, influenza, pneumonic plague, and even germ warfare agents from a nearby Army depot ruled out, the disease was named Navajo Flu. In this program, medical investigators from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Indian Health Service, and other health agencies use DNA analysis and intensive research to reveal the true identity of the deadly illness: the hanta virus, transmitted by the droppings of infected mice. (26 minutes)
#9351 Infectious Diseases - The Global Impact of AIDS (Run time 50 min.) DVD $129.95
In America, many AIDS patients receive as much as $25,000 per year in medical assistance, while patients in poorer nations receive virtually none. In this program, doctors, members of advocacy organizations, patients, and others assess the current state of AIDS in the U.S., Europe, South Africa, Uganda, Zimbabwe, India, Thailand, Cambodia, and Hong Kong; underscore the value of education and prevention; and study the impact of AIDS on society. In places where medical treatment is simply not an option, compassion is viewed as a key therapy-a therapy still being learned in medically advanced America. (50 minutes)
#9352 Infectious Diseases - AIDS in America: A History (Run time 48 min.) DVD $129.95
From San Francisco, the epicenter of the AIDS explosion, to the Bronx, notorious for its injected drug abuse, this program examines how AIDS took hold in the U.S. during the early 1980s and the advances being made toward a cure. Noted journalist David Perlman, of the San Francisco Chronicle; pioneering epidemiologist Dr. Selma Dritz; Dr. Robert Gallo, co-discoverer of the retrovirus HIV1; Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of AIDS research in America; and others offer insights into life with AIDS, the disease's African roots, medical advances such as AZT and protease inhibitors, and the boost to AIDS awareness given by celebrities. (48 minutes)
#10423 Infectious Diseases - The Facts about MRSA (Run time 29 min.) DVD $129.95
How much of the media coverage of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus-a superbug considered deadly, out of control, and incurable-is misleading or even flat-out wrong? This program, designed to assist doctors and nurses in identifying and treating patients with MRSA, provides essential information on how the pathogen is transmitted, who is most highly at risk, and treatment with intravenous antibiotics such as vancomycin and teicoplanin. Infection-control protocols for hospitals, nursing and residential facilities, and patients' homes are described. Phage-typing to identify strains of S. aureus is also demonstrated. (29 minutes)
#10584 Infectious Diseases - Epidemic! A Fred Friendly Seminar (Run time 57 min.) DVD $129.95
Quick to spread and develop resistance to medical intervention, new strains of microbes pose a growing threat to global health. How does overuse of antibiotics actually encourage more lethal strains of diseases believed to be conquered? How can the media successfully inform the public without causing panic? And should personal rights be curtailed during epidemics? This Fred Friendly Seminar, moderated by Harvard Law School's Arthur Miller, examines the biological, ecological, and cultural factors influencing the causes, spread, and control of infectious diseases. Panelists include Nobel Laureate Joshua Lederberg; David Kessler, former chairman of the FDA; Robert Moellering, Jr., of Harvard Medical School; C. J. Peters, of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and others. A Discussion Guide and other resources are located online at www.fredfriendlyseminars.org/epidemic. (57 minutes)
#10988 Infectious Diseases - AIDS in Africa (Run time 58 min.) DVD $129.95
With millions dead of AIDS and millions more infected with HIV, Africa is in danger of becoming little more than a graveyard. In this program, ABC News anchor Ted Koppel and correspondent Dave Marash deliver three successive reports on the AIDS epidemic currently spinning out of control in Zimbabwe. Together they address the hardships of a society composed of mostly the very old and the very young; the wildfire spread of HIV in a culture that supports casual sex; and the grim future facing a nation deprived of its core adult population. Archbishop Desmond Tutu joins in the discussion of this monumental tragedy. (58 minutes)
#11047 Infectious Diseases - Shingles: Treating the Chronic Pain (Run time 22 min.) DVD $129.95
Afflicting one out of seven senior citizens, shingles, or acute herpes zoster, is caused by the same virus responsible for chicken pox. What factors are most likely to re-trigger the virus in seniors? What are the latest methods for suppressing that virus? And what are the common symptoms of PHN, the debilitating pain that often develops after the rash is gone? In this program, Dr. Bradley Geller, of the Pain Medicine and Palliative Care Program at Beth Israel Medical Center, answers these and other questions. The topical lidocaine patch, which effectively reduces PHN pain with minimal side effects, is discussed as well. (22 minutes)
#30533 Infectious Diseases - Protect Your Child from AIDS (Run time 24 min.) DVD $129.95
AIDS is one of the top killers of young African-Americans today. This program shows how parents and teens can successfully discuss HIV prevention through condom use or abstention. Footage of young men and women attending an AIDS awareness discussion led by two HIV-infected adults, taking part in family counseling sessions, talking with their moms and dads, and hanging out with their peers at a hip-hop dance club shows how real teens and their parents work through their feelings of embarrassment to seriously address this life-or-death topic-while there is still time. To keep kids safe from AIDS, they must know the facts about AIDS. Contains explicit language and demonstrations. (24 minutes)
#30892 Infectious Diseases - Classifying Commensals and Pathogens (Run time 14 min.) DVD $129.95
This program provides a clinical overview of benign bacteria that commonly colonize the human body and, less commonly, pathogens of both infectious and transient asymptomatic strains. Two dramatized throat examinations demonstrate the diagnosis of Streptococcus pyogenes and infectious mononucleosis. Laboratory analysis of a throat culture and a blood sample is demonstrated. Slide images, diagrams, and lists of microorganisms are also incorporated into the video. (15 minutes)
#33562 Infectious Diseases - A Parasite Primer (Run time 50 min.) DVD $129.95
Lethal parasites kill one human every ten seconds. Others prefer to keep people alive, for food and shelter. In this program, patients discuss their encounters with botfly maggots, leeches, candiru fish, elephantiasis, tapeworms and cerebral tapeworm cysts, and a tiny water parasite that eats away at the interior of the eye. Experiments include one in which lice are scattered on a volunteer to see how they react and another in which a volunteer incubates a monstrous beef tapeworm in his digestive tract-and then expels it. Viewer discretion is advised. (50 minutes)
#33563 Infectious Diseases - Parasites that Harm, Parasites that Help (Run time 50 min.) DVD $129.95
This program contrasts pernicious and benign parasites through four case studies: a flesh-eating organism that nearly causes the facial disfigurement of a young woman; a mysterious malaria attack contracted by an American man who has never traveled to an at-risk locale; a vacationing child who returns home with a boil on her neck containing a very large Tumbu fly maggot; and a woman who voluntarily takes worms into her body to relieve a painful intestinal condition. Research into using beneficial parasites to treat asthma and allergies such as hay fever is also presented. Viewer discretion is advised. (50 minutes)
#33564 Infectious Diseases - Micro-Parasites: Invisible Death (Run time 50 min.) DVD $129.95
Stronger and more mobile than ever, humankind's oldest enemies-lethal micro-parasites-may very well be threatening the survival of the human race. Some were believed to have been eradicated from the industrialized world, only to reappear in drug-resistant strains. Others, previously known only to remote regions of the planet, are turning up anywhere an infected traveler can fly to. This program examines recent outbreaks of parasitic or parasite-borne illnesses, including SARS, West Nile virus, Ebola, tuberculosis, and bubonic plague. Viewer discretion is advised. (50 minutes)
#35512 Infectious Diseases - Measles (Run time 25 min.) DVD $129.95
After nearly disappearing from much of the world, the measles virus is on the rise. This program journeys to Tajikistan, where the collapse of the health care system established under Soviet rule led to a hiatus in disease vaccination. With measles now threatening children across the country, the Tajik government has launched a new vaccination campaign in partnership with UNICEF. The video follows mobile teams as they prepare for and perform large-scale injection operations in hard-to-reach villages; it also explores new research currently under way in England, led by Dr. David Brown of the Health Protection Agency, that will produce a more efficient, inhalant-based vaccine. A BBCW Production. (25 minutes)
#35514 Infectious Diseases - MRSA-Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (Run time 25 min.) DVD $129.95
Many people in Britain now fear hospitalization almost as much as injury or illness, due to a rising rate of hospital-related staph infections. This program examines the threat posed by MRSA, or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and assesses the medical establishment's ability to fight it. Two divergent perspectives are featured: from doctors who perform every anti-MRSA procedure available, and from hospital patients who have nevertheless become infected. Meanwhile, experiments under way at the Royal Botanic Gardens-directed by Professor Monique Simmonds, an expert on the antimicrobial properties of fungi-suggest the potential to one day defeat MRSA. A BBCW Production. (25 minutes)
#35626 Infectious Diseases - Pediatric AIDS (Run time 23 min.) DVD $129.95
Both promising and controversial, the drug Nevirapine is a strategic weapon in the battle against pediatric AIDS. This program explores the positive effects of medicines such as Nevirapine and AZT-and of obstetric procedures developed in recent years-that have helped prevent in utero HIV. It also assesses progress that doctors and counselors have made in helping youths who are already infected with the virus. Interviews with children, parents, and healthcare professionals highlight the importance of emotional support for young patients and describe the use of sophisticated drug cocktails that will hopefully keep kids alive until a cure is found. (23 minutes)
#35895 Infectious Diseases - Influenza (Run time 28 min.) DVD $129.95
If influenza were an animal, it would be a chameleon. This program sheds light on the constantly changing virus, exploring medical efforts to track its adaptations, improve flu treatments, and develop a reliable vaccine. Explaining the differences between influenza types A, B, and C, the video describes how the body's immune system reacts to an influenza attack, highlights the importance of T-cell levels, and looks at the particular vulnerability of people over age 65. Detailed commentary from physicians, researchers, and CDC authorities focuses on the historical cycle of epidemics and global pandemics and the push to develop an H5N1 avian influenza vaccine. (28 minutes)
#36133 Infectious Diseases - AIDS Warriors: Confronting Africa's Health Crisis (Run time 57 min.) DVD $129.95
In sub-Saharan Africa, AIDS is not only a vast humanitarian tragedy, but also a dire threat to regional stability. This Wide Angle documentary explores the role of Angola's military, the only functioning arm of the state, in a nationwide effort to combat the AIDS pandemic. The program identifies what may be the only benefit of Angola's long civil war-specifically, one of the lowest HIV infection rates in southern Africa-although this advantage is now endangered as refugees and soldiers reenter civilian life. Uncompromising in its social and political analysis, this program offers an arresting portrait of a nation and continent ill-equipped to defend against an exploding health crisis. In addition, Stephen Lewis discusses Africa's AIDS crisis with anchor Mishal Husain. (57 minutes)
#36150 Infectious Diseases - H5N1: Killer Flu (Run time 58 min.) DVD $129.95
Avian influenza A (H5N1) has successfully made the leap from poultry to people. Is a human-to-human pandemic inevitable? Using Southeast Asia as a case study, this Wide Angle report looks at the Vietnamese government's efforts to contain the disease while educating its population. In addition, Bill Moyers speaks with Dr. Anthony Fauci, of the National Institutes of Health, about how this lethal virus mutates and spreads, symptoms of infection, best- and worst-case survival scenarios, the vaccination development process, and whether there will be enough vaccine in the event of a major outbreak. (57 minutes)
#36437 Infectious Diseases - Spanish Flu: H5N1's Deadly Ancestor (Run time 54 min.) DVD $129.95
The influenza pandemic of 1918 killed an estimated 50 million people worldwide. This program examines recent efforts to gain a more rigorous understanding of the outbreak and its implications for today's global community. Although the Spanish flu caused far more fatalities than World War I, the film shows how large-scale trench warfare amplified the spread of the virus. Frantic methods used by urban centers to fight the advance of the disease are also studied. Experts in epidemiology and emergency medicine reconstruct the Spanish flu's 18-month rampage and explore scientific evidence linking old and new killer flu strains. (54 minutes)
#37448 Infectious Diseases - Outbreak in Asia: How a Flu Pandemic Is Born (Run time 50 min.) DVD $129.95
An avian influenza epidemic will almost certainly begin where poultry is slaughtered in poorly managed, unsanitary conditions. This semi-dramatized program starts in rural Cambodia, where a mutated H5N1 virus spreads easily from an infected chicken into the local population and prompts a swift response from World Health Organization field workers. Depicting the WHO containment strategy in detail, the program also illustrates how a single wayward villager could render all such measures useless, despite the best efforts of science and the international community. Dr. Gregory Poland, director of the Mayo Vaccine Research Group, explains the science of cross-species infection, while Dr. Catherine Macken of the Los Alamos National Laboratory displays chilling computer simulations of outbreak patterns. Original BBCW broadcast title: Pandemic Part one. (49 minutes)
#6999 Neurological Disorders & Injuries - Alzheimer's Disease: How Families Cope (Run time 29 min.) DVD $129.95
In this program from The Doctor Is In, families who are caregivers provide practical information on how to manage the in-home care of a loved one who has Alzheimer's. Important decisions, such as whether to use outside day care or in-home health aides, are discussed. Several hints on how younger family members can participate in the caregiving include reading or telling stories to the patient. Two Alzheimer's specialists describe the stages of the disease, and discuss how caregivers can modify its effects on both the patient and the family. A Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center production. (29 minutes)
#7597 Neurological Disorders & Injuries - Alzheimer's: The Tangled Mind (Run time 23 min.) DVD $129.95
Until now, a diagnosis of this debilitating disease meant uncertainty and despair. Now, thanks to the pioneering efforts of researchers, breakthroughs are being made in treatments that promise hope for patients. In this program, researchers discuss how new drugs, close to approval, and old drugs, such as anti-inflammatories, are being used to alleviate symptoms. In one case study, a patient is treated with nerve growth factor. We also meet a doctor who uses an experimental form of CAT scanning to identify people at risk of developing the disease. (23 minutes)
#8140 Neurological Disorders & Injuries - Epilepsy: The Storm Within (Run time 28 min.) DVD $129.95
Epilepsy is the second most common neurological disorder in the U.S. This program examines its causes, what happens in the brain during a seizure, and what should and should not be done to help someone having a seizure. The diagnosis and treatment of the condition are discussed by physicians who present up-to-date information to help families, friends, and coworkers recognize the needs and capabilities of epileptics. Patients describe what it's like living with the condition. (28 minutes)
#8646 Neurological Disorders & Injuries - Asperger's Syndrome: Autism and Obsessive Behavior (Run time 30 min.) DVD $129.95
It is the size of the frontal cortex that helps separate the human brain from that of other animals. This part allows humans to communicate, infer meaning, and imagine, all basic to the socialization process. But there is a group of people, primarily males, who lack a small piece of this frontal cortex and who suffer from a mild form of autism. Identified as Asperger's syndrome in 1940, this condition makes them incapable of everyday social interactions. They live in a constant state of anxiety, a result of the phobias that are a part of the disease. This program profiles the symptoms of Asperger's syndrome and what sufferers and their families can do to overcome the limitations that it imposes. Original BBC broadcast title: I'm Not Stupid. (30 minutes)
#10002 Neurological Disorders & Injuries - Alzheimer's: A True Story (Run time 75 min.) DVD $129.95
Alzheimer's is a disease that affects not only the patient, but all who love and care for that person as well. This poignant program allows a rare glimpse into one couple's experience with the fatal illness that tore their life apart, tracking the mental deterioration of Malcolm Pointon-husband, father, Cambridge professor, and gifted pianist, diagnosed at only 51 years of age. The documentary sympathetically yet unflinchingly chronicles Malcolm's descent into dementia and his wife Barbara's unyielding commitment to be there "in sickness and in health." Some content may be objectionable. (75 minutes)
#10361 Neurological Disorders & Injuries - The Alzheimer's Mystery (Run time 48 min.) DVD $129.95
The diagnosis of celebrities such as Rita Hayworth and Ronald Reagan has brought Alzheimer's disease out of the closet and into the national spotlight. This program traces the century-long initiative to understand the disease first described by Dr. Alois Alzheimer. Patients in the early stages of Alzheimer's and family members discuss how they cope with the illness, while medical professionals address the disease's pathology, research toward a cure, and the importance of compassionate healthcare. No longer stigmatized as senile, patients are sympathetically viewed as victims of an insidious disease that is reaching epidemic proportions. (49 minutes)
#11177 Neurological Disorders & Injuries - Brain Attack (Run time 51 min.) DVD $129.95
Brain Attack Units are teams of medical specialists devoted to emergency stroke intervention, and their methods are having a powerful impact on patients and on the medical profession. Filmed at St. Luke's Hospital in Kansas City and the UCLA Medical Center, this program uses case studies to explain the warning signs of strokes and demonstrate the techniques being used to save lives and minimize long-term post-stroke debilitation. OR footage of the teams in action graphically shows both surgical and noninvasive procedures for dealing with blood clots, arterial stenosis, and aneurysms. A Discovery Channel Production. (51 minutes)
#11898 Neurological Disorders & Injuries - Headache: The Painful Truth (Run time 46 min.) DVD $129.95
This detailed overview examines migraines, cluster headaches, and tension headaches from a neurobiological perspective. Headache experts Fred Sheftell, of the American Council for Headache Education; Stephen Silberstein, of Thomas Jefferson University's headache clinic; Jack Gladstein, of the University of Maryland's children's hospital; Peter Goadsby, of the Institute of Neurology, London; and Harvard University's Mike Cutrer reveal the results of their research while explaining phenomena such as headache triggers, drug-induced rebound, and migraine auras. In addition, several patients-female and male, adolescent and adult-talk about their efforts to find relief. Not available in French-speaking Canada. A Discovery Channel Production. (46 minutes)
#12039 Neurological Disorders & Injuries - Brain Tumors: New Hope, New Treatments (Run time 24 min.) DVD $129.95
Several years after he was given less than a year to live, David, a patient with glioblastoma multiforme, is alive and cancer-free. In this program, Henry Friedman, of the Duke University Medical Center; Michael Prados, of the University of California at San Francisco; and other medical experts use case studies to show how scientific advances in the areas of brain mapping, laser surgery, and chemotherapy are offering patients like David a new lease on life. Information on the symptoms and risk factors involved with cancers of the brain is included. (24 minutes)
#32231 Neurological Disorders & Injuries - Alzheimer’s and Dementia: Caring for the Caregiver (Run time 57 min.) DVD $129.95
The experience of the family members and spouses in this program reflects that of thousands of Alzheimer’s and dementia caregivers who struggle daily with the heartfelt conflict of love and obligation. This program presents examples of caregivers who have learned to cope effectively with these stresses, restoring balance in their own lives. The importance of caregiver support groups and other outlets for the discussion of problems is closely examined. (57 minutes)
#33017 Neurological Disorders & Injuries - ALS: Lou Gehrig's Disease (Run time 29 min.) DVD $129.95
This program from The Doctor Is In studies the cases of three patients with Lou Gehrig's disease. Expert medical commentary is provided by Lucie Bruijn, Ph.D., science director of the ALS Association, and Jeffrey Cohen, M.D., a neurologist at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. In addition, a family care provider talks about the challenges one faces in that role. Although there is currently no cure for ALS, it is only a matter of time before one is found as researchers continue to advance the frontiers of knowledge of neurological diseases. A Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center Production. (29 minutes, color)
#33570 Neurological Disorders & Injuries - Epilepsy: Having a Life (Run time 28 min.) DVD $129.95
For centuries, many have labored under the false perception that epilepsy is a permanently debilitating condition, ironic given the success of such epileptics as Alexander the Great and actor Danny Glover. This program follows four people with the disease who have taken control of their lives with the help of their families, epilepsy education, and advancement in therapies. Dr. Martha Morrell, professor of neurology at Columbia University, and Dr. John Pellock, pediatric neurologist at Virginia Commonwealth University, explain how to recognize a seizure, provide tips to ensure a seizure treatment plan, and describe seizure first aid. (28 minutes)
#35834 Neurological Disorders & Injuries - A Place in the World: Adults with Autism Finding Their Way (Run time 23 min.) DVD $129.95
Children with autism turn into adults with autism: an obvious fact, but one that remains inadequately addressed by society. Through the uplifting stories of Paul deSavino and Jamie Hoppe, two adults with autism who enjoy the support of their parents, life coaches, and others dedicated to their well-being, this ABC News program looks at America's overall unpreparedness in helping such adults pursue fulfilling lives. Psychologist Peter Gerhardt; Jen Hoppe, cofounder of Quest Autism Foundation; and others express their concerns about long-term quality of life for people with autism, emphasizing the need for more initiatives to assist them-and the funding to keep those initiatives running. (23 minutes)
#36356 Neurological Disorders & Injuries - Epilepsy: A New Outlook (Run time 28 min.) DVD $129.95
Feared and misunderstood for centuries, epilepsy is now a completely manageable condition for many patients. This program overviews newly developed treatments that have greatly reduced, and for some people eliminated, the occurrence of epileptic seizures. It also presents case studies suggesting that the disabling prejudice which has traditionally surrounded epilepsy is fading-and that it no longer inhibits employment, an active lifestyle, or pregnancy. Neurological and drug-related information is provided by Dr. Barry Gidal of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Dr. Martha Morrell of Columbia University, who focuses on the special issues women with epilepsy face. (28 minutes)
#8921 Non-Infectious Diseases & Disorders - Diagnosing and Treating Cystic Fibrosis (Run time 21 min.) DVD $129.95
Divided into four segments, this program examines the presentation, diagnostic testing, treatment, and biochemistry of cystic fibrosis. Topics explored include chronic health problems associated with CF, the analysis of mutated genes through DNA sampling, the combined use of medication and physiotherapy to reduce damage, and the vital role of transmembrane regulators in passing chloride ions and water across cell membranes in the lungs. Computer graphics and endoscopic imagery enhance this informative educational resource. (21 minutes)
#9193 Non-Infectious Diseases & Disorders - Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Coping with Crohn's and Colitis (Run time 22 min.) DVD $129.95
Inflammatory Bowel Disease accounts for 250,000 doctor visits, 20,000 hospitalizations, and the loss of more than 1 million workdays every year. This program examines the two predominant types of IBD: Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Health professionals and patients discuss various medications being used; surgical options, including the ileal pouch anal anastomosis and strictureplasty; and the importance of nutrition, education, and support groups in improving the quality of day-to-day life for patients and their families. Diagrams, X-rays, and endoscopic imaging enhance this documentary. (23 minutes)
#10421 Non-Infectious Diseases & Disorders - Caring for People with Renal Impairment (Run time 28 min.) DVD $129.95
Using diagrams, expert commentary, and patient interviews, this program thoroughly discusses end-stage renal disease and its management, including the symptoms and causes; hemodialysis, continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis, and automated peritoneal dialysis; and dietary restrictions. The psychosocial impact is considered as well, along with the subject of kidney transplants. A review of the filtration, hormonal, and metabolic functions of healthy kidneys is also provided. (28 minutes)
#10969 Non-Infectious Diseases & Disorders - Parkinson's Disease: An Update (Run time 29 min.) DVD $129.95
Parkinson's disease currently afflicts one out of every 100 Americans over the age of 60. How do they cope with it? And what new medical insights are being derived from the study of it? This program from The Doctor Is In sheds light on both of those questions through interviews with Stanley Fahn, professor of neurology at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center and scientific director of the Parkinson's Disease Foundation; neurosurgeon David Roberts, of the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center; and Paul Newhouse, director of the clinical neuroscience research unit at the University of Vermont. A Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center production. (29 minutes)
#11363 Non-Infectious Diseases & Disorders - Living with Today's Maladies (Run time 29 min.) DVD $129.95
Despite steady advances in medical science, there is still no end to the long list of illnesses in need of treatment. This program examines symptoms and risk factors associated with a wide variety of maladies, including those that derive from the stresses of modern living. Respiratory disorders, such as allergies and chronic bronchitis; neurological problems, including headaches, seizure disorders, and MS; gender-specific diseases; digestive disorders; musculoskeletal problems; and contemporary afflictions, such as chronic fatigue syndrome and repetitive stress injuries, are featured. Strategies for prevention and intervention are also explored. (29 minutes)
#11756 Non-Infectious Diseases & Disorders - Phenylketonuria (Run time 29 min.) DVD $129.95
About one in 10,000 babies in the U.S. is born with phenylketonuria, an inherited metabolic disorder. This in-depth program explores diagnostic methods, such as the Guthrie test, automated fluorometric analysis, and mass spectrometry. The biochemistry and metabolic pathways of PKU are closely examined. Dietary experts and patients, both adults and children, discuss treatment strategies as well as complications due to pregnancy. This valuable resource will be of particular interest to students of biochemistry and medicine. (29 minutes)
#11791 Non-Infectious Diseases & Disorders - Who Cares: Chronic Illness in America (Run time 57 min.) DVD $129.95
Long-term healthcare is in crisis in America. This Fred Friendly Seminar moderated by Dateline NBC correspondent John Hockenberry takes a hard look at the inadequacies of a medical system dangerously skewed away from the treatment of chronic health conditions. Role-playing three interrelated scenarios, Charles Cutler, of the American Association of Health Plans; Richard Bringewatt, of the National Chronic Care Consortium; Suzanne Mintz, of the National Family Caregivers Association; Arthur Caplan, of the Center for Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania; and other panelists make it clear that the emphasis must be decisively shifted from intervention to prevention and maintenance-and that it is high time to rethink the way healthcare is financed, managed, and provided. A viewable/printable instructor's guide is available online. (57 minutes)
#11999 Non-Infectious Diseases & Disorders - Irritable Bowel Syndrome (Run time 24 min.) DVD $129.95
Irritable Bowel Syndrome is a medical mystery, even though it affects approximately ten percent of adults. Using case studies and cutting-edge medical research, this program seeks to understand chronic overreaction of the bowels-a condition that has its roots in the complex interaction between the brain and the intestinal tract. Symptoms; exacerbators, including stress, hormonal fluctuations, and a history of childhood abuse; and psychosocial factors such as the stigma of bowel-related disorders are considered. (24 minutes)
#29994 Non-Infectious Diseases & Disorders - Sickle Cell Anemia (Run time 30 min.) DVD $129.95
Recent innovations are enabling more effective management of the circulatory problems associated with sickle cell anemia, a genetic disorder that affects people of African, Mediterranean, and Asian descent. Research into the disease points the way toward an ultimate cure. This program from The Doctor Is In features sickle cell clinics in Atlanta and Seattle and interviews with two teenagers and an adult who live with the disease. Medical experts include Dr. Michael Bender of the Odessa Brown Children's Clinic in Seattle and Dr. Lewis Hsu at the Georgia Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center. A Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center Production. (29 minutes)
#30009 Non-Infectious Diseases & Disorders - Managing Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Run time 30 min.) DVD $129.95
For reasons that are not altogether certain, Inflammatory Bowel Disease is affecting more and more Americans every year. In this program from The Doctor Is In, Drs. Scott Plevy, formerly of Mount Sinai School of Medicine, and Susan Edwards, of the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, seek to understand the spreading incidences of Crohn's disease and colitis, the two primary forms of IBD, while describing pharmaceutical and surgical treatment options. Case studies of two young women with IBD focus on how they manage their debilitating conditions. A Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center Production. (30 minutes)
#30843 Non-Infectious Diseases & Disorders - Learning about Multiple Sclerosis (Run time 24 min.) DVD $129.95
This program introduces the subject of multiple sclerosis, covering onset, short- and long-term physiological effects, and treatment. A pair of patients with relapsing-remitting MS describe their experiences while the late Lawrence Jacobs, a pioneer in MS research and treatment, and other MS experts emphasize the benefits of early identification and intervention in managing this autoimmune disease. Diagnostics involving MRI scans, pharmaceutical treatment with the "ABC drugs" and Rebif, and physical therapy are also discussed, rounding out this comprehensive overview. (24 minutes)
#30844 Non-Infectious Diseases & Disorders - Multiple Sclerosis: Attacking the Nervous System (Run time 23 min.) DVD $129.95
Until a cure for MS is discovered, medical science is doing all it can to help people delay the onset of MS and manage its symptoms so they can continue living physically active lives. In this program, Jerry Wolinsky and Staley Brod, of The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, and patients with primary-progressive and relapsing-remitting MS share their insights. After summarizing the disease's pathology, the program spotlights treatment using Copaxone and Novantrone, demonstrates the importance of patient support groups, and considers the possibility that environmental factors can trigger MS in people with a genetic predisposition to it. (23 minutes)
#35048 Non-Infectious Diseases & Disorders - Managing Diabetes (Run time 29 min.) DVD $129.95
A disease that frequently goes unnoticed for years, diabetes can lead to blindness, loss of limbs, even death. The good news, as this program clearly demonstrates, is that diabetes is neither inevitable nor unmanageable. Illustrating ways for patients to take a proactive approach to their health, the video details changes in diet, exercise, and attitude that can stop the progression of the disease and in some cases prevent its occurrence in the first place. Personal testimony from patients and expert commentary from physicians are included. The result is an empowering guide to managing and minimizing a formerly debilitating illness. (28 minutes)
#35049 Non-Infectious Diseases & Disorders - Ulcers and GERD (Run time 28 min.) DVD $129.95
Frequent indigestion and heartburn may indicate a precancerous digestive illness called GERD, or gastroesophageal reflux disease. This program describes the symptoms, effects, and medical treatment of GERD, while also exploring another digestion-related condition, the peptic ulcer. Explaining the link between ulcers and the H. pylori stomach bacterium, the video clearly describes the best medical strategies for coping with ulcers and GERD; it also reinforces the need to seek medical attention when symptoms appear regularly. Case studies and anecdotal commentary from patients provide additional medical insight. (28 minutes)
#35051 Non-Infectious Diseases & Disorders - Deep Vein Thrombosis (Run time 28 min.) DVD $129.95
Affecting about 2 million Americans every year, deep vein thrombosis is a severe form of blood clot that has been linked with some cancers. This program examines how DVT develops, including the genetic and acquired risk factors that make an occurrence likely. It also examines the life-threatening problem of pulmonary embolisms, or blood clots in the lungs, which can result from DVT. Along with medical procedures used for early detection and treatment of DVT, the video includes case studies, personal experiences of patients, and descriptions of simple strategies for preventing and coping with blood clots. (28 minutes)
#36352 Non-Infectious Diseases & Disorders - Bladder Disorder: Interstitial Cystitis (Run time 28 min.) DVD $129.95
Often mistaken for less debilitating problems, interstitial cystitis is a serious and painful disease of the bladder lining that, if not properly treated, can ruin a patient's life. This program explores the challenge that IC presents to physicians-specifically, the difficulties of diagnosing it-and features therapies and support organizations that have greatly reduced, and may one day eliminate, the agony of IC. Dr. Lowell Parson, a UCSD professor of surgery and urology, explains a new catheter-delivered treatment that can heal the bladder's lining, while Dr. Vicki Ratner, founder of the Interstitial Cystitis Association, describes how she spearheaded research into the disease. (28 minutes)
#36399 Non-Infectious Diseases & Disorders - Aspects of MS (Run time 28 min.) DVD $129.95
While the cause of multiple sclerosis remains unknown, knowledge of how MS attacks the body is improving. This program outlines what happens to the central nervous system and its myelin nerve sheaths when a patient suffers from MS; describes how movement, memory, and vision can be impaired; and examines recently developed medicines that can slow the advance of the disease. Identifying areas of study that may yield important MS clues-including gender differences, genetic factors, and environmental triggers such as viral or bacterial infection-the program incorporates expert commentary from Dr. Richard Rudick of Cleveland Clinic and Dr. Patricia O'Looney, director of biomedical research at the National MS Society. (28 minutes)
#3170 Bones, Joints & Muscles - Problem Knees (Run time 19 min.) DVD $149.95
This program focuses on a pit crew member of the Kodiak racing team who has osteoarthritis in his knees. An orthopedic surgeon explains how knee replacement surgery is done, what the optimum conditions are for knee replacement, what restrictions are placed on the activities of younger patients, and how important is the role of rehabilitation soon after surgery. (19 minutes)
#5381 Bones, Joints & Muscles - Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (Run time 19 min.) DVD $149.95
This program looks at the causes, contributing factors, early signs and symptoms, treatments, and ways to prevent Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS). A diagram of the wrist is used to explain the nature of the problem, occurrences of which have dramatically increased in the last few years. The difference between open surgical and scope techniques is explained, as well as the risks of surgery. But prevention is the key, and the program talks about tools that have been redesigned to make tasks more comfortable and easier on wrists and hands. (19 minutes)
#7046 Bones, Joints & Muscles - Movements at Joints of the Body (Run time 39 min.) DVD $149.95
This program, divided into three parts, uses live subjects to demonstrate various body movements. The first part focuses on movements at the synovial joints-gliding movements (typified in the wrist area); rotation movements (medial and lateral); and angular movements (flexion, extension, abduction, adduction, and circumduction). Special movements include inversion, eversion, protraction, retraction, pronation, elevation, and depression. A second part examines the actions of muscles in specific areas of the body, including face, head, spine, extremities, and abdomen. Part three features a self-quiz complete with teacher instructions. (39 minutes)
#32401 Bones, Joints & Muscles - Sudden Death: Malignant Hyperthermia (Run time 50 min.) DVD $149.95
Malignant hyperthermia, or MH, is a rare inherited muscle disorder that can be triggered by anesthesia or elevated temperature. This program follows the medical detective story of its discovery in the 1960s by Australian clinical geneticist Michael Denborough and his pioneering of the MH antidote, Dantrium. Along the way, the value of his efforts is seen in the stories of people whose brush with MH has changed their lives. The program also looks at Denborough's continuing and controversial research strongly linking MH to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. (50 minutes, color)
#3131 Cancer - Colorectal Cancer (Run time 19 min.) DVD $149.95
This program is devoted to the detection, diagnosis, and surgical and chemotherapy treatments for bowel cancer, and the dietary ways of reducing colorectal cancer risk. The program also illustrates life with an ostomy, which need not prevent normal activities. (19 minutes)
#3174 Cancer - Prostate Cancer (Run time 19 min.) DVD $149.95
This program explains the function of the prostate and the nature of prostate problems. It distinguishes between benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostate cancer, discusses the detection methods for prostate cancer, treatment options for prostate cancer, and new surgical methods that preserve potency and bladder control in post-surgical patients. (19 minutes)
#3713 Cancer - Sunlight and Skin Cancer (Run time 20 min.) DVD $149.95
Despite all the warnings, Americans continue to bask in the sun. This program makes crystal clear the fact that getting a tan means skin damage, and some of that damage will promote skin cancer. At least 90% of all skin cancers are linked to sun exposure and, with the depletion of the ozone layer, the incidence of skin cancers is showing an alarming increase. The program looks at the various types of skin cancer, some deadlier than others. It also strongly advocates skin care, for people need not be sun worshipers to develop skin cancer from exposure to the increasingly dangerous rays of the sun. (20 minutes)
#7913 Cancer - New Therapies for Cancer (Run time 36 min.) DVD $149.95
This program examines the molecular course of a body cell from its normal state to that of a metastasized cancer cell, then looks at ways in which the risk of cancer can be significantly reduced. Lifestyle patterns, nutrition, and vitamin therapies are discussed. Other topics include the role of carcinogens and free radicals in the development of cancer, and recent clinical studies with chemotherapy. Oncological material focuses on immunization against and prevention of tumors. Computer graphics and excellent microscopy illustrate the discussions. Recommended for advanced learners and practitioners. (36 minutes)
#11554 Cancer - Caring for the Caregivers: Living with Cancer (Run time 60 min.) DVD $149.95
"I thought I was going crazy. I needed to talk to people who were experiencing what I was experiencing." When cancer strikes, spouses, siblings, or children can suddenly become caregivers for the ones they love, locked in a struggle with the disease as well as with their own feelings. Drawing on interviews with caregivers and the staff of Gilda's Club, the Manhattan-based support group, this program explores the emotional impact of cancer while offering insights into how people cope. (60 minutes)
#32553 Cancer - Colon Cancer: The Power of Prevention (Run time 24 min.) DVD $149.95
One of the most deadly forms of cancer is also one of the most preventable. In this program, doctors from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, and elsewhere focus on three case studies of senior citizens with colon cancer to explore the etiology and pathology of colon cancer, risk factors, and screening options. Prevention through colonoscopic examinations is emphasized, and treatments such as surgery with adjuvant therapy and combination chemotherapy involving 5-FU, Camptosar, and oxaliplatin are described. Some content may be objectionable. (24 minutes)
#33580 Cancer - Childhood: When Hospital Is Home (Run time 56 min.) DVD $149.95
Children's Memorial is committed to treating the whole child, and quality-of-life is a major concern. But is it possible for kids to have a "normal" childhood and also cope with a serious illness? This program shows how children and teens at the Falk Brain Tumor Center, with the help of their families and doctors, are fighting to keep the joy alive. The overall impact of treatments on a patient's body and spirit is considered, as is the insecurity often felt by long-term patients who, with their cancer in remission, are to be sent home. Oncologist Stewart Goldman is featured. (56 minutes)
#2226 Heart Disease - Heart Valves: Repairing the Heart (Run time 19 min.) DVD $149.95
This program explains aortic valve stenosis and its symptoms, and covers the options for treating it, including mechanical valves and aortic valvuloplasty. The program describes the functions of angioplasty, the uses of a pacemaker and an implantable defibrillator, and other treatments. (19 minutes)
#3147 Heart Disease - Mechanical Heartbeats (Run time 19 min.) DVD $149.95
This program features two cardiomyopathy patients, one maintained on a Novacor Left Ventricular Assist Device while awaiting a suitable donor heart, the other having already had the transplant operation with a prior temporary LVAD implant. Dr. Norman Shumway says he thinks that the LVAD is probably the only artificial heart we will ever need, and that the most important future breakthrough will probably come in the area of immune system manipulation. (19 minutes)
#3149 Heart Disease - Reversing Heart Disease (Run time 19 min.) DVD $149.95
Treatments of heart disease, like bypass surgery and angioplasty, are temporary solutions at best; only lifestyle changes can reverse heart disease and mitigate the threat inherent in a family history of heart disease. This program shows the beneficial effects of regular exercise, a low-fat diet, a reduction in stress-both in reversing heart disease or lowering one's risk of it, and in improving a patient's entire health and sense of well-being. (19 minutes)
#3153 Heart Disease - Women and Heart Disease (Run time 19 min.) DVD $149.95
What is the reason for the apparent increase in heart attacks among women? More women are smoking and more have joined the work force, thereby developing stress-related heart disease. Heart disease may also affect women more seriously than men because women tend to ignore their symptoms-and because physicians don't suspect heart disease in premenopausal women because it has been relatively uncommon in the past. Furthermore, diagnostic tools and statistics are skewed to male characteristics; women's smaller hearts and blood vessels can also make angioplasty and bypass surgery more difficult, which explains the higher mortality and morbidity rate for women bypass surgery patients. (19 minutes)
#3171 Heart Disease - New Hearts for Sick Kids (Run time 19 min.) DVD $149.95
This program focuses on a one-and-a-half-year-old girl born with hypoplastic heart syndrome. The parents have three options: do nothing and let nature take its course, or choose between two very risky procedures-reconstructive surgery and heart transplantation. The program analyzes these options; the parents in this program selected transplantation and the outcome was successful. (19 minutes)
#3714 Heart Disease - Heart Disease and Heredity (Run time 19 min.) DVD $149.95
This program focuses on the relationship between heart disease and heredity and shows how heart problems may run in the family. A male subject, who has had a heart attack, can point to several heart attacks among his mother's relatives which, combined with his father's history of high cholesterol, puts the subject's children at a particularly high risk for heart disease. A female subject, with a family history of heart disease, has been treated more aggressively for it than most women, whose problems are still generally treated less seriously than men's. This makes it all the more important for her daughters to avoid smoking, eat healthy diets, and exercise. (19 minutes)
#4587 Heart Disease - Congestive Heart Failure: An Experimental Implant (Run time 19 min.) DVD $149.95
This program profiles the world's first recipient of an experimental heart monitoring device. The patient battled heart disease for years, underwent angioplasty, followed by bypass surgery; when he stopped responding to diuretics and vasodilators, he was given a portable IV pump that gave him a continuous supply of Dobutamine. Considered an unsuitable candidate for a heart transplant, he was given an experimental implant device that measures both the pressure in the pulmonary artery and the amount of oxygen in the blood-a device that may in the future be hooked up to a drug infusion pump that senses when a patient is in trouble and changes his medication accordingly. (19 minutes)
#5363 Heart Disease - Attack on Heart Disease (Run time 20 min.) DVD $149.95
This program explores how lifestyle changes such as diet, stress management, and exercise are helping patients with heart disease. The program focuses on a 67-year-old man who has survived a heart attack and bypass surgery and follows him as he learns how to maintain a low-fat, vegetarian diet; combats stress through group therapy sessions and coping techniques; and participates in a medically supervised aerobic exercise program. New research indicates that reducing heart disease risk factors may only increase a person's life span by a few months to a few years, but this patient and his doctor feel that changing lifestyle habits provides at the least a strong improvement in the quality of life. (20 minutes)
#5792 Heart Disease - Sudden Cardiac Death (Run time 20 min.) DVD $149.95
Sudden cardiac death is not a heart attack, which is more common. Rather, it is an electrical instability where the heart beats very rapidly and chaotically and cannot support circulation. The patient usually passes out and, if not treated properly, usually dies. This program explains the two most common heart disorders-long QT syndrome and cardiomyopathy-that can lead to sudden cardiac death. The program discusses what parents and educators need to know to help detect the condition in children, the emotional impact of knowing you have a potentially fatal heart condition, as well as some steps to cope with the condition. (20 minutes)
#8580 Immune System - Passing the Bug: The End of Antibiotics? (Run time 28 min.) DVD $149.95
Today's antibiotics are quickly losing their ability to combat bacterial infections. What has caused this pharmacological disaster? This program examines the link between the use of antibiotics in livestock as growth promoters and the rise of resistance to their effectiveness in humans. Although certain classes of antibiotics have already been banned in agricultural use, some authorities are fighting further bans because they deny the food chain link to people. In Japan, Australia, and the United States, a strain of golden staph has appeared that is resistant even to vancomycin. If antibiotics-the wonder drugs that brought tuberculosis and pneumonia under control-have lost their potency, how vulnerable is society? How many will die as a result? (28 minutes)
#1272 Infectious Diseases - Not Ready to Die of AIDS (Run time 52 min.) DVD $149.95
This documentary examines how one man lives with AIDS. It follows him in his fight to be accepted by his family, to protect his right to continue working, and to come to grips with his illness. This AIDS patient goes through the same struggle as any faced with terminal illness-the denial, the acceptance of death, and the challenge to lead a worthwhile life in the time remaining. (52 minutes)
#1431 Infectious Diseases - AIDS and the Arts (Run time 20 min.) DVD $149.95
AIDS appears to be as devastating to artists today as World War I was to a whole generation of brilliant young artists and writers who were wiped out on the battlefield. "Twenty-at least," is the answer when one prominent dancer is asked how many artists he knows who have died of AIDS. From Elizabeth Taylor, who pleads for research funds, to Harvey Fierstein, who bemoans the untold talents lost, to a dancer who continues to dance while dying of AIDS, this program shows the impact of AIDS on a group very much in the headlines and the responsiveness of artists to tragedy in their own lives. (20 minutes)
#3165 Infectious Diseases - AIDS in Africa: Living with a Time Bomb (Run time 33 min.) DVD $149.95
This is the story of a nightmare come true: AIDS passed from husband to wife to unborn children, until whole villages have been wiped out. In the face of this epidemic, patients and those at risk-which is the entire sexually active population-have had to change sexual habits and practices, and revise attitudes. The poignant stories told in this program show Africans in all walks of life dying of a disease they could have prevented had they only known. The message to viewers is that ignorance of AIDS kills, and anyone who engages in unprotected sex can get AIDS. (33 minutes)
#4591 Infectious Diseases - Living and Dying with AIDS (Run time 77 min.) DVD $149.95
This is the life story of a once energetic man and the documentation of his final days dying of AIDS as he struggles for dignity in the presence of loving friends. The program puts real faces on a deadly epidemic that cuts across all populations, including children. (77 minutes)
#32409 Infectious Diseases - Antibiotics: The Double-Edged Sword (Run time 53 min.) DVD $149.95
Antibiotics initially worked miracles, saving millions of lives. In just decades, many of the wonder drugs are ineffective. How did it happen? This program reports on a battle for survival between humans and microbes, providing a concise history of antibiotics, as well as tracing their decline in efficacy. Their overuse and misuse is examined in medicine, agriculture, and domestic cleaning products. Special attention is given to the world's first case of vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or VRSA. Among those who discuss the issue are Dr. Richard Besser, director of the Centers for Disease Control's national campaign to reduce antimicrobial resistance, and Dr. Stuart Levy, author of The Antibiotic Paradox and founder of the Alliance for the Prudent Use of Antibiotics. (53 minutes)
#32552 Infectious Diseases - Microbe Invasion: Learning from Good Guys and Bad Guys (Run time 51 min.) DVD $149.95
This engaging program delves into the microscopic milieu that overlays life as human beings know it, illustrating the complex relationship between the microscopic and macroscopic worlds as the human host, with its billions of microbial allies and antagonists, journeys from the birth canal to the decomposition that follows death. Spectacular 3-D computer animation, case study footage, and expert commentary offer insights into the infiltration mechanisms of a range of pathogenic organisms; defense strategies of the digestive tract, lungs, ears, nose, and skin; positive results of probiotic therapy; and postmortem forensic research. Some content may be objectionable. (51 minutes)
#32759 Infectious Diseases - The New Face of Leprosy: Healing Bodies, Opening Minds (Run time 49 min.) DVD $149.95
Multidrug therapy can cure leprosy, stop its transmission, and prevent disfigurement. However, the disease will not be eradicated until early diagnosis and easy access to treatment become the norm-and heightened awareness completely replaces fear with facts. This compassionate program uses case studies from India, Ethiopia, Brazil, and Japan to illustrate the symptoms of leprosy, pharmaceutical treatment, and corrective surgery. In addition, it movingly addresses the rejection, isolation, and violation of human rights that generally have been the lot of leprosy patients. Initiatives such as Father Marian Zelazek's Karunalaya Leprosy Care Center are spotlighted. (49 minutes)
#32789 Infectious Diseases - SARS: The True Story (Run time 50 min.) DVD $149.95
After severe acute respiratory syndrome struck down its first known victim, it seemed only fear could spread more rapidly than the disease itself. Little was known about it, except that it was flu-like-and, for 15 percent of patients, lethal. Filmed in the wake of the initial SARS onslaught, this gripping program describes the World Health Organization's decisive counterattack. Julie Hall, of the WHO's Global Alert, Response, and Operations Department; WHO virologist Klaus Stohr; and other frontline personnel in the all-out war on SARS discuss the coronavirus's emergence, its spread, and, through unprecedented international cooperation, its swift containment. A BBCW Production. (50 minutes)
#32906 Infectious Diseases - Ebola: Diary of a Killer (Run time 61 min.) DVD $149.95
Ebola, one of the most deadly viruses known to humankind, struck a town in Zaire in January 1995, ultimately causing the agonizing death of 80 percent of its victims-many of them health-care workers. This riveting documentary traces the progress of this outbreak and reports on its aftermath. Doctors at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention discuss current research, the virus's possible reemergence, and what the international medical community is doing to prepare itself. We visit a ready-response medical unit where health-care workers are being trained to deal with future outbreaks. English narration and subtitles. (61 minutes)
#35153 Infectious Diseases - A World without Polio (Run time 54 min.) DVD $149.95
Despite the development of vaccines, polio still finds opportunities to thrive. This program outlines the history of humanity's battle with the virus-including its appearance in ancient Egypt and the 20th-century struggle against it championed by FDR. The video also highlights the present-day efforts of health organizations and charitable groups to globally eradicate the disease. Interviews with UNICEF and WHO leaders accompany scenes from vaccination campaigns in the African nation of Burkina Faso and in Aligarh, India. The program emphasizes the need to work within local cultural conventions in order to maximize communication and outreach. (54 minutes)
#38694 Infectious Diseases - Infectious Enthusiasm: Beating Infection (Run time 52 min.) DVD $149.95
John Hunter, surgeon to King George III, was said to have inoculated himself with a venereal disease-an example of well-intentioned research with more than one unfortunate result. This program presents a fascinating overview of the battle against infectious diseases, depicting several instances in which doctors exposed themselves to syphilis, yellow fever, cholera, or other nefarious microbes in order to better understand those illnesses. Highlighting what may be the most courageous act of self-experimentation in recent history-and one that eventually garnered a Nobel Prize-the program details Dr. Barry Marshall's 1984 decision to culture a newly discovered bacterium and swallow it himself. A BBCW Production. (51 minutes)
#2593 Neurological Disorders & Injuries - Is Your Brain Really Necessary? (Run time 50 min.) DVD $149.95
This intriguing documentary traces the physiological and mental development of three patients, parts of whose brains were demonstrably destroyed as a result of congenital malformation, injury, or disease. The astonishing discovery, made possible by brain scans, is that some people who appear normal or above normal in intelligence, may have below average brain volumes. The program shows how brain scans make it possible to see which areas of the brain are being used and for what functions and points out how new insights into the phsyiology of the brain are calling into question what had previously been accepted as scientific certainties. (50 minutes)
#4339 Neurological Disorders & Injuries - Having a Mentally-Handicapped Baby: A Crack in the Crystal (Run time 50 min.) DVD $149.95
It may come as a surprise, sometimes at birth, often months later. Or it may be determined as a result of genetic testing during pregnancy. This program deals with the agonies and the joys, as well as the endless cycle of wrenching questions, that families face when confronted by the problem of mental handicap in their child: whether to terminate a pregnancy or how to cope with the upheavals and disruption caused by the mentally-handicapped child; whether to relinquish the child to a surrogate family-an institution or foster parents. The program shows how different parents respond to the complex problems of having a mentally-handicapped child. (50 minutes)
#4349 Neurological Disorders & Injuries - Mentally-Handicapped and Epileptic: They Don't Make a Fuss (Run time 30 min.) DVD $149.95
This program deals with the combination of mental handicap and epilepsy, showing extensive footage of actual seizures, discussing the special psychosocial implications of this combination of problems, and dealing with first aid, risk-taking, and prognosis. The conclusion is that, despite intractable seizures and limited horizons, even severe mental handicaps and severe epilepsy need not preclude a happy and fulfilling life. (30 minutes)
#4418 Neurological Disorders & Injuries - The All-American Headache (Run time 24 min.) DVD $149.95
Americans spend nearly half a billion dollars each year for headache remedies. This program focuses on the two most common types-migraine and tension headaches; details headache research, current medications, and other treatments; shows the role of tension in headaches; describes other types of headaches and conditions that may cause headaches; and indicates when a visit to the doctor may be called for. (24 minutes)
#4546 Neurological Disorders & Injuries - The Injured Brain: Closed Head Trauma (Run time 19 min.) DVD $149.95
This program explains the types and symptoms of closed head injuries-anything from temporary loss of consciousness to coma-though some patients show almost no symptoms. It shows the tests used to determine the nature and extent of the injury, treatment, the problems of recovery, and the role of rehabilitation. (19 minutes)
#5309 Neurological Disorders & Injuries - Autism: A World Apart (Run time 52 min.) DVD $149.95
"I feel proud," says Lee's mother, "to have a child like Lee, because everybody says that there is no hope. And Lee proves there is." This documentary features two children, ages four and six, and 18-year-old Lee, who are all autistic. The program shows the strain placed on their families and how each family has learned to cope. Above all, it shows the enormous difference that special education can make in enabling autistic children to lead happier and more fulfilled lives-and giving their families hope and relief. (52 minutes)
#5371 Neurological Disorders & Injuries - Epilepsy: Breaking the Barrier (Run time 18 min.) DVD $149.95
This program profiles a man afflicted with epilepsy, along with his family, coping with the disease. The program shows how people afflicted with epilepsy can lead normal lives, and explains the different types of epileptic seizures and which are most common. The program also includes video segments showing a grand mal seizure and a staring spell. A neurologist discusses the variety of tests used to monitor seizures, including EEG, CAT scan, and MRI. He also discusses the medications presently used for treatment and talks about the patients' use of Dilantin and Felbatol. In addition to drug therapy, a surgical procedure to remove the area of the brain that triggers epileptic seizures is explained. (18 minutes)
#5493 Neurological Disorders & Injuries - The Treatment of Attention Deficit Disorder in Adults (Run time 29 min.) DVD $149.95
Adults with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) talk about how this disorder, which went undiagnosed for years, has affected their lives, from their choice of spouses, to work, and what treatments they have found to help them. Biofeedback, which is growing as a treatment choice, is explained and demonstrated by its founder, Dr. Joel Lubar. Drug treatment through the use of antidepressants and stimulants is discussed, along with behavioral changes that can help the person with ADD and his or her spouse and family. Psychiatrists John Ratey and Ned Hallowell, experts in this field, provide background and perspective. From The Doctor Is In. A Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center production. (29 minutes)
#6497 Neurological Disorders & Injuries - Autism: The Child Who Couldn't Play (Run time 46 min.) DVD $149.95
This program is a comprehensive overview of autism, the mysterious disorder that impedes normal child development. It was once believed that autism was caused by remote, cold parents; most often the mother was blamed. The program explores the frontiers of our understanding of autism, which today is recognized as a partly genetic biological disorder. We visit the Princeton Child Development Institute and see the results of the Institute's highly successful science-based approach to autism, which has attracted professionals from around the world. (46 minutes)
#29958 Neurological Disorders & Injuries - Autism: Diagnosis, Causes, and Treatments (Run time 53 min.) DVD $149.95
What is it like for people with autism, living among others yet always, in a sense, living alone? And how do their parents cope, as they care for them? Built around several case studies, this program distinguishes between high- and low-functioning autism; illustrates structural and functional differences between autistic and non-autistic brains; considers genetics, neurological diseases, and immune system anomalies as possible contributory factors; and discusses associated conditions, such as mental retardation, epilepsy, and echolalia. Applied behavior analysis, the TEACCH system, multisensory stimulation, and dietary interventions are also touched upon. (53 minutes)
#30637 Neurological Disorders & Injuries - The Parkinson's Enigma (Run time 47 min.) DVD $149.95
Using the illness of Michael J. Fox as a springboard, this program theorizes that most Parkinson's cases are the result not of heredity but of viral attacks and environmental toxins that severely damage the substantia negra, the "gearbox of the brain." Fox, Oliver Sacks, neurologists from The Parkinson's Institute and The University of British Columbia, and others share insights drawn from their knowledge of Parkinson's, encephalitis lethargica, Guam disease, and MPTP poisoning that, taken together, make a compelling argument for linking Parkinson's to neuronal trauma. Therapies involving neuronal grafting from fetal tissue, retinal pigmented epithelial cell implantation, and transplantation of adult stem cells are discussed as well. (47 minutes)
#35101 Neurological Disorders & Injuries - Injecting Fear: Does the MMR Shot Cause Autism? (Run time 50 min.) DVD $149.95
A link between autism and the Measles-Mumps-Rubella shot has been largely refuted by the medical establishment. But some doctors, along with many parents of autistic children, remain convinced of a connection. This program sifts through both sides of the issue, fully explaining both the link theory and the epidemiological research that vindicates the MMR. Interviews with Dr. Andrew Wakefield-the gastroenterologist who first asserted that the vaccine can cause intestinal infections and lead to brain damage-accompany moving testimony from families affected by autism, as well as extensive commentary from skeptical physicians. A BBCW Production. (50 minutes)
#39547 Neurological Disorders & Injuries - Braindamadj'd Take II: A Case Study in Recovery (Run time 52 min.) DVD $149.95
Comatose after a car accident, Paul Nadler defied medical prognoses that he would never walk or talk again. This award-winning program illustrates his recovery from severe brain trauma and his return to a highly physical and creative lifestyle. Using the innovative visual approach Nadler developed as a television director, the film allows the artist to explain his frustrations and goals in his own unique manner while interweaving the commentary of friends, family, neurologists, and therapists. Nadler's ongoing difficulties with concentration, short-term memory, impulse control, and slurred speech are contrasted with his dogged insistence on snowboarding, rock climbing, video production, and stage acting. Contains harsh language. (51 minutes)
#3712 Non-Infectious Diseases & Disorders - Peptic Ulcers (Run time 19 min.) DVD $149.95
This program explains the nature of peptic ulcers-where and how they occur, the symptoms of ulcers and the types of diagnostic procedures and tools used, what may trigger problems (aspirin and smoking are major triggers, stress is certainly an irritant but is not believed to be a cause), and what types of medications are available. (19 minutes)
#4585 Non-Infectious Diseases & Disorders - Diabetes and African Americans (Run time 19 min.) DVD $149.95
This program focuses on African Americans with diabetes-an estimated 10% of the black population of the U.S. It explains the causes of this high incidence as partly genetic but also partly due to other factors: obesity, poor diet, lack of exercise, and stress. The program explains the disease, the role of insulin, the proper management of the disease, and how failure to control diabetes can lead to severe complications. It lists the warning signs of diabetes but also explains that diabetes often develops without symptoms. The program also explains the importance for those in high-risk groups of being tested for diabetes. (19 minutes)
#8590 Non-Infectious Diseases & Disorders - An End to Ulcers: A Journey of Discovery (Run time 57 min.) DVD $149.95
Since the time of Hippocrates to the 20th century, stomach ulcers have been treated with acid-reducing medications because it was dogmatically believed that bacteria could not exist in an acidic environment. Not surprisingly, when doctors J. Robin Warren and Barry Marshall declared the Helicobacter pylori bacterium to be the true cause of most peptic ulcers, their assertion was met with disbelief and hostility. In this program, narrated by Blythe Danner, the crusade for acceptance of H. pylori as the leading cause of stomach ulcers is documented, including Dr. Marshall's unconventional measure of infecting and then curing himself. With the eventual acceptance of the Warren/Marshall research, ulcers are finally being permanently cured. Through the open-mindedness of two doctors, the quality of life for millions has been improved. (57 minutes)
#8920 Non-Infectious Diseases & Disorders - Diagnosing and Treating Diabetes (Run time 22 min.) DVD $149.95
This program, divided into four sections, explores the presentation, diagnostic testing, treatment, and biochemistry of diabetes mellitus. Topics examined include the etiology of both insulin-dependent and non-insulin-dependent diabetes; the possible long-term effects of poorly regulated blood glucose levels; urine testing to determine glucose, protein, and ketone levels; blood testing for glycated hemoglobin using the A1c test; the importance of diet and weight control; self-monitoring of blood glucose levels and self-administration of insulin; the mechanics of glucose transport; and the role of insulin in exocytosis and endocytosis. (22 minutes)
#9197 Non-Infectious Diseases & Disorders - Living in Slow Motion: Treating Parkinson's Disease (Run time 52 min.) DVD $149.95
Until a cure is found for Parkinson's, surgical interventions are being developed to improve the quality of life for those bold enough to undergo them. In this compelling glimpse of a debilitating disease, John Kempers chooses a stereotactic pallidotomy-performed on-screen-while Joan Sanders opts for deep brain stimulation. If successfully completed, the operations can provide a lessening of dyskinesia and other symptoms-but failure can mean permanent blindness or paralysis, and the pressure rests on both the doctors and the courageous patients to pinpoint the correct location in the brain to be operated on. (52 minutes)
#32569 Non-Infectious Diseases & Disorders - Living with Crohn's Disease (Run time 24 min.) DVD $149.95
Of the more than 400,000 Americans living with Crohn's disease, as many as 20 percent were diagnosed as children or teens. Several case studies of young female patients provide a forum for medical experts from the Mayo Clinic and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center to share their knowledge of risk factors, symptoms, screening methods, complications, and treatment options, including anti-inflammatory medications, steroid treatments, immunosuppression, injected proteins, and surgical interventions. Cycles of remission and relapse, genetic and pharmaceutical research, diet and nutrition, pregnancy, and support groups are also covered. (24 minutes)
#33015 Non-Infectious Diseases & Disorders - Free to Breathe, Free to Live (Run time 58 min.) DVD $149.95
For millions of people with respiratory illnesses, every breath is a struggle for life. Free to Breathe, Free to Live is a reality-style documentary that allows viewers to step inside the lives of patients who are grappling with respiratory diseases-and winning. Children attending specialized camps for youths with asthma are spotlighted, as are a number of adults battling a variety of chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, including emphysema and chronic bronchitis. (58 minutes)
#36413 Bones, Joints & Muscles - Rheumatoid Arthritis (Run time min.) DVD $179.9
Guiding viewers through the complex world of rheumatoid arthritis treatment, this two-part series explains new drugs, physical therapies, and methods of diagnosis that have made RA a manageable disease. The first program deals primarily with the science of rheumatoid arthritis, while the second focuses on ways for patients to cope with-and gain control over-the ailment. 2-part series, 28 minutes each.
#33413 Infectious Diseases - 21st-Century Outbreak (Run time min.) DVD $179.9
The human race is under attack on two fronts. Since 1977, 30 brand-new pathogens have appeared, and 20 old adversaries have reemerged in nastier, drug-resistant versions. Bacteria, viruses, and parasites are engaging in a war in which humankind and microbe adapt to the other's every move. This alarming two-part series chronicles this epic struggle, where nothing less than our very survival as a species is at stake. A Discovery Channel Production. 2-part series, 51 minutes each.
#9350 Infectious Diseases - AIDS: The Plague of the Century (Run time min.) DVD $259.9
Although there is cause for cautious optimism in the U.S. regarding the battle against AIDS, elsewhere this devastating pandemic shows no signs of abating. When did this disease begin, and how? And what exactly are nations and communities doing to stop it? This detailed two-part series traces the emergence and spread of AIDS around the world and the steps being taken to control and cure it. 2-part series.
#8801 Infectious Diseases - HIV/AIDS: Real People, True Stories (Run time min.) DVD $269.85
This candid three-part series-developed by the internationally recognized Center for HIV Intervention and Prevention and part of a national AIDS/HIV prevention model-is an indispensable part of any teen-oriented HIV/AIDS awareness program. These programs provide urban adolescents with the knowledge, motivation, and behaviors they need to protect themselves from this deadly epidemic. Contains explicit language and demonstrations. A Teacher's Guide may be viewed or printed through Films for the Humanities & Sciences' Web site at www.films.com. 3-part series.
#37140 Infectious Diseases - Understanding Hepatitis (Run time min.) DVD $269.85
Sex, drugs, and food-only a few of the means by which hepatitis hijacks and quietly assaults the human body. This three-part series presents valuable facts about the causes of, and treatments for, the stealthy virus; it also features case studies that offer a real-world perspective on the globe-spanning disease. Pushing beyond the level of a medical primer, the series will enrich studies in substance abuse treatment, child care, restaurant training, and much more. A Films for the Humanities & Sciences Production. 3-part series, 23 minutes each.
#38776 Cancer - Waging War on Cancer (Run time min.) DVD $359.6
Hosted by CNN's Paula Zahn, this four-part series looks at over thirty years of progress in cancer research and treatment, with commentary from prominent cancer experts. Each episode goes to the front lines in the war on cancer, presenting valuable case studies and spotlighting patients who are living testaments to what the war has achieved. The medical director of the series is Vincent DeVita, former director of the National Cancer Institute and a pioneer in cancer research since the 1970s. Other experts include Steve Rosenberg from the National Cancer Institute; John Mendelsohn, President of the M. D. Anderson Cancer Center; Brian Druker from Oregon Health and Science University; and Dennis Slamon from UCLA Comprehensive Cancer Center. 4-part series, 28 minutes each.
#33561 Infectious Diseases - Eaten Alive: Parasites and Their Human Hosts (Run time min.) DVD $389.85
The remorseless battle between parasites and humans is ugly-very, very ugly-but understanding it is of vital importance to anyone entering the health professions. Using case studies, experiments, computer simulations, medical imaging, and commentary by leading experts, this graphic three-part series exposes the intricate ways in which parasites colonize the human body and illustrates how to treat infected patients. Viewer discretion is advised. Original BBCW broadcast title: Body Snatchers. 3-part series, 50 minutes each.
#34009 Cancer - Cancer Story (Run time min.) DVD $519.8
This four-part series sets the medical and personal complexities of cancer into an easily understood framework. Designed to facilitate decisions involving the disease-whether those decisions are preventive in nature or are part of a treatment process-Cancer Story is an important resource for patients, healthcare providers, instructors, and support group participants alike. A Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center Production. 4-part series, 57-59 minutes each.
#8362 Infectious Diseases - Viruses: The Global Challenge (Run time min.) DVD $519.8
This four-part series traces the path of several of the world's major viruses-polio, flu, monkey pox, and ebola. The emergence of new viruses is addressed within discussions centered upon past and current research efforts. 4-part series, 52 minutes each.
