Posted on 12/01/2005 5:59:43 AM PST by Qwertrew
Tom Cruise hasn't made many friends within the medical community lately.
First the American Psychiatric Association slammed the actor for referring to psychiatry as a "pseudoscience," calling Cruise's remarks "irresponsible." Now the American College of Radiology is up in arms over Cruise's admission that he purchased a sonogram machine and uses it to perform at-home ultrasounds on fiancee Katie Holmes.
The ACR issued a statement warning that Cruise and Holmes could potentially harm their unborn baby by performing ultrasounds without the benefit of a doctor's supervision
"This is a patient safety issue. Untrained people, even if they have the financial means, should not buy, or be allowed to buy and operate, ultrasound machines which are, in fact, medical devices and should not be used without a medical indication," said Dr. Carol M. Rumack, chair of the ACR Ultrasound Commission.
Cruise gushed about his purchase to Barbara Walters during an interview for her special Barbara Walters Presents: The 10 Most Fascinating People of 2005, which aired Tuesday.
"I bought a sonogram machine," Cruise told Walters during the interview, which was taped Oct. 30. "I am going to donate it to a hospital when we are done."
Somewhat startled, Walters replied, "Wait, you are going to do your own sonogram?"
"Yes," Cruise replied, chuckling.
The couch-jumping thesp told Walters that he did not know the sex of his offspring, but that he saw "a little baby" when he performed the ultrasound.
Cruise's purchase is estimated to have set him back anywhere from $15,000 to $200,000. However, the ACR is not convinced that the War of the Worlds star fully understands the complexities of the device.
"The ACR is concerned that Tom Cruise has been badly advised regarding the use and potential abuse of ultrasound," Dr. Rumack stated. "There are many abnormalities that may be missed by the untrained eye. Also, if it is not medically necessary, the use of ultrasound raises unnecessary physical risk to the fetus."
The ACR isn't the only organization concerned about Cruise's personal sonogram machine. According to the Food and Drug Administration, the actor may even be violating the law by possessing the device.
"Persons who promote, sell or lease ultrasound equipment for making 'keepsake' fetal videos should know that FDA views this as an unapproved use of a medical device," the FDA stated. "In addition, those who subject individuals to ultrasound exposure using a diagnostic ultrasound device (a prescription device) without a physician's order may be in violation of state or local laws or regulations regarding use of a prescription medical device."
Cruise's representatives did not respond to requests for comment on the sonogram issue.
Meanwhile, Cruise and Holmes have been taking a break from their at-home ultrasound project while spending time in Shanghai, where Cruise has been filming scenes for Mission: Impossible 3.
At a press roundup Wednesday, Cruise grabbed a cell phone from a reporter who dared to take a call during the event and began chatting to the surprised party at the other end.
"Put her on the phone. I want to talk to her," Cruise demanded, asking to talk to the female caller, whom he presumed to be the reporter's girlfriend.
"Hello. Xiexie. Ni hao. Are you good?" said Cruise, throwing out the Chinese words for "thank you" and "hello" like a natural.
"Are you good? Are you working?" he asked. "Are you going to get engaged? Soon? Maybe?"
After a translator stepped in to assist, it was revealed that the caller was actually the reporter's wife.
"Tell her I wish her happiness," Cruise said.
On the subject of his own wedding, Cruise remained teasingly elusive.
"You want to know where we're gonna get married? The exact date? The exact place? The color dress, designer?" he quizzed reporters. "You know, we haven't set a date...It will happen next year."
I have some personal theories about sonograms, but since I can't back them up with any of my own medical knowledge, I don't often mention them. However, we do know that cells communicate with one another via chemicals and electrical impulses, and that would include the developing brain cells in babies like these.
Whether or not that is detrimental, I can't say, but I do wonder, and you'd think Tom Cruise would, too, since he's so anti-medical establishment. He doesn't want people taking anti-depressant drugs for post partum blues, yet he submits his own child to excessive sonograms?
Our ob/gyn told us this 18 years ago! It's still a good precaution.
LOL, I read the title and thought Cruise was having a problem with one of those new numbers puzzles... you know, the puzzles with the nine tic-tac-toe squares where you have to fill in the numbers 1 - 9 without having the same number twice in any row or column?
I thought, "Man, this Tom Cruise is completely over the edge now."
Tom is arrogance and entitlement embodied, good point. He has totally lost it and Katie follows him around like a lap dog. I don't know if a wake up call to him would get through, but to Katie I say, 'RUN'. Run fast and far. Her parents are right to be concerned about her. And now the baby, too.
"I don't hate him. I am coming more and more firmly to the conclusion that he's a freak."
I usually try to shy away from judging someone just based on knowing one or very few facts about them. But, there are some things that I just can't get part. One of them is bieng a scientologist. If you're buy into scientology, you're an idiot. Period.
Having been involved in the design of medical ultrasound devices (and tested them on myself) there is a real fear of cavitation due to long-term exposure to ultrasound. Cavitation is similar to what a microwave can do - excite water molucules that can make cells burst. It is frequency dependent but there is some research into using ultrasound cavitation to enhace transdermal (e.g. drug patches or creams) drug delivery. I shuddered when I first heard this story - the seller of the device could be in big trouble.
Shouldn't that be: Come out ofthe closetTom? ;-)
From howstuffworks.com
http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/ultrasound4.htm
There have been many concerns about the safety of ultrasound. Because ultrasound is energy, the question becomes "What is this energy doing to my tissues or my baby?" There have been some reports of low birthweight babies being born to mothers who had frequent ultrasound examinations during pregnancy. The two major possibilities with ultrasound are as follows:
development of heat - tissues or water absorb the ultrasound energy which increases their temperature locally
formation of bubbles (cavitation) - when dissolved gases come out of solution due to local heat caused by ultrasound
However, there have been no substantiated ill-effects of ultrasound documented in studies in either humans or animals. This being said, ultrasound should still be used only when necessary (i.e. better to be cautious).
I read this story yesterday, and my immediate reaction was one of Holy Smokes Batman!! Hollywood is probably even angrier than the medical establishment at this point. Mr. Cruise called the mass of cells in Miss Holmes' body, "a little baby."
* Heat development: Local tissue absorb the ultrasound energy and increases the temperature of those tissues
That's a big issue right there. Ultrasound waves can generate excess heat if it's not used properly, or if one does not understand the mechanics of how ultrasound energy transfers to a picture.
If he doesn't know what he's doing, while setting the machine on the appropriate (and safe)parameters in order to see the fetus, he might end up cooking that kid, as well as damage surrounding tissues of his wife.
Does Tom Cruise take Aetna?
Thank you--this is the kind of information I was hoping someone would post!
Ping to #86!
Having once been employed as an engineer at GE in their ultrasound division, I too shuttered when I first heard of this story.
Anyone unaware that you can crank up the power on an ultrasound machine to the point where you can damage tissue due to cavitation should sit down and STFU. These machines are NOT to be used by someone not trained in their use, because they can cause substantial physical harm if not used properly.
Tom Cruise may have the necessary cash to purchase one, but I doubt if he has the necessary training to use one safely.
Of course, it's never arrogance when it's a DOCTOR doing it, huh?
"This is a patient safety issue. Untrained people, even if they have the financial means, should not buy, or be allowed to buy and operate, ultrasound machines which are, in fact, medical devices and should not be used without a medical indication," said Dr. Carol M. Rumack, chair of the ACR Ultrasound Commission.
Read #86 and #94. Doctors can be arrogant, too, but most of them will know how to operate one of these machines. Cruise, on the other hand...
Like what?! Cruise may be a nut, but the people complaining about this -- and suggesting that private parties should not be "allowed" to purchase a machine -- probably only oppose broader ultrasound access because it 1.) makes doctors seem less God-like, and 2.) undermines abortion.
The ACR issued a statement warning that Cruise and Holmes could potentially harm their unborn baby by performing ultrasounds without the benefit of a doctor's supervision
THE HYPOCRISY! Only certified ultrasound professionals can screen babies for the abortionists knife.
Heh!
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