Bedsores, a common hospital problem, are not just ugly nuisances. They can turn into deep and extremely painful wounds that go clear to the bone, and can be fatal when infected. That is why it is encouraging to find that hospitals and nursing homes are beginning to take a highly effective collaborative approach towards preventing….
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Scientists Conceal Raw Data from Cancer Studies
Most scientists are extremely unwilling to part with the raw data of the studies they perform on cancer and other life-threatening illnesses. The author of the article speculates that this reluctance is due to convenience and careerism, specifically the fear of having others (especially layfolk) analyze their work and possibly find flaws in it. This….
Continue ReadingAdvocacy Groups Seek Repeal of Needle Exchange Laws
One-third of new HIV cases in the U.S. are due to injection drug use, and HIV/AIDS has decimated the African-American community in particular. That is why it is no surprise that the NAACP and other advocacy groups chose Thursday–which was National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day–to call on Congress to repeal a ban on federal funding….
Continue ReadingDiet Soda strongly linked to Metabolic Syndrome
Those who drink a can of diet soda a day are 34% more likely to develop metabolic syndrome than those who don’t. “Metabolic syndrome” is a cluster of symptoms that are risk factors for heart disease. The reason for this link is still unknown: it might be chemical or it might have something to do….
Continue ReadingDepressed Doctors More Likely to Make Mistakes
A depressed medical resident is six times more likely to make a medication error than one who is not depressed, according to a new study published in the British Medical Journal. The study’s findings are not absolutely conclusive, as the authors note. But the common problem of medication errors is often correctly attributed to the….
Continue ReadingGuidelines for Hand Hygiene in Professional Settings
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has an article on hand hygiene. Much of it is somewhat technical, categorizing different types and levels of sterilization precautions and measurements of efficacy. If you scroll down, however, there are quite a few practical details that may be helpful. Much of it is common sense: fingernails….
Continue ReadingBotox Associated with Deaths
Botox is a neurotoxin used to relax muscles. People take it to relieve pain as well as for cosmetic purposes. However, the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen is arguing that it should come with a much stronger warning label because of 16 deaths and many serious injuries that the drug has been associated with. For….
Continue ReadingPill Reduces Ovarian Cancer Risk
Oral contraceptives significantly reduce risks of ovarian cancer in women, says a new large-scale study. The pill has been linked to reduction in breast cancer rates as well, but not so large as the reduction in ovarian cancer rates. The risk reduction persists up to thirty years after a woman stops taking the pill, although….
Continue ReadingAnother Study Confirms Lack of Reporting of Medical Error
Doctors are unwilling to report colleagues for making medical mistakes, as we have discussed before. A new study from the University of Iowa shows that a significant number do not report their own, either, even though they believe they should. Lauris Kaldijan, lead researcher for the study, had this to say about it: Kaldjian said….
Continue ReadingMRSA Transmittable Through Some Sexual Activity
MRSA or methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, a “superbug” infection usually contracted in hospitals, is now being transmitted during male-male sexual encounters. This news comes just a few months after MRSA was discovered in some Virginia schools. As the linked pages note, MRSA is highly drug resistant and can be deadly. It comes in many strains and….
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