01/10/18

Wednesday, January 10, 2018

"Patient dumping" outside hospitals caught on tape

Video footage captured "patient dumping" outside a Baltimore hospital. CBS News justice and homeland security correspondent Jeff Pegues explains how it works.

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/patient-dumping-outside-hospitals-caught-on-tape/

Boy, 6, Undergoes Experimental Rabies Treatment

It is nearly always fatal once symptoms develop. But his doctors haven’t given up.

From: https://www.webmd.com/children/news/20180110/boy-6-undergoes-experimental-rabies-treatment?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Babies and children hit particularly hard by the flu

"The flu is very dangerous. It's not your regular virus that gives you a couple days of runny nose"

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/kids-hit-particularly-hard-by-the-flu/

Widow warns raw-oyster lovers after spouse's death

According to the CDC, people can become infected with vibrio after eating raw or undercooked shellfish or by exposing open wounds to brackish water

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/texas-widow-warns-raw-oyster-lovers-after-spouses-death/

Infectious Diseases A-Z: What parents of babies need to know about bronchiolitis

From: Mayo Clinic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsmzpPXE4l4

Choose Surgery or Antibiotics for Appendicitis?

Only about one in every 10 adults surveyed in the new study said they'd use antibiotics to ease an inflamed appendix, according to a team led by surgeon Dr. Marc Basson, of the University of North Dakota School of Medicine.

From: https://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/news/20180110/choose-surgery-or-antibiotics-for-appendicitis?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Dolphins Beat Humans, Chimps at ...

Using mirror images, researchers found that bottlenose dolphins show signs of self-awareness earlier in life than humans and chimpanzees.

From: https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/news/20180110/dolphins-beat-humans-chimps-at?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Breast Dissatisfaction Leads To Fewer Self-Checks

These women are also more likely to put off seeing a doctor if they do find a suspicious lump in their breast, the study found.

From: https://www.webmd.com/breast-cancer/news/20180110/breast-dissatisfaction-leads-to-fewer-self-checks?src=RSS_PUBLIC

UN Environment and WHO agree to major collaboration on environmental health risks

UN Environment and WHO have agreed a new, wide-ranging collaboration to accelerate action to curb environmental health risks that cause an estimated 12.6 million deaths a year.

Today in Nairobi, Mr Erik Solheim, head of UN Environment, and Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO, signed an agreement to step up joint actions to combat air pollution, climate change and antimicrobial resistance, as well as improve coordination on waste and chemicals management, water quality, and food and nutrition issues. The collaboration also includes joint management of the BreatheLife advocacy campaign to reduce air pollution for multiple climate, environment and health benefits.

From: http://www.who.int/entity/mediacentre/news/releases/2018/environmental-health-collaboration/en/index.html

ADA Institute for Diversity in Leadership seeks applicants for 2018-19 program

The American Dental Association Institute for Diversity in Leadership is accepting applications through March 16 for its 2018-19 class.

From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2018-archive/january/ada-institute-for-diversity-in-leadership-seeks-applicants-for-2018-19-program

Hormone Therapy May Aid Menopausal Depression

Surprisingly, for women with a past history of major depression -- which is a known risk factor for future depression -- hormone therapy didn't appear to lessen the risk of depressive symptoms.

From: https://www.webmd.com/menopause/news/20180110/hormone-therapy-may-aid-menopausal-depression?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Middle aged and out of shape? It's not too late

A new study suggests people in their 50s and early 60s can regain the heart health of someone decades younger through an aerobic exercise program

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/middle-aged-out-of-shape-its-never-too-late-to-help-your-heart/

Some Lung Cancer Patients Don't Get Best Treatment

This less-than-optimal care is reducing survival rates, according to researchers from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

From: https://www.webmd.com/lung-cancer/news/20180110/some-lung-cancer-patients-dont-get-best-treatment-study?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Survey: Embedding dental benefits in medical plans is on the way

A new survey finds that 96 percent of health care executives believe that the embedding of dental benefits in medical plans is "already happening or will happen eventually."

From: By Jennifer Garvin
http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2018-archive/january/survey-embedding-dental-benefits-in-medical-plans-is-on-the-way

U.S. News & World Report: Dentistry, orthodontics rank among best jobs

U.S. News & World Report’s annual ranking of the “100 Best Jobs” placed dentists and orthodontists both in the top-five, according to results published Jan. 10 on its website.

From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2018-archive/january/us-news-world-report-dentistry-orthodontics-rank-among-best-jobs

Flu can be serious for babies and kids

This flu season is looking like a bad one, and children can be at risk of serious complications. KHOU-TV's Lauren Talarico reports from Houston, where the illness is spreading fast.

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/flu-can-be-serious-for-babies-and-kids/

Mayo Clinic Minute: Why you should stop doing exercises you hate

From: Mayo Clinic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Spwrop6YRqs

Radiology lab loses medical records of thousands of patients

Charles River Medical Associates mailed letters this week to patients whose records are missing

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/charles-river-medical-associates-radiology-lab-loses-records-massachusetts/

Man declared dead snores to life right before autopsy

Officials had certified the man's death, but hours later he was heard making noises on the autopsy table and was found to still be alive

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/man-declared-dead-snores-to-life-right-before-autopsy/

The flu is here — and so is a new advisory from the CDC

Follow me on Twitter @RobShmerling

It seems like we hear the same thing every flu season — it’s going to be bad this year. In fact, different years bring different strains of flu, and the numbers of cases, complications, hospitalizations, and deaths related to the flu vary from year to year.

So, what’s the deal this year?

The CDC has just issued an advisory. Here are the highlights:

Flu season is heating up. The number of cases is rising and the predominant strain — A(H3N2) — is one that in past years has caused more hospital admissions and deaths than other strains, especially among older adults and young children.

The flu vaccine may not be very effective. Estimates are that it’s about 32% effective, while last year it was 39% effective and most years it’s 40% to 60% effective. Still, vaccination is highly recommended. Some protection is better than none, and the flu may be less severe in people who have been vaccinated.

Antiviral medications can shorten the course of the flu and reduce its severity. These medications include:

oral oseltamivir (generic or as Tamiflu)
inhaled zanamivir (Relenza)
intravenous peramivir (Rapivab).

The antiviral medications work best when started within two days of the onset of symptoms; even after two days, these medications can be beneficial.

When flu is strongly suspected, treatment with antiviral medications should not be delayed while waiting for the results of flu tests. This is especially true for those most likely to suffer complications of the flu such as the elderly, chronically ill, and young children.

Antiviral medications — like antibiotics but different

If you have never heard of antiviral drugs, you aren’t alone. Antivirals are treatments for viral infections just as antibiotics (such as penicillin or erythromycin) are for bacterial infections. You may not be familiar with them because there aren’t nearly as many antiviral drugs as antibiotics, and most viral infections go away on their own. But for certain serious viral infections — HIV and hepatitis C are good examples — highly effective antiviral drugs have revolutionized care, prevented suffering, and saved countless lives. For influenza infections, antiviral medications can be a big help as well.

What’s the plan?

When it comes to the flu, there’s a lot you can do to reduce your risk (and the risk to those around you). Here are some measures to take now:

Get vaccinated. The list of reasons to avoid vaccination is short (such as having a severe reaction to the vaccine in the past); and no, the standard injected flu vaccine cannot cause you to get the flu.
Let your doctor know right away if you have symptoms suggestive of the flu during flu season. The sooner you’re tested and treated, the better. The most common symptoms are:
- fever and chills
- sore throat
- cough and runny nose or congestion
- fatigue and achiness all over
- headache
Stay home. If you have flulike symptoms, avoid contact with others. If that means missing work, your boss should be grateful you aren’t exposing your coworkers.
Wash your hands often and cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing. If you are taking care of someone who has the flu, remind them to take these precautions.

In conclusion…

Maybe this year’s flu season will be milder than expected. But I wouldn’t count on it. I’ve had the flu and it’s not pleasant. Do what you can to lessen your risk. It’s worth the effort.

The post The flu is here — and so is a new advisory from the CDC appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.

From: Robert H. Shmerling, MD https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/flu-new-advisory-cdc-2018011013073

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