More than 40,000 flu cases in hard-hit Missouri

Missouri is one of the states hardest hit by this year's flu epidemic. CBS News correspondent Dean Reynolds got a look at what doctors are doing to respond.

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/video/more-than-40000-flu-cases-in-hard-hit-missouri/

Head impact, not just concussion, may lead to CTE

New research looks into the causes of the degenerative brain disease called chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/head-impact-concussion-leads-to-cte-study-finds/

Baby delivered on flight from Paris to N.Y.

"I was pretty tired from jet lag," the doctor recalled. "I thought I'd just have a drink and fall asleep. As it turned out, I'm glad I didn't drink anything"

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/baby-delivered-on-international-flight-cleveland-clinic-doctor/

100 years after "super-flu" pandemic, mysteries remain

A century after one of history's most catastrophic outbreaks killed tens of millions, scientists are rethinking how to guard against a deadly repeat

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/100-years-after-flu-pandemic-scientists-seek-universal-vaccine/

'One-Stop' Blood Test for Cancer Shows Early Promise

The blood test is dubbed CancerSEEK. It was able to catch cancer cases anywhere from 33 percent to 98 percent of the time, depending on the type.

From: https://www.webmd.com/cancer/news/20180118/one-stop-blood-test-for-cancer-shows-early-promise?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Scientists Seek a Better Flu Vaccine

Although further work is needed, the scientists hope their approach will lead to an effective at-home vaccine.

From: https://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/news/20180118/scientists-seek-a-better-flu-vaccine?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Pill Cuts Ovarian Cancer Risk, Even for Smokers

According to the study from the U.S. National Cancer Institute, these trends were also observed for endometrial cancer as well.

From: https://www.webmd.com/ovarian-cancer/news/20180118/pill-cuts-ovarian-cancer-risk-even-for-smokers?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Second measles scare at Chicago airport

"Very, very contagious" virus could infect people who passed through one of the nation's busiest airports

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/second-exposure-to-measles-at-chicago-ohare-airport/

Walmart Packet Turns Opioid Pills Into Useless Gel

The disposal packets being handed out at Walmart's 4,700 U.S. pharmacies contain a powder that is placed in prescription bottles.

From: https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/addiction/news/20180118/walmart-packet-turns-opioid-pills-into-useless-gel?src=RSS_PUBLIC

A Mother's Story: Flu Killed Daughter in Two Days

This year's flu season may be especially severe, CDC officials said in mid-January. So far this season, the deaths of 20 children have been linked to flu-related causes, and widespread flu activity has been reported in the entire continental U.S.

From: https://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/news/20180118/a-mothers-story-flu-killed-daughter-in-two-days?src=RSS_PUBLIC

IRS says it won’t penalize companies who don’t pay tax on time

Washington — The Internal Revenue Service said Jan. 17 that it won’t impose penalties on companies that don’t pay the medical device excise tax during the first three quarters of 2018

From: https://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2018-archive/january/irs-says-it-wont-penalize-companies-who-dont-pay-tax-on-time

Dr. Bernard Bendok: Arteriovenous Malformation - Brain AVM

From: Mayo Clinic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZFx90Z_XAE

Could a Blood Test Spot Early Stage Colon Cancer?

The test detects so-called "circulating tumor cells" (CTCs). Researchers tested it on 620 people in Taiwan who were scheduled for a routine colonoscopy at a local hospital.

From: https://www.webmd.com/colorectal-cancer/news/20180118/could-a-blood-test-spot-early-stage-colon-cancer?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Grind Your Teeth at Night? Botox Might Help

The condition, called bruxism, can lead to pain, headaches, jaw problems and damaged teeth.

From: https://www.webmd.com/oral-health/news/20180117/grind-your-teeth-at-night-botox-might-help?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Second measles scare at Chicago airport

For the second time this month, a "very, very contagious" passenger with measles may have exposed others as they passed through Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. Charlie De Mar of CBS Chicago station WBBM reports.

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/video/second-measles-scare-at-chicago-airport/

Are There Health Downsides To Vegetarian Diets?

Although vegetarian eating does have a stellar health reputation, recent news has focused on what could be bad about vegetarian diets and more stringent vegan plans, including reports of hair loss and depression.

From: https://www.webmd.com/diet/obesity/news/20180118/are-there-health-downsides-to-vegetarian-diets?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Access to safe, affordable birth control is a maternal health issue

I am a physician.

As a high-risk obstetrician (maternal-fetal medicine specialist) I pride myself on caring for women who are likely to become (or who are already) so ill that many others view caring for them as a burden. I help women achieve a safe pregnancy when colleagues have advised against pregnancy altogether. Whether it is the patient with such a complex surgical history that her cesarean delivery will include massive blood loss and a hysterectomy, or the patient with a history of liver transplant trying to carry a pregnancy for the fourth time (each unsuccessful as she struggles in and out of graft rejection), or perhaps the woman who spent weeks in the intensive care unit after each of her last two pregnancies because of complications from preeclampsia — these are the patients I care for.

When careful planning is critical for a safe pregnancy

In caring for these women, I see the highs and lows of life. I am still awed by the miracle of childbirth (it doesn’t matter how many times I witness birth, I still find it one of the most magical moments each and every time). However, I am also witness to the perils of pregnancy and childbirth. It happens more than you might think. Luckily, maternal deaths are rare, though complications that compromise a new mother’s health — hemorrhage, venous embolism, severe high blood pressure, organ failure, and intensive care admission — are on the rise. My patients, the very ill women whose health and lives may be at risk, and their families, need to determine if and when they are willing to accept the risks that come with pregnancy.

The current rhetoric of limiting access to affordable contraception will have the most dramatic effect on my patients. We are talking about preventing pregnancy to protect the mother, a concept that is too often left out of public and politically heated debates. For these women contraception is not simply a choice; it is a means of taking control of their health and future. I feel that we have a moral and ethical obligation to advocate for these patients. We need to fight and ensure that they decide if and when to attempt a pregnancy, a decision that may carry such substantial risk that it may never be a safe option.

A real life story

A colleague of mine cares for women very similar to those who come in and out of my office every day. She told me about a patient for whom complications of high blood pressure and diabetes resulted in the very premature birth of her baby. Both the mother and newborn spent time in their respective intensive care units. Both ultimately were sent home, the mother needing to start blood pressure medication and teetering on the edge of kidney failure. This new mom missed her postpartum contraception appointment. She reports she tried to get contraception shortly after that missed appointment, but after losing her job (and insurance) she was unable to afford contraception. Fast-forward six months; she is pregnant again — a pregnancy which risks this mom’s health and places an unexpected strain on her family, a pregnancy she had intended to delay.

It doesn’t have to be this way

There are many women for whom pregnancy is dangerous, and contraception is a lifeline for their long-term health. Too often there are significant barriers for women seeking affordable and effective birth control. When pre-existing conditions make pregnancy a potentially life-threatening event, limiting access to contraception is unacceptable. The medical community cannot allow this to happen. Maternal health is the keystone supporting the foundational well-being of families and children.

We need to pay attention, now

I fear the future. I fear that restrictions, roadblocks, and limited access will become the norm. What is missing in the coverage of this issue is the fact that the US has seen an unprecedented rise in maternal mortality. If government-endorsed limited access to contraception becomes reality, we have only seen the peak of the iceberg in our failure to protect maternal health.

I am a physician, an advocate, and a father. These are not separate roles, but rather so closely connected that my patients know my children’s names and my children know the events of my days. And for both, my patients and children, I am an advocate for access to safe health. I owe it to my patients to acknowledge and engage in dialogue protesting against this attack on women’s health. As a father I owe it to my children (specifically my daughter) to advocate against this emerging disparity in health care. If I sit back and do nothing, all the hours of play time I have missed, the birthday parties I was late for, and the holidays I have be on call for, mean nothing. Today’s political climate has inspired me to speak up.

The post Access to safe, affordable birth control is a maternal health issue appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.

From: Scott Shainker, DO, MS https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/access-safe-affordable-birth-control-2018011813101

Britain now has a government minister for loneliness

Appointment of new cabinet level official comes after study found loneliness, which affects millions, can be as bad for health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/britain-loneliness-minister-tracey-crouch-jo-cox-uk-parliament/

Obamacare Led to Rise in Breast Cancer Screening

After the rule went into effect, the study found, the number of women in Medicare Advantage plans who got mammography screening rose by 5.5 percentage points: from just under 60 percent in the two years before the rule, to 65.4 percent in the two years after.

From: https://www.webmd.com/breast-cancer/news/20180118/obamacare-led-to-rise-in-breast-cancer-screening?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Opioid Abuse Rises When Prescriptions Are Renewed

The new study included more than 560,000 people who were prescribed opioids such as OxyContin or Percocet after surgery. None had a history of recent or chronic opioid use.

From: https://www.webmd.com/drug-medication/news/20180118/opioid-abuse-rises-when-prescriptions-are-renewed?src=RSS_PUBLIC

ADA asks Congress to prioritize CHIP, repeal medical device tax

Washington — As Congress works to finalize a continuing resolution that will keep the government running until the end of 2018, the ADA is asking legislators to include two provisions important to dentistry: a six-year reauthorization of the Children’s Health Insurance Program and a two-year moratorium on the 2.3 percent excise tax imposed on the sale of medical devices.

From:

By Jennifer Garvin

http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2018-archive/january/ada-asks-congress-to-prioritize-chip-repeal-medical-device-tax

Some hospitals responding to flu as they would for a major disaster

A government shutdown could affect the nation's response to the most widespread flu season in recent years. If a funding bill is not passed, the agency will likely furlough a majority of its staff, including those who monitor the virus. Some school districts in Texas have shut down because of the flu. Omar Villafranca reports.

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/video/some-hospitals-responding-to-flu-as-they-would-for-a-major-disaster/