Don’t become the victim of a surgical error
July 17, 2008
From CNN News
By Elizabeth Cohen
I thought my husband was crazy.
When our 2-year-old daughter had hernia surgery, he insisted on seeing the surgeon minutes before to remind him that the hernia was on her right side, not her left.
The nurses weren’t happy; it wasn’t protocol to have the surgeon meet with parents immediately before a procedure.
“Maybe this is overkill,” I said to my husband. “He knows what side the hernia’s on. He’s already seen her twice in his office. Plus, we’ve told the pre-op nurses 10 times it’s on the right side.”
Health Costs To Rise Nearly 10%
June 18, 2008
From Wall Street Journal
NEW YORK — Employer health-care costs are poised to rise almost 10% in 2008 — more than double the annual inflation rate — and nearly that much again in 2009, according to an industry report released Tuesday.
The study by PriceWaterhouseCoopers predicts that medical costs will increase 9.9% in …
Couch-potato culture may cut our lives short
June 12, 2008
From msnbc.om
By Jacqueline Stenson
The turning point happened last summer when Sherrie Boughter’s son came to her in tears about his weight — at 8 years old, he tipped the scales at 184 pounds.
“I weigh more than Rey Mysterio,” the professional wrestler, Justin told his mom. “You have to help me! You have to help me!” he pleaded.
“We sat and cried for an hour,” remembers Boughter, 41, who lives in Medina, Ohio.
She and her husband, Brian, sought help from the Akron Children’s Hospital Future Fitness Clinic, where she says the staff didn’t beat around the bush. While Justin didn’t have full-blown diabetes, which runs in the family, he had brown patches on the back of his neck that can be a warning sign of the disease.
U.S. life expectancy tops 78 for the first time
June 12, 2008
From msnbc.com
ATLANTA – For the first time, U.S. life expectancy has surpassed 78 years, the government reported Wednesday, although the United States continues to lag behind about 30 other countries in estimated life span.
The increase is due mainly to falling mortality rates in almost all the leading causes of death, federal health officials said. The average life expectancy for babies born in 2006 was about four months greater than for children born in 2005.
Japan has the longest life expectancy — 83 years for children born in 2006, according to World Health Organization data. Switzerland and Australia were also near the top of the list.
Golf Cart Injuries Are on the Rise
June 12, 2008
From New York Times
Golf carts are moving off the golf course, and the result appears to be a surge in injuries, a new report shows.
The June issue of The American Journal of Preventive Medicine reports that injuries from being hit or falling off of golf carts surged 132 percent from 1990 to 2006. Nearly 150,000 people, ranging in age from 2 months to 96 years, were hurt in golf cart accidents during that time.
One reason may be that golf carts have become much faster and more powerful. Reaching speeds of up to 25 miles per hour and traveling as far as 40 miles on a single battery charge, golf carts now offer quick travel in a variety of venues. They are now routinely used at sporting events, hospitals, airports, national parks, college campuses, businesses and military bases, the study authors noted. In some gated and retirement communities, golf carts have become the primary means
Fast Food Chains Hold the Tomatoes
June 10, 2008
From abcnews.com
By Randy Gyllenhaal
Several grocery stores and fast food restaurants said Monday that they are temporarily pulling sliced tomatoes from their restaurants and shelves in the wake of a mysterious salmonella outbreak that has spread to at least 16 states.
McDonald’s, Subway, Burger King and Chipotle all announced plans to pull tomatoes from their restaurants, as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said there have been 145 reported cases of salmonellosis across the country, sending 23 people to the hospital. No deaths have been reported so far. The culprit: an uncommon strain of salmonella called Salmonella Saintpaul.
The FDA has advised restaurants and retailers to remove certain types of tomatoes from their shelves and products.
Are You in Shape?
May 18, 2008
From CBS News
If you didn’t get a Presidential Physical Fitness Award in school, the government is giving you another chance to prove you’re in shape.
An adult fitness test is being introduced Wednesday by the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. It will incorporate several of the exercises that millions of students undertake each year as they aim for a certificate signed by the president.
“What were trying to do is inspire and motivate Americans to move their bodies more,” said Melissa Johnson, executive director of the council.
The test involves three basic components: aerobic fitness, muscular strength and flexibility. The test is for people 18 and older who are in good health. It was inspired by scores of baby boomers who kept asking council members whether there was a fitness test available today that was similar to the ones they took as students, Johnson said.
From the AP
The family of a 6-year-old girl whose intestines were partially sucked out by a Minnesota swimming pool drain last year says the child has died.
Family attorney Bob Bennett says Abigail Taylor’s parents were with her when she died Thursday evening at a Nebraska hospital.
Abigail was injured on June 29 when she sat on a pool drain and its powerful suction ripped out part of her intestinal tract. She had small bowel, liver and pancreas transplants at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in December but suffered complications.
Zach Dunlap Feeling Pretty Good
March 25, 2008
From the AP
Four months after he was declared brain dead and doctors were about to remove his organs for transplant, Zach Dunlap says he feels “pretty good.”
Dunlap was pronounced dead Nov. 19 at United Regional Healthcare System in Wichita Falls, Texas, after he was injured in an all-terrain vehicle accident. His family approved having his organs harvested.
As family members were paying their last respects, he moved his foot and hand. He reacted to a pocketknife scraped across his foot and to pressure applied under a fingernail. After 48 days in the hospital, he was allowed to return home, where he continues to work on his recovery.
On Monday, he and his family were in New York, appearing on NBC’s “Today.”
“I feel pretty good. but it’s just hard … just ain’t got the patience,” Dunlap told NBC.
Dunlap, 21, of Frederick, said he has no recollection of the crash.
“I remember a little bit that was about an hour before the accident happened. But then about six hours before that, I remember,” he said.
Dunlap said one thing he does remember is hearing the doctors pronounce him dead.
Want A Good Marriage, Ladies? Marry Someone Uglier Than You
March 25, 2008
From news.com.au
The best marriages are those where women marry men who are less attractive than themselves, research has found.
Psychologists who studied newlyweds found men who were better-looking than their wives were more likely to be unhappy and have negative feelings about their marriage.
In couples where the wife is more attractive, both partners tended to be very content.
The research, published in the Journal of Family Psychology, suggests that, in evolutionary terms, women are less choosy about their man’s looks as long as he is able to help them reproduce.
Men, however, are programmed to choose a mate who is most likely to pass on their genes and look for youth, health and physical attractiveness.
The tests involved 82 couples married within the previous six months.
FDA Approves Prilosec For Kids Aged 1-16
March 25, 2008
From Miranda Hitti, WebMD.com
The FDA today announced its approval of the use of Prilosec in children as young as 1 year old.
The FDA yesterday approved Prilosec delayed-release oral suspension (liquid) for the short-term treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and the healing of erosive esophagitis (erosions in the lining of the esophagus) in children aged 1-2.
Prilosec, made by AstraZeneca, was previously approved for use in children aged 2 to 16.
Last month, the FDA approved another GERD drug, Nexium, for use in children aged 1-11. Nexium, which is also made by AstraZeneca, was already approved for use in kids aged 12-17.
Neither pill is approved for use in children younger than 1 year old.
Cyberchondriacs-People Obsessed Getting Health Info On Line
March 24, 2008
From Christine Webb, cfnews13.com
Because of the Internet, you can all have the latest health information right at our fingertips.
You can get basic information that can be useful, but you may also come to a conclusion that may be wrong — and that is prompting many people to become “cyberchondriacs” — people obsessed with going online to find the latest health information –thinking they may be sick.
So what can you do?
Remember: When researching a condition online, you are getting just basic information.
Experts suggest that you have a specific question in mind, and give yourself a time limit. If you start feeling afraid or confused, make yourself stop.
You may be a cyberchondriac if you feel worse after Web surfing instead of better.
Remember to use the Internet to make you feel empowered, and hopefully it helps to spark a discussion with your doctor about the best treatment options for you.
