British Medical Association lobbied for higher taxes on alcohol, an end to happy hours. – A new hard-hitting report ‘Alcohol misuse: tackling the UK epidemic’ launched by the British Medical Association (BMA) calls on governments to show leadership and implement a full range of effective control policies that will reduce the burden of alcohol misuse.
CDC releases results of formaldehyde level tests; FEMA to expedite relocation of residents from temporary housing units. – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) released preliminary results from recent testing that found higher than typical indoor exposure levels of formaldehyde in travel trailers and mobile homes used as emergency housing in the Gulf Coast Region.
In US, self-reported back and neck problems accounted for a large proportion of health care expenditures. These spine-related expenditures have increased substantially from 1997 to 2005, without evidence of corresponding improvement in self-assessed health status. – Although expenses related to back and neck problems have increased substantially in the last decade in US, outcomes such as functional disability and work limitations do not appear to be improving, revealed by researchers.
No suspected human cases of Avian Influenza have been detected in any of the affected Districts. – No suspected human cases of Avian Influenza have been detected in any of the affected districts in West Bengal, in India. Number of affected districts (14 districts) remains the same. In these districts, 48 blocks and five municipalities are involved.
FDA advises seafood processors about ciguatera fish poisoning in the Northern Gulf of Mexico near the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary. – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a letter to seafood processors, advising them of recent illnesses linked to consuming fish carrying the ciguatera toxin, which has led to cases of ciguatera fish poisoning (CFP) in consumers.
Consistent alcohol consumption can impair immunity functions following surgery. Study authors recommend that patients considering surgery control their drinking habits, and also be very honest with their doctors about their drinking habits, prior to surgery. – People who drink often have immune-function problems following surgery. For example, patients who consume alcohol long-term have a two- to five-fold greater chance of post-operation infection complications. A new rodent study has found that chronic consumption ? in this case, the equivalent of prolonged moderate drinking ? can result in a more severe form of pneumonia following surgery.
Babies conceived during a period of famine are at risk of developing addictions later in life, according to new research published in the international journal Addiction. – Babies conceived during a period of famine are at risk of developing addictions later in life, and a range of chronic disorders including physical conditions such as coronary heart disease, and psychiatric ones such as schizophrenia and clinical depression.
CDC study estimates 7,000 pediatric emergency departments visits linked to cough and cold medication. Unsupervised ingestion accounts for 66 percent of incidents. – An estimated 7,000 children ages 11 and younger are treated in hospital emergency departments each year because of cough and cold medications, according to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Approximately two-thirds of those incidents were due to unsupervised ingestion (i.e., children taking the medication without a parent’s knowledge).
In adults with sickle cell disease, pain can occur daily and is much more severe than previously believed. – Sickle cell disease pain can occur daily, and is far more prevalent and severe than previous large studies have indicated. Patients are at home mostly struggling with their pain rather than coming into the hospital or emergency department.
Quick initiation of CPR (Cardiopulmonary resuscitation), as well as providing high quality CPR, is crucial to survival from sudden cardiac arrest. – A unified effort by the public, educators and policymakers is needed to reduce deaths from sudden cardiac arrest by increasing the use and effectiveness of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), according to a new statement from the American Heart Association.
