AAP Recommends Emergency Contraception Be Available to Teens – Teen pregnancies have declined over the past few decades, but the United States continues to see substantially higher teen birth rates compared to other developed countries. Use of emergency contraception can reduce the risk of pregnancy if used up to 120 hours.
NYU Langone Medical Center – Updated Statement – Superstorm Sandy Tests Hospital Preparedness – After the onslaught of superstorm Sandy caused the back-up generator at New York University’s medical center to fail, hospital officials say at least 300 patients were successfully evacuated to other area hospitals overnight.
Hurricane Sandy and Power Outage — Food Storage And Food Safety Tips For Hurricane Preparedness — What To Do And When To Do It – Hurricane Sandy is already making an impact on the North Eastern coast, and being prepared for a storm as large as this is crucial. Hurricane Sandy could bring wind, flooding, heavy rain and possibly snow to the East Coast, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) urges people to take steps now to ensure they have access to safe food.
FDA approves new combination pill for HIV treatment for some patients – Stribild (elvitegravir, cobicistat, emtricitabine, tenofovir disoproxil fumarate), a new once-a-day combination pill to treat HIV-1 infection in adults who have never been treated for HIV infection, is approved in US by FDA.
Early use of stents better than medical therapy alone for certain patients – For patients with stable coronary artery disease who have at least one narrowed blood vessel that compromises flow to the heart, medical therapy alone leads to a significantly higher risk of hospitalization and the urgent need for a coronary stent when compared with therapy that also includes initial placement of artery-opening stents.
PEPFAR HIV/AIDS programs linked to uptick in babies born at health facilities in sub-saharan Africa – While HIV programs provide lifesaving care and treatment to millions of people in lower-income countries, there have been concerns that as these programs expand, they divert investments from other health priorities such as maternal health. Researchers at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health assessed the effect of HIV programs supported by the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) on access to maternal health care in sub-Saharan Africa for women who are not infected with HIV.
Severe reactions to food more common than thought in young children — Study identifies causes for high rates of allergic reactions in children with food allergies – Young children with allergies to milk and egg experience reactions to these and other foods more often than researchers had expected. A new study found that severe and potentially life-threatening reactions in a significant number of these children occur and that some caregivers are hesitant to give such children epinephrine, a medication that reverses the symptoms of such reactions and can save lives.
Emergency dispatchers suffer from symptoms of PTSD, study reveals – Indirect exposure to traumatic incidents can lead to psychological disorders – Dispatchers who answer 911 and 999 emergency calls suffer emotional distress which can lead to symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Researchers reveals that direct exposure to traumatic events is not necessary to lead to post-trauma disorders.
Higher Patient Satisfaction Associated with Mix of Health Care Utilization, Expenditures and Mortality Outcomes – Higher patient satisfaction appears to be associated with lower odds of emergency department use, higher odds for inpatient hospitalization, greater health care and prescription expenditures, and higher mortality risk.
Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation decides to stop funding breast cancer prevention, screenings and education at Planned Parenthood health centers – Planned Parenthood Federation of America expressed deep disappointment in response to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation’s decision to stop funding breast cancer prevention, screenings and education at Planned Parenthood health centers.
Elderly at risk of hospitalizations from key medications — Promoting safe use of blood thinners and diabetes medications can protect patients – Handful of drugs are responsible for most emergency room visits by patients in US, revealed by CDC researchers (US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) in a recent study.
‘Alarm clock’ gene explains wake-up function of biological clock — Finding promising insight into sleeplessness, aging and chronic illness, such as diabetes and cancer – Ever wondered why you wake up in the morning – even when the alarm clock isn’t making jarring noises? Wonder no more. Researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies have identified a new component of the biological clock, a gene responsible for starting the clock from its restful state every morning.
