Disclaimer: I work at Cleveland Clinic Florida, but I am not paid for this post.
Friday, 16 December 2016
Minutes Count in the Cleveland Clinic Florida Emergency Room: Patient Story
"A Florida woman is rushed to the emergency room with life-threatening injuries and only minutes to live. Experience her story as the Cleveland Clinic Florida Emergency Department team springs into action to save her":
Disclaimer: I work at Cleveland Clinic Florida, but I am not paid for this post.
via CasesBlog - Medical and Health Blog More READ
Disclaimer: I work at Cleveland Clinic Florida, but I am not paid for this post.
WHO celebrates achievements in 2016, despite global health challenges
WHO Director-General, Dr Chan's end of the year statement for 2016 via WHO news Read More Here..
UK soft drinks industry levy will have significant health benefits for children
| Modelling by researchers shows that the levy will reduce obesity, diabetes and tooth decay in children Related items from OnMedica Childhood obesity plan attacked as 'weak' and 'watered down' Get tough on curbing children’s poor dental health, government urged Fruit drinks for children have ‘unacceptably high’ sugar levels Child type 2 diabetes is a ‘wake-up call’ to the nation Children order fast food from schools, report shows |
CCGs have a long way to go on GP access
| Fewer than half provide the ‘full’ access required by 2019 anywhere in their area Related items from OnMedica Tired GPs greatest threat to patient safety GP access plans ‘based on flawed information’ Most patients happy with GPs – and opening hours BMA calls for maximum number of patients per GP Primary Care Home has positive impact on care and services |
NHS England announces funding for vanguards
| £101m of new funding now available for new care models Related items from OnMedica Innovative use of technology key to improving patient outcomes GPs link to new emergency ‘vanguard’ sites Ealing’s integrated care journey: learning from international models Pressure makes diamonds Sustainability and Transformation Plans |
The toddler saved from meningitis on Christmas Day
Viki Cooper tells the Victoria Derbyshire programme about her son Ben's fight for life after suffering from meningitis. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..
Mitochondrial donation gets go ahead in England
| NHS England announces it will fund ground-breaking clinical trial of the technique Related items from OnMedica Personalised test could fine tune IVF treatment Three-person IVF is ethical, report says Lords approve mitochondrial donation First UK approval for gene editing on human embryos |
Herpes virus linked to most common type of childhood cancer
| Congenital cytomegalovirus infection may increase risk of developing acute lymphocytic leukemia Related items from OnMedica Cold sore virus could kill cancer New guidelines on managing genital herpes in pregnancy Scientists find genetic signature linked to leukaemia Breastfeeding could cut children’s leukaemia risk Prophylactic antibiotics help children with leukaemia |
Antibiotic resistance will hit a terrible tipping point in 2017
Soon more antibiotics will be consumed by animals than by people – causing the resistance of bacteria to antibiotics to accelerate via New Scientist - Health Read More Here..
Six pharmaceutical firms accused of price-fixing
US authorities accuse six makers of generic drugs of fixing the price of antibiotics and a diabetes medicine. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..
Australian court increases fine over 'misleading' Nurofen
The UK manufacturer of Nurofen is hit with an increased fine for misleading customers in Australia. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..
Babies made from three people approved in UK
Babies made from two women and one man win approval from the UK's fertility regulator. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..
Let’s hope UK’s soft drink tax cuts obesity and diabetes rates
Significant health improvements from a planned UK tax on sugary drinks have been predicted in a study. Hopefully they will come to pass, says Paul Aveyard via New Scientist - Health Read More Here..
NHS staff do mannequin challenge
The BBC set of Casualty hosts off-duty doctors and nurses for a mannequin challenge. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..
Thursday, 15 December 2016
Ex-soldier shows BBC secrets behind his style
A veteran, who lost both legs in Afghanistan, shows the BBC the secrets behind his style. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..
Three-person babies approved in UK
Hannah Smith is one of those that will benefit the decision to allow babies made from two women and one man. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..
UK becomes first country to give go ahead to three-parent babies
The country’s regulator has decided the procedure is safe enough to approve and will now consider applications to use the technique on a case-by-case basis via New Scientist - Health Read More Here..
Protein in urine linked to increased risk of memory problems
| Chronic kidney disease and dementia share many risk factors, researchers point out Related items from OnMedica Constipation linked to kidney disease Dementia now leading cause of death in England and Wales Memory clinic referral criteria delay diagnosis 'Watch and wait' might be better in advanced kidney cancer |
MRI scan provides more certainty in diagnosing foetal abnormalities
| Researchers propose MRI scan be offered when foetus has a suspected brain abnormality Related items from OnMedica Blood test identifies high-risk lupus pregnancies Experts find ‘substantial’ variation in maternity care ‘Red flag’ unwell pregnant women to curb maternal deaths, clinicians told ‘Morning sickness’ linked to lower risk of pregnancy loss New guidelines on epilepsy in pregnancy |
Dr Halfdan T. Mahler, WHO’s third Director-General, dies at 93
WHO is saddened by the death of Dr Halfdan T. Mahler on XX December 2016. Dr Mahler served as Director-General of WHO from 1973-1988. via WHO news Read More Here..
Woman gives birth thanks to ovary removed when she was eight
For the first time, a woman has had a child using tissue removed and frozen while she was still a child – a technique that could young people with cancer via New Scientist - Health Read More Here..
Marital history linked to stroke survival
| Stroke survival is highest for married people who have never been divorced or widowed Related items from OnMedica Depression risk much higher for three months after stroke RCGP defends ‘under-prescription’ of stroke medicines by GPs Lifestyle factors biggest cause of heart disease risk variation NICE wants GPs to prevent 8,000 strokes a year Stroke can often be avoided, claims study |
Fewer children smoking and drinking
| Number aged 8 to 15 who have ever tried alcohol reaches lowest level ever in annual Health Survey Related items from OnMedica Absentee parent link to smoking and drinking before adolescence Stats show decline in harmful drinking among young Smoke-free laws have cut child hospital admissions Young people’s regular use of e-cigarettes still low Commission more teen mental health and alcohol services |
Long use of pain relievers associated with hearing loss
| Women who use ibuprofen or acetaminophen for 6 years or more have higher risk of hearing loss Related items from OnMedica Regular aspirin use linked to blindness NSAIDs and COX 2s linked to heart failure admission Some common painkillers can raise heart risks No role for paracetamol in treating pain in osteoarthritis Common painkiller used by mums-to-be linked to children’s behavioural issues |
The woman with Down's ... and a cookie business
Collette Divitto was fed up of being told she 'wasn't the right fit' for jobs, so she started her own cookie business. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..
'I gave too much' - man who ran 401 marathons
Ben Smith tells the BBC how his mental health has been affected after running 401 marathons in 401 days. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..
Extra baby scan 'spots brain problems'
Detailed MRI scans should be offered to some women in pregnancy to help spot brain defects in the developing baby, say researchers. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..
'Three-person baby' decision awaited
The UK's fertility regulator is making a historic decision on creating babies from three people. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..
Wednesday, 14 December 2016
Viruses may have evolved to hit men hard but go easy on women
Many infections give men worse symptoms. Mathematical models suggest this could be because women can pass infections on to others in several extra ways via New Scientist - Health Read More Here..
Antibacterial products may help bacteria beat antibiotics
The antibacterial agent triclosan is often present in anything from cleaning products to toys, but tests suggest it can help MRSA survive antibiotics via New Scientist - Health Read More Here..
Vapers experimenting with illegal drugs bought on the dark web
As sellers on the dark web advertise drug-infused e-liquids, researchers investigate the trend for vaping substances like heroin and methamphetamine via New Scientist - Health Read More Here..
Low-carb diets appear to be safe for short-term use
| Analysis also reveals low-carb diets are slightly more effective for weight loss than low-fat diets Related items from OnMedica Managing obesity in primary care - Part 1 Managing obesity in primary care - Part 2 Call for nutritional ‘traffic light’ labels to be mandatory Nutrition more important than calories, say experts Experts call for food to have 'activity' labelling |
Brain tests predict children's futures
Brain tests at the age of three appear to predict a child's future success in life, according to researchers. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..
'Gender-biased infections' may exist
Viruses can evolve to become more aggressive in men than in women, at least in theory. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..
Snapchat spectacles worn by UK surgeon while operating
A UK surgeon has broadcast an operation using Snap spectacles in a world first. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..
Scotland to reform approval process for rare and end-of-life drugs
| Scottish Government announces reform as a review of access to new medicines is published Related items from OnMedica Pharmaceutical industry regulation undermines NICE drugs appraisal work Sweeping changes to Scottish drug approval system MPs slam government for its poor management of Cancer Drugs Fund Plan to speed up drug approval process 75% of reappraised CDF drugs approved for NHS |
Statins may influence risk of Alzheimer’s
| Risk reduction depends on specific statin and ethnicity and sex of patient Related items from OnMedica US doctor says FDA should have withdrawn rosuvastatin Detection bias may be behind memory loss with statins Statins might not cut colorectal cancer risk after all Major review clears statins US expert group updates statins recommendations |
Two years of silence
The invention helping me use my voice again after two years without speaking. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..
Full impact of devastated health services in north-eastern Nigeria revealed by WHO report
Full impact of devastated health services in north-eastern Nigeria revealed by WHO report via WHO news Read More Here..
WHO steps up response in Aleppo and demands that health personnel be protected
Conditions in Aleppo continue to deteriorate as thousands of people flee violence. WHO alongside UN and other partners, is working to provide care in the midst of conflict and to assist internally displaced people (IDPs). The Organization strongly urges all parties to the conflict in Syria to abide by international humanitarian law and protect civilians trapped in the conflict. In particular, WHO demands that all patients and health workers, facilities and vehicles be protected from violence during times of conflict.
WHO has delivered 12 medical shipments of life-saving medicines and medical supplies to the stricken city, sufficient to treat more than 290 000 patients. The medical supplies distributed to 11 public hospitals and 23 primary health care centres, include trauma and surgical supplies, hygiene kits, IV fluids, antibiotics, chronic disease, psychotropic and paediatric medicines, as well as other essential medical equipment. via WHO news Read More Here..
WHO has delivered 12 medical shipments of life-saving medicines and medical supplies to the stricken city, sufficient to treat more than 290 000 patients. The medical supplies distributed to 11 public hospitals and 23 primary health care centres, include trauma and surgical supplies, hygiene kits, IV fluids, antibiotics, chronic disease, psychotropic and paediatric medicines, as well as other essential medical equipment. via WHO news Read More Here..
NICE recommends old-fashioned temperature check over other methods
| Infrared ear thermometers and forehead strips should not be used before, during or after surgery |
'Dog saliva almost killed me'
David Money was in a coma for six weeks after a dog lick led to a rare infection, but he says he won't give up his dogs. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..
Over a third of GPs in Scotland plan to retire in the next five years
| Retirement plans revealed in workforce survey conducted by the BMA Related items from OnMedica Four in five GPs plan to quit or cut back their hours in next five years General Practice creaking under strain of workload A third of GPs plan to retire within the next five years Third of general practice nurses set to retire by 2020 GMC warns of 'state of unease' amongst doctors |
Pokemon Go: Exercise impact 'short-lived'
Research suggests playing Pokemon Go only had a short-term impact on players' increased activity. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..
Tuesday, 13 December 2016
Antibacterial products may help bacteria beat antibiotics
The antibacterial agent triclosan is often present in anything from cleaning products to toys, but tests suggest it can help MRSA survive antibiotics via New Scientist - Health Read More Here..
Viruses may have evolved to hit men hard but go easy on women
Many infections give men worse symptoms. Mathematical models suggest this could be because women can pass infections on to others in several extra ways via New Scientist - Health Read More Here..
Sniff Out Alzheimer’s Risk with Powerful New Smell Test
A provocative new report suggests a low-cost, non-invasive testing protocol may identify older individuals at increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) investigators discovered testing individuals’ ability to recognize, remember and distinguish between odors provided similar recommendations as genetic, imaging, and more detailed memory tests.
The report — suggesting testing of both olfactory and cognitive abilities as a means to designate candidates for treatments designed to halt or slow Alzheimer’s symptom development — has been published online in Annals of Neurology.
Mark Albers, M.D., Ph.D., of the MGH Department of Neurology, the principal investigator and corresponding author of the report says:
“There is increasing evidence that the neurodegeneration behind Alzheimer’s disease starts at least 10 years before the onset of memory symptoms. The development of a digitally-enabled, affordable, accessible, and non-invasive means to identify healthy individuals who are at risk is a critical step to developing therapies that slow down or halt Alzheimer’s disease progression.”
It is well-known that brain circuits that process olfactory information can be affected by Alzheimer’s disease, and several studies have documented a diminished ability to identify odors in affected individuals.
Other studies have associated deficits in odor identification with established Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers and with greater rates of cognitive decline. However, the most commonly used test of olfactory ability — the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test — has a number of limitations and does not take into account the great variation in olfactory ability among healthy individuals.
In the research the MGH team used a battery of four tests to addresses both olfactory and cognitive functions:
- In the OPID (Odor Percept IDentification)-10 test, participants are presented with a battery of 10 odors — menthol, clove, leather, strawberry, lilac, pineapple, smoke, soap, grape, or lemon. After experiencing each odor for two seconds, they are asked whether the scent is familiar and then asked to choose among four words — from the names listed above — for the one that best describes the odor.
- Participants then complete the Odor Awareness Scale (OAS), a previously validated questionnaire that assesses their overall attention to environmental odors and how they are affected emotionally and behaviorally by scents.
- The OPID-20 test includes the 10 odors previously presented and an additional 10 — banana, garlic, cherry, baby powder, grass, fruit punch, peach, chocolate, dirt, and orange. Participants are first asked whether a presented odor was included in the OPID-10 test and then asked which word best describes the odor. Their ability to remember odors from the first test determines their POEM (Percepts of Odor Episodic Memory) score.
- In the Odor Discrimination (OD) test, participants are presented with two consecutive odors and asked whether they were different or the same, a process that is repeated 12 times with different paired scents.
The study recruited 183 participants, most of whom were enrolled in ongoing studies at the MGH-based Massachusetts Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center.
At the time of the olfactory testing, 70 were cognitively normal, 74 tested normal on cognitive tests but were personally concerned about their cognitive abilities, 29 had mild cognitive impairment, and 10 had been diagnosed with possible or probable Alzheimer’s disease.
As part of the studies they were enrolled in, all of them had comprehensive medical and neurological examinations — including annual tests of their memory and cognitive abilities — and several had brain imaging studies of Alzheimer’s-associated factors.
Results of the OPID-20 test significantly differentiated among the four groups of participants, and those results correlated with the thinning of two brain regions — the hippocampus and the entorhinal cortex — previously associated with Alzheimer’s risk.
Participants’ ability to remember a previously presented aroma, as reflected in the POEM score, also showed significant differences between the two cognitively normal groups and participants with Alzheimer’s disease, whose results were no better than chance.
Because the ability of normal individuals to recognize and discriminate between odors can vary by as much as 40 times, the POEM scores of the two cognitively normal groups were compared with what would have been predicted based on their ability to identify and differentiate between odors, as reflected in the OAS and OD tests.
That comparison determined whether each individual was a good or poor POEM performer, and poor POEM performers were more likely to have the variant of the APOE gene associated with increased Alzheimer’s risk. While results of an annual test of short-term memory improved year-to-year for the good POEM performers, no such improvement was seen among the poor performers, who also showed thinning of the entorhinal cortex.
Albers and his colleagues are currently recruiting participants for a larger-scale study to validate these results:
“It is well recognized that early diagnosis and intervention are likely to produce the most effective therapeutic strategy for Alzheimer’s disease — preventing the onset or the progression of symptoms. If these results hold up, this sort of inexpensive, noninvasive screening could help us identify the best candidates for novel therapies to prevent the development of symptoms of this tragic disease.”
This guest article originally appeared on PsychCentral.com: Sniff Test May Detect Risk for Alzheimer’s by Rick Nauert PhD.
REFERENCES
Dhilla Albers, A., Asafu-Adjei, J., Delaney, M.K., Kelly, K.E., Gomez-Isla, T., Blacker, D., Johnson, K.A., Sperling, R.A., Hyman, B.T., Betensky, R.A., Hastings, L. and Albers, M.W. (2016) ‘Episodic memory of odors stratifies Alzheimer biomarkers in normal elderly’, Annals of Neurology, . doi: 10.1002/ana.24792.
via Brain Blogger Read More Here..Tourette's tics
Jess Thom, who has Tourette's syndrome, on why theatres should relax about noise. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..
Malaria control improves for vulnerable in Africa, but global progress off-track
WHO’s World Malaria Report 2016 reveals that children and pregnant women in sub-Saharan Africa have greater access to effective malaria control. via WHO news Read More Here..
£300,000 NHS dialysis unit fraudsters jailed
| Manager and contractors charged Epsom and St Helier Trust for bogus work Related items from OnMedica NHS England vows to tackle conflicts of interest Operating theatre fraudsters ordered to repay £650,000 Financial fraud costs the NHS more than £5 billion a year Fraud doctor jailed |
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