Blog 13: Woman, 93, left severely dehydrated in hospital despite complaints from daughter

An elderly woman died in a hospital severely dehydrated, even after her daughter had made several complaints. The woman was taking to the hospital after severe vomiting and was in a "copious pain." Her daughter was a nurse lecturer and when she visited she noticed her mother had not been hooked up to a drip bag to make sure she would not become dehydrated. When she addressed a nurse with her concerns she was "dismissed" and three days later her mother died from dehydration. After later returning and realizing the drip had still not been connected she once again complained, with several doctors over hearing her. The drip was not adequately set up until later during the night shift. The NMC council agreed that the daughter was right to be upset with the treatment and it was reported that the daughter was told her mother was fine, and still was not given the intravenous drip. There has been a lot of cases concerning the treatment provided for patients in hospitals. I got to see first hand part of the treatment when I went to pick up my father after his knee surgery, and the nurse pushed him in a wheel chair with one hand as he check his check messages on his phone in his other hand. Mistreatment can occur at any hospital. It is an expectation that when you or a family member is in the hospital that the care received should be the best. More awareness of the problem could easily be the solution.

Blog 12: smaller medium larger Flu During Pregnancy May Be Linked to Autism Risk

http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=164986

A new study that was conducted shows that mothers who experience the flu for more than a week during pregnancy are at a higher risk for their child having autism. Autism is something children around the world have not just in the United States. During the study it was mentioned that not all expecting mothers should be alarmed because there are mothers who experience the flu or took antibiotics that have children with no sign of autism. There was no increase of women having an increase of having a child with autism it just showed the mothers having a risk. Having a sinus infection, the flu, a cold, or other infections is very common among women during pregnancy. This study makes women around the world more aware of just staying more healthy during pregnancy to avoid becoming sick. The study did show that the fetal brain is effected by the mother having an infection. It doesn't have a large effect only a small one. Even though there has been studies on autism no single cause has been determined yet.

Blog 11: smaller medium larger Insomnia May Raise Risk of Heart Attack, Stroke (Lindsay Chase)

http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=164718



A new study done by Taiwanese researchers suggests that people with insomnia my have double the risks of heart attack and stroke, opposite of those who sleep well. There has always been a correlation between sleep and sickness and other health issues. It can contribute to "obesity, depression, and high blood pressure" as found in many other studies. Also health issues can even cause insomnia, for instance, restless leg syndrome. When health issues are paired with insomnia they can increase the risk of heart disease even more. Researchers used a health database that showed 11,000 people in the database have insomnia and more than 32,000 do not.This was concluded after people with depression, anxiety, and etc. were taken out of the results. Researches did a longitudinal study for four years on some and found that they did experience a heart attack. A very small percent in the list of those who slept well had a heart attack, and that shows that there is a connection between insomnia and heart risks. A larger percentage of those suffering from insomnia also suffered from a stroke in the four years in the study. Other doctors who have gone over the evidence of this study conclude that more people should start making sleep a priority rather than not. Lowering the risk of insomnia can in result lower the risk of cardiovascular problems. For instance, it can lower the risk of a heart attack and a stroke.

Blog 10: Smartphones Linked to Sexual Activity in Teens: Study

http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=164482


A new study was done to show that teens with smart phones have more sex and more likely to meet others online that want to have sex. More so than teens without internet access would. However it is still not clear if there is a direct link to smartphones and teenagers having sex. There is a connection between the two and a smartphone is a tool that teens will use to take risks. A survey was done by around 1,800 students between 12 and 18. It was students that were from middle to low income families and one third of them had smart phones. Smart phones have become more and more high tech lately and have many functions. 47% of students did say they were sexually active and only 35% said they weren't and also didn't have smart phones. The majority of the smart phone using student said they had sex with someone they met online and it was still more of a number than those without smart phones. The study didn't prove again that their was a direct link to being sexually active and going online on a smart phone unsupervised. Comments have been made saying that students are probably more likely to have sex as well. This study also warns parents to have a cautionary conversation with their children on the risks of finding people to talk to online. Technology has become more and more world wide, and it has begun to reach children at younger and younger ages. Exposure to technology can mean exposure to more things on the internet not meant for a child's eyes. The study doesn't prove much of anything but it does make readers more aware of the problems associated with smart phones.

Blog 9: Cases Linked to Fungal Meningitis Now Number 328

http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=164368

Recently there has been an outbreak of a fungal meningitis and has killed three hundred and twenty eight people. All across the United States and with newcomers constantly coming to the United States they could very well be at risk for contracting the meningitis. It's a risk they take when they land in this country. The New England Compound center was investigated for unsanitary conditions and no suspicious black specs were found representing fungus. The company was known for producing drugs for other distributors and not for just simple prescriptions.  The investigation did however reveal inadequate testing of laboratory equipment, leaking boiler, and dirty floor mats. Revealed was the fact that the company has had long term problems dealing with the same faulty aspects under covered in the investigation. This company compounds drugs together to fill other special needs, and thoughts have been put into more regulation in how compound companies do their business. Many do not know that meningitis is a fatal inflammation around the brain and spinal chord. In the investigation they found that the meningitis found in steroid shots from the company matched that of many found in causing the outbreak. It was confirmed when the virus was found in unopened vials of steroids of the company. Health officials have stopped the release of the drug used for back and joint pain. Nearly all of the patients that received the shots have been contacted for a follow up.

Blog 8: Multivitamins May Help Prevent Cancer (Lindsay Chase)

http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=164110


According to new research it shows that multivitamins may help prevent cancer if taken over years. The study only pertains to middle-aged men and older, and has not yet shown results for women and younger men. It was mentioned that the main reason for taking multivitamins is to prevent nutritional deficiency. It was proved that in men over 50 the risk for cancer could be reduced. All men in the research were apart of the Physicians Health Study. The study was to see the long-term effects of taking multivitamins and its effects on diseases, including cancer. In the start of the study there were 15,000 men at age fifty. Half of them were taking Centrum Silver and the other half were taking only a placebo pill. No one in the study had cancer but around 1,000 had a history of cancer in their family. Later on their were more men with cancer in the placebo group than the group taking the multivitamin. Mostly half of the cancers reported in both groups were prostrate cancer, which is common of men at that age. During the study there was more screenings for prostrate cancer and all the cancers reported were early and had a very high survival rate. The researchers split health risks such as smoking into separate groups. There was an 8% reduction on all other cancers besides prostrate. Other studies done on high amounts of vitamins and their effects on cancer showed different results and some even showed that it caused harm. Some vitamin combinations can help prevent cancer because it is similar to plant-based diet. A major benefit from conducting this research was that it shows how multivitamins can prevent cancer potentially. Cancer is not limited to just the United States so this research can potentially help everyone around the world. Different cancers are more common in different parts of the world.

Blog 7: Human dog-mediated-rabies: strengthening capacity and raising awareness are crucial for elimination ( Lindsay Chase)

http://www.who.int/neglected_diseases/rabies_consultation_2012/en/index.html


Recently a WHO (World Health Organization) representative that is a consultant on rabies issued that countries should strengthen their canine rabies prevention and control. This expert wants the awareness to be higher about canine rabies, especially to children. A study has shown that 50,000 people die, mainly in Africa and Asia, from rabies even though there is about 20 million that recieve a vaccine. These outbreaks normally occur in rural and poor places where people don't have access to managment centers after a dog bite. RAbies is a neglected disease of poor and vulnerable populations. In these areas rabies is nearly always fatal after being infected with the virus normally from an infected dog. A lot of times the disease can be misdiagnosed and not always reported by some people. When these instances are not reported they can prevent the mobilization of help to these rural areas. Meaning that the preventing measures needed are not always implemented. By strengthening the measures needed and making more people aware of the disease it can help the disease to be avoided. Children are the main group that deals with the disease the most.
to help avoid rabies it has been recommended that new programs start for rabies and wildlife. Also the managment of patients will be handled better and documented. In a WHO meeting it was decided that the money needed to implement these programs would be a good investment, and it would help many communities that so far have had no access to rabies vaccines. Rabies has been a long time issue all over the world, and not just in Africa and Asia. America as well has had issues with rabies and how to prevent the disease more than it has been. Precautions have been set in order to train people how to deal with rabid animals and not just dogs. America does however have many places that someone can go for treatment of an rabid animal bite. There is a common problem all over the world though. Children are very curious and young ages and will often go to an animal and never notice the difference of a rabif animal from a noninfected one. By teaching children to be more catious to even normal animals can prevent the disease to be transmitted to children.

blog:6 New Technologies Advance Livestock Genomics For Agricultural And Biomedical Uses (Lindsay Chase)

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/251030.php


Human diseases become more and more complicated the more we find out about them, and how they effect the body. The University in Minnesota started doing testing on livestock to test and see how some of these diseases work. This could be a breakthrough that can help people all across the world. There is a a new technique called Talens, and it was posted in a scientific journal. This technique is helping researchers come up with new cures, and it is cheaper and faster than any other technique. What it does is it modifies livestock animals, through their DNA. There is an Ossabaw pig that is diabetes prone and it was modified to have cardiovascular disease. It is known that the Talens technique that allows researchers to use it to modify agriculture. This allows livestock breeders to decide whether or not they want to modify the livestock.  The University of Edinburgh and Recombinetic want to commercialize the technique to further the discovery of cures for diseases. IF this new technique is to work it could lead to many cures of many human diseases.

Blog 5: Insomnia, Anxiety Drugs May Raise Dementia Risk (Lindasy Chase)

http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=163440


A new study conducted shows that seniors that take medications for insomnia and anxiety are more likely to have dementia than those that don't. Some drugs given to elders are considered habit forming drugs, so someone taking them for a short period of time will sometimes end up taking them for years even. 95 Seniors taking anxiety and insomnia drugs and 968 who were not were in a study conducted to see the effects of drugs with dementia. It was later published in the BMJ, and they were all French seniors. Over the next 15 years doctors had diagnosed two hundred and fifty three cases of dementia and difficulty thinking. Some of these drugs were Ambien, Valium, and Xanax. Researchers did take into account that there are other factors that contribute to dementia. For instance, high blood pressure, depression, living alone, and old age. However, this study did not prove that these drugs cause dementia, although they do say it is safe to use them for a short period of time. An MD in canada states that there is growing evidence showing that these types of drugs do effect the cognitive processes of the brain. Some experts do say that seniors may want to stay away from these dugs altogether. There are many views on this subject, concerning whether or not benzodiazepine users memory is really affected. Some studies conducted by theses experts were for shorter periods of time and didn't rule of the option of the drugs effecting its users. One problem with the study is that researchers do not know if this effects younger people since the study was centered around seniors. So many experts say that seniors should seek out alternatives to these types of drugs to lessent the risk of dementia.

Blog 4: Diminished Taste Buds in Obese Children (Lindsay Chase)

http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=163140

There was a new study conducted that shows how children that are obese have diminished taste buds. By having diminished taste buds it can lead to a child eating more than a child with normal taste buds would. There are five tastes including, sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and savory. The reason children with diminished taste buds eat more is so that they can receive the same taste sensation as a normal child would. The study included a variety of children who had 22 strips put on their tongue that used the five tastes at different intensities. They made sure the children had normal tastes and that they weren't taking medication that would alter their taste buds. 99 obese children and 94 normal children were used during this study. Many of the children could tell the difference between salty and sour but had a hard time telling the difference between  salty and savory.Studies have proven that taste sensations have a lot to do with how much you eat. People who have heightened taste sensitivity tend to eat less because it doesn't take as much food to satisfy the taste sensations. Also these studies proved that there is a link between obesity and taste buds. People with diminished taste buds will eat more to satisfy the taste sensations, and in the end are considered obese. There is obesity all over the world and all people deal with their taste buds and cravings.

Lindsay Chase blog 2: Cambodian outbreak tests International Health Regulations

http://www.lancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(12)70178-0/fulltext

In Cambodia an outbreak occurs of an unknown fatal illness that has killed around 60 children within the past three months. This event shows that International Health Regulations need to be implemented more and stronger than they have been, but also that they do some what function. The effected children varied in age between three months to eleven years old. With most of them being younger than three years old. Eventually the Ministry of Health in Cambodia Notified WHO when the outbreak fit the criteria for the IHR. It fit the notification of "any event where the uderlying agent of disease or mode of transmission is not formally identified." The ministry of health began working with many programs including the US center for disease control and prevention. There was limited samples available for testing but the twenty-four samples available showed that the children were positive for the entrovirus71. The disease is know as HFMD, meaning hand foot and mouth disease. It is limited to mainly children who have blisters and ulcers but sometimes can have neurological and respitory systems, and occasionally resulting in death. Many deaths all over the world have been reported thanks to the entrovirus71. If the cause of this disease is found then they will consider it a success for the IHR. Thanks to this outbreak many countries are now required to develop and to have a set of public health capacities. Many countries have not set any new regulations, perhaps because of the the strian economically on budgets. There are many capacities required for countries to fit in the IHR. Some are national legislation, ploicy, financing, preparedness, and etc.

Blog 1: Over treatment Is Taking a harmful Toll (Lindsay Chase)

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/08/27/overtreatment-is-taking-a-harmful-toll/

Do you trust your doctor to tell you the truth? Everyone does or else that wouldn't be the doctor they go to. Some instances doctors will order tests that are not needed to heal someone or to analyze a problem. Over treatment has been a issue on many minds, because it concerns money and most importantly their health. Many patients and doctors believe that the more tests completed can have a better outcome. Doctors are also very good at using the trust of their patients to convince them that they should have more tests completed. According to the Institute of Medicine the cost of the health care system is at least $210 billion a year. That goes to too many scans, blood tests, and procedures ordered by money seeking doctors. Often invasive treatment is done to cure things that could have been left alone and never bothered a person. Over treatment occurs everyday in life when too much trust is given to a doctor. A small solution could be for a patient to start speaking up and asking more questions about what the doctor has planned for them. There have been instances where a doctor wanted to do a MRI on a child, but by the parents asking more questions they realized the test was not needed. When questions are asked it eliminates some of the mystery given to you by a doctor. Often if someone changes doctors the new doctor will require new blood tests or other tests even if the old doctor had just previously issued them. Patients are sometimes sent to several different specialists and go through so many tests that the specialist could forget the original complaint of the patient. The toll of too much medicine can be brief but at the same time very emotional to deal with. Not all problems are things to be cured or tested to begin with. You can be born one way but with acceptance it is easy to realize doctors will order many unnecessary tests. One story stated that a woman occured a black eye so she went to the doctor. When she went to see if her eye looked okay at the doctor she only spoke to the nurse and never once had a chance to speak to her actual daughter. Without analysis the doctor ordered a CAT scan, where they found a blimish near her eye. She then was told she needed a MRI. While she waited to weeks for the MRI results she found herself afraid of having brain cancer, because cancer runs in her fmaily. The nurse finally called with the results only to tell her that everything was okay. So she never saw her doctor or talked to him for him to say she needed tests.