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AABB issues new RBC transfusion guidelines

The transfusion of red blood cells is a common treatment in clinical practice. However, the level at which they are transfused varies based not only on a patient's health, but also is determined by what the administering physician deems appropriate. Today, the American Association of Blood Banks (AABB) has issued new guidelines, published in Annals of Internal Medicine, recommending that transfusion of red blood cells be considered at a hemoglobin threshold of 7 to 8 g/dL for stable adults and children.

28 Mar 2012

Efforts must continue to bring clean water, sanitation, food to the world

In a post on Science Blogs' "The Pump Handle," Liz Borkowski, a research associate at the George Washington University School of Public Health's Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, recognizes World Water Day, discusses the importance of access to clean water and sanitation facilities.

23 Mar 2012

Drexel experts available to comment for news stories about autism

Experts at Drexel University are available to comment for news stories about autism for Autism Awareness Month in April. Drexel recently established the A.J. Drexel Autism Institute, the nation's first autism center focused on public health science.

22 Mar 2012

Infection preventionists, healthcare epidemiologists play key roles in promoting antimicrobial stewardship

Infection preventionists and healthcare epidemiologists play key roles in promoting effective antimicrobial stewardship in collaboration with other health professionals, according to a joint position paper published today by the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) and the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) in their respective peer-review journals, the American Journal of Infection Control and Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology.

20 Mar 2012

High job strain decreases risk of mortality in white-collar women

Work defined by high job demand and also high control, a so-called 'active job', decreased the risk of mortality in white-collar women, the Finnish study published in BMJ Open found.

19 Mar 2012

Work stress soars with recession: Study finds

A latest study suggests that work-related stress has increased by 40 per cent as economic prosperity has declined. It shows that the number of people taking time off work has risen by 25 per cent between 2005 and 2009 as workers struggle with fears over job security, a lack of managerial direction and poor communication.

26 Feb 2012

AChemS recognizes Monell Center molecular biologist as outstanding junior scientist

Molecular biologist Ichiro Matsumoto, Ph.D., of the Monell Center, is the recipient of the 2012 Ajinomoto Award for Young Investigators in Gustation, awarded annually by the Association for Chemoreception Sciences (AChemS) to an outstanding junior scientist who is an emerging leader in the field of gustation.

22 Feb 2012

Work place carcinogens responsible for 5,000 cases of cancer annually

According to researchers carcinogens in the workplace are causing about 5,000 cancers each year and medical experts say not enough is being done to reduce the risks.

21 Feb 2012

Study examines mercury exposure in pregnant women

A new study published by researchers at SUNY Downstate Medical Center's School of Public Health assesses mercury levels in pregnant women and examines dietary and environmental sources of exposure to mercury. The research, which focuses on an urban immigrant community, examined risk factors that may be associated with elevated mercury levels, measured through urine and cord blood samples.

18 Feb 2012

Sandia's decontamination foam now used for meth lab cleanup

Sandia's decontamination foam, developed more than a decade ago and used to decontaminate federal office buildings and mailrooms during the 2001 anthrax attacks, is now being used to decontaminate illegal methamphetamine labs.

17 Feb 2012

CRT2012 conference to discuss PCI procedures using CorPath 200 System

Corindus Vascular Robotics, a leading developer of precision vascular robotics, today announced that Giora Weisz, M.D., Director of Clinical Cardiovascular Research at the Center for Interventional Vascular Therapy at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center and Associate Professor of medicine at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, N.Y. will present his personal experience using the CorPath 200 System as part of the CorPath PRECISE Trial during a scientific presentation "Cath Lab of the Future: Robotics" at the Cardiovascular Research Technologies' annual meeting, CRT2012.

7 Feb 2012

Clorox launches new H2O2 cleaner disinfectant wipes and spray

Clorox Professional Products Company, a division of The Clorox Company announced today the introduction of Clorox Healthcare(TM) Hydrogen Peroxide Cleaner Disinfectant Wipes and Spray, a new line of ready-to-use, one-step cleaner disinfectants engineered with a patented activated hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) formula.

31 Jan 2012

Economic burden of job-related injuries and illnesses in the U.S.

In the first comprehensive review of its kind since 1992, a UC Davis researcher has estimated the national annual price tag of occupational injuries and illnesses at $250 billion, much higher than generally assumed.

19 Jan 2012

U.S. HealthWorks announces acquisition of Priority Medical Care

U.S. HealthWorks, a leading operator of occupational healthcare centers nationwide, today announced the acquisition of Priority Medical Care, operator of two medical clinics in Bridgewater and Somerset.

12 Jan 2012

Working patterns should now be considered a specific risk factor for obesity, type 2 diabetes

The poor diet of shift workers should be considered a new occupational health hazard, according to an editorial published in this month's PLoS Medicine.

28 Dec 2011

Link between respiratory illness and PSTD among WTC first responders

More than 10 years after 9/11, when thousands of rescue and recovery workers descended on the area surrounding the World Trade Center in the wake of the terrorist attacks, a research team led by Benjamin J. Luft, M.D., the Edmund D. Pellegrino Professor of Medicine, and Medical Director of Stony Brook's World Trade Center Health Program, and Evelyn Bromet, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor, Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, and Preventive Medicine, Stony Brook University School of Medicine, has published results of a study examining the relationship between the two signature health problems among WTC first responders—respiratory illness and post-traumatic stress disorder.

23 Dec 2011

Hand washing tips to prevent illness and spreading germs

With holiday gatherings, New Year celebrations, and constant travelling, hand washing is one of the most important ways to prevent getting sick and spreading germs. Many illnesses, including the common cold, are spread by not washing hands properly with soap and water. According to statistics from the National Library of Medicine, the common cold accounts for approximately 22 million missed days of school and 20 million absences from work.

22 Dec 2011

Antihypertensive drug therapy associated with longer life expectancy

More than 68 percent of Americans 65 and older - 80 percent age 75 and over - have hypertension (high blood pressure), according to a 2010 report by the Centers for Disease Control. Left untreated, this chronic condition can lead to stroke, heart attack, heart failure or premature death. Researchers at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School have shown in a follow-up to the landmark clinical trial, Systolic Hypertension in the Elderly Program (SHEP), that the use of antihypertensive drug therapy is associated with longer life expectancy.

21 Dec 2011

Breast cancer risks and management updates

A new report that looks at the environmental factors that affect risk of breast cancer is out. It suggests that women can reduce their risk by avoiding unnecessary medical radiation, forgoing hormone treatments for menopause that combine estrogen and progestin, limiting alcohol intake and minimizing weight gain.

8 Dec 2011

New IOM report assesses breast cancer risk posed by environmental factors

Although women have little or no control over some of the risk factors for breast cancer, such as those related to aging and genetics, they may be able to reduce their chances for developing the disease by avoiding certain environmental risks. BREAST CANCER AND THE ENVIRONMENT: A LIFE COURSE APPROACH, a new report from the Institute of Medicine, assesses the breast cancer risk posed by various environmental factors, identifies actions that offer potential to reduce women's risk for the disease, and recommends targets for future research.

23 Nov 2011