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E-cigarettes not as addictive as tobacco cigarettes

E-cigarettes appear to be less addictive than cigarettes in former smokers and this could help improve understanding of how various nicotine delivery devices lead to dependence, according to researchers.

10 Dec 2014

University of Chicago Medicine takes steps to increase age limit of pediatric trauma program

The University of Chicago Medicine is taking formal steps to raise the age limit of its pediatric trauma program by two years to include 16- and 17-year-old children.

10 Dec 2014

Study calls for new protocols to treat women with high blood pressure

That blood pressure plays a role in human health has been known for quite a while. Hypertension - the medical term for high blood pressure - was first described as a disease in the early 1800s, and the inflatable cuff that's used in measuring blood pressure was invented in 1896.

10 Dec 2014

Cigarette smoking continues to cause nearly three in ten cancer deaths in the U.S.

A new American Cancer Society study finds that despite significant drops in smoking rates, cigarettes continue to cause about three in ten cancer deaths in the United States. The study, appearing in the Annals of Epidemiology, concludes that efforts to reduce smoking prevalence as rapidly as possible should be a top priority for the U.S. public health efforts to prevent cancer deaths.

10 Dec 2014

Treatment guidelines lacking for Ebola patients, say infectious diseases experts

As the Ebola Virus Diseases (EVD) epidemic continues to rage in West Africa, infectious diseases experts call attention to the striking lack of treatment guidelines. With over 16,000 total cases and more than 500 new infections reported per week, and probable underreporting of both cases and fatalities, the medical community still does not have specific approved treatment in place for Ebola, according to an editorial published in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases.

10 Dec 2014

Bayer, DNDi sign first agreement to develop new oral treatment for onchocerciasis

Bayer HealthCare and the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) have signed an agreement under which Bayer will provide the active ingredient emodepside to support DNDi in its effort to develop a new oral drug to treat river blindness (or onchocerciasis). The world's second leading infectious cause of blindness, river blindness is a neglected tropical disease caused by a filarial worm.

10 Dec 2014

ADHD, conduct disorder increase alcohol and tobacco use in young adolescents

A new study links ADHD and conduct disorder in young adolescents with increased alcohol and tobacco use. The Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center study is among the first to assess such an association in this age group.

10 Dec 2014

Immunizing school-aged children from flu can protect others as well

Mathematical models predicted it, and now a University of Florida study confirms it: Immunizing school-aged children from flu can protect other segments of the population, as well.

10 Dec 2014

Drug proves effective at inhibiting growth of drug-resistant bacteria

A treatment pioneered at the University of Pittsburgh Center for Vaccine Research is far more effective than traditional antibiotics at inhibiting the growth of drug-resistant bacteria, including so-called "superbugs" resistant to almost all existing antibiotics, which plague hospitals and nursing homes.

10 Dec 2014

Good first aid kit can help make your vacation perfect

Planning a vacation? Make a little room in your luggage for a travel first aid kit. It won't cost much, and it won't take up much space. Once you reach your destination, you won't need to reach any further than your suitcase to relieve those minor aches and pains that can put a major damper on your plans.

9 Dec 2014

Report: Governments have strong economic incentives to invest in early childhood nutrition

There are strong economic incentives for governments to invest in early childhood nutrition, reports a new paper from the University of Waterloo and Cornell University. Published for the Copenhagen Consensus Centre, the paper reveals that every dollar spent on nutrition during the first 1,000 days of a child's life can provide a country up to $166 in future earnings.

9 Dec 2014

Researchers test new nanopore DNA sequencing technology to detect cause of antibiotic resistance

New nanopore DNA sequencing technology on a device the size of a USB stick could be used to diagnose infection - according to new research from the University of East Anglia and Public Health England.

From Oxford Nanopore Technologies 9 Dec 2014

Researchers develop nanomimics of host cell membranes that trick malaria parasites

Malaria parasites invade human red blood cells, they then disrupt them and infect others. Researchers at the University of Basel and the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute have now developed so-called nanomimics of host cell membranes that trick the parasites. This could lead to novel treatment and vaccination strategies in the fight against malaria and other infectious diseases.

9 Dec 2014

Doctors prescribe fewer opioids for pain as prescription drug abuse rises

Nine in 10 primary care physicians say that prescription drug abuse is a moderate or big problem in their communities and nearly half say they are less likely to prescribe opioids to treat pain compared to a year ago, new Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health research suggests.

9 Dec 2014

Study points to need for improving pediatric benefits under the Affordable Care Act

An article published in the Health Affairs December issue is the first ever comprehensive analysis to investigate the Affordable Care Act's (ACA) Essential Health Benefit (EHB) as it relates to children. The study found that the EHB has resulted in a state-by-state patchwork of coverage for children and adolescents that has significant exclusions, particularly for children with developmental disabilities and other special health care needs.

9 Dec 2014

Adverse childhood experiences impact child health, school outcomes

Nearly half of all children in the United States are exposed to at least one social or family experience that can lead to traumatic stress and impact their healthy development - be it having their parents divorce, a parent die or living with someone who abuses alcohol or drugs - increasing the risk of negative long-term health consequences or of falling behind in school, suggests new research led by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

9 Dec 2014

Children living in non-redeveloped public housing more likely to take repeated trips to emergency rooms

San Francisco children living in non-redeveloped public housing are 39 percent more likely to repeatedly visit emergency rooms, according to new research from UC San Francisco and UC Berkeley.

9 Dec 2014

Better planning needed to improve mother-infant outcomes in hospitals, say CHOP researchers

What does it mean for expectant mothers and hospitals when there are large-scale closures of maternity units? A new study led by researchers at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia provides an inside view from hospital staff members in Philadelphia, where 13 out of 19 obstetric units closed in a 15-year period.

9 Dec 2014

New article describes current state of asbestos use worldwide

Challenges to global health can evolve from policies and decisions that take years or decades to unfold. An article in the current issue of the Annals of Global Health describes the current state of asbestos use worldwide, a story that began over 100 years ago, and the real and contrived controversies regarding asbestos.

8 Dec 2014

Children born prematurely need to be placed in a priority group for seasonal flu vaccination

Children born prematurely are at an increased risk of flu-related complications, despite not being identified as an “at risk” group in UK, USA, or WHO guidelines, and should be a priority group for the seasonal flu vaccination, new research published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine suggests.

8 Dec 2014

Public Health News and Research

E-cigarettes not as addictive as tobacco cigarettes

University of Chicago Medicine takes steps to increase age limit of pediatric trauma program

Study calls for new protocols to treat women with high blood pressure

Cigarette smoking continues to cause nearly three in ten cancer deaths in the U.S.

Treatment guidelines lacking for Ebola patients, say infectious diseases experts

Bayer, DNDi sign first agreement to develop new oral treatment for onchocerciasis

ADHD, conduct disorder increase alcohol and tobacco use in young adolescents

Immunizing school-aged children from flu can protect others as well

Drug proves effective at inhibiting growth of drug-resistant bacteria

Good first aid kit can help make your vacation perfect

Report: Governments have strong economic incentives to invest in early childhood nutrition

Researchers test new nanopore DNA sequencing technology to detect cause of antibiotic resistance

Researchers develop nanomimics of host cell membranes that trick malaria parasites

Doctors prescribe fewer opioids for pain as prescription drug abuse rises

Study points to need for improving pediatric benefits under the Affordable Care Act

Adverse childhood experiences impact child health, school outcomes

Children living in non-redeveloped public housing more likely to take repeated trips to emergency rooms

Better planning needed to improve mother-infant outcomes in hospitals, say CHOP researchers

New article describes current state of asbestos use worldwide

Children born prematurely need to be placed in a priority group for seasonal flu vaccination

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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