Poisoning News and Research

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Researchers design surface-scanning coil detector for direct bacteria detection on food surfaces

As anyone who has ever consumed bacteria-contaminated food and experienced "food poisoning" can tell you, it's a miserable experience. Yet it's an all-too-common one, with foodborne illnesses making 1 in 6 Americans -- or 48 million people -- sick each year. Of these people sickened, 128,000 end up in the hospital, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, while 3,000 die.

19 Oct 2013

WHO calls on countries to eliminate lead poisoning that affects children globally

Lead poisoning has devastating health consequences, in particular for children, with childhood lead exposure estimated to contribute to 600 000 new cases of children with intellectual disabilities every year. Overall, 99% of children affected by high exposure to lead live in low- and middle-income countries, says WHO on the occasion of International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week of Action, and calls on countries to strengthen national actions to eliminate lead paint.

18 Oct 2013

King's College researchers identify new biomarker that detects sepsis in blood

Researchers at King's College London have identified a biomarker - a biological 'fingerprint' - for sepsis in the blood, and showed it could be possible to diagnose the condition within two hours by screening for this biomarker at a patient's bedside.

17 Oct 2013

Researchers develop simple blood test to identify patient with Irritable Bowel Syndrome

For the first time, a simple blood test may be the best way to determine if a patient is suffering from Irritable Bowel Syndrome, or another serious condition such as Inflammatory Bowel Disease, according to Cedars-Sinai physician researcher Mark Pimentel, MD, lead author of a multicenter clinical trial.

17 Oct 2013

Active ingredient of ipecac syrup inhibits growth of cancer cells

An old home remedy called ipecac syrup, once stocked in medicine cabinets in case of accidental poisoning, is showing promise as a new chemotherapy drug for bladder cancer.

4 Oct 2013

Researchers to develop nerve agent antidotes that can be used during chemical warfare

Ever since World War II, nerve agents have been a concern in modern warfare and up until now, the only antidotes available acted after the agents damaged the nervous system.

3 Oct 2013

New study indicates that lead concentration may be higher below soil surface

A newly published analysis of data from hundreds of soil samples from 31 properties around southern Rhode Island finds that the lead concentration in soil at the surface is not always a reliable indicator of the contamination a foot deeper.

19 Sep 2013

Researchers discover how Yersinia immobilizes immune system to spread within organs

Researchers at Tufts University School of Medicine and the Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences at Tufts have identified how one type of bacteria, Yersinia, immobilizes the immune system in order to grow in the organs of mice. To do so, the researchers extended the use of a technique and suggest that it could be used to study other bacteria that use the same or similar means of infection.

17 Sep 2013

Extreme binge drinking common among high school seniors

Consuming five or more alcoholic drinks in a row is common among high school seniors, with some students engaging in extreme binge drinking of as many as 15 or more drinks, according to a study published by JAMA Pediatrics, a JAMA Network publication.

17 Sep 2013

Study reveals olive leaf extract can inhibit lead-induced brain injury

In recent years, neurotoxicity from exposure to low levels of lead in the environment has become increasingly prevalent. Therefore, the discovery of herbs that have lead-eliminating properties without harmful side effects is essential for the management of lead poisoning.

17 Sep 2013

Domestic animals less likely to be major source of antibiotic resistant Salmonella in humans

A new study has shown that, contrary to popular belief, local domestic animals are unlikely to be the major source of antibiotic resistant Salmonella in humans. The result comes from a detailed study of DNA from more than 370 Salmonella samples collected over a 22-year period.

13 Sep 2013

Artificial nose: New device to diagnose blood infections and finger specific microbe

Disease-causing bacteria stink - literally - and the odor released by some of the nastiest microbes has become the basis for a faster and simpler new way to diagnose blood infections and finger the specific microbe, scientists reported here today at the 246th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS), the world's largest scientific society.

10 Sep 2013

Peru: Liver cancer affects young people and children who do not have related risk factors

Liver cancer is the sixth most common cancer worldwide and the third most deadly. It mainly affects men over the age of 40, most often with cirrhosis or hepatitis B or C. But in Peru, it also uncharacteristically affects young people, even children, who do not have the identified related risk factors.

5 Sep 2013

Millions of Chinese face risk of chronic arsenic poisoning

Since the 1960s, it has been known that groundwater resources in certain provinces of China are contaminated with arsenic. Estimates of the numbers of affected people have risen year by year. In the most recent survey - conducted by the Chinese Ministry of Health between 2001 and 2005 - more than 20,000 (5%) of the 445,000 wells tested showed arsenic concentrations higher than 50 -g/L.

23 Aug 2013

NYU Langone Medical Center announces opening of new wound healing center

NYU Langone Medical Center announces the opening of the new Helen L. and Martin S. Kimmel Hyperbaric and Advanced Wound Healing Center at 240 East 38th Street. One of only two Hyperbaric Centers in Manhattan providing treatment to patients with chronic non-healing wounds, patients now have access to surgical and non-surgical expertise within one location.

23 Aug 2013

Report finds number of doctors accepting Medicare patients is up

The number of physicians accepting new Medicare patients rose by one-third between 2007 and 2011 and is now higher than the number of physicians accepting new private insurance patients, according to a Department of Health and Human Services report obtained by USA TODAY. In 2007, about 925,000 doctors billed Medicare for their services. In 2011, that number had risen to 1.25 million, according to the report by the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (Kennedy, 8/22).

23 Aug 2013

Study confirms exposure to arsenic in drinking water can impair lung function

A new study confirms that exposure to low to moderate amounts of arsenic in drinking water can impair lung function. Doses of about 120 parts per billion of arsenic in well water-about 12 times the dose generally considered safe-produced lung damage comparable to decades of smoking tobacco. Smoking, especially by males, made arsenic-related damage even worse.

23 Aug 2013

CO diffusion across gypsum wallboard may explain at least some instances of CO poisoning

"Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning is a significant U.S. health problem, responsible for approximately 500 accidental deaths annually, and a risk of 18 percent to 35 percent for cognitive brain injury 1 year after poisoning.

21 Aug 2013

Computing system in helmets protect construction workers from CO poisoning

Research calling for the use of a wearable computing system installed in a helmet to protect construction workers from carbon monoxide poisoning, a serious lethal threat in this industry, has garnered the Virginia Tech investigators a Best Paper Award from a prestigious scientific and engineering community.

17 Aug 2013

Drug-related emergency department visits increase among younger adults

A new report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration shows that some drug-related emergency department visits increased by 300 percent -- from 5,605 visits in 2005 to 22,949 visits in 2011. These visits, made by adults aged 18 to 34, were related to the nonmedical use of central nervous system stimulants. On average, about 30 percent of these visits also involved alcohol.

9 Aug 2013

Poisoning News and Research

Researchers design surface-scanning coil detector for direct bacteria detection on food surfaces

WHO calls on countries to eliminate lead poisoning that affects children globally

King's College researchers identify new biomarker that detects sepsis in blood

Researchers develop simple blood test to identify patient with Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Active ingredient of ipecac syrup inhibits growth of cancer cells

Researchers to develop nerve agent antidotes that can be used during chemical warfare

New study indicates that lead concentration may be higher below soil surface

Researchers discover how Yersinia immobilizes immune system to spread within organs

Extreme binge drinking common among high school seniors

Study reveals olive leaf extract can inhibit lead-induced brain injury

Domestic animals less likely to be major source of antibiotic resistant Salmonella in humans

Artificial nose: New device to diagnose blood infections and finger specific microbe

Peru: Liver cancer affects young people and children who do not have related risk factors

Millions of Chinese face risk of chronic arsenic poisoning

NYU Langone Medical Center announces opening of new wound healing center

Report finds number of doctors accepting Medicare patients is up

Study confirms exposure to arsenic in drinking water can impair lung function

CO diffusion across gypsum wallboard may explain at least some instances of CO poisoning

Computing system in helmets protect construction workers from CO poisoning

Drug-related emergency department visits increase among younger adults

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

Expanding access to NMR with the Fourier 80 Duo

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