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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

Scientists reveal biochemical pathway responsible for manufacturing glycoalkaloids

In 1924, Science magazine reported on a fatal case of potato poisoning: James B. Matheney of Vandalia, Illinois, had gathered about one and a half bushels of tubers, which had turned green due to sunlight exposure.

1 Aug 2013

Scientists solve structure of infection tool used by Yersinia bacterium

Abdominal pain, fever, diarrhoea -- these symptoms could point to an infection with the bacterium Yersinia. The bacterium's pathogenic potential is based on a syringe-like injection apparatus called injectisome.

1 Aug 2013

Report shows that fatal rabies virus is transmitted through transplanted kidney

An investigation into the source of a fatal case of raccoon rabies virus exposure indicates the individual received the virus via a kidney transplant 18 months earlier, findings suggesting that rabies transmitted by this route may have a long incubation period, and that although solid organ transplant transmission of infectious encephalitis is rare, further education to increase awareness is needed, according to a study in the July 24/31 issue of JAMA.

24 Jul 2013

Overall risk of injury death is lower in urban areas compared to outside of cities

Overturning a commonly-held belief that cities are inherently more dangerous than suburban and rural communities, researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) have found that risk of death from injuries is lowest on average in urban counties compared to suburban and rural counties across the U.S.

24 Jul 2013

Study reveals correlation between premature death and mental illness in people with epilepsy

People with epilepsy are ten times more likely to die early, before their mid-fifties, compared with the general population, according to a 41 year study in Sweden published today in the Lancet and part-funded by the Wellcome Trust.

22 Jul 2013

Study brings new hope for patients with metastatic prostate cancer

A study of a new radiotherapeutic drug published this week in the New England Journal of Medicine brings fresh hope for a particular group of cancer patients that otherwise suffer and ultimately die from the disease -- those with prostate cancer that has spread to their bones and has failed to be controlled by hormone deprivation drugs.

18 Jul 2013

Infrared light allows characterization of pathogens

The bacterium Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is commonly found in nature and frequently colonizes the skin and the upper respiratory tract of humans. A healthy immune system can fight the microorganism but once the immune system is weakened the pathogen can spread and lead to life-threatening diseases of the lungs, the heart and other organs.

15 Jul 2013

Excessive intake of cola and honey can cause fainting and arrhythmia symptoms, shows study

Drinking excessive amounts of cola and eating honey made from the pollen of Rhododendrons can cause unusual syncope (fainting) and symptoms of arrhythmia, report two case studies presented as abstracts at the EHRA EUROPACE 2013 meeting, in Athens 23 to 26 June.

25 Jun 2013

Treating bacteria with silver compounds boosts efficacy of old antibiotics

Slipping bacteria some silver could give old antibiotics new life, scientists at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University reported June 19 in Science Translational Medicine.

20 Jun 2013

Study reveals 83% of teens have unsupervised access to prescription medications

A new study in the Journal of Adolescent Health found that 83.4 percent of teens had unsupervised access to their prescription medications at home including 73.7 percent taking pain relief, anti-anxiety, stimulant and sedative medications that have the potential for abuse.

13 Jun 2013

National Research Council proposes priorities for research on gun-related violence in US

A new report from the Institute of Medicine and National Research Council proposes priorities for a research agenda to improve understanding of the public health aspects of gun-related violence, including its causes, health burden, and possible interventions.

7 Jun 2013

Common sugar molecule promising target for development of broad-spectrum vaccine

Developing new vaccines to protect against diseases that plague humans is fraught with numerous challenges-one being that microbes tend to vary how they look on the surface to avoid being identified and destroyed by the immune system. However, researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) have discovered a sugar polymer that is common on the cell surface of several pathogens.

28 May 2013

Unintentional ingestions of marijuana-laced foods by children have increased significantly

A new study shows the relaxation of marijuana laws in Colorado has caused a significant spike in the number of young children treated for accidentally eating marijuana-laced cookies, candies, brownies and beverages.

28 May 2013

Poisoning News and Research

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

Scientists reveal biochemical pathway responsible for manufacturing glycoalkaloids

Scientists solve structure of infection tool used by Yersinia bacterium

Report shows that fatal rabies virus is transmitted through transplanted kidney

Overall risk of injury death is lower in urban areas compared to outside of cities

Study reveals correlation between premature death and mental illness in people with epilepsy

Study brings new hope for patients with metastatic prostate cancer

Infrared light allows characterization of pathogens

Excessive intake of cola and honey can cause fainting and arrhythmia symptoms, shows study

Treating bacteria with silver compounds boosts efficacy of old antibiotics

Study reveals 83% of teens have unsupervised access to prescription medications

National Research Council proposes priorities for research on gun-related violence in US

Common sugar molecule promising target for development of broad-spectrum vaccine

Unintentional ingestions of marijuana-laced foods by children have increased significantly

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