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Booster seat use increased more by carrot than stick

Booster seats significantly reduce the chance of a four to eight year old child sustaining serious injury in a car crash, but many children do not use them. Programs that aim to increase use by educating people, giving away free booster seats, or combining the two do increase use.

25 Jan 2006

Avian influenza could have disastrous effects on countries' economies, infrastructures, populations, public health and stability

In the past, when government leaders, policymakers and scholars have turned their attention to peace and security issues, the talk invariably has focused on war, arms control or anti-terrorism strategies. But Julian Palmore believes it's time to expand the scope of the conversation.

25 Jan 2006

Guidelines for International Breast Health and Cancer Control

Specific recommendations for improving breast-health care and cancer treatment in countries with limited resources have been published by the Breast Health Global Initiative (BHGI), an international coalition of doctors, scientists, policy makers and advocates led by Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

25 Jan 2006

U.S. Hispanics have lower rates of high blood pressure

Black Hispanics in America are suffering higher rates of hypertension than their Hispanic counterparts who are white, a new study finds.

25 Jan 2006

Health economics study questions recent policy on screening of US blood donations for West Nile Virus

A recent mandate to screen blood donations in all US states for West Nile virus (WNV) makes little sense from a public health point of view, say researchers from Columbia University and Harvard School of Public Health.

24 Jan 2006

Slower reaction times and poorer memory associated with greater risk of dying in young and old people

The finding in younger subjects is especially surprising, given that prior research linking higher mortality with poorer cognitive function in the elderly was attributed to degeneration of the brain due to aging.

23 Jan 2006

Plastic surgery societies raise concerns about cosmetic procedures performed by unqualified personnel

The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) and the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) have joined forces to raise awareness about the dangers of unlicensed personnel performing medical cosmetic procedures in non-clinical settings.

23 Jan 2006

Mad cow found in Canada

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has confirmed bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in an approximately six-year-old cross-bred cow born and raised in Alberta. No part of the animal entered the human food or animal feed systems.

23 Jan 2006

Do medical specialties reflect the current clinical needs of patients?

In an editorial opening the 2006 Jan issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics Giovanni A. fava (University of Bologna) criticizes the current subdivision of clinical medicine in subspecialties.

23 Jan 2006

Study examines incidence of melanoma rates among California Hispanics over time

For the first time, scientists have identified a significant increase in the incidence rate of melanoma--an invasive form of an already deadly skin cancer--among California Hispanics.

23 Jan 2006

Tamiflu alone won't work in bird flu pandemic

In a review published this week a warning has been issued against the apparent reliance by most countries on the drug Tamiflu to combat a bird flu pandemic.

19 Jan 2006

New initiative to transform US Public Health Service Commissioned Corps

HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt today announced an initiative to transform the United States Public Health Service (USPHS) Commissioned Corps, which will enable this critical emergency response resource to address public health challenges more quickly and efficiently.

18 Jan 2006

FDA warns against buying prescription drugs on the net or overseas

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), consumers and healthcare professionals who fill out their prescriptions abroad are putting themselves at risk.

17 Jan 2006

Study highlights distress caused by bladder problems

More than three-quarters of people with overactive bladders (OAB) say that their condition makes it difficult to perform daily activities, yet only 43 per cent would consider consulting a doctor.

16 Jan 2006

Ontario challenges opening of private health clinics

The announcement by Copeman Healthcare Inc. that it intends to open private health clinics in some parts of Canada is being challenged by the Ontario Health Coalition.

16 Jan 2006

More nurses improves the quality of hospital care

A study in the January/February 2006 issue of the journal Health Affairsconcludes that increasing the number of registered nurses and hours of nursing care per patient would save 6,700 lives and 4 million days of patient care in hospitals each year.

10 Jan 2006

U.S. states fail the grade when it comes to dealing with a major emergency

According to a report by the American College of Emergency Physicians, the United States is ill prepared to tackle any kind of major emergency.

10 Jan 2006

Women live the longest, but the men are catching up

In latest figures released by NSW Health, the life expectancy for babies born in NSW is up to ten years longer than their parents born a generation ago. In NSW between 1973 and 2003, life expectancy at birth steadily increased from 68.6 to 78.6 for males, and from 75.6 to 83.4 for females.

10 Jan 2006

New combination treatment that could dramatically shorten the length of tuberculosis treatment

The clinical results of a new combination treatment that could dramatically shorten the length of tuberculosis treatment were presented at a recent scientific conference in the USA. This virulent disease of the lungs still infects millions every year, with a notable resurgence in Europe, especially in the East.

10 Jan 2006

Fish oil shown to reduce airway inflammation caused by exercise-induced asthma

People suffering from exercise-induced asthma were able to reduce their symptoms below the threshold used to diagnose the disease by eating a diet supplemented with fish oil, according to new research findings from Indiana University reported in the January issue of the journal Chest.

10 Jan 2006