Is There No High-Touch Surface in Hospitals Free of Microbial Contamination?
Swabs taken from coffeemakers in German hospital offices and break rooms, and in workers’ homes, tested positive for several important pathogens, researchers found. “Among the eight genera of ‘medically relevant’ Gram-negative species detected, 81% were found in coffeemakers at the hospital,” according to Sarah Victoria Walker, MD, of University Hospital Cologne in Germany, and colleagues. […]
Heavy metals in our food are most dangerous for kids
The problem of foodborne metal contamination has taken on new urgency, thanks in part to a 2021 US Congressional Report detailing high levels of metals found in infant food pulled off grocery shelves.?(More recently, high levels of lead were discovered in children’s fruit puree pouches.) Now, two new studies provide information on the correlation between […]
How To Help De-Escalate Bad Situations When You’re In Public
This month, demonstrators have taken to the streets and subway stations in New York City to protest the killing of Jordan Neely, a 30-year-old man who was choked to death by another passenger on a train in Manhattan on May 1. Many have suggested that Neely, who was experiencing homelessness, could have been in a […]
Fresh produce contaminated with toxic BPA-like chemicals found in food labels: BPA is banned in some countries but similar chemicals like BPS are still allowed
Steps were taken in Canada to reduce the use of Bisphenol A (BPA), a toxic chemical linked to prostate and breast cancer, commonly found in plastics, the lining of food cans, water bottles, and paper receipts. But in many cases, it has been replaced with similar hormone disrupting chemicals, like Bisphenol S (BPS). A new […]
Antibody-Drug Conjugates Take Breast Cancer Field by Storm
Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) have taken the field of breast cancer by storm and appear poised to expand their reach into earlier lines of therapy and early-stage disease, a breast cancer specialist said here. ADCs offer an “exciting and effective drug delivery system” for multiple subtypes of metastatic breast cancer, and ongoing clinical trials are exploring […]
To Combat Opioid Epidemic, Step Up Safe Prescribing Practices, Expert Urges
SAN DIEGO — While urology and other medical specialties have taken steps to rein in opioid overprescribing, the skyrocketing death rate in the U.S. due to opioid overdose indicates urologists — and other healthcare providers — are not being aggressive enough in implementing safe prescribing practices, according to Benjamin Davies, MD, of the University of […]
Researchers identify biomarker panel that could help predict gestational diabetes in early pregnancy
UCLA researchers have taken the initial step in identifying what may be an effective way to detect gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) earlier in pregnancy, potentially improving diagnosis and treatment for what is the most common disorder of pregnancy. The study is published in the peer-reviewed journal PLOS ONE. Gestational diabetes causes blood sugar levels to […]
Athletes warned against potential dangers of natural supplements
Nutritional supplements taken to boost athletic performance can pose risks to the heart, according to a European Society of Cardiology (ESC) statement published today in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, a journal of the ESC. “Nutritional supplements are commonly viewed as risk-free substances that may improve performance,” states the paper. “Some nutritional supplements, including […]
Advanced analysis of Apollo sample illuminates Moon’s evolution
Sophisticated analysis of a rock sample taken from the Moon during the Apollo 17 mission revealed new information about the complex cooling and evolutionary history of the Moon. The findings, from University of Hawai’i (UH) at Manoa researchers, were published today in Nature Communications. Apollo 17 astronauts collected the rock sample troctolite 76535 from the […]
‘All the Beds Are Taken’; COVID Baby Airlifted in Texas; Zeke Emanuel as FDA Chief?
Note that some links may require registration or subscription. “All the beds are taken up by COVID victims also getting ECMO,” said Floridian Susan Walker, who is anxiously searching for a hospital where her unvaccinated husband can receive the extracorporeal life support for his severe COVID-19. (CNN) As cases soar and ICU beds fill in […]