Latest Health News

28Jan
2020

What's the Best Treatment for a Child's Broken Bone?

What`s the Best Treatment for a Child`s Broken Bone?TUESDAY, Jan. 28, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Fiberglass and plaster casts are widely used to treat broken bones in kids, but they have drawbacks compared with other methods such as braces and splints, experts say. Doctors and patients should review the available options, considering not only treatment of the fracture, but also patient comfort and compliance as well as the burden on the family, according to a review article in the January issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Children "may be eager to get a cast, choosing a color that fits their personality," said lead author Dr. Eric Shirley, a pediatric orthopedic surgeon at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth in Virginia. "However, the thrill soon wears off when they learn that they will be unable to...

Why Vaping Emergencies May Be Missed

28 January 2020
Why Vaping Emergencies May Be MissedTUESDAY, Jan. 28, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Diagnosing lung emergencies caused by vaping can be a challenge because symptoms can look like pneumonia or go unrecognized, according to a new case report. The vaping illness known as EVALI (electronic cigarette- or vaping-associated lung injury) has so far killed nearly 60 people in the United States. More than 2,600 have been hospitalized. "Electronic cigarettes and vaping products are sending thousands of smokers, especially teens, to emergency departments," said lead author Dr. Kaitlyn Works. She's an emergency medicine physician with Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn. "We must be crystal clear with young people: E-cigarettes and vaping products are not a healthy alternative to smoking. They can be dangerous,...

Blood Pressure Dips Upon Standing Might Not Be as...

28 January 2020
Blood Pressure Dips Upon Standing Might Not Be as Dangerous as ThoughtTUESDAY, Jan. 28, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- A common condition called "orthostatic hypotension" -- a sudden drop in blood pressure when standing up -- has long been tied to the potential for dangerous falls in older people. But a new study suggests that doctors who manage blood pressure in older patients shouldn't worry that their treatments are more hazardous for folks with the condition. It "was not associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease events" such as heart attack or stroke, said researchers led by Dr. Stephen Juraschek, from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, in Boston. In fact, his team also found that dips in blood pressure when standing up weren't even linked to higher odds for fainting or falling. The study did find that...

Schizophrenia Meds Safe Long-Term, Study Finds

28 January 2020
Schizophrenia Meds Safe Long-Term, Study FindsTUESDAY, Jan. 28, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Good news for people with schizophrenia: Long-term antipsychotic-drug treatment does not increase the risk of heart disease. And taking the drugs is associated with a lower risk of death, according to a new study. The average life expectancy of people with schizophrenia is 10 to 20 years less than in the general population. There has long been concern that one reason is long-term use of antipsychotic drugs to ease symptoms such as delusions and hallucinations. "Antipsychotics get something of a bad press, which can make it difficult to reach out to the patient group with information on how important they are," said study co-author Jari Tiihonen, a professor of psychiatry at Karolinska Institute in Sweden. "We know from previous studies that...

Too Few Patients Enrolling in Cancer Trials

28 January 2020
Too Few Patients Enrolling in Cancer TrialsTUESDAY, Jan. 28, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Enrollment in clinical trials that can potentially extend the life of cancer patients is too low, a new study finds. Researchers at Penn State also found that white males with private health insurance and cancers that have spread, and who are treated at academic medical centers, are most likely to enroll in clinical trials. Lead researcher Dr. Nicholas Zaorsky, of Penn State College of Medicine, and his team analyzed data from over 12 million patients with 46 types of cancer from 2004 to 2015. Only about 11,600 patients enrolled in clinical trials postdiagnosis as a first treatment. That's one-tenth of 1%. As these trials can benefit patients, senior study author Dr. Niraj Gusani expressed his concern about the low enrollment...

Psychedelic Drug Eases Cancer Patients' Distress Long Term

28 January 2020
Psychedelic Drug Eases Cancer Patients` Distress Long TermTUESDAY, Jan. 28, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- A single dose of the psychedelic ingredient in "magic mushrooms" may bring long-lasting relief to cancer patients who suffer anxiety and depression, a new, small study suggests. Researchers found that of 15 patients who'd received a one-time treatment with psilocybin, most were still showing "clinically significant" improvements in anxiety and depression four years later. The study, published Jan. 28 in the Journal of Psychopharmacology, is a follow-up to one reported in 2016. That trial involved 29 cancer patients with psychiatric distress who received a single dose of psilocybin. Most responded quickly, with effects that lasted up to six months. These latest findings suggest there can be ongoing benefits from what many study patients...

AHA News: High School Basketball Player Saved by CPR Helps Win Championship

28 January 2020
AHA News: High School Basketball Player Saved by CPR Helps Win ChampionshipTUESDAY, Jan. 28, 2020 (American Heart Association News) -- When 17-year-old Ben Blankenhorn received his CPR certification as part of his lifeguard training, the lessons carried added resonance. Just 10 months earlier, Blankenhorn had been saved by CPR. The morning of Aug. 22, 2017, he woke up about 5:30 a.m. He drove to San Marcos High School near his home in Santa Barbara, Calif., and warmed up with some running drills on the track with his basketball team. The next thing he remembers is waking up at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles and being told he'd survived cardiac arrest. He soon learned he had collapsed while walking toward the gym. His teammates screamed for help and called 911. A water polo coach heard the commotion and ran over, saw Blankenhorn wasn't breathing...

Despite Obamacare, Number in U.S. Who Can't Afford to See Doctor Keeps Rising

28 January 2020
Despite Obamacare, Number in U.S. Who Can`t Afford to See Doctor Keeps RisingTUESDAY, Jan. 28, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Even though the Affordable Care Act expanded access to health insurance, the number of Americans who can't afford to see a doctor keeps increasing, a new study shows. The researchers found that compared with two decades ago, more Americans today say they have skipped a needed trip to the doctor due to costs, despite a roughly 60% increase in people with health insurance. The trend, researchers said, is likely related to a years-long decline in the quality of private health insurance. Americans today face higher deductibles and co-payments, along with ever narrowing networks of providers covered by their plan. So, while the Affordable Care Act -- widely known as Obamacare -- reduced the ranks of the uninsured, it has left fundamental...

Coronavirus Deaths Top 100 in China, While U.S Issues...

TUESDAY, Jan. 28, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- As the death toll in China's coronavirus outbreak surpassed 100 on Tuesday, the United States expanded its travel alert and prepared to evacuate American...

Health Tip: Understanding a Felon Infection

(HealthDay News) - An infection on the tip of your finger can form an abscess, says Harvard Medical School. A painful bump on the fingertip abscess is known as a felon, and is usually caused by a...
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