Latest Health News

MONDAY, Jan. 24, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Injection medications can save the vision of older people with macular degeneration, but the ongoing regimen is taxing. Now a preliminary study raises the possibility that some patients can safely be "weaned off" the treatment.Researchers found that of just over 100 patients they treated with the eye injections, nearly one-third were able to "pause" the therapy within the first year. And of those followed for at least two years, most did not need to restart.Experts stressed that the findings are early and do not identify which patients might safely take a treatment break, or possibly even stop."Weaning is an interesting concept," said Dr. Emily Chew of the National Eye Institute (NEI) in Bethesda, Md., which helped fund the research.But at the...

MONDAY, Jan. 24, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Schools should stock the opioid overdose antidote naloxone and train staff and students how to respond to an overdose, experts say after the apparent fentanyl overdose death of seventh grader at a school in Hartford, Conn.“Naloxone should be available in all schools, and there should be education on signs and symptoms of overdose and how to use this,” Dr. Craig Allen, vice president of addiction services for Hartford HealthCare’s Behavioral Health Network, told the Associated Press. “Unfortunately, a horrible incident like this happens and suddenly everyone’s vision is 20/20.”The 13-year-old student was hospitalized Jan. 13 after falling ill at a Hartford school where no naloxone was available. Since the student was so young, an...

MONDAY, Jan. 24, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- A cast is as good as metal pins for treating a broken wrist, researchers report.A broken wrist in which bone fragments move out of their normal alignment is called a displaced wrist fracture. After the bones are put back in place, they're typically held in position by a molded plaster cast or by pins/plates.Surgery to place pins -- also called K-wires -- is costly and poses some risk. A cast is cheaper, but there's debate about whether it's as effective.“Surgical fixation with K-wires did not provide better wrist function at 12 months compared with a molded cast, indicating that a cast is an acceptable first-line treatment," the authors wrote in the Jan. 19 issue of The BMJ. Matthew Costa, a professor of orthopedic trauma at Oxford University...

MONDAY, Jan. 24, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- When American kids do downhill skiing or snowboarding, they almost always wear a helmet, their parents say, but they're far less likely to do so when cruising down a neighborhood hill on a sled. That puts them at risk for serious head injuries, experts warn.“Because sledding is so common, parents may overlook important safety concerns,” said Sarah Clark, co-director of the University of Michigan's C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health. “However, to avoid injuries, parents should ensure the sledding area is free of trees or other objects and has a flat runoff area at the bottom of the hill. Parents should also make sure children understand strategies to avoid collisions with other sledders.”The safety warning...