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Tag: Medical Information

  • Acetaminophen Warning By FDA: Overdose Can Be Fatal

    The FDA recently asked that healthcare providers be mindful of the dosage of Acetaminophen they choose to prescribe patients. According to the government regulatory agency, more than 325 mg of the drug could have negative consequences such as severe liver damage. In certain circumstances, an excessive dose of Acetaminophen might even be fatal.

    The FDA made the reasons for its request clear in a statement released on Tuesday.

    “Many consumers are often unaware that many products (both prescription and OTC) contain acetaminophen, making it easy to accidentally take too much.”

    The warning addresses the medical community, however the an admonishment for over-the-counter drugs was seemingly absent. This was curious to some since certain non-prescription drugs like Tylenol contain the substance.

    Overdoses of Acetaminophen may be startlingly common due to misconceptions about the drug. Though it is used for pain, it is most effective at treating mild or moderate symptoms. Extreme pain for many individuals requires greater dosages of pain medication. This may cause persons to take a prescription drug and then take an over the counter drug when they feel the prescribed medicine isn’t enough. Even if the pain lessens or goes away, the person has unwittingly put their health at risk.

    And that’s just if they combined their meds with a single over-the-counter drug. Acetaminophen can be found in more than just pills like Tylenol. It’s found in various cold and flu medication as well. With flu season upon us, there’s no telling what a problem this can cause those trying to treat various aches and pains associated with season illnesses.

    But the most worrying consequence involves children who are given Acetaminophen. Parents are advised to carefully read labels to determine the recommended dose for young children and infants. They should use any measuring cups made available exactly as recommended. Finally, if they aren’t sure about dosage, they should contact a doctor.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Winter Tires Cause Health Problems, Swedish Medical Researchers Claim

    At a time when Sweden will soon get hit with its usual seasonal winter weather, medical researchers are asking for a ban against winter tires.

    In the 1960s, these tires were first introduced to consumers in the United States. Metal studs inserted into the tire were made to enhance the friction on slippery roads, particularly those covered in snow or ice.

    Tire companies such as, Nokian, Michelin, and Bridgestone, manufacture some of the most popular brands.

    However, these tires have come to develop a pretty bad reputation. Now, winter tires seem to be very damaging to roads and hazardous for drivers.

    In a report by Tiresrack.com, it states how winter tires during the drier seasons have been costly for taxpayers due to its tear on the road.

    “The studs were designed to use the vehicle’s weight and centrifugal forces to provide more ice traction as they repeatedly chipped into the driving surface. However, when the road wasn’t covered with snow or ice, tire studs noisily chipped into the road itself…Additionally as studded tires chip into the concrete, they eventually cut ruts in the road that will fill with water to create a hydroplaning hazard when it rains.”

    Aside from safety issues, Sweden’s MAIN concern is the health risk the tires produce. According to medical investigation, researchers assert that the chipping away of the road increases “…the amount of harmful particles in the air, leading to an increase in cardiac, vascular and pulmonary diseases.”

    In 2011, a scientific study in the Chemical Research in Toxicology journal concluded that studded winter tires presented similar health risks, as reported today.

    Countries like, Japan and Germany have banned the slip-resistant tires. State regulations prohibit winter tires in places such as, Texas, Alabama, Florida, and Maryland, while other states have minor seasonal restrictions.

    Along with Finland, Sweden has always been listed as one of the countries to substantially use winter tires.

    In the video below, Tire Rack visit Northern Sweden to test different tires that are best for winter time traction.

    Image Credit:  Youtube, Phillip O’Connor

  • Scorpion Antivenom Costs Arizona Patients $12,500 Per Vial

    A scorpion antivenom that was cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last month is causing sticker shock for Arizona residents.

    The Arizona Republic, a Phoenix-area newspaper, is reporting that Phoenix hospitals are charging patients as much as $12,467 per vial of the antivenom. With a full treatment calling for three to five vials, medical costs can soar to over $60,000. As The Republic points out, the antivenom is almost always used to prevent more serious treatment for children, the elderly, and others who have bad reactions to scorpion stings. The worst part is, many insurance companies have not yet figured out what a “reasonable price” is for the drug, and so do not yet cover treatment with the drug.

    While doctors and hospitals are complaining about the high cost of the medication, the pharmaceutical industry is saying it’s all part of the high cost of medical care in the U.S. The Republic quotes a doctor who participated in the trials as saying the cost is part of the antivenom’s ‘new drug’ status. The doctor states that patients who forego antivenom treatment due to the cost could end up in the intensive care unit, which is even more expensive.

    Though it is manufactured and has been available in Mexico for years, the antivenom has only recently been approved for use in the U.S. The drug, named Anascorp, was approved by the FDA on back August 3, and is licensed in the U.S. to Rare Disease Therapeutics, Inc.

  • WebMD Q1 Reports Exceeds Analyst Projections

    With a built-in audience of millions of hypochondriacs, health information services site WebMD has posted a Q1 earnings report that was slighly better than analyst projections. WebMD, which also hosts information on pet health, posted a revenue of $106.9 million, which was expected, though lost 14 cents per share, a little less than the projected $0.17 loss.

    Site traffic was up 37.5% from Q1 2011, with 107 million unique monthly visitors, for 2.52 billion page views, a 34.9% increase. WebMD predicts that it will see revenue between $110-115 million in Q2, which is below Wall Street’s projected $123.5 million. For the year, the company predicts it will make $500-535 million, with shares sitting in the range of 5 to 37 cents (?). WebMD stock is late trading for $22.97, up 22 cents, or 1%.

    A 2011 Pew study has shown that 80% of internet users in the U.S. look up health information online. The demographics that are most interested in sites like WebMD include caregivers, women, whites, younger adults, and adults with at least some college education. Below is a list of some medical search trends:

    webmd trends

    Interestingly, the majority of the users polled utilize the service to confirm their self-diagnoses, and roughly two-thirds of which go on to look up a doctor.

  • Sitting Down All Day Is Killing You

    Sitting Down All Day Is Killing You

    As I type this, I am seated in my comfy leather chair. I’m sure that many of you who are reading this are also situated in some kind of seat. How long have you been sitting there? When is the last time you got up and took a stroll around the office?

    It is a fact that many people’s jobs these days require them to spend a copious amount of time in front of a computer. Writers, Coders, Editors, Secretaries – the list goes on. According to reports that have been flooding in during the last year or so, the more hours you spend during the day sitting, the greater you risk of early death.

    First, Men’s Health reported on a study that concluded this fact. Then the New York times reported on another study that found that people had a greater risk of obesity, heart disease and type 2 diabetes when they sat an extra 6-8 hours a day.

    The posture of sitting itself probably isn’t worse than any other type of daytime physical inactivity, like lying on the couch watching “Wheel of Fortune.” But for most of us, when we’re awake and not moving, we’re sitting. This is your body on chairs: Electrical activity in the muscles drops — “the muscles go as silent as those of a dead horse,” Hamilton says — leading to a cascade of harmful metabolic effects. Your calorie-burning rate immediately plunges to about one per minute, a third of what it would be if you got up and walked. Insulin effectiveness drops within a single day, and the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes rises. So does the risk of being obese. The enzymes responsible for breaking down lipids and triglycerides — for “vacuuming up fat out of the bloodstream,” as Hamilton puts it — plunge, which in turn causes the levels of good (HDL) cholesterol to fall.

    So all this bad stuff over a lifetime adds up, according to researchers.

    Today comes this awesome new infographic courtesy of medicalbillingnacoding.org. Yes, the information provided is scary, especially for someone who likes to sit as much as I do. But the visuals are pretty top notch, especially the presentation of “sitting” as a jagged, hooded demon poised dramatically over the head of an unsuspecting office worker.

    Many propose stand up desks as a way to solve this problem. Others suggest frequent breaks from sitting on the job to perform various quick exercises. As someone with terrible knees, standing desks make me cringe. Maybe I’ll rethink the whole jumping jacks idea.

    Sitting is Killing You
    Via: Medical Billing And Coding