Wood-burning stoves are a popular source of heating in many countries. However in recent years there has been much debate about the potential negative health effects associated with wood smoke. A Norwegian researcher has studied the influence of combustion conditions on the emissions and their health effects. Wood-burning is controversial in many countries, including the USA and Canada…
Pepper Spray, or OC (oleoresin capsicum) spray is a lachrymatory agent - a compound that makes the eyes tearful. The active ingredient in pepper spray is also an inflammatory agent that swells up the eyes and mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract, it causes pain, and often temporary blindness…
Health officials in the US state of Arizona said on Tuesday there are now 24 reported cases of a rare paralyzing disease known as Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) affecting people on both sides of the border between the US and Mexico…
In December, Mayo Clinic, Denver Health, Intermountain Healthcare, Dartmouth-Hitchcock, Cleveland Clinic, and The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice (TDI) announced the formation of the High Value Healthcare Collaborative (HVHC) to improve health care, lower costs, and move best practices out to the national provider community…
A new study from the American Journal of Public Health reports that workers at nail salons may be at higher risk of exposure to chemical toxins that may be harmful to their health. Researchers set out to measure personal and area concentrations of solvents among Vietnamese women working in various California nail salons through a community-based participatory research study…
The U.S. House of Representatives failed to protect the public health by passing H.R.1. The American Lung Association applauds the Senate for recognizing this failure, and rejecting this harmful bill…
Scientists are reporting new evidence on how studded tires - wintertime fixtures in some areas but banned in others for causing damage to pavement - may also damage the health of motorists and people living near highways. Studded tires have small metal protrusions from the rubber tread that improve traction on icy or snow-covered roads…
In a first-of-its-kind study to measure the impact of the highest recommended specialist staffing levels in an intensive care unit, researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine found that increased staffing by specially trained physicians and other health care professionals can enhance patient survival and enable patients to breathe sooner without assistance…
6,631 cases of whooping cough have been reported up to 9th November 2010 in California, breaking the previous record of 6,613 in 1950 for the whole year. With another seven weeks until this year ends, it is doubtful that the 1947 figure of 9,394 will be surpassed. The current whooping cough rate across the state is 16.9 per 100,000 people…
