DiaMedical Journal

Many healthcare practices have changed and advanced throughout the years, but few are as evident as the implementation of universal precautions. For instance, gloves are worn for nearly all care and treatment rather than just during surgical procedures as they were in the past. Clinicians now also engage the safety mechanisms on needles immediately after injections before placing them in red sharps containers. These precautions have been extremely effective through the years at mitigating risk, as only 58 cases of confirmed occupational HIV transmission to healthcare providers have been reported in the United States (1). In honor of December being HIV/AIDS Awareness Month, our blog below discusses the common misconceptions surrounding the topic, as well as the various methods to reduce risk of exposure and transmission to healthcare workers.

While pink ribbons increase internet searches about breast cancer by 180% each October, awareness campaigns for testicular and prostate cancer have been far less successful. There is a stigma surrounding men’s cancer prevention in the media and in society that brings less awareness than predominantly female cancers. Now is the perfect time to start changing this narrative as November is National Men’s Health Awareness Month. Educators can do their part by training the next generation of healthcare professionals how to perform testicular and prostate cancer exams with cost-effective skills trainers.

Nearly three weeks ago, President Trump announced his intention to declare the national opioid crisis a “national emergency.” And for good reason; as we discussed in our previous blog post, opioid overdose deaths continue to skyrocket across the country. Claiming more lives than guns and car accidents, drug overdoses are the leading cause of death for Americans under 50. Alarmingly, in 2015, nearly 1 in 50 deaths were drug-related—and primarily due to opioids.

The new MIND Diet developed by Rush University Medical Center researchers appears to reduce the risk of Alzheimer's Disease by 53 percent in those that followed the diet rigorously, and by 35 percent in those who followed it moderately.

World Hepatitis Day is recognized every July 28th to remember Dr. Baruch Blumberg (1925–2011), who discovered the hepatitis B virus and developed the first hepatitis B vaccine. This is the perfect time to raise awareness about viral hepatitis, which impacts more than 354 million people worldwide. It is also an opportunity to examine how healthcare providers are at risk of developing hepatitis after a needlestick injury. Continue reading to learn more about hepatitis infection and how safer needle devices can help prevent spread of the disease.

Celebrating Juneteenth by recognizing Black American Medical Pioneers

Check your AED: Is it FDA approved?

World Immunization Week is celebrated annually during the last week of April to promote the use of vaccines and protect people of all ages from disease. Vaccines work with the body’s natural defenses to safely create immunity to pneumonia, meningitis, measles, and many other diseases. Getting vaccinated isn’t fun for anyone, but it’s especially hard on children who are afraid of needles. Keep reading below for some simple tips to make immunizations easier for them.

All viruses change over time. As a virus reproduces, copying errors can occur to its genes. Over time, these genetic copying errors can change how the virus infects people and animals. This is how Covid Variants are made. Mutations can allow a virus to cause more severe disease, become more contagious, or resist vaccines. As mutations accumulate, the surface of the virus can look different than the original version. When this occurs, vaccines and immunity from previous infections no longer protect against infection. People become vulnerable to the newer mutated viruses. This happens continually with influenza viruses so people need to get yearly influenza vaccines.

As restaurants and bars resume operations in some areas, owners are looking to the CDC for guidance on keeping their customers and employees safe. Throughout this post we will highlight ten of the most important guidelines to keep in mind when preparing to open your doors to the public.

Now that certain states are beginning to open back up around the U.S should you start traveling again? In short, that answer is completely up to you. However, to help you make an informed decision about traveling, we have summarized some of the most important rules and guidelines you should follow according to the CDC.

As we begin to transition into the summer months, parks and recreational facilities are beginning to open back up. These are great areas that you and your family can safely visit during the Covid-19 pandemic. However, it’s important to understand the precautions that need to be taken when visiting.

Keeping your children safe is, and always will be your number one priority as a parent. With so many unknowns during the Covid-19 Pandemic parents are concerned with what they should be doing to keep their children safe. For many parents it’s difficult to know where to start. We compiled some of the most important information outlined by the CDC and summarized it below! You can also read the full article from the CDC here.

The range of symptoms associated with COVID-19 are continuously increasing as scientists and healthcare professionals are able to study and learn more about how the illness infects and progresses. Many new studies and cases are introducing a variety of symptoms.

Hand washing is one of the single most important ways to protect yourself and others from getting sick. However, during the COVID-19 Pandemic running your hands under some water after using the restroom is simply not enough. Below you will find information from the CDC regarding when you should wash your hands and more importantly how to wash them.

In anticipation of shelter-in-place orders being lifted, it is more important than ever to keep yourself and others from becoming infected with coronavirus. As many people already know, coronavirus is mainly spread from direct person-to-person contact. Knowing how COVID-19 spreads is the most important step in understanding how to protect yourself and others from becoming sick. However, there are rules you can follow to keep yourself and others healthy.

As the CoronaVirus (COVID-19) continues to spread throughout the U.S it’s becoming increasingly important to understand how you can prevent the spread of the Coronavirus. The CDC has released numerous articles on what we can do to help reduce the spread of this very serious illness. Below you will find some of the most important precautions you can take to reduce the spread of the disease and protect yourself

Last month in Andover, MA, three-month-old yellow Labrador Zoey Thibault went for what could NOT be described as a “walk in the park.” On what was supposed to be a routine romp with her human, Peter, Zoey chewed on a stray pack of cigarettes lying on the ground.