DiaMedical Journal

If you’re one of the 29 million Americans who made a New Year’s resolution to eat healthier—and have already abandoned it—you’re not alone! Statistically speaking, less than half of you have stuck to your resolutions so far, and by the end of the year, only about 8% of you will have managed to do so.

For children hospitalized with serious or life-threatening illnesses, fear and stress are a part of everyday life. Not so much at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital in New York, where there’s a real medical magician at work!

Opioid abuse is a serious public health issue. Drug overdose deaths are the leading cause of injury-related death in the United States. According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, “Prevention, treatment, research, and effective responses to rapidly reverse opioid overdoses are critical to fighting the epidemic—a top priority for the . . . HHS).”

As of last Wednesday, September 28, 2016 the FDA declared the use of an artificial pancreas to treat type 1 diabetes was approved. Type 1 diabetes, or juvenile diabetes, prevents the body from producing the sufficient amount of insulin our bodies need and normally gain energy with our food intake. The Medtronic MiniMed 670G systems, or the artificial pancreas device, will be available by prescription to patients that are of age 14 years and older in the spring of 2017. It is declared to be “the world’s first hybrid closed loop system,” due to the Auto Mode feature that can automatically adjust the delivery of basal insulin. The Medtronic system will actively measure glucose levels, as well as administering the insulin when need be. This will not only ease the patient’s daily routine, but will also reduce the risk of extreme blood level shocks to the system, which can result in a coma.

On September 2, 2016, the Food and Drug Administration banned 19 Ingredients commonly found in antibacterial soaps and body washes. The FDA states that the inclusion of the ingredients do not provide any benefits to consumers and may even be harmful. They go on to say that antibacterial soaps are no more effective than soap and water at cleaning. The rule becomes effective in one year, in which time companies must either remove their product from the market, or remove the conflicting ingredients from their existing product. However, it is important to note that this ban does not apply to consumer hand sanitizers or antibacterial wipes and antibacterial soaps commonly used in hospitals or the food service industry.

Nemours Children’s Hospital in Orlando, Florida is using their simulation center to provide help to parents with children that require special clinical care. The attention required by children born with irregularities is foreign to many parents and they need coaching and training on how to deal with these situations safely. The training facility is using its simulation center's manikins and equipment to properly train parents how to inject medications, how to care for children with tracheostomy tubes, and how to properly treat a child who has seizure episodes.

The new Ebola vaccine VSV-EBOV from Guinea has shown to be highly effective. Dr Margaret Chan, WHO Director General says, "An effective vaccine will be another very important tool for both current and future Ebola outbreaks."

Chemicals are found in nearly all the products in our homes, although not all of these are toxic. However, increasingly we're finding out the negative long-term consequences of their extended use and exposure. To help you make sense of all the toxin-reducing recommendations out there, we've compiled a list of 15 simple ways to reduce some of the major sources of indoor air pollution. Try to adopt one change at a time until you make your way through the list and toward a cleaner home.

Over the last century, few professions have changed as much as Emergency Medical Services. Though the basic tenants stay the same, every year sees new technologies, surprising discoveries, and increasingly effective procedures. Ambulances themselves have their origins in military applications, and were originally just horse-drawn carriages with a bed for the injured person to lie on.