SATURDAY, May 19 (HealthDay News) — More than 4.7 million Americans are bitten by dogs each year, and more than half of those victims are younger than age 14, experts say.
During National Dog Bite Prevention Week (May 20 to 26), the American Academy of Pediatrics is joining with the American Veterinary Medical Association and the U.S. Postal Service to educate people about dog safety.
By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter
THURSDAY, May 17 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved generic versions of the blood thinner Plavix (clopidogrel), making the widely used medication more affordable for those patients who need it.
“For people who must manage chronic health conditions, having effective and affordable treatment options is important. The generic products approved today will expand those options for patients,” Keith Webber, deputy director of the Office of Pharmaceutical Sciences in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said in an agency news release.
By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter
THURSDAY, May 17 (HealthDay News) — Government’s workplace safety inspections reduce on-the-job injuries and related costs without hurting company profits, a new U.S. study finds.
To reach their conclusion, researchers looked at data on 409 California businesses randomly inspected by the state’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration and 409 similar workplaces that weren’t inspected.
THURSDAY, May 17 (HealthDay News) — Parents of young children with epilepsy often sleep in the same room or the same bed as their child to monitor their condition, but the bed-sharing may be interfering with restful sleep for both the parents and kids, new research finds.
In the study, published in the journal Epilepsia, researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital for Children in Boston examined the sleeping arrangements of 105 families who had a child with the seizure disorder and 79 families whose children did not have epilepsy (“controls”).
By Randy Dotinga
HealthDay Reporter
THURSDAY, May 17 (HealthDay News) — A preliminary study links chemicals found in certain sunscreens to a higher risk of endometriosis, but it’s too soon to say whether there’s any reason for women to change their habits.
“This is way too early for prime time,” said Warren Foster, a professor in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at McMaster University, in Hamilton, Ontario, who studies how chemicals affect people.
THURSDAY, May 17 (HealthDay News) — The first generic versions of the blood-thinning drug Plavix (clopidogrel bisulfate) have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Brand-name Plavix, made by Brisol-Myers Squibb and Sanofi, was first FDA approved in 1997 to help prevent blood clots that could cause heart attack or stroke. It has been sanctioned for people who have had a recent heart attack or stroke, or who have at least a partial artery blockage, the agency said in a news release.
THURSDAY, May 17 (HealthDay News) — Averting your eyes when you’re receiving a shot really may help reduce discomfort, new research suggests.
The study, published in the May issue of the journal Pain, included volunteers who watched video clips showing a needle pricking a hand or a Q-tip touching the hand, or a hand alone. At the same time, the participants received painful or non-painful electrical sensations to their hand.
WEDNESDAY, May 16 (HealthDay News) — A dangerous antibiotic-resistant “superbug” appears to originate in hospitals in large cities and then spreads to smaller hospitals, according to a new study.
Researchers at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland analyzed the genetic makeup of more than 80 variants of a major clone of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteria found in hospitals.
WEDNESDAY, May 16 (HealthDay News) — The same type of brain damage seen in athletes who suffer repeated concussions also occurs in soldiers exposed to large blasts, new research indicates.
In the study, researchers at Boston University and the Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System analyzed brain tissue from four U.S. military personnel who were known to have been close to explosions.
By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter
WEDNESDAY, May 16 (HealthDay News) — U.S. health officials on Wednesday lowered the threshold for what’s considered lead poisoning in young children.
The change by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reduces the definition of lead poisoning from 10 micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood to 5 micrograms.
