March 10th, 2010 by Berci in Better Health Network, News
Tags: FDA, Second Life, Social Media
No Comments »

You have probably heard about the Food and Drug Administration Social Media Hearing that took place last November focusing on how FDA-regulated products should use internet and social media for health-related communications. It also has an own, properly designed, online presence including Twitter streams and partners.
A week ago, I had a chance to attend a lively discussion focusing on this issue in the virtual realm of Second Life moderated by Patricia F. Anderson. I’ve seen numerous conferences in Second Life and this one was again a nice example that virtual environment is still useful when people from around the world would like to gather around and watch a presentation, then discuss it. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at ScienceRoll*
March 10th, 2010 by DavidHarlow in Better Health Network, News
Tags: Controls, Diagnostic Radiology, Dose Alert, Ionizing Radiation, Limiting Radiation Exposure, MITA
No Comments »

MITA Executive Director Dave Fischer spoke with HealthBlawg last week about industry efforts to control radiation dose in diagnostic radiology modalities such as CT.
A congressional hearing on radiation dose control took place the day after we spoke, and the FDA will be holding a hearing on diagnostic radiology issues in late March. Earlier last week, timed in part perhaps because of the upcomng congressional committee hearing, MITA kicked off the dose check initiative, a tool for manufacturers and providers to use in better regulating diagnostic imaging radiation dose, which Dave Fischer describes in our interview. He also referred to the CMS demonstration project on appropriateness of imaging services now underway, authorized by MIPPA. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at HealthBlawg :: David Harlow's Health Care Law Blog*
March 9th, 2010 by RyanDuBosar in Better Health Network, News
Tags: Detection, Employee, Hand Hygiene, Hand Washing, healthcare, Infectious Disease, Sanitation, University of Florida
No Comments »

Doctors at the University of Florida invented a device that sniffs employees’ hands for soap residue to check whether they’ve washed them enough.
After employees wash their hands, they pass them under the sniffer and their badge activates. When they later approach a patient, a bed-side monitor reads the badge and flashes green if the person has clean hands. If the person didn’t wash or too much time has passed since they have, the badge vibrates to remind the employee.
We’d already covered bathing hands with plasma instead of soap. Don’t get those near the sniffer.

*This blog post was originally published at ACP Hospitalist*
March 8th, 2010 by Medgadget in Better Health Network, News
Tags: Baby, Cause Of Death, CT, Forensics, GE, Mammoth, MRI, Radiology, Technology
No Comments »

GE Health donated time on their latest CT and MR systems for researchers from the Field Museum in Chicago to image the insides of an ancient baby mammoth. Lyuba, apparently one of the finest preserved mammoth specimens, was found by a Siberian reindeer herder three years ago. Now, thanks to modern technology, the researchers believe they know the cause of death of the mammoth. Lyuba is currently on view at the “Mammoths and Mastodons: Titans of the Ice Age” exhibit at the Field Museum. Of course, there’s also something to be said for today’s tomography scanners with bore sizes that can accommodate a mammoth. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Medgadget*
March 6th, 2010 by Debra Gordon in Better Health Network, News, Opinion
Tags: AAP, Common Sense, Hot Dogs, kids, Parenting, Pediatrics
1 Comment »

So the American Academy of Pediatrics just came out with a statement that–gasp!–hot dogs (and hard candy, peanuts/nuts, seeds, whole grapes, raw carrots, apples, popcorn, chunks of peanut butter,
marshmallows, chewing gum, and sausages) pose a choking hazard to young children.
Maybe about a dozen children a year die from choking on hot dogs. So the AAP would like hot dog manufacturers to put warning labels on their products and consider changing the wiener’s shape so they pose less of a risk to young children.
I honestly do not know where to start. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at A Medical Writer's Musings on Medicine and Health Care*