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- Ischemic Stroke Hospitalization Rate Decreases
- U.S. Obstructing Heparin Inquiry: Chinese Experts
- Children's Infectious Disease Spreading in China
- Middle-Aged Mothers Most Stressed: Survey
- Cardinal Health Mouthwash Recalled
- Flu Pandemic Threat Still Strong
- Treatable Ailments Kill Nearly 10 Million Children Each Year
Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay:
Ischemic Stroke Hospitalization Rate Decreases
Between 1997 and 2005, the rate of hospitalizations for ischemic stroke in the United States decreased by one third, according to the latest News and Numbers from the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
An ischemic stroke occurs when blood flow to the brain is blocked by a blood clot.
In 2005, 36 of every 10,000 Americans age 45 and older were hospitalized for ischemic stroke, compared to 54 of every 10,000 in 1997. During that same period of time, hospitalizations for hemorrhagic stroke (bleeding in the brain) remained fairly stable, ranging from nine to 11 for every 10,000 Americans.
The report also said that in 2005:
- Six percent of patients with ischemic stroke died while in hospital, compared with 25 percent of hemorrhagic stroke patients.
- The percentage of hospitalized patients transferred to rehabilitation facilities or nursing homes varied by condition: 44 percent of patients with ischemic stroke; 37 percent of those with hemorrhagic stroke; 13 percent of those with mini-strokes (which involve shorter-lasting stroke symptoms but are often precursors to strokes); and five percent of patients with blocked or narrowed arteries, which can lead to strokes.
- While stroke was most common in older people, one in 10 hemorrhagic stroke patients admitted to hospital was younger than 45.
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U.S. Obstructing Heparin Inquiry: Chinese Experts
The United States is hindering China's inquiry into the tainted heparin blood thinner linked to 81 deaths and hundreds of allergic reactions, according to some Chinese experts, the Associated Press reported.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has said it suspects the problem was caused by a contaminant in supplies of raw heparin from China. But the FDA needs to consider other possible factors, according to Jin Shaohong, a member of the drug evaluation committee of China's Food and Drug Administration.
"We need to resolve this in a scientific (manner), not just by blaming a contaminant. I think it is too early to say that," Shaohong said, the AP reported.
Shaohong and a colleague claimed the FDA and Baxter International refused to provide information that could determine whether drug interactions, patients' medical histories or safety issues after the raw heparin materials were shipped from China may have been factors.
FDA spokeswoman Karen Riley told the AP Tuesday that she couldn't recall Chinese officials asking for patients' medical histories.
"We've not received a request from China about patient records," Riley said.
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Children's Infectious Disease Spreading in China
The number of Chinese children infected with hand, foot and mouth disease now numbers more than 15,000, and the death toll has increased to at least 28 across the country, according to the official Xinhua news agency.
The capital Beijing and the provinces of Anhui, Guangdong, Zhejiang are among the hardest-hit areas. Smaller outbreaks have been reported in the city of Chongqing and in the provinces of Hebei, Jiangsu, Hunan, Hubei, Shaanxi, Jiangxi, and Henan, Xinhua said, the Associated Press reported.
There is no vaccine or specific treatment for hand, foot and mouth disease. However, most children with mild disease recover quickly without problems. Several viruses can cause the disease, but one called enterovirus 71 (EV-71) can result in a more serious form that can lead to paralysis, brain swelling or death, the AP reported.
In Vietnam, about 2,000 cases of hand, foot and mouth disease were reported in the first four months of the year, which is a 40 percent increase over the same period last year, the AP reported. Ten deaths from the disease have been reported in Vietnam during the first four months of this year.
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Middle-Aged Mothers Most Stressed: Survey
Mothers ages 35 to 54 trying to balance child and parental care are more stressed than any other group, according to a survey by the American Psychological Association. While nearly two in five women and men in this age group report high levels of stress, more women than men said they're suffering extreme stress and manage their stress poorly.
The 2007 Stress in America survey found that almost 40 percent of female and male respondents ages 35 to 54 report extreme levels of stress, compared to 29 percent of those ages 18 to 34 and 25 percent of those older than 55, United Press International reported.
"It's not surprising that so many people in that age group are experiencing stress," Katherine Nordal, executive director for professional practice at the APA, said in a prepared statement.
"The worry of your parents' health and your children's well-being as well as the financial concern of putting kids through college and saving for your own retirement is a lot to handle," Nordal said, UPI reported.
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Cardinal Health Mouthwash Recalled
Cardinal Health-brand alcohol-free mouthwash is being recalled due to possible contamination with Burkholderia cepacia bacteria, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday.
Although it poses little risk to healthy people, people with weakened immune systems or chronic lung diseases may be more susceptible to B. cepacia infections, the FDA said.
The recall includes four-ounce bottles with the lot code 26228 stamped on the Cardinal Health label on the side of the bottle, United Press International reported.
The mouthwash was distributed to hospitals, medical centers and long-term care facilities across the United States and can also be found in certain Personal Hygiene Hospital Admission kits. The mouthwash was made by Hydrox Labs of Elgin, Ill., and distributed by Cardinal Health Inc. of Dublin, Ohio.
The FDA said consumers who've received the mouthwash from a health care provider should check the lot number, UPI reported. If it's a recalled bottle, contact the company for instructions at 800-292-9332.
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Flu Pandemic Threat Still Strong
The threat of a flu pandemic remains strong, and nations must hasten preparations to deal with a global outbreak, experts warned Tuesday at a meeting to update the World Health Organization's pandemic influenza preparedness plan.
"We can't delude ourselves. The threat of a pandemic influenza has not diminished," Keiji Fukuda, coordinator of the WHO's Global Influenza Program, said at the meeting, the Associated Press reported.
More than 150 countries have some form of national preparedness plan, but some of those are just a piece of paper than acknowledges the risk of a global pandemic, said Fukuda, who added that all levels of society need to be involved in the preparations and that all people need to know where to go for information.
"If somebody is sick in the family, for example, and it's difficult to get to hospital, they need to know what sort of advice might be available," Fukuda told the AP.
While most human cases of H5N1 bird flu have been caused by direct contact with infected birds, experts fear the virus may mutate into a form that's easily transmitted between people.
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Treatable Ailments Kill Nearly 10 Million Children Each Year
An estimated 9.7 million children worldwide under the age of 5 die each year from easily preventable or treatable health problems such as pneumonia and diarrhea, says a report released by the U.S.-based charity Save the Children.
Most of the deaths occur in developing nations, and poor children are twice as likely to die as rich children, the Associated Press reported.
Save the Children ranked 146 countries based on well-being for mothers and children. Sweden, Norway and Iceland were at the top of the list, while Nigeria was last. Eight of the 10 bottom-ranked countries were in sub-Saharan Africa, where four out of five mothers are likely to experience the death of a child.
The group said 30 percent of mothers and children in developing countries don't receive basic health interventions, such as prenatal care, skilled assistance during birth, immunizations and treatment for pneumonia and diarrhea, the AP reported.
More than six million of the 9.7 million children's deaths each year could be prevented using existing, low-cost tools and knowledge, Save the Children said.
Copyright © 2008 ScoutNews LLC. All rights reserved.
Published on: 05/07/2008
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