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Black belt for your white coat?
LONDON
— More and more UK doctors are enrolling
in self-defence classes to help them deal with a rise
in work-related assaults. GPs in particular are signing
up in droves — many of them work in remote areas
without security. One doc in rough and ready Northern
Ireland, Dr Sandra Elliott, from County Tyrone, who
was attacked last October by two teens with baseball
bats, is one of the newest recruits.
Heart disease, medium rare
SYDNEY
— A microwave device that selectively 'cooks'
certain areas of the heart could become the latest in
avant garde treatment for heart rhythm disorders, according
to research published in the latest issue of Chemistry
and Industry magazine. Scientists in Australia have
developed the device which nukes the desired area at
55°C and produces a lesion that blocks the abnormal
electrical signals that cause the disorder, which in
turn can cause heart attacks and strokes.
Two minutes for roughing
in the OR
WESTON-SUPER-MARE,
UK — The Weston General Hospital is planning
a new discipline system inspired by their staff's favourite
sport, soccer. If a doctor or nurse is offended by the
actions of another staffer he or she can flash a yellow
warning card. This first warning system is receiving
a warm reaction from staff, who like the idea of a quick
humorous alternative to official reprimands. So far,
no Canadian hospitals have reported plans to install
penalty boxes or similar disciplinary provisions.
No light at the end
of the tunnel
BETHESDA,
MD — People with age-related eye problems
may not live as long as those with better sight, according
to a study in the May issue of the Archives of Ophthalmology.
The results show that people with age-related macular
degeneration had a 41% higher risk of death and those
who underwent cataract surgery had a 51% higher risk.
These diseases signal systemic problems say the authors.The
study looked at 4,753 adults between the age of 55 and
81.
Puff the magic dragon
TORONTO
— Bayer pharmaceuticals is seeking approval
from Health Canada to market a marijuana-based drug
for treating multiple sclerosis (MS). The drug, Sativex,
is an oral spray with whole-plant medicinal cannabis
extract containing tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannadidiol.
Other marijuana-based drugs are already available on
the Canadian market for the treatment of certain cancers
and AIDS but this would be the first for MS. The approval
process is expected to take about 18 months.
Don't sHLA-G off those embryos
RENO
— Scientists have pinpointed a gene that
can indicate in vitro fertilization (IVF) embryo competency,
according to a study in the Journal of Reproductive
Biomedicine published online May 17. Implanted embryos
from 201 women aged 28-44 who had undergone IVF were
tested for the presence of soluble human leukocyte antigen-G
(sHLA-G). In the 130 women whose embryos tested positive
for the expression of the sHLA-G marker, 67% achieved
a pregnancy — a vast improvement over the usual
success rate of only 30%. —
Butt out, dude
SYDNEY
— Sydney Harbour — famous for golden
sandy beaches, the iconic Opera house — and cigarette
butts? But not for much longer, if a local authority
has its way. The nearby suburb of Manly has voted to
ban smoking on its once-pristine beaches, meccas for
surfing aficionados from around the world. Mayor Peter
Macdonald says the 'burb is trailblazing to try to "de-normalize"
smoking culture. Though Mr Macdonald didn't reveal who
counted them, he says Manly's Bondi Beach is home to
around 700,000 butts a year.
Dirty bomb dropped on 'hygiene hypothesis'
LONDON
— Put away that broom, said epidemiologist
Dr David Strachan back in 1989, suggesting that the
rise in asthma and allergies was down to cleaner homes
and fewer grubby children to mess them up. Sadly, it
might be time to go back to the broom closet. Researchers
from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine,
worried that the 'hygiene hypothesis' is encouraging
slovenliness, have struck back. Speaking at the International
Forum on Home Hygiene, they warned of the dangers of
"a bit of beneficial dirt," saying it could increase
the risk of infection transmission and eventually snowball
into a filth-laden hygiene epidemic.
"I've caught a big one here!"
BRISTOL,
UK — A British study that will appear in
the June issue of the Journal of Epidemiology and
Community Health reports that mums-to-be who regularly
eat fish tend to have heftier babies. Food frequency
questionnaires were sent out to 11,585 pregnant women
in south west England. Increased fetal growth in those
who ate 32.8g of fish per day was attributed to the
n-3 fatty acids found in the fish. Although it helps
baby growth, the high fish intake didn't extend the
duration of pregnancy, say researchers.
The snot heard 'round the world
CHICAGO
— One of baseball's elite sluggers, Sammy
Sosa, has been relegated to the disabled list after
a violent sneeze triggered a sprained back ligament.
Yes, that's right, a sneeze. The incident has surprised
many, but ear nose and throat doctors are well aware
that sneezing is a potential health menace and nothing
to be sneezed at. Experts recommend that, contrary to
what your mother always said, people open their mouths
when sneezing to reduce the sometimes formidable pressure.
A sucker's born every
minute
EXETER,
UK — A large British government-backed study
has found that teaching students about oral sex could
greatly reduce teenage pregnancy rates. The new sex-ed
programme teaches teens that there is indeed a middle
ground between abstinence and intercourse — and
they're taking to it like ducks to water. The followup
found that under-16 students who were taught 'alternative
intimacy' engaged in far less full intercourse. The
government is hopeful the curriculum will curb the UK's
high teenage pregnancy rate.
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