Health Care


illustration of hand and knee joints where arthritis causes pain

Arthritis Pain Keeps Heart Disease Suffers Inactive

Arthritis may create an additional barrier to using physical activity to help people manage their heart disease, according to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Adults with both heart disease and arthritis are significantly more likely to be physically inactive than those with heart disease alone, the study said.

FDA Requires New Boxed Warning for Metoclopramide-Containing Drugs

The Food and Drug Administration recently announced that manufacturers of metoclopramide, a drug used to treat gastrointestinal disorders, must add a boxed warning to their drug labels about the risk of its long-term or high-dose use. Chronic use of metoclopramide has been linked to tardive dyskinesia, which may include involuntary and repetitive movements of the body, even after the drugs are no longer taken.

Children's Poster Contest Promotes Sun Safety Awareness

The national winner will be announced on the first-ever (and henceforth annual) National Sun Safety Day ("Don't Fry Day")--May 22. Winning posters will receive state and national prizes, with the top national winner receiving a family trip to Disney World and a WeatherBug Tracking Station for his/her school.

AAOHN Re-visioned

Mark your calendar on Tuesday, April 21, if you’re an occupational health nurse, if you work with OHNs, or if you appreciate their contribution and keep an eye on health costs. April 21 is the day Kay N. Campbell, incoming president of the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses, will speak at its annual conference about the Re- Visioning project and plans for AAOHN’s future. A new name may be coming, along with new goals and new activism and outreach, she told me Jan. 26.

Secondary Prevention Strategies: Moving Beyond Safety

A recent survey of nearly 100 employers regarding their worker’s compensation policies and practices, conducted by Occupational Health & Safety and Injury Management Partners LLC, demonstrated some alarming findings. The most disconcerting result was that nearly 60 percent of the respondents did not know how their insurance companies, third-party administrators (TPAs), or managed care organizations (MCOs) were compensated for the building and management of medical provider networks.

EEOC Wants to Hear Your Thoughts on GINA

GINA would prohibit the use of genetic information in employment and the intentional acquisition of genetic information about applicants and employees.

New Online Store Caters to Shiftworkers, 24/7 Businesses

While the site is geared mainly for industrial shiftwork, special sections of the e-commerce site are devoted to those in the nursing and trucking industries.

FDA Takes Regulatory Action against Ranbaxy India Plant

The Food and Drug Administration recently announced that a facility owned by India-based Ranbaxy Laboratories falsified data and test results in approved and pending drug applications. The facility, Paonta Sahib, has been under an FDA Import Alert since September 2008.



Illinois Occupational Safety and Health Day Aims to Protect Employees

Making and keeping the workplace safe and healthful will be the focus of the 18th Annual Downstate Illinois Occupational Safety and Health (DIOSH) Day slated for March 4 at the Peoria Civic Center in Peoria, Ill. Workplace safety and health issues will be discussed and information made available to employers, employees and the general public.

CDC Launches RSS Feeds for Emergency Sites

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has just launched RSS feeds for two of the most popular sections of its emergency.CDC.gov Web site.

Safe Handling Awareness Month to Focus on Exposure to Hazardous Drugs

A free, one-hour safe handling CE webinar on the subject is planned for April 20--the inaugural Safe Handling Awareness Day--and all health care professionals are invited to participate.

CDC Report Points to Obesity, Injuries Among Young Adults

A special section in "Health, United States: 2008" examines the latest data available for U.S. residents ages 18-29 and identifies problem areas.

Cardinal Health 303 Inc Agrees to Correct GMP Violations

The Food and Drug Administration announced recently that California device manufacturer Cardinal Health 303 Inc., formerly known as Alaris Medical Systems Inc., and three of its top executives have signed an amended consent decree to correct violations of current Good Manufacturing Practice requirements in the company's infusion pumps.

Cardinal Health Spinoff Focused Solely on Patient Safety

The new company, CareFusion®, will be the largest medical technology company with patient safety as its sole focus, Cardinal Health said.

FDA Alerts Public of Serious Adverse Event with Psoriasis Drug Raptiva

The Food and Drug Administration has issued a public health advisory concerning three confirmed, and one possible report of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), a rare brain infection, in patients using the psoriasis drug Raptiva (efalizumab). Three of those patients have died. All four patients were treated with the drug for more than three years. None of the patients were receiving other treatments that suppress the immune system.

The White House will receive a special issue of NYCOSHs newsletter.

NYCOSH to Obama: Here's How to Fix OSHA

"OSHA should promulgate a number of exposure standards including silica, beryllium, diacetyl and combustible dust. But we need to acknowledge that the standard-setting process has become excruciatingly slow and cumbersome," writes Stuart Appelbaum, president of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, one of many contributors to a special newsletter produced for the new administration.

Free Hospital Emergency Readiness Webinar Offered

The roundtable at 2 p.m. Eastern next Tuesday features health care expercts on safety, security, and emergency preparedness from hospitals in California, New York, and Louisiana.

Traffic Air Pollution Linked to Repeated Hospital Encounters for Asthma

Air pollution caused by traffic near the home affects asthma severity in children, resulting in repeated hospital encounters, according to a study published this month in Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, the scientific journal of the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology.

American Dental Association Lauds 'Meth Mouth' Bill

Dr. John S. Findley, president of the American Dental Association (ADA), applauded Capitol Hill legislators for introducing a federal bill aimed at understanding and treating "meth mouth"--a condition where teeth can become blackened, stained, rotting, and crumbling from methamphetamine use.

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