(Manuel Balce Ceneta/Associated Press) A kidney transplant at Georgetown University Hospital. For now, individual transplant centers make decisions on donors.
The plight of two kidney transplant patients who contracted a brain infection from an organ donor is prompting health officials to re-examine their policies on using people with certain neurological conditions as donors.
The organ donor, a child at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, had had seizures and a brain disorder initially thought to be an autoimmune disease and not transmissible. The real cause of his illness turned out to be a rare, usually fatal infection, but the mistake in diagnosis was not recognized until the transplants were done and the two recipients had become critically ill. The medical center disclosed the situation on Dec. 18.
A transplant of any kind always seems risky, but in our desire to help those who need it, we may sometimes accept donors who displayed symptoms of contagious illness. More care will be taken in the future, if this article is any indication.
(ABC Local Radio: Kelly Fuller)
The Red Cross (RC) bloodbank says it needs an extra 3,000 donations every day to make-up for the shortfall during the holiday break.
RC Queensland spokeswoman Rebecca Cook says collection centres will be open from Tuesday to Thursday this week.
"One blood donation saves three lives," she said.
"Especially if you're blood type o or a - if you know you're one of those blood types please come forward because we'd love to see you."
Also a type of transplant, this brief appeal from the Australian Red Cross reminds us that type o or a are particularly needed in their work.
Marijuana plants sit on a shelf at Coffeeshop Blue Sky cannabis dispensery in Oakland, California. Now Washington is among the states considering legalizing marijuana, and dozens of states weigh other reforms. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Washington is one of four states where measures to legalize and regulate marijuana have been introduced, and about two dozen other states are considering bills ranging from medical marijuana to decriminalizing possession of small amounts of the herb.
"In terms of state legislatures, this is far and away the most active year that we've ever seen," said Ethan Nadelmann, executive director of the New York-based Drug Policy Alliance, which supports reforming marijuana laws.
In my opinion, it is time to legalize this drug, which has some people serving time in prison and some people flashing a medical marijuana card and getting off. Fairness has been thrown out the window with this drug, and I think that changes are needed, along with some heavy taxes. Quite a long and detailed article.
The concerns relating to the recall of an injectable pediatric H1N1 vaccine last week has lead the manufacturer to issue a recall of the nasal mist vaccine doses, as well.
In all, 78 providers across Kansas received H1N1 flu vaccines from the 13 lots are being voluntarily recalled by the manufacturer, MedImmune, The Kansas Department of Health and Environment confirmed.
Adding to the safety concerns regarding the recall, Department of Health and Human Services said that there are no safety concerns with any of the recalled lots.
This is really a truth-in-labeling problem, a very mild type of recall, where no one is in danger or hurt by the mistakes in package labels. However, I appreciate that the manufacturer is honest about the matter, willing to take the bad press.
Many doctors support keeping the existing guidelines that recommend mammograms for women beginning at age 40. .
BOB CHILD/AP PHOTO
THE RECENT revised recommendations by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force regarding the appropriate age to begin screening mammograms have raised a great deal of controversy and confusion. Unfortunately, as with most impassioned discussions, many of the arguments have missed the point.
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force stated, "There is convincing evidence that screening mammography reduces breast cancer mortality," but pointed out that there was a greater absolute benefit in women aged 50 to 74 years than for women aged 40 to 49. Because of the relatively small benefit for screening the younger age group, the task force recommended against routine screening for women between 40 and 49. It clearly stated that women at higher risk--because of family history or genetic predisposition, for example--should be screened at an earlier age.
This article points out that some women are at greater risk of cancer, and this changes the guidelines. Is it more risky to get the test or wait ten years? I would think waiting 10 years is more risky.
Beef products are being recalled in Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, South Dakota, Michigan, and Washington. National Steak and Poultry of Owasso, Oklahoma, said it was recalling approximately 248,000 of various beef products due to a high risk of E. Coli contamination.
I remember reading that a brief exposure to a harmless, non-lingering form of radiation would kill all the germs in beef or other food, and end food contamination for all time. Anyone heard of this?
Posted
Dec 28 2009, 01:58 AM
by
Robert Gleeman