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World Hepatitis Day: Learn more about this deadly disease
Joan Spitrey Medical & Allied HealthcareThe World Hepatitis Alliance in coordination with the World Health Organization recognizes today, July 28, as World Hepatitis Day 2014. The WHO considers viral hepatitis as the "world's most serious disease," and it is estimated that 1.4 million people die each year from this disease.
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Dextromethorphan abuse: A common choice for addicts of all ages
Cynthia Sheppard Solomon PharmaceuticalAvailable since the 1950s, dextromethorphan can be found in more than 140 different cough-and-cold remedies — both prescription and over the counter. When given for a cough at recommended low doses, usually it is free of serious side effects. But when the drug is taken in higher amounts, bizarre behavior, including hallucinations, is common.
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Blades inside the cabin: The next step in air medical services
Mark Huber Medical & Allied HealthcareEarlier this year I wrote about the growing trend of performing airborne blood transfusions on trauma patients. What's the next logical step? Airborne surgery. Performing life-saving medical procedures in the air is not a new phenomenon — the U.S. Air Force has been doing it for years.
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Chikungunya virus spreading across the US
Rosemary Sparacio Medical & Allied HealthcareUntil recently, the chikungunya virus was found primarily in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Indian and Pacific Oceans. But late last year, cases began popping up in the Caribbean. However, with many Americans vacationing in the Caribbean islands, cases are now being reported in the U.S. — and at what some experts consider an alarming rate.
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Advances in treatment of epilepsy offer new options
Rosemary Sparacio Medical & Allied HealthcareApproximately 2.3 million adults and nearly 500,000 children in the U.S. currently live with some form of epilepsy, and the annual costs are estimated to be $15.5 billion. The good news is that recent advances in epilepsy treatment have given physicians and patients more options.
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Increased use of split-liver transplants can trim waiting lists
Alan Kelsky Medical & Allied HealthcareRecent research at the Cleveland Clinic found that a technique called a split-liver transplant has the same survival rate after five years compared to that of whole liver surgery (80 percent for split-liver transplants and 81.5 percent for whole-liver transplants).
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How the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan improved ER care
Alan Kelsky Medical & Allied HealthcareNo matter where you stand politically, the reality of death and injury from war is a certainty. During the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the United States military used innovative, advanced techniques for medical transportation and wound treatment that ultimately flow into the nation's hospital emergency departments.
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Massage for neck pain: Is dosage the key?
Heidi Dawson Medical & Allied HealthcareMassage therapy has been used in many forms for centuries to treat musculoskeletal pain. In our current society, neck pain is the second-most common complaint treated by most forms of complementary therapists.
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Hobby Lobby: Progestins and the politics of prevention
Jason Poquette PharmaceuticalI would rather talk about progestins than politics almost any day of the week — they are far more predictable and cause less constipation and nausea. But the recent decision by the Supreme Court concerning Hobby Lobby and whether they have the right to not cover certain specific types of contraception has gotten so much attention from the media that silence seems almost sinful.
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Finding work-life balance: Chore or joyful pursuit?
Keith Carlson Medical & Allied HealthcareWork-life balance is a topic of frequent discussion on blogs, social media and in the academic literature. As the speed of life increases, is it possible that the dogged pursuit of balance can actually become just another treadmill upon which we unwittingly run ourselves ragged?
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