All news posts from September 01, 2001 to September 30, 2001

A new report issued by the National Academy of Sciences reveals that even small amounts of arsenic in drinking water can cause lung and bladder cancer. These new results will likely lead to new drinking water standards. Shortly before leaving office, President Bill Clinton passed a new, strict drinking water standard

A British scientist recently presented the results of several studies that found cellular phones increase the processing speed of the brain, causing damage and possibly leading to brain cancer. These studies confirmed scientists' fears that radiation emitted from mobile phones causes damaging chemical reactions within

In a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers have determined that the use of inhaled steroids in the treatment of asthma may increase bone deterioration in women. Researchers say that bone loss associated with inhaled steroids is most pronounced in the hip area. The study measured the b

On September 27, 2001 President Bush announced his administration's plans to improve security at U.S. airports and aboard the country's airliners. The proposals come in the wake of the September 11 Attack on America in which nearly 7,000 were killed when terrorists seized control of four aircraft; piloting two of them

A family from Spain recently filed a lawsuit against the Walt Disney Company alleging that the entertainment firm is responsible for the wrongful death of a 23-year-old woman. Cristina Moreno rode the Indiana Jones attraction at the company's California theme park, Disneyland. The lawsuit says Moreno felt as if

Thirteen miners were killed when a methane gas explosion ripped through Jim Walter Resources Inc.'s Blue Creek Number 5 Mine in Brookwood, Alabama on September 23, 2001. The explosion occurred when falling rocks struck workers' helmets, striking sparks which ignited methane gas that had accumulated in the mine shaft.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced a massive new effort to test the safety of pressure treated wood infused with arsenic. The Federal agencies say that they will test pressure treated wood used in city parks, public and private schools, and da

The number of OxyContin overdose deaths in the State of Florida continues to rise. Despite heightened awareness of the pain killer's potency, thousands have become addicted to, and died from, OxyContin. The number of people who died from hydrocodone and oxycodone (the generic name for OxyContin) in Florida increased b

Should airline pilots carry guns? Yes, according to the Air Line Pilots Association, the union that represents American pilots. In the wake of the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, airlines, the Federal government, and the union have been searching for methods to further secure aircraft

Mountain Valley Express, a California trucking company, recently settled a lawsuit filed by the family of a man killed when one of the company's semi-trucks collided with the man's automobile, killing him instantly. Edwin Torrey was decapitated during the March 8, 2001 accident when the Mountain Valley tractor trailer

OBRA, or the federal Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987, makes nursing homes and other assisted living facilities liable for inappropriately restraining residents. OBRA's restraint regulations appear to be working. Since OBRA's passage, statistics indicate that nursing homes have reduced restraint use by 50%.

The Florida nursing home industry is struggling to meet deadlines set by the Florida legislature which require facilities to increase the number of staff and spend more time with each patient. In addition, the new law, enacted in 2001, limits lawsuits against Florida nursing homes and allocates nearly $80 million to a

Drug makers Merck and Pharmacia are denying charges that the companies' popular arthritis drugs, Vioxx and Celebrex, may cause serious side effects. Both firms defend the benefits of their products and do not believe that safety tests requested by the American Heart Association, the National Stroke Association and the

Drug makers Merck and Pharmacia are denying charges that the companies' popular arthritis drugs, Vioxx and Celebrex, may cause serious side effects. Both firms defend the benefits of their products and do not believe that safety tests requested by the American Heart Association, the National Stroke Association and the

Events related to medical equipment can be divided into two categories, user-error and equipment failure. Health device inspection and preventive maintenance by biomedical or clinical engineering departments have high face validity as an important patient safety practice in reducing equipment failure. There are man

A study set for publication this week in The New England Journal of Medicine confirms that blood clots form more frequently in those traveling longer distances in airplanes than those traveling shorter distances. The study found that long haul airline travel is a major risk factor in the formation of dangerous blood c

A recent report completed by the National Academy of Sciences found that arsenic in drinking water might pose more danger than previously thought. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Christie Whitman will receive the report this week. The report will detail that the arsenic related cancer risk is much

The Food and Drug Administration is debating whether to approve Eli Lilly & Co.'s new drug Xigris. The drug is considered the best hope for treating sepsis, a frequently fatal blood disease. The agency is expected to make a decision within the next week regarding approval of the revolutionary drug. One concern surro

Officials recently revealed to employees of Tampa's Sam Gibbons Federal Courthouse the details of a report that the building they work in is making them sick. The private environmental assessment company's report tells of mold, fungi and sick employees in six federal courthouses throughout Florida. According to

Ford officials recently requested that the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety to postpone crash tests of the new 2002 Ford Explorer. Ford officials said the current design is safe but the company is adding steel to the SUV's body in order to reinforce the vehicle. By implementing this new safety measure, Ford off

Undoubtedly, work in the construction industry can be dangerous. But while the number of injured workers throughout the United States decreased last year, construction related fatalities in Texas rose more than 25%. Additionally, over 30,000 Texas based construction workers suffered injuries ranging from broken bone

Kelly-Moore Paint Co. will have to pay $55.5 million to Alfredo Hernandez, Sr., a 47-year-old cancer patient. Hernandez sued the paint maker alleging that the company's paint products and joint compound contained asbestos. Hernandez used Kelly-Moore's products while working in the construction industry during the 197

An avid hunter was killed in the forests of Kentucky when the ATV he was driving flipped over, landing on top of the man. The accident occurred as Larry Matthews, a resident of Lakeland, Florida, was on a fox hunting trip in northern Kentucky. As Matthews was driving through a heavily wooded area, he hit something, c

Researchers have found colchicine, a potentially fatal plant extract, in the blood of pregnant women taking gingko biloba. Colchicine is not normally found in humans but is found in more than 200 plants. Researchers have long known that colchicine in small doses can be an effective anti-inflammatory agent. However,

A Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association random survey found that nearly 1 million teenagers are using performance-enhancing supplements. The insurance company used the results from a random phone survey of nearly 800 teenagers to project this nationwide figure. Researchers blame the media for glamorizing professiona

The families of two autistic children have filed suit against several vaccine manufacturers, claiming that a preservative in certain vaccines caused their children's autism. The lawsuit, filed in Massachusetts, claims that the preservative thimerosal, made of "toxic mercury," harmed their children. The families w

Researchers from the University of California recently found that residents at non-profit nursing homes and public nursing facilities are much less likely to suffer abuse at the hands of their caregivers than those in for-profit facilities. This conclusion was based on state inspections of nearly 14,000 nursing facilit

Texas officials recently passed a regulation requiring all supplements containing the stimulant ephedrine (also known as ephedra) to carry labels providing a toll free number to the Food & Drug Administration where users can report side effects. This is the first such regulation of its kind in the United States. Texas

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) conducted an investigation that resulted in a Springfield, Ill. man being sentenced on federal felony charges. The U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Consumer Litigation and U.S. Attorney's Office for the

At the request of Congressmen John D. Dingell, D-Mich., and Tom Sawyer, D-Ohio, the General Accounting Office (GAO) has conducted a year-long investigation of "Formerly Utilized Defense Sites" (FUDS) with environmental contamination. "The Corps' work to date has principally focused on the cheapest and least technologic

In light of the recent recall of the cholesterol lowering drug Baycol, medical professionals are calling for a better warning system to notify doctors of drugs' potential adverse side effects. Prior to the recall, the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and Bayer, the maker of Baycol, sent letters to doctors warning them

During summer renovations, workers discovered lead based paint in St. Petersburg, Florida's St. John's Catholic School. Lead paint was found throughout the building, necessitating a full-scale cleaning effort and resulting in the cancellation of the first week of school. After discovering lead paint, the school

The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals recently rejected a request to issue a court-ordered recall of Firestone tires or the Ford Explorer SUV. Lawyers representing the families of those killed or injured in rollover accidents had requested the action from U.S. District Court Judge Sarah E. Barker. Her ruling declared

Following Bayer's withdrawal of cholesterol lowering drug Baycol from the U.S. market, heart patients have been flooding cardiologists' offices with concerns and questions about all cholesterol lowering drugs, known as statins. Most cardiologists have a standard reply; do not stop taking statins, they may save your li

Rifampin and pyrazinamide, a two-drug combination used to treat tuberculosis, has caused at least five deaths and sixteen cases of severe liver damage. Until recently, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommended the combination of rifampin and pyrazinamide as a treatment for latent tuberculosis (TB). Patients w

Rifampin and pyrazinamide, a two-drug combination used to treat tuberculosis, has caused at least five deaths and sixteen cases of severe liver damage. Until recently, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommended the combination of rifampin and pyrazinamide as a treatment for latent tuberculosis (TB). Patients w