Burns And Blast Wounds: The Darker Side Of The Fourth Of July
Stat takes a look at fireworks and the injuries they cause in advance of the holiday. In other public health news: intelligence and longevity, the end of flu shots, clinical trials, insect venom and more.
Stat:
See How Fireworks Injuries Skyrocket On The Fourth Of July
It’s as predictable as taxes in April. Every year, the Fourth of July brings patriotic displays of color, smoke, and sound — and a slew of emergency room visits from burns and blast wounds. Federal researchers track data on those injuries year-round using the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System, a national probability sample of about 100 hospitals in the U.S. and its territories. Fireworks injuries don’t only happen in July, but they are, unsurprisingly, far more common in that month versus the rest of the year. (Brohnshrein, 6/29)
The New York Times:
Smart Kids Live Longer
Intelligent children tend to live longer than their less gifted peers, a new study suggests. Scottish researchers began their study with 75,252 men and women born in 1936 — 94 percent of the Scottish population born that year — who had taken standardized intelligence tests in 1947. By 2015, they were able to confirm a cause of death for 25,979 of them; 30,464 were still living in Britain. (Bakalar, 6/28)
Los Angeles Times:
This Cutting-Edge Bandage Could Make Flu Shots A Thing Of The Past
Here’s an idea whose time has come: A flu shot that doesn’t require an actual shot. For the first time, researchers have tested a flu vaccine patch in a human clinical trial and found that it delivered as much protection as a traditional jab with a needle. (Kaplan, 6/28)
Kaiser Health News:
Seniors Miss Out On Clinical Trials
More than 60 percent of cancer patients are older adults — and that will rise to 70 percent by 2040. Yet seniors continue to be underrepresented in clinical trials, making it difficult to assess how treatments are likely to help or harm them. The newest evidence of the problem comes from a Food and Drug Administration analysis, which found that only 25 percent of patients participating in cancer clinical trials were 65 and older. The analysis, which has not yet been published, was presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s annual meeting in June. (Graham, 6/29)
Kaiser Health News:
Insect Venom Shortage Stings Allergy Sufferers This Summer
As summer begins, signaling peak time for insect stings, allergists across the U.S. are warning of a shortage of a little-known but crucial product — honeybee, hornet and wasp venom extracts used in shots that prevent life-threatening reactions. Supplies of the extracts — which are made from venom gathered by hand from millions of individual insects — have been scarce since October. That’s when one of two manufacturers in the U.S. shut down production after contamination problems. Doctors say they hope the situation will be resolved, but that’s not likely before next year. For now, they’re rationing doses for patients who need them most. (Aleccia, 6/29)
HealthDay:
Study Highlights The Ugly Side Of The Beauty Industry
A U.S. Food and Drug Administration complaints database contains only 5,144 adverse events between 2004 and 2016 reported in connection with cosmetics, noted the study's senior author Dr. Steve Xu, a dermatologist with Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago... Cosmetics manufacturers aren't required to pass on health-related complaints to the FDA, Xu said. (Thompson, 6/28)
The Star Tribune:
U Discovers 'Powerhouse' New Treatment In Fight Against Deadly Skin Disease
A decade after performing the world’s first bone marrow transplants to treat epidermolysis bullosa — a rare and potentially fatal skin disease — university researchers believe they have discovered a “powerhouse” new formula that advances their research, helps the body grow new skin and will allow patients such as [Jonathan] Pitre, 17, to live longer, less painful lives. (Olson, 6/27)
Tampa Bay Times:
Pinellas Sees Spike In Infant Deaths From Unsafe Sleeping, And Advocates Are Concerned
So far this year, Pinellas officials have reported eight suspected sleep-related infant deaths — almost as many as all of last year. And the number has been rising, from six deaths in 2011 to nine in 2015 to 10 last year, according to Bill Pellan, director of investigations for the medical examiner's office. (Kumar, 6/28)
