New Rites Of Passage: Death-Care Guides Allow Families More Time To Deal With Bodies Of Loved Ones
In some ways, it's a return to earlier times when family members had to bathe the body and dig the grave rather than have them whisked off by a funeral home right after they pass away. Public health news is on abuse charges that went untried, organ donations, spinal cord injuries, minority physicians, taking holiday breaks, mental health resources for Muslims, addiction risk factors for Native Americans, and dealing with aging parents, as well.
The New York Times:
The Movement To Bring Death Closer
Heidi Boucher loaded two big straw baskets into her Toyota Highlander. She always kept them packed, ready for death. Inside were a pair of leather work gloves and a hammer, a bunch of bed pads, a few adult diapers (dead bodies sometimes leak), Q-tips for cleaning ears, noses and mouths and for applying lipstick, cotton balls, disinfectant spray, a plastic zip bag of safety pins to help drape silk and other fabrics around a gurney or casket, a small screwdriver to tightly close a casket, latex gloves, a hairbrush and oils infused with rose, lavender and rosemary. (Jones, 12/19)
The New York Times:
She Told Police A Pediatrician Abused Her. Why Was He Never Charged?
A prominent pediatrician on Long Island lost his medical license after allegations emerged that he had sexually abused girls in his care for decades. But he never spent a day in court. The doctor, Stuart Copperman, was never charged with a crime by local authorities. According to the Nassau County district attorney’s office, not one victim came forward within the statute of limitations for the crime. (Rabin, 12/18)
Modern Healthcare:
Hepatitis C Treatments Could Expand Organ Donor Pool, Study Suggests
As the Trump administration eyes easing organ transplant restrictions, new research shows advances in hepatitis C treatments could create a whole new group of donors. When comparing heart transplant patients' survival rates, researchers found no significant differences between patients who received organs from hepatitis C-positive donors and uninfected donors. The study published Wednesday in JAMA Cardiology reviewed 80 heart transplant patients' results. (Johnson, 12/18)
Miami Herald:
UM Study Finds Opioid Overdoses Drove Organ Donations
The number of people waiting for a life-saving organ transplant has long exceeded the supply of donors, though the gap has narrowed as organ donations have risen over the past decade. But some researchers and transplant experts disagree about what is driving the increase — a critical piece of information if health regulators are going to succeed at meeting the demand for organs. Researchers from the University of Miami’s Miller School of Medicine found that an increase in organ donations over the past decade was “mostly caused by the opioid crisis,” though the study has drawn criticism from organ transplant experts who say the researchers used overly broad terms to define drug-related deaths in search of a predetermined conclusion. (Conarck, 12/19)
PBS NewsHour:
Advancements In Spinal Cord Research Give The Severely Injured Hope
Roughly 300,000 people in the United States have suffered spinal cord injuries, life-changing events with far reaching-effects. But, as William Brangham reports, new research out of the University of Louisville is giving dozens of paralyzed people the prospect of regaining some of what they have lost. (Brangham, 1218)
NPR:
Med Students Strike A Pose At Former Slave Quarters: 'Our Moment Of Resiliency'
"I don't think as a kid I ever saw a minority physician," says Russell J. Ledet. Ledet is a second-year medical student in the M.D./MBA program at Tulane University School of Medicine, and African American. Last weekend he organized a trip to Whitney Plantation, now a museum, in Edgard, La., for fellow members of the Tulane chapter of the Student National Medical Association, a student-run organization that supports black medical students. (Vaughn, 12/19)
The New York Times:
There’s No Winter Break From ‘Publish Or Perish’
Jay Van Bavel, a social neuroscientist at New York University, is vowing not to work during the Christmas holidays. A few years ago, Dr. Van Bavel had agreed to conduct peer review on a couple of manuscripts before the end of the semester. But he got really busy and ended up having to do one on Christmas Day and another on New Year’s Eve, while his family was visiting. (Chawla, 12/18)
Reuters:
That Puppy In The Window Could Make You Sick As A Dog, U.S. Health Agency Warns
Beware of dog, especially the cute puppies in pet store windows, U.S. health officials warn. A bacteria resistant to common antibiotics has sickened 30 people this year, sending four of them to hospitals, and puppies are the likely culprit, according to an advisory issued late Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (12/18)
MPR:
For Struggling Minnesota Muslims, Help Is A Phone Call Away
Recognizing a lack of mental health resources catered to Muslims in a state with a fairly large Muslim population, Sumaya, 26, and her sister Fadumo Hassan founded Open Minds Initiative earlier this fall. The Minnesota-based organization provides a crisis hotline that they hope will help address the stigma surrounding seeking help for mental health issues in the Muslim community. (Ibrahim, 12/19)
MPR:
‘How Can We Prevent The Heart From Breaking?’ White Earth Reviews Opioid Overdose Deaths
American Indians in Minnesota have the highest opioid overdose death rate of American Indians anywhere in the country. In a search for solutions, White Earth officials and university researchers have collaborated on what they are calling a groundbreaking review of opioid overdose deaths that looks deep into the medical histories and the personal lives of a handful of people who died as a result of opioid overdose on the White Earth Reservation. (Gunderson, 12/18)
Kaiser Health News:
Parenting Your Aging Parents When They Don’t Want Help
David Solie’s 89-year-old mother, Carol, was unyielding. “No, I will not move,” she told her son every time he suggested that she leave her home and relocate to a senior living residence. And it didn’t stop there. Although Carol suffered from coronary artery disease, severe osteoporosis, spinal compression fractures and unsteady balance, she didn’t want assistance. When Solie brought in aides to help after a bad fall and subsequent surgery, his mother fired them in a matter of days. (Graham, 12/19)
