Care of Female Veterans Lags at Some VA Hospitals: Report
U.S. female veterans aren't receiving the same quality of care as men at about one-third of Department of Veterans Affairs facilities, according to a VA review obtained by the Associated Press.
While the VA has created women's clinics at many hospitals, more clinicians need to be trained in women's care, and there's a need for more equipment focused on women's health, the document states.
The review, mandated by Congress, seems to support criticism by advocates and some members of Congress that the health care system needs to do more to help female veterans, the AP reported.
Any discrepancies in care are unacceptable and the agency is aggressively tackling the issue, said Dr. William E. Duncan, associate deputy undersecretary for health for quality and safety at the Department of Veterans Affairs.
"We're striving to understand the reason for these health disparities and to eliminate differences in veterans' health care based on personal characteristics," Duncan told the AP.
Currently, women account for about five percent of the VA's population. But that percentage is expected to nearly double in the next two years as more female veterans return home from Iraq and Afghanistan, the wire service said.
-----
Psoriasis Drug Could Raise Risk of Cancer: FDA
While the Johnson & Johnson drug ustekinumab may be effective in treating moderate-to-severe psoriasis, it also may raise users' risk of cancer, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned Friday.
On its Web site, the agency said it probably needed to evaluate additional safety data before deciding whether the skin-disease drug increased the likelihood of cancer, the Wall Street Journal reported.
"The is a question whether a larger number of subjects, followed for longer periods might better inform the long-term safety of use of ustekinumab," the agency said.
An FDA advisory committee of experts on Tuesday is scheduled to decide whether to recommend whether to approve the drug, the newspaper said. The full agency isn't bound to follow the recommendations of its expert panels, but generally does.
-----
EPA's Proposed Lead Standards May Not Be Adequate: Experts
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's proposed new standards for lead air pollution may not be adequate to protect public health, according to some experts who attended a public meeting in Baltimore.
The meeting is one of a series being held by the EPA to gather input on its proposal to reduce the current standard of 1.5 micrograms of lead per cubic meter of air to between 0.10 micrograms and 0.30 micrograms per cubic meter of air.
The standard should be set below 0.10 micrograms, Frank O'Donnell, president of the nonprofit group Clean Air Watch, told the EPA panel on Thursday, The Baltimore Sun reported.
"Lead is a very toxic pollutant that steals IQ points from children," O'Donnell said.
"We're pleased the EPA is tightening the standards, but they should be set at the higher level," said Gary Ewart, director of government relations for the American Thoracic Society, the Sun reported.
The EPA will accept written comments on the proposed standards until July 21 and is expected to adopt the new standards on Sept. 15, the newspaper said.
-----
Toy Merry-Go-Rounds Pose Fall Hazard
| About 15,000 Playsafe Spinning Quad Merry-Go-Rounds are being recalled due to a defect that creates a fall risk for children, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said. The inner bearing on the merry-go-round can fail, causing the seat assembly to suddenly drop to the ground. The manufacturer -- Pacific Cycle Inc., of Madison, Wis., -- has received one report of a child falling and suffering abrasions. |  |
The recalled merry-go-round has four yellow plastic seats and black and silver metal bars. It was sold nationwide at Toys "R" Us between January 2008 through March 2008 for between $80 and $100.
Consumers should return the merry-go-round to Toys "R" Us for a full refund, or contact Pacific Cycle toll-free at 877-564-2261 to receive a free retrofit kit.
-----
Shower Curtains May Affect Health: Study
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) shower curtains and liners release into the air 108 toxic chemicals that can affect the lungs, central nervous system, liver and kidney, according to a study by the Virginia-based Center for Health, Environment and Justice. It wants the federal government to recall and ban all PVC shower curtains and liners.
The researchers examined shower curtains and liners bought at retailers Bed Bath and Beyond, Kmart, Sears, Target and Wal-Mart, the New York Daily News reported.
"The familiar 'new curtain smell' may be toxic to your health," said Mike Schade, the center's PVC campaign coordinator. "It's really surprising that retailers are manufacturing products that contain and release harmful chemicals in our homes."
But a spokeswoman for the Consumer Product Safety Commission dismissed the center's demand for a recall and ban of the products.
"There's no justification whatsoever for the agency to take any kind of action," Julie Vallese told the Daily News. "The claims being made about the dangers of shower curtains are phantasmagorical. It's ridiculous."
Consumers needn't be worried, said a New York pediatrician who specializes in environmental exposure. Dr. Joel Forman, an associate professor of community and preventive medicine at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, recommended airing out a new plastic curtain for a week before hanging it in the shower.
-----
More Underweight Babies Being Born in U.S.
The percentage of underweight babies born in the United States in 2005 was 8.2 percent, the highest level since 1968, says the annual Kids Count report released Thursday.
Mississippi had the highest rate (11.8 percent), while Alaska, Oregon and Washington had the lowest rate (6.1 percent). The rate of low-weight births was 13.6 percent for blacks, 7.3 percent for whites, and 6.9 percent for Hispanics, the Associated Press reported.
Low-birthweight babies (weighing less than 5.5 pounds) are at increased risk of dying in infancy or having long-term disabilities.
The nationwide rise in low-weight births was due to an increase in multiple births as more older women use fertility treatments to conceive, said Laura Beavers, coordinator of the Kids Count project for the Baltimore-based Annie E. Casey Foundation, the AP reported.
The Kids Count report examined 10 categories of children's health and well-being, finding that New Hampshire, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Utah ranked highest overall, while Mississippi, Louisiana, New Mexico, Alabama and South Carolina ranked lowest.
There were nationwide improvements in the child death rate, teen death rate, teen birth rate, high school dropout rate, and teens not in school and not working. Four areas worsened: low-birthweight babies, children living in poverty, children in single-parent families, and children living with unemployed parents.
No comments:
Post a Comment