Parenthood Ideas

Northern Ireland acute hospitals may be halved

The number of acute hospitals in Northern Ireland could be halved under the biggest health service shake-up in the region’s history.

The 10 facilities providing acute care are set to be reduced to between five and seven over the next five years.

The major review of health and social care services commissioned by the devolved administration also recommended much more cooperation with providers in the Irish Republic, particularly in the border areas.

Calling for a reduction in acute hospitals, the review noted that a region of similar population size – 1.8 million – elsewhere in the UK would typically be served by four acute care facilities.

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Tags: Acute Hospitals, Halved, Northern Ireland

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Clinical Trial Involving Dogs May Help People With Lymphoma

In August, Geena, an 11-year-old golden retriever was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer called B-cell lymphoma.

“Without treatment, it’s going to choke me up, we would have lost Geena by Nov. 1,” said Susan Griffin, Geena’s owner.

Today, the energetic dog is in complete remission due to her participation in a clinical trial at the Veterinary Referral Center of Colorado.

“The question we are trying to answer is: How does chemotherapy and a vaccine interact, and what is the effect on the immune system?” said Dr. Robyn Elmslie, a board certified veterinary oncologist at VRCC.

The vaccine is made from the dog’s own cancerous lymph nodes, which are surgically removed. Read full article…

Tags: Lymphoma

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New Type 2 Drug Targets Blood Sugar and Cholesterol

Drug company Merck aims to give people with type 2 diabetes two treatments for the price of one. The new therapy, called Juvisync, was just approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. It’s not a radical new treatment, but instead a helpful combination of two familiar standbys: Juvisync unites the active ingredients in blood sugar-lowering Januvia and cholesterol-lowering Zocor in a single tablet.

Why combine the drugs? According to Merck, Juvisync addresses a very real and pressing oversight in treatment for type 2s.

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Tags: Drug, Drug Targets

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The Banning of BPA

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Bisphenol A (BPA) is an organic compound with two phenol functional groups. It is used to make polycarbonate plastic and epoxy resins, along with other applications. As it has been known to be estrogenic since the mid 1930s, concerns about the use of bisphenol A in consumer products have been regularly reported in the news media since 2008, after several governments issued reports questioning its safety, prompting some retailers to remove products containing it from their shelves. Reaction on a regulatory level has been mixed from around the world with differing rules on state.

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Tags: Bpa

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