Expired Epipen Still Effective

Though one should always use an EpiPen that is not expired, it is better to use an expired EpiPen to treat anaphylaxis than to do nothing at all. A few studies published between 2000 and 2017 suggest that epipens have a shelf-life much longer than the printed expiration date. A study published in May 2017 as well as two earlier studies published in April 2015 and May 2000 suggest that even if the epipen is expired, it is still effective and safe for use in severe allergic reactions …

5/08/2017 0

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Reflux Medications Linked to Heart Attacks: Not as Bad as You Think

In June 2015, media reported a link between heart attacks and taking a certain class of reflux medications known as proton pump inhibitors (PPI). Such medications include nexium , prilosec , prevacid , etc and are very common to treat heartburn. This reported link was due to a paper published in PLOS One which you can read here . How high is the risk? The research suggested an increased risk of 16%. Although this may sound high, this translates into one heart attack for every 4000 patient…

7/01/2015 0

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Oral HPV Can Be Transmitted by Kissing

HPV  transmitted by  oral sex  is the leading cause of  oral  and throat cancer now surpassing throat cancer due to tobacco products and alcohol. The main concern is whether kissing can also transmit HPV. A small John Hopkins study suggested that kissing did not increase risk of oral HPV transmission, but a more recent and larger study conducted at McGill University suggests that open-mouthed kissing actually does increase the risk of oral HPV being transmitted from one partner to the other…

11/12/2014 1

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Is Your Metal Implant MRI Safe? There's a Website for That...

Although one could always contact the manufacturer or surgeon who performed your metal implantation directly to determine whether it is MRI safe or not, there's also a website that contains a comprehensive database of metal implants and how compatible they are with MRI scans. Who knew that certain metal implants are compatible with MRI scans up to a certain strength? Who knew a metal implant that may not necessarily be compatible with MRI, but given enough time after implantation (us…

1/17/2014 0

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Lawsuit for Botched Laser Vocal Cord Surgery

In February 2012, an ENT surgeon removed vocal cord polyps using a laser while the patient was asleep with a Medtronic Laser-Shield II endotracheal tube. Unfortunately, the laser perforated the endotracheal tube, ignited the 100% oxygen being used at the time resulting in catastrophic burns to the patient. [ link ] Subsequent lawsuit resulted in favor of the patient who received an award totaling $30 million on 12/5/13. What Happened? Even though an endotracheal tube meant for use with…

12/11/2013 0

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Popular Nasal Decongestants Associated with Birth Defects

Researchers have discovered that there is a very small, but significant association between birth defects and use of nasal decongestants in the first trimester of pregnancy. Unfortunately, decongestants  (ie sudafed, afrin, etc) are also one of the most popular medications purchased over-the-counter to treat symptoms of nasal congestion , runny nose, and allergies . In particular, three strong associations were found: • Phenylephrine and endocardial cushion defects • Phenylpropanolam…

7/23/2013 0

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