FDA is announcing the recall of some shipments of ackee--a tropical fruit imported from Jamaica--because the fruit has levels of a naturally occurring toxin called hypoglycin that are of health concern. The recall involves 31 cases of Ashman's Ackees in Brine, distributed by Harvest Foods, Hartford, CT. The products were sold in 19-oz. cans and were shipped in early November to one wholesaler in...
Only a few more days to work on last year's New Year's Resolutions and to create a new aspiration list for 2006. I didn't accomplish, or even make real progress on, several of my resolutions for 2005. Some are repeat failures which have appeared again and again on my list. But, some can be checked off as mission accomplished. So, I will try again to match my aspirations with my actions. One...
Should this suicide have been prevented? Juvenal Hernandez Flores, 28, of 2903 Forestbrook Drive, Charlotte, N.C., was booked into the Pinellas County Jail on Thursday. He was being held on charges of failing to appear in court and driving without a driver's license. A Sheriff's Office report notes Flores made suicidal statements while he was being booked. It appears he was recognized as a...
"Increased numbers of uninsured patients coming into Florida emergency rooms may worsen overcrowding, adversely affect quality of care and lead more emergency rooms to close their doors, a new University of South Florida study shows." From Tampa Bay Business Journal. If you thought the waiting time and the services were problems already....
A 19-year-old worker was killed at a construction site in Wesley Chapel Tuesday when he was run over by a curb-making machine operated by another man, the Pasco County Sheriff's Office reported. The accident is being investigated by the Pasco County Sheriff's Office and OSHA.The need to focus on job safety, especially where workers are in close contact with vehicles or heavy machinery, ia...
One major aspect of emergency management and treatment of heart attacks and ischemic strokes that the general public is unaware of, is a drug called TPA (tissue plasminogen activator). TPA will accelerate clot breakdown and help reestablish blood flow to an ischemic area. For this to be beneficial, TPA needs to be administered within the first three hours after the stroke. According to the...
The Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons has recently reported 21 cases of acute kidney failure from some of the bowel-cleansing preparations some of which are sold over-the-counter for use on the night prior to colonoscopy. In an article on December 27, 2005, the New York Times reports that the Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons has recently reported 21 cases of acute kidney...
On Friday, December 16, 2005 Kevin Houston died from injuries sustained after falling 60-feet from a rope swing onto the beach on the northwest corner of Camano Island. The accident occurred during a party at which Mr. Houston and other teenagers were consuming beer. Mr. Houston was a 15-year old sophomore at Stannwood-Camano High School. He was a member of the wrestling team and his friends...
As part of its bankruptcy case the Catholic Diocese of Spokane will dedicate $160,000.00 to advertisements aimed at abuse victims who have not yet come forward to file a complaint. A Church spokesman stated that the advertisements will help to determine the total number of abuse victims in the Spokane area. The advertisments will appear in Washington State newspapers, the USA Today and the...
A King County Superior Court jury recently awarded $4.2 million to two sisters who were abused for years by a priest in the Mormon Church. The jury found the Church liable for intentional misconduct and negligence based on its failure to prevent or stop the abuse despite the sisters' repeated complaints to the church hierarchy. This verdict powerfully illustrates the damage of sexual abuse,...