Author: Nancy Goldsmith

Confusion in Children’s Medications

A new study published reports on the confusion and inconsistency in dosing instructions for over-the-counter children’s liquid cough, cold, allergy, pain and stomach medicines.

The report, published online this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association, looked at 200 of the best-selling medications of this type, examining the new packaging put in place since the FDA’s publication of voluntary packaging guidelines in 2009.

Their findings cast doubt on the effectiveness of the FDA’s voluntary guidelines. “The current guidance does not contain a timeline for compliance or specify consequences for non-compliance,” explained study co-author Dr. Ruth Parker, of the Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta. “Standards and regulatory oversight will likely be needed to ensure that all products contain label information and dosing device markings that match and are understandable and useful.”

The researchers found that one in every four of the medications failed to contain a dosing device; of those that did, the measuring markings on the enclosed cup, dropper or syringe were inconsistent with the dosing instructions; and more than half of the drugs did not use standard abbreviations for measurement terms.

More than half of the children in the U.S. take one or more drugs weekly, the report stated, and of those, more than half are over-the-counter medications.

Too Many Vitamins?

An Institute of Medicine committee report released yesterday may have overturned popular wisdom. It is commonly believed that many North Americans suffer from calcium and Vitamin D deficiencies. However, the committee found that most are getting sufficient amounts of both vitamins and may actually damage their health by taking additional supplements.

“We are aware of reports and media attention to the idea that Americans and Canadians might have widespread Vitamin D deficiency,” announced Catherine Ross of Pennsylvania State University, a nutritionist and leader of the study.

Vitamin supplements are big business. The Nutrition Business Journal estimates sales of calcium supplements to have reached $1.2 billion in 2009, with Vitamin D sales rising 82% that year to $430 million. Adults in North America require 400 International Units of Vitamin D, while those seventy-one or older may need a daily dose of up to 800 IU. But even with no exposure to natural sunlight, the study found that most North American get enough Vitamin D.

“National surveys in both the United States and Canada indicate that most people receive enough calcium, with the exception of girls ages nine to eighteen, who often do not take in enough calcium, the report stated. “In contrast,” the report continued, “post-menopausal women taking supplements may be getting too much calcium, thereby increasing their risk for kidney stones.”

Thanksgiving Leftover Recipe

Here’s a unique recipe for your leftover Thanksgiving mashed potatoes called “Creamy Mashed Potato and Leek Soup.”
Ingredients
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 leeks, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
• 1 bulb fennel, cut into 1/4-inch pieces, plus 2 tablespoons fronds
• kosher salt
• 3 cups mashed potatoes
• 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• crisps or crackers (optional)
Directions
1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the leeks, fennel pieces, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, 8 to 10 minutes.
2. Add the mashed potatoes and broth and simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through, 4 to 6 minutes.
3. Puree the soup in the pot using a hand-held immersion blender (or, working in batches, in a standard blender).
4. Ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle with the fennel fronds. Serve with the crisps (if desired).

When to Visit the Pediatric Emergency Room

The pediatric emergency room is a place where dedicated medical team members use cutting-edge technology and hard-earned knowledge and medical experience to provide life-saving aid to your child.

You should bring your child to ER in case of an accident at home or in the car, a sports injury, after a fall, in case of burns or bleeding, if he/she has difficulty breathing or a high fever, for a severe allergic reaction to food, medication or an insect bite, for persistent vomiting or severe abdominal pain, in case of food poisoning, if he or she has fainted or is unconscious, for drug overdoses or ingestion of poisonous substances, and if your child expresses a suicidal or other dangerous thought.

Passive Smoking Kills More People than Lung Cancer

Passive smoking, or inhaling the smoke from nearby smokers, has been killing more people than lung cancer, a new World Health Organization study has shown.

The worldwide death rate for second hand smoke inhalation is about 600,000 each year. The largest illness caused by passive smoking is heart disease, with an estimated 379,000 deaths per year. An additional 165,000 deaths are caused by lower respiratory infections, and almost 37,000 deaths are due to asthma related illnesses caused by passive smoking. Lung cancer deaths, in comparison, kill only 21,400 people each year.

The study was published in Lancet, a medical journal, and goes on to point out that about 67% of all the passive smoking deaths occurred in Africa and South Asia.

The study also concluded that children are among the largest number of victims, numbering about 165,000 deaths due to second hand smoke.