- © 2008 Canadian Medical Association
Task shifting: The World Health Organization has released global guidelines for “task shifting,” or delegating tasks to less specialized health workers to free up the time of doctors and nurses. The guidelines, released Jan. 10, 2008, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, are aimed at helping nations respond to shortages of health care workers and are available at www.who.int.
The Botox blues: The US Food and Drug Administration has issued a warning that botulinum toxin, which is sold as popular antiwrinkle drugs under the brand names Botox, Botox Cosmetic and Myobloc, has been linked to botulism symptoms in some users, including cases in which children ultimately died after being given the drug for muscle spasms. The FDA said it is now investigating reports of illnesses in all age groups who used the drug for a range of conditions. The agency warned that people who suffer any botulism symptoms, like difficulty swallowing or breathing, slurred speech, muscle weakness or difficulty holding up their heads, should seek immediate medical treatment.
Dial 911: Shortcomings appear the norm in weighing the capacity of most physician-owned specialty hospitals in America to handle emergency care, according a report by US Department of Health and Human Resources Inspector General Daniel Levinson (www .oig.hhs.gov) Among the findings: that 34% of the hospitals dial 911 to obtain emergency care; that fewer than one-third have a physician on site at all times; that only 55% of 109 hospitals had emergency departments and the majority of those had only 1 bed; and that 7% failed to have a registered nurse on duty at all times or a doctor on call if none was in the hospital.
Virtual exams: The Quebec City, Quebec–based firm Myca will launch a new “doctor Web” service in June that will allow patients to chat with physicians about medical woes, for a fee. Patients will have to cough up $10 monthly and $50 per virtual visit. The province is investigating whether such charges are legal, while the Quebec medical association expressed concern that advice dispensed without a physical examination might lack a measure of validity.
Rural obesity: Neighbourhoods can affect children's weight, says a new study released in BMC (BioMed Central) Public Health. Children living in poor or rural neighbourhoods gained more weight than those living in middle-income areas. “Less healthy food supply, limited access to recreation facilities and increased safety concerns" are cited as possible culprits although the study says more research is needed.
cmaj.ca Afghanistan blog
Get a glimpse of life at the Kandahar, Afghanistan, Multinational Medical Unit at a new cmaj.ca blog. Beginning March 20, 2008, Dr. Peter Sherk, a critical care physician from Victoria, British Columbia, will be posting his observations while on his second deployment in as many years. The blog will run until about April 10, 2008.