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☆ 'It totally backfired': The pitfalls of Alzheimer's genetic testing
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Julie Steenhuysen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

CHICAGO, April 21 (Reuters) - Wendy Nelson watched her mother slowly die of Alzheimer's disease, unable to move or swallow at the end. When her father's memory began to fail a year later, one of her two sisters doubted it could be Alzheimer's, Nelson said. THE TESTING REVOLUTIONUntil recently, most doctors tended not to order genetic tests to determine Alzheimer's risk, because there were no effective treatments to slow or prevent the disease. US regulators recommend genetic testing before starting treatment with Leqembi. Some members of families with increased genetic risk of Alzheimer's say it might be better not to know at all.

☆ More women describe having forced abortions in Nigerian Army programme
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +20 min

And both lost their pregnancies after they were taken into custody by Nigerian soldiers and given unidentified pills and injections. Nigerian military leaders previously have adamantly denied the existence of the abortion programme and the deliberate killing of unarmed children. We respect every living soul.”Asked about the military’s comments on the programme, Yau replied: “This happened to me, and they are denying it. After she was put into a room with three other pregnant women, Yau said, army personnel gave her pills and more injections. Reuters was unable to determine if this tally overlapped with others cited in its December story about the abortion programme.

☆ I made $2 million in revenue selling my study notes. Here's how I grew my business into merch, brand deals, and YouTube.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( Claire Turrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Beggs now works full time as an ER nurse at UCLA, posts on YouTube and TikTok, and runs her store. Here's how I expanded my business from selling notes to creating merchandise, working with brands, and filming YouTube content. As I created more notes, I started selling bundles on similar topics from $20 to $40 each. Expanding my offeringsOnce I'd completed all the study notes, I started to think about what else nurses might need. I also launched an Amazon storefront filled with nursing products, and I get a percentage of the sale if anyone uses my link.

Small icons of scientific papers are lined up in a grid, each representing a study of medication abortion. Studies of abortion pills Each icon represents one study that reported serious complications after medication abortion. For pregnant women considering medication abortion, the alternatives would be childbirth or procedural abortion. Almost all patients will experience bleeding and pain during a medication abortion, because the pills essentially trigger a miscarriage. But the study itself notes that bleeding is expected, serious complications are rare and medication abortion is safe.

March 27 (Reuters) - Elon Musk's brain implant company Neuralink has approached one of the biggest U.S. neurosurgery centers as a potential clinical trials partner as it prepares to test its devices on humans once regulators allow for it, according to six people familiar with the matter. Barrow has helped standardize brain implant surgeries in which the patient can remain asleep, a key step in making it more acceptable to a broad set of the population, Ponce said. This is in line with Musk's vision for Neuralink's brain chip. The billionaire CEO of Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) and majority owner of Twitter has said Neuralink's brain implants will become as ubiquitous as Lasik eye surgery. Neuralink's implant is a brain computer interface (BCI) device, which uses electrodes that penetrate the brain or sit on its surface to provide direct communication to computers.

☆ Candida auris fungus spreading in U.S. hospitals - CDC
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

FollowMarch 21 (Reuters) - Potentially deadly fungal infections with Candida auris are spreading rapidly in U.S. healthcare facilities, with cases nearly doubling between 2020 and 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. A high fever with chills that does not get better after taking antibiotics may be a sign of Candida auris infection. The CDC noted that spread of the infections in 2021 may have been exacerbated as the healthcare system was hit by pandemic-related stressors, such as staff and equipment shortages. Other countries have also reported increased spread of the fungus, the researchers said. Reporting by Leroy Leo in Bengaluru; editing by Caroline Humer, Nancy Lapid and Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ ‘I Live in Hell’: The Psychic Wounds of Ukraine’s Soldiers
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Photographs Antoine D Agata | Text Ellen Barry | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +15 min

The soldier’s ward is a quiet place, high-ceilinged, with chess boards and a Ping-Pong table; you could mistake it for a rest home, except that the door handles have been removed. Tap Click to read their stories Oleksandr, 21 Occupation: Soldier, former student “I finished school and joined the army in 2021. Now I’m mostly sad; I’m better off alone.” Yulia, 47 Occupation: Soldier; combat medic, independent forensic expert I’m a combat medic. Stanislav, 29 Occupation: Soldier, former cook “I didn’t plan to end up here. I adjust to each person in this way.” Serhii, 42 Occupation: Soldier, former employee at a shipping company On April 28 2022, I joined the air assault forces.

Oct. 7, 2021 - APHIS director Robert Gibbens declines the request, citing “optics” and the risks of COVID-19 exposure. Oct. 25, 2021 – Three APHIS inspectors find 13 violations at Envigo, seven of which are “direct" or "critical." Nov. 16-19, 2021 - APHIS inspects Envigo and finds 26 violations, 14 of which are "direct" or "critical." Feb. 16, 2022 - Miller informs her staff that Goldentyer has removed her from working on any more Envigo inspections. March 8, 2022 - APHIS employees inspect Envigo and find five violations, two of which are “direct.”May 3, 2022 - APHIS inspects Envigo and only cite the company for failing to fix the dangerous flooring.

The Justice Department’s decision to subpoena government witnesses who would normally testify voluntarily to help build the government’s criminal case was highly unusual, according to a half-dozen legal and animal welfare experts. The inspectors wanted APHIS to take a tougher stance against the company for the mistreatment of the beagles. Yet, this did not happen with any of the agency's inspections of Envigo, public records show. TENSIONS RISETensions between Gibbens and Miller escalated shortly after Envigo appealed some of the findings from the October inspection, emails show. Gibbens told Envigo APHIS would strike the citation because the company ultimately provided the requested information.

☆ Factbox: Elon Musk's missed deadlines for FDA approval of Neuralink brain-chip trials
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Rachael Levy | Thomson Reuters | Award-Winning Journalist Covering Corporate Governance. Her Reporting Has Prompted Federal Investigations | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 2 (Reuters) - Several times since 2019, billionaire Elon Musk has predicted his brain-chip company, Neuralink, would soon secure FDA approval for human trials. But the company's application was rejected in early 2022, Neuralink staffers told Reuters, and the company is still working through the agency's concerns over the safety of the experimental implant. Here is a history of Musk's predictions of FDA clinical-trial approval:July 2019: Musk says Neuralink is aiming to receive regulatory approval for human trials of brain implants by the end of 2020. February 2021: Musk tweets: “Neuralink is working super hard to ensure implant safety & is in close communication with the FDA. Reporting by Rachael LevyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Fiery train collision kills 26, injures at least 85 in Greece
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A cargo train and a passenger train collided in the Evangelismos area of Larissa, Greece on March 1, 2023. A passenger train and an oncoming freight train collided in a fiery wreck in northern Greece early Wednesday, killing 26 people and injuring at least 85, Fire Service officials said. Rescuers wearing head lamps worked in thick smoke, pulling pieces of mangled metal from the rail cars to search for trapped people. ... We're getting cranes to come in and special lifting equipment clear the debris and lift the rail cars. Rail operator Hellenic Train said the northbound passenger train from Athens to Thessaloniki had about 350 passengers on board when the collision occurred.

A map of Turkey showing the city of Kahramanmaras in relation to the epicenter of the earthquake. A set of before and after images that show how a block in the downtown Kahramanmaras area was turned to rubble by the earthquake. For days, rescue teams and family members have been working through rubble of collapsed buildings throughout the city. Residential buildings Before Residential buildings After Google Maps Street View from November 2022; Adem Altan/Agence France-Presse, via Getty Images from Feb. 7, 2023On many blocks, only a few buildings remain. A set of before and after images that show another block of residential buildings destroyed, leaving the Clarion Hotel Kahramanmaras standing alone.

☆ U.S. investigating Elon Musk's Neuralink over hazardous pathogens
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Rachael Levy | Thomson Reuters | Award-Winning Journalist Covering Corporate Governance. Her Reporting Has Prompted Federal Investigations | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Feb 9 (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Transportation said on Thursday it is investigating Elon Musk's brain-implant company Neuralink over the potentially illegal movement of hazardous pathogens. The Department of Transportation spokesperson said the agency took PCRM's allegations "very seriously." Reuters reviewed the UC Davis records cited by PCRM in its letter. Neuralink messages and records not shared with UC Davis are not subject to such information requests. A UC Davis spokesperson would only say that the university abides by all biohazard and lab safety regulations.

☆ Elon Musk's Neuralink may have illegally transported pathogens, animal advocates say
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Rachael Levy | Thomson Reuters | Award-Winning Journalist Covering Corporate Governance. Her Reporting Has Prompted Federal Investigations | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Reuters reviewed the UC Davis records cited by PCRM in its letter. PCRM obtained the records from UC Davis through public information requests. Neuralink messages and records not shared with UC Davis are not subject to such information requests. A UC Davis spokesperson would only say that the university abides by all biohazard and lab safety regulations. During its partnership with UC Davis, Neuralink grew frustrated with what it regarded as the slow pace of testing on primates, current and former company employees told Reuters, and has since built out extensive in-house animal testing facilities.

☆ The U.K.’s Government-Run Healthcare Service Is in Crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( David Luhnow | Max Colchester | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

For more than a decade, the British government has run its National Health Service, the world’s largest government-run healthcare system, on a tight budget. The NHS prided itself on being one of the leanest healthcare systems in the developed world, spending less per head on average than its large European neighbors—and far less than the U.S.Now the state-funded service is falling apart. People who suffer heart attacks or strokes wait more than 1½ hours on average for an ambulance. A record 7.1 million people in England—more than one in 10 people—are stuck on waiting lists for nonemergency hospital treatment like hip replacements. The NHS on Monday faced the biggest strike in its history, with thousands of paramedics and nurses walking out over pay.

☆ The U.K.’s Healthcare Crisis Sounds an Alarm for Aging Countries
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( David Luhnow | Max Colchester | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

☆ Powerful quake rocks Turkey and Syria, kills more than 3,400
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

A man carries a girl following an earthquake, in rebel-held town of Jandaris, Syria February 6, 2023. People search through rubble following an earthquake in Diyarbakir, Turkey February 6, 2023. Rescuers carry out a girl from a collapsed building following an earthquake in Diyarbakir, Turkey February 6, 2023. He said their shared four-story building collapsed just as he, his wife and three children ran toward the exit. Rescuers stand on rubble of a collapsed building, following an earthquake, in Latakia, Syria, February 6, 2023 in this handout image.

“Mission Hospital used to be where everyone would go if they wanted good care,” Jaquins said, reflecting on her previous experiences with the health care system. Sue Fischer is a longtime HCA employee who’s concerned about patient care in her facility. “We were a great system as Mission Health and we’re an even better system as HCA Mission Health,” she said. “Delays in care is the biggest patient care issue I see because of staffing,” Hernandez said. According to the CMS ranking system, Mission Hospital currently holds an above-average overall quality rating — four stars out of a possible five.

☆ Nearly 1 in 4 U.S. hospitalized patients experience a harmful event, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Kaitlin Sullivan | Kaitlin Sullivan Is A Contributor For Nbcnews.Com Who Has Worked With Nbc News Investigations. She Reports On Health | Science | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

The stark findings underscore that, despite decades of effort, hospitals in the United States still have a long way to go to improve patient safety, experts say. A total of 222 adverse events were considered preventable, meaning an error resulted in patient harm. Twenty-nine people, or 1% of the total of those admitted, experienced serious preventable adverse events that resulted in serious harm. The most common adverse events overall (nearly 40%) were related to medications given in the hospital. It used data from patients hospitalized in New York state in 1984, and found that only about 4% of hospitalized patients experienced harm.

☆ I made 6 figures as a pharmacist and still struggled to pay for childcare and my student loans. Here's what it was like, and why I left.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( Pollyanna Brown | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Luckily, I got into the one pharmacy school I applied to in the area and got my PharmD — a doctorate of pharmacy. I used student loans to pay for pharmacy school, and because my school was private, I had to take out as much loans as a dentist or a physician, but my pharmacist salary was only a fraction of what they make. Pharmacists can take many clinical roles in a hospitalThere are infectious-disease pharmacists, cardiology pharmacists, transplant pharmacists, and critical-care pharmacists. As a clinical pharmacist, I'd do rounds with the physicians in the morning, weighing in on the drug regimens the patients were on. Hospital pharmacists usually need to work every other weekend.

☆ Brooklyn hospital network reverts to paper charts for weeks after cyberattack
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —A network of three hospitals in Brooklyn, New York, has had to work off paper charts for weeks following a cyberattack on its computer systems in late November, the hospital group’s chief executive told CNN Monday. The hack affected “clinical applications,” including “those used for imaging and other critical services,” but many of those applications have been restored, One Brooklyn Health CEO LaRay Brown said in an email. One Brooklyn Health operates Brookdale University Hospital Medical Center, Interfaith Medical Center and Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center. “No patients were adversely effected,” Brown told CNN in an email Monday, adding that the hospitals remain open to patients. Brookdale Hospital is located in the Brownsville neighborhood of Brooklyn, one of the poorest areas in New York City.

☆ Just How Bad Is the ‘Tripledemic’?
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Amy Schoenfeld Walker | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +6 min

R.S.V., or respiratory syncytial virus, has made so many young children ill this fall that weekly pediatric hospitalizations for R.S.V. Public health officials have been warning for weeks that a “tripledemic” of Covid-19, flu and R.S.V. Weekly hospitalizations for Covid-19, R.S.V. With flu surging and Covid-19 circulating, respiratory illness has overwhelmed pediatric units across the country, shifting the strain to emergency rooms and children’s hospitals. The predominant type of flu circulating right now, a subtype of influenza A known as H3, also tends to result in higher flu hospitalizations among the elderly, according to the C.D.C.

☆ U.S. hospitals report rise in severe strep A infections in kids after 15 deaths in U.K.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Aria Bendix | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

In the U.K., at least 15 children have died from invasive group A strep since mid-September. Anyone can get invasive strep A, including healthy adults, but people over 65 and those with chronic illnesses are more susceptible. Between 1,500 and 2,300 people die of the invasive infections every year. But children's hospitals in several other states — California, New York, Illinois and Minnesota — said they have not detected any increase in invasive group A strep. It is important for kids with strep to get care right away so they can start taking antibiotics like penicillin.

Children's hospitals in Arizona, Colorado, Texas and Washington told NBC News they are seeing a higher-than-average number of cases this season compared to past years. In the U.K., at least 15 children have died from invasive group A strep since mid-September. Anyone can get invasive strep A, including healthy adults, but people over 65 and those with chronic illnesses are more susceptible. Between 1,500 and 2,300 people die of these invasive infections each year. It's important for kids with strep to get care right away so they can start taking antibiotics like penicillin.

☆ China expands hospitals and ICUs as it faces Covid surge
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Medical workers wear PPE as they stand next to people waiting in line outside a fever clinic on Dec. 9, 2022 in Beijing, China. A Cabinet meeting called Thursday for "full mobilization" of hospitals including adding staff to ensure their "combat effectiveness" and increasing drug supplies, according to state media. Officials were told to keep track of the health of everyone in their area aged 65 and older. It isn't clear how much infection numbers have increased since Beijing last week ended mandatory testing as often as once a day in many areas. But interviews and social media accounts say there are outbreaks in businesses and schools across the country.

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