Bacterial resistance to the antibiotic ampicillin may have begun years before doctors started prescribing it in the early 1960s, a new study suggests. Ampicillin, a broad-spectrum penicillin, is widely used to treat many bacterial infections, including bladder and ear infections, pneumonia and gonorrhea. Resistance was likely triggered by overuse of penicillin in livestock in North… read on >
THURSDAY, Nov. 30, 2017More stringent gun laws might spur a decline n domestic violence murders, new research suggests. Thirteen states and federal law prohibit people convicted of domestic violence from buying guns. But the study found that states that extended this ban to people convicted of any violent crime had 23 percent fewer domestic violence… read on >
The epidemic of opioid abuse in the United States has put hospital ERs on the front line, with staffers increasingly battling infections tied to the problem. ERs are seeing an increasing number of patients seeking care for severe infections resulting from injected use of heroin, fentanyl, oxycodone and the like, new research shows. ER radiologists… read on >
Teens fixated on their smartphones experience changes to their brain chemistry that mirror those prompted by addiction, a new study suggests. Kids who compulsively used the internet or fiddled with their phones tended to have increased neurotransmitter activity in the anterior cingulate cortex, a region tied to the brain’s systems of behavior reward, control of… read on >
Childproofing a home is important even after your little one reaches toddlerhood. KidsHealth.org offers these suggestions to make your home safer for kids of all ages: Keep guns locked in a sturdy cabinet. Keepcoin lithium (“button”) batteries out of a child’s reach. They may be deadly if swallowed. Keep choking hazards,poisonous substances, hot and sharp… read on >
If you don’t have to drive while it’s snowing, don’t. But if you must be on the road, the National Weather Service suggests: Slow down. Roads may be slippery, even if they do not look wet. Clean all snow and ice off your car before starting a trip. Let someone know where you are going… read on >
The majority of children growing up in America today will be obese by age 35, a new computer analysis predicts. The study’s lead author, Zachary Ward, described the forecast as “sobering.” But, he added, “It should not be surprising that we are heading in this direction. We are already approaching this level of adult obesity… read on >
Even if he’s a good boy, don’t put bone treats in your dog’s stocking this holiday season because they can pose a serious health risk to your pooch, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warns. The FDA said it has received reports of 68 pet illnesses and 15 deaths caused by bone treats. The reports… read on >
Strength training needs to be part of every exercise plan, but you don’t have to join a health club to reap its benefits. You can create a state-of-the-art home gym, but an inexpensive approach will work just as well. First, pick out a 10-by-10-foot space where you can exercise without tripping over or bumping into… read on >
They may temporarily ease pain, but new research suggests that steroid injections to arthritic hips may exacerbate bone trouble over the longer term. These injections have long been used “for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes for various joint conditions,” noted Dr. Crispin Ong, an orthopedic surgeon who was not involved with the study but reviewed the… read on >
