While medical research has helped us overcome many health threats, we now face a new type of crisis: Many dangerous bacteria are becoming resistant to the drugs meant to fight them. Where do we go from here? Read full article here.
The rise of superbugs: Facing the antibiotic resistance crisis
Webb & Taylor, LLC sponsors Peachtree City's Annual Hometown Holiday Celebration this year
Webb & Taylor, LLC is proud to be one of the sponsors of the Peachtree City's Annual Hometown Holiday Celebration this year. Held December 7th at Drake Field from 5-9 PM, this event will have a multitude of activities for children and families. Even Santa and his sleigh will make an appearance. A large crown is expected, so please come join the fun for this community celebration.
WHO report details widespread medical errors in all care settings
Health care professionals in Georgia strive to provide quality care to patients, but they sometimes fall short. Whether people receive care from a primary doctor, outpatient clinic or a hospital, they could suffer a harmful medical error, according to a report from the World Health Organization.
The WHO examined medical mistakes globally and determined that 40% of patients experienced harmful events in a primary or outpatient medical venue. Researchers found that close to 80% of the errors might have been preventable. Diagnostic and medication errors accounted for the bulk of harmful events. In the United States, diagnostic errors impacted 5% of patients at outpatient facilities.
Missing breast cancer diagnosis makes it far more dangerous
The real risk with a misdiagnosis of breast cancer isn't that you never find it. You do, eventually. It's just that all of that wasted time can make your situation far more dangerous and fragile. It increases the odds that your cancer will turn fatal.
With something like cancer -- of any type -- the key lies in early detection. Many types can get treated successfully if found early. The problem is that many also do not show symptoms until the cancer is fairly advanced. By the time people know anything is wrong, it's already serious. That's why testing for cancer to identify it early is so important.
Car makers look to AI to curb distracted driving
With more drivers in Georgia and across the U.S. using dashboard touchscreens and smartphones, it's not surprising that distracted driving is on the rise. The National Safety Council has said that distracted driving contributes to around nine crash-related deaths and 100 crash-related injuries every day in this country. The problem is not lack of awareness, though.
Car makers and researchers are putting their hope in safety features as the way to prevent distracted driving. In particular, they are looking into the mechanics of deep learning and striving for a combination of artificial intelligence with current alert systems. With AI, cameras and sensors may monitor drivers and either set off alerts or take control of the vehicle if they detect distracted behavior.
UCLA study: old TBIs, not Alzheimer's, may cause memory loss
Not all memory loss is caused by Alzheimer's disease. The Alzheimer's Association estimates that up to 40% of dementia cases are not due to Alzheimer's, and one study shows that some 21% of older adults with dementia are incorrectly diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Residents of Georgia may wonder if there's a way to prevent this confusion, and it just so happens that a new study from UCLA has lit upon one. According to a recent UCLA study, old TBIs, not Alzheimer's, may cause memory loss.
An MRI scan can uncover abnormalities in patients with neurological disorders like Alzheimer's. Researchers, knowing that some dementia cases arise from an old traumatic brain injury, analyzed 40 TBI patients with memory loss to see if an MRI would detect similar abnormalities in them. They found through the scans that different regions of the brain are impacted by TBI and by Alzheimer's.
AAA warns of drowsy driving with the end of DST
Drowsy driving is a widespread issue in Georgia and across the U.S., and AAA says it will only be exacerbated by the end of daylight saving time. Though a driver may be happy to gain an extra hour of sleep, the disruption of one's sleep patterns can lead to drowsiness for a day or two afterward. Drowsiness, which impairs concentration and reaction times, can be deadly in drivers.
In fact, there are an average of 6,400 fatal crashes every year in the U.S. where drowsy driving is a factor. Approximately 328,000 crashes occur each year as a result of drowsy driving. Most people are aware that drowsy driving is unsafe; 96% of drivers said so in AAA's 2018 Traffic Safety Culture Index, yet 27% admitted to driving drowsy at least once in the 30 days prior to taking the survey.
Traffic fatalities decreased in 2018
Georgia readers might be relieved to learn that U.S. traffic deaths dipped in 2018, according to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. It's the second straight year that deaths have gone down.
In 2015 and 2016, American traffic fatalities sharply increased, alarming road safety advocates across the country. The spikes were blamed on an improving U.S. economy and more cars being on the road. However, after a slight dip in 2017, fatalities dropped another 2.4% to 36,560 in 2018. In addition, preliminary numbers for the first half of 2019 show traffic deaths have dropped another 3.4%. Experts believe that advanced safety technologies in vehicles are partially responsible for the decline.
Roundabouts can reduce fatal accidents by up to 90%
Accidents at intersections claimed the lives of more than 10,000 road users in in 2018 according to the Federal Highway Administration, which is why many local authorities in Georgia and around the country are replacing traditional stop signs and traffic signals with roundabouts. Cars entering a roundabout reduce speed and travel in the same direction as other vehicles, and studies suggest this can reduce fatal accidents by up to 90%.
Most fatal motor vehicle accidents that take place in intersections are caused by a vehicle that runs a red light. This is the type of crash that roundabouts eliminate. When accidents do take place on roundabouts, they occur at slower speeds and injuries are usually minor. The mayor of an Indiana city that has built 126 roundabouts says that property damage accidents have fallen by 40% and injures are down by 75% at the intersections where lights and signs have been replaced. A study conducted by the FHWA and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found similar reductions in other parts of the country.
Why are forceps used? Are they safe for your baby?
As an expectant mother, it's safe to say that you have your fair share of worries to deal with. This is your first child. You don't want to do anything wrong, but you have no experience. You just want to keep your child safe and happy.
To that end, you start looking into the different tools and methods that doctors may use when the baby is born. One thing you find is that they sometimes use forceps to assist when the mother has trouble pushing the baby all the way out of the birth canal. Why are these used and are they safe?
