3, June 2014

Surgery on weekends ups death risk

In a first that shows cyclic influences on hospital mortality in patients after surgery, a new research says that the risk of death is the highest following surgery conducted on weekends, in the afternoon or in February.

During the analysis of the data from 218,758 patients, researchers found that surgery conducted in the afternoon was associated with 21 percent increased risk of death compared with surgery conducted at other times of the day.

Surgery at the weekend was associated with a 22 percent increased risk of death compared to surgery on weekdays.

February was the highest risk month, with surgery in February associated with a 16 percent increased risk of death compared to surgery in all other months.

Several factors may have influenced this outcome.

"For example, it may be that standard of care differs throughout the day and between weekdays and weekends," said Felix Kork from Charite-University Medicine Berlin, Germany.

"Although we controlled for risk factors including emergency surgery in our study, it may very well be that the patients treated in the afternoon and on the weekends were more severely ill," he explained.

"We need more data to draw conclusions regarding seasonal variation in postoperative outcome," Kork added.

The research was presented at 'Euroanaesthesia 2014' seminar in Sweden May 31-June 3.

Source: www.timesofindia.com

03.06.2014

Should India follow the world to curb smoking?

In a move aimed at curbing smoking, New York recently raised the minimum age to buy cigarettes to 21. Following suit, the European Union plans to put an end to packets of 10 and flavoured cigarettes to crack down on smoking. According to the World Health Organization, India is home to 12% of the world's smokers. With over 275 million smokers in India alone and around one million dying each year as a result of smoking, it is probably time that something more concrete, beyond advisories, needs to be done to put an end to the dangerous habit. We look at what other countries are doing to discourage smoking...

Canada
Canada has hiked the tax of rate per cigarette pack to 64%.

England and Wales

Members of Parliament in these two countries have backed calls for a ban on smoking in cars when children are passengers.

Hungary
There is a state monopoly on retail tobacco sales.

New Zealand

There is a ban on tobacco being displayed in shops.

Russia
Lawmakers in Russia submitted a draft that has asked for cigarettes prices to be hiked by 41% by April 2015.

Singapore
Breathe, a youth-focused online portal, uses multiple digital platforms to provide content to and engage youth in discussions on health issues.

UAE
The UAE plans to enforce plain packaging of cigarettes and double the price of tobacco in two years.

United States

It is illegal for cigarette companies to flavoured cigarettes and use terms such as `low tar', `light' or `mild', as they make no difference to a smoker's health.

Source: www.timesofindia.com

03.06.2014

Speak only when you feel your words……. are better than your silence