Category: Poisoning & Environmental Health
Floodwaters can damage septic systems, make well water undrinkable, and contaminate food and medicine in flooded homes, Public Health – Seattle & King County officials warn in a health advisory. The advisory provides tips and online resources that can help you protect your health during a flood and the cleanup afterwards.
Public Health – Seattle & King County officials have issued a health advisory as a precaution after several gay bars in the Capitol Hill area received letters in which the letter writer threatened to “target clients” with the toxin ricin. “There is no information at this time suggesting anyone has been exposed to ricin,” Public [...]
This weekend’s predicted winter storm may lead to power outages and area residents should prepare for the cold and avoid using heaters, charcoal and propane grills and other devices than can cause carbon-monoxide poisoning, Seattle-King County health officials warn.
Sugar causes hyperactivity in children, yes? — No. Suicides increase over the holidays, yes? — No. Poinsettias are poisonous, yes? — No. You lose most of your body heat through your head, yes? — No, again Eating at night makes you fatter, yes? — No. You can cure or prevent an hangover, yes? — Unfortunately, no. Those, at least, are the [...]
Cold weather moving into western Washington at the end of the week will bring a chance of snow and weekend temperatures dropping into the 20s at night. Officials from Public Health – Seattle & King County have issued tips to help you keep safe in cold weather. Among their warnings: “Never use a gas or [...]
Air on Seattle school buses contains considerably more harmful airborne particles than the surrounding outside air, researchers at the University of Washington report. In the study, the researchers measured levels of small particles that can penetrate deep into the lungs where they can release harmful chemicals and have been linked to respiratory diseases and other [...]
Under Washington law, seven forms of cancer are considered to be job-related when diagnosed in firefighters. Firefighters with these cancers qualify for workers’ compensation. But firefighters who develop other cancers must prove their cancer is job-related to quality for the benefits. Firefighters think cancers not on the Washington list should be included and want the city to help pay for annual cancer screenings so cancers can be caught early when there’s a better chance for cure.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said today that babies should not be fed infant formula manufactured in China . . . after reports that infant formula in China has been found to be contaminated with a compound called melamine, which . . . can cause kidney disease.
LocalHealthGuide is a health news and information web service for Seattle and the Puget Sound Region. We are independent and unaffiliated with any hospital, medical association or insurer. If you have questions or if your group has an upcoming event that you would like us to cover, please let us know by going to our "Contact Us" page and dropping us a note. -- Michael McCarthy, Editor
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Seattle Times Health News
Lost in translation: Lack of trained interpreters can lead to medical errors
Interpreter services at hospitals and other medical settings are often inadequate, forcing family members, including children, to step in, or the task falls to medical staff members who may not speak the language well.
Some insurers deny ER coverage to people who have been drinking
Laws in more than half the states permit insurers to deny payment for medical services related to alcohol or drug use. Faced with the prospect of not getting paid for care, some ER personnel sidestep the problem by simply not testing patients’ blood or urine for alcohol.
Travel insurance can protect your wallet — and your health on vacation
Think your regular health insurance policy will cover you if you get into medical trouble overseas?
Don’t bet on it.
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