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By LocalHealthGuide on September 02nd, 2010
All King County shorelines closed to recreational shellfish harvesting
Paralytic Shellfish Poison (PSP) levels pose health risk, health officials say.
Safety
By LocalHealthGuide on August 05th, 2010
Information about medical errors reported to the state are now online
From June 2006 through March 2010, there have been 780 adverse events reported.
By Michael McCarthy on July 14th, 2010
What can Britain tell us about pub closing times?
U.K. expert panel found little change in alcohol consumptions or alcohol-related crime after the U.K. loosened its drinking hours.
By LocalHealthGuide on July 14th, 2010
King County “Slow down or pay up” speeding campaign begins Friday
From 2006 to 2008, speeding drivers killed 140 people in King County crashes, an average of four deaths a month.
By Seattle Childrens on July 08th, 2010
Open windows pose safety risk to kids — Seattle Children’s video
With the weather warming up, families may be keeping windows open throughout the house to stay cool – this can be a serious safety risk for young kids.
By Washington Department of Health on July 07th, 2010
Even if it feels cool outside, don’t leave children in parked cars — DoH warns
A 70-degree day can make the inside of a car dangerous in minutes. Children are more susceptible because their body temperatures can rise three to five times faster than an adult’s.
By Seattle Red Cross on July 06th, 2010
Hot weather safety tips from the Seattle Red Cross
The very young and the elderly are especially vulnerable to the heat, so it is important to check on them regularly. People with chronic health issues are also at greater risk and need to take special care in hot weather.
By Seattle Childrens on July 02nd, 2010
Water safety tips from Seattle Children’s
With people turning to water activities to enjoy the summer weather, the risk of drowning is a concern. Cold waters and warm weather make for increased drowning risk.
By Seattle Red Cross on June 28th, 2010
Red Cross safety tips & burn remedies for July 4th
Seattle Red Cross offers safety tips and burn remedies for the Fourth of July.
By LocalHealthGuide on June 14th, 2010
Lithium “button” battery safety — Seattle Children’s video
Dr. Kathy Sie, attending surgeon at Seattle Children’s Hospital, offers parents safety tips on button batteries
By LocalHealthGuide on June 11th, 2010
Warm weather, cold water ups drowning risk
Most drowning deaths occurred in the earlier part of swim season when waters are still cold and often swift moving. In 2008, there were 100 drowning deaths statewide.
By LocalHealthGuide on June 01st, 2010
King County traffic deaths tumble
Officials credit strong enforcement of DUI laws, safer car design, road improvements, better driving habits, and seatbelt use.
By Washington Department of Health on March 31st, 2010
Easter egg safety
All eggs left at room temperature more than two hours should not be eaten.
By Michael McCarthy on February 11th, 2010
Use of force by Seattle police rarely causes serious injuries — study
Of 909 use of force cases, 187 went to the emergency room within 24 hours, 29 hospitalized–16 for psychological observation.
By LocalHealthGuide on December 16th, 2009
Child strangulation risk prompts recall of millions of window shades
Reports link 5 deaths and 16 near strangulations to Roman shades and three deaths to roll-up blinds
By LocalHealthGuide on August 03rd, 2009
How to use infant car seats–Seattle Children’s
Seattle Children’s has produced a video on how to safely buckle your baby into an infant car seat.
To learn more:
Visit Seattle Children’s Child Health & Safety information page for more information
Visit American Academy of Pediatrics Car Seat Safety page.
Visit SeatCheck.Org, a Web site that lists places where you can have your car seats inspected.
By LocalHealthGuide on July 29th, 2009
Temperature may hit 100° in Seattle today
An Excessive Heat Warning has been issued for Seattle and the Puget Sound Region.
According to the National Weather Service, Seattle will be sunny and hot today with a high near 99°.
Tomorrow will be slightly cooler, with a high of 97° predicted.
Friday, cooler—but still a high of 91° predicted.
Over the weekend, temperatures will drop back down to the [...]
By Dr. Carolyn Clancy on July 21st, 2009
How you can help reduce medical errors
To reduce medical errors, hospitals are forming advisory councils where patients and health care professionals work together to improve safety.
In this column, Dr. Carolyn Clancy, M.D., director of the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, explains how these advisory councils work.
Hospital Advisory Councils Get Patients’ View on Safer Health Care
By Carolyn M. Clancy, M.D.
July [...]
By LocalHealthGuide on July 14th, 2009
FDA urges caution with use of Darvon, Darvocet and other propoxyphene-containing drugs pain
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is urging doctors and consumers to use Darvon, Darvocet and other pain medicines containing the drug propoxyphene with caution because of the danger of overdose.
The consumer advocacy group Public Citizen had called on the FDA to ban the propoxyphene, citing evidence that the drug had been responsible for [...]
By LocalHealthGuide on July 09th, 2009
Kolcraft recalls 1 million Play Yards due to fall hazard
Kolcraft Enterprises is recalling 1 million of its “Play Yards” products because they pose a fall hazard to children, according to an U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission alert.
“The play yard’s side rail can fail to latch properly and when a child pushes against the rail it can unlatch unexpectedly, posing a fall hazard to children,” [...]
By LocalHealthGuide on July 08th, 2009
Inflatable baby floats recalled due to drowning hazard
Acqua-Leisure Industries of Avon, Massachusetts is voluntarily recalling certain models of its inflatable baby floats due to concerns about a possible drowning hazard.
(Not all models have been recalled. Information about which models are involved can be found through the links at the end of this posting.)
Leg straps in the recalled models seats can tear, “causing [...]
By LocalHealthGuide on July 03rd, 2009
Holiday food safety tips
According to a new survey, only one in three people know the proper temperature to cook a hamburger in order for it to be safe to eat, the Washington State Department of Health reports.
(Answer: When the internal temperature reaches 160°F)
“Some people think they know how to tell when burgers and other meats are cooked thoroughly, [...]
By LocalHealthGuide on July 02nd, 2009
FDA: Acetaminophen Q & A for Consumers
Earlier this week an advisory panel for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) called on the agency to impose tighter restrictions on the widely use reliever acetaminophen, used in both prescription and non-prescription medications. Below is a Q & A produced by the FDA, which LocalHealthGuide published earlier this month.
Acetaminophen is the generic name [...]
By LocalHealthGuide on June 29th, 2009
4th of July safety tips from Seattle Red Cross
The Seattle Red Cross has safety tips to reduce your and your family’s risk of suffering burns this holiday weekend:
“While celebrating Independence Day, burns — superficial or first degree — can result from partaking in any of these celebratory activities; so the American Red Cross offers the following tips to keep this holiday safe and [...]
By LocalHealthGuide on June 16th, 2009
Light-rail trains can sneak up on you, warns Sound Transit
Seattle’s new electric light-rail trains are “fast, frequent and quiet” so exercise extra caution when you are near or crossing the light-rail tracks, warns Sound Transit.
The trains are already out on the tracks conducting test runs. Regular service from Tukwila to Westlake Station begins July 18th
Light Rail Safety Video Produced by Sound Transit
Some of the [...]
By LocalHealthGuide on June 09th, 2009
Giving medications to children – Q & A with FDA’s Dr. Diane Murphy
How can you find out if a medication has been tested for safety in children?
What’s the right dose? Are over-the-counter medicines safe?
In this Q & A, Dr. Dianne Murphy, director of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Pediatric Therapeutics, answers those and other questions you might have about giving a medication to a child.
Q [...]
By LocalHealthGuide on June 03rd, 2009
Heat Advisory for Seattle and East Puget Sound
The U.S. National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory for Seattle, Tacoma, Everett, Bremerton and the East Puget Sound area.
A heat advisory indicates that there is an increased risk of heat-related illnesses due to a combination of high temperatures and humidity.
The Service advises area residents to stay out of the sun and in an [...]
By LocalHealthGuide on May 28th, 2009
Seattle site tracks bike crashes, thefts and hazards
The Seattle-base Cascade Bicycle Club has created a “map mashup” Web site where cyclists can pinpoint bicycle accidents, thefts and hazards on a map of the Seattle area.
The Club says that 75 percent of bike crashes go unreported.
The new Web site, www.bikewise.org will help identify crash “hotspots” that pose a danger to cyclists.
The location of [...]
By LocalHealthGuide on May 22nd, 2009
Swift, cold snow pack melt boosts drowning risk to swimmers, rafters, kayakers, and inner tubers
Stay out of King County’s “dangerously deep, cold, and swift rivers and lakes” this Memorial Day weekend, King County health officials warned today.
Since 2001, one in three of those who drown in King County have drown in May and June, when icy mountain snow melt swells the County’s rivers.
“This is a risky time to swim, [...]
By LocalHealthGuide on May 12th, 2009
Health Fraud 101: FDA provides tips on how to spot health fraud
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has an informative guide on how to protect yourself from health fraud.
The guide describes common types of fraud, ranging from fraudulent cancer and arthritis cures to bogus weight-loss and sexual enhancement products.
The guide lists common “red flags” that often are a tip off that the product is fraudulent:
claims [...]
