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Safety

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All King County shorelines closed to recreational shellfish harvesting

All King County shorelines closed to recreational shellfish harvesting

Paralytic Shellfish Poison (PSP) levels pose health risk, health officials say.

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Information about medical errors reported to the state are now online

Information about medical errors reported to the state are now online

From June 2006 through March 2010, there have been 780 adverse events reported.

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Hogarth's "Gin Lane"

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.

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King County “Slow down or pay up” speeding campaign begins Friday

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.

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Open windows pose safety risk to kids — Seattle Children’s video

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.

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Even if it feels cool outside, don’t leave children in parked cars — DoH warns

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.

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Hot weather safety tips from the Seattle Red Cross

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.

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Water safety tips from Seattle Children’s

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.

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Photo: Dan McKay

Red Cross safety tips & burn remedies for July 4th

Seattle Red Cross offers safety tips and burn remedies for the Fourth of July.

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Lithium “button” battery safety — Seattle Children’s video

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

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Warm weather, cold water ups drowning risk

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.

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King County traffic deaths tumble

King County traffic deaths tumble

Officials credit strong enforcement of DUI laws, safer car design, road improvements, better driving habits, and seatbelt use.

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Easter egg safety

Easter egg safety

All eggs left at room temperature more than two hours should not be eaten.

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Use of force by Seattle police rarely causes serious injuries — study

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.

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Child strangulation risk prompts recall of millions of window shades

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

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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.

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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 [...]

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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 [...]

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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 [...]

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One of the recalled Kolcraft Play Yard Products

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,” [...]

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Inflatable baby floats recalled due to drowning hazard

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 [...]

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Holiday food safety tips

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, [...]

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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 [...]

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4th of July safety tips from Seattle Red Cross

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 [...]

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Light-rail trains can sneak up on you, warns Sound Transit

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 [...]

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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 [...]

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Heat Advisory for Seattle and East Puget Sound

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 [...]

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Bikewise map of bike crashes, hazards and thefts

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 [...]

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Swift, cold snow pack melt boosts drowning risk to swimmers, rafters, kayakers, and inner tubers

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, [...]

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Health Fraud 101: FDA provides tips on how to spot health fraud

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 [...]

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