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The facts of lice life
Say these five words to parents “Your child has head lice”. The reaction runs the gamut from revulsion to shock to a feeling of repudiation of their parenting skills and ability to keep a clean household; in short it is sometimes viewed as a badge of failure. Let’s get the facts about this parasite and…
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Winter, light therapy and effects on ADHD
We are aware of the effect the winter months and short daylight hours can have on our mood. For some it can bring about a seasonal depression. However, for people suffering from Attention Deficit Disorder the lack of sunlight can exacerbate their condition. A new study from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH)…
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Annual Report on Hip and Knee Replacements in Canada
In a report entitled, The Canadian Joint Replacement Registry (CJRR) 2006 Annual Report on Hip and Knee Replacements in Canada released on October 25, 2006, the Canadian Institute for Health Information found that even after accounting for population changes and aging, there was an 87% increase in hip and knee replacements over a 10-year period…
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The short and long-term health outcomes of surgery
Although not foremost on a person’s mind after curative, restorative or cosmetic surgery, questions are being raised about the short and long-term health outcomes from the surgical procedure and anesthesia. At the 53rd Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society of Anesthesiologists in early June and as guest editor of the June 2006 issue of Anesthesiology…
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The state of emergency rooms in Ontario
Two weeks ago we talked to Dr. Ken Milne of the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians (CAEP) about the difficulties faced by many Ontario emergency rooms with respect to staffing shortages, increased stress on the system, overcrowding and a lack of acute care beds. The Ontario Government announced this week a set of solutions to…
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Wait and see approach to treating children's ear infections
It can be one of the more frustrating and distressing experiences for parents; their child screaming in the night because of a painful infected middle ear infection or otitis media. In the past, children would immediately be prescribed an antibiotic to destroy the bacteria contributing to their pain and inflammation. However, a new study, published…
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Black tea and its relationship to stress reduction
Food science is providing new and exciting insights into how intricately and elegantly linked our good health is to our food choices. This does not only apply to cancer prevention and cardiovascular health but to our mental health as well. There is now evidence that black tea does indeed play a role in helping people…
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C. difficile contamination in ground and processed meats
Although largely the domain of hospital-based infections, two recent studies findings show that C. difficile bacteria is found in a variety of ground and processed meats bought from grocery stores in Canada and the United States. This unexpected discovery some experts say may be linked to recent changes in the pattern of the disease with…
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Waiting Your Turn: Hospital Waiting Lists in Canada
How well is our waiting time strategy working? What roadblocks must be cleared before tangible results are seen? The Fraser Institute released its 16th annual survey, Waiting Your Turn: Hospital Waiting Lists in Canada which shows waiting times in Canada’s hospitals increased slightly in 2006 and continued to hover near the 18 week mark first…
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