Flu Season-Insights from the ER

Flu Season is here; a quick vaccine reference to avoid an Emergency Room Visit. By Justin S. Larkin, MD As the sun sets on summer and the fall weather is now here, this means one thing in the Emergency Departments around the world, Flu Season.  Flu related chief complaints during the winter months place a large strain on Emergency Departments around the country. Often the wait times to be seen and overcrowding of the department…

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Understanding the FLU and the FLU SHOT

By Dr. Andy Baldwin In this blog I strive to help you understand the dreaded “FLU” virus and explain why getting the “FLU SHOT” is the right thing to do, both for yourself and your community. Influenza virus is responsible for more than 36,000 deaths in the United States each year. Most of these deaths occur in the very young and the very old. The reason for this bimodal distribution are infants‘ immune system, and…

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Healthline Editors Nominate Healthin30 for Best Health Blog

By Barbara Ficarra, RN, BSN, MPA Healthin30 was recently notified by Healthline to announce the editors at Healthline nominated Healthin30 for the “Best Health Blog of 2011.” I’m honored to be included among the many wonderful health blogs.  While the editors at Healthline nominated Healthin30, the winners are determined by the number of votes from followers and friends.  Healthline will name the top three winners. Voting ends January 31, 2012 I’m getting a late start…

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HuffPost Readers Comments and Concerns-BPA Plastic Bottles: Are They Safe?

By Barbara Ficarra, RN, BSN, MPA My recent blog on The Huffington Post, “BPA Plastic Bottles:  Are They Safe?” elicited insightful thoughts and concerns from the readers. Do you worry that harmful chemicals leach out of plastic containers into its contents? Are plastic containers toxic? Do you drink from plastic water bottles? Are you concerned about the safety of plastics? Here are a few of the comments from The Huffington Post:  (Total Comments:  50) Acleacius…

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What Everybody Ought to Know About Plastics

By Barbara Ficarra, RN, BSN, MPA Information circulating about the dangers of plastic containers has created fear and confusion. Are plastic containers toxic?  Do harmful chemicals leach out into its contents?   Do we need to discard all plastic containers? Recently, I interacted in a live health chat on MedHelp about the safety of plastics.  Scientist, Joe Schwarcz, PhD, Director of McGill University’s Office for Science and Society talked about “The Real Truth About Plastics: What…

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