Every year, bicycle-related injuries send more than 500,000 people in the United States to the emergency department and cause more than 700 deaths, according to …
Category: Public health
Is disposing of unused drugs in household trash the most environmental option?
During the most recent National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, Americans turned in 276 tons of unused medications. But there are likely additional expired or leftover …
Hey doc, got a light? Research highlights Big Tobacco’s long history with the medical community
In the 1920s, tobacco companies began a campaign to engage throat doctors into helping calm the public’s growing fears about the harmful effects of tobacco. …
CDC wants you to prepare for a zombie pandemic
Earlier this year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) posted a blog entry outlining how you can prepare for a zombie apocalypse. The …
Report questions whether U.S. is adequately prepared for future public health threats
When it comes to public health preparedness, the United States may not ready to respond to a massive disaster, whether it's the result of a …
Scrubs: Mass transit for bacteria?
Scrubs and white coats are once again being examined in an effort to reduce the spread of pathogens. Findings published in this month's issue of …
Do health dangers lurk in New York's subway system?
Is the air polluted in New York's subway system, and what kinds of health risks might face workers on the tracks? As Scienceline blogger Madhu Venkataramanan writes today …
As market crashes, so might health
Physicians should expect to see elevated blood pressure among patients in response to this week's stock market swan dive, Houston's Methodist Hospital is warning: Kevin …
Good advice from Washyourhandsington
I can't believe I missed this earlier given what a huge fan of hand washing I happen to be, but here's another PSA that's actually …
How to save $83 billion? Vaccinate
Seth Mnookin writing for the PLoS blog The Panic Virus calls attention to a shocking conclusion in the current issue of the Journal of the …
Body parts for sale: the red market thrives
How much is your body worth? Investigative reporter Scott Carney, author of the new book The Red Market, figures his is worth $250,000. Carney spent …
Health officials hope to combat food poisoning with humorous PSAs
Summer is here, and (per tradition) people are celebrating by handling raw hamburger meat and eating outdoors. It's appropriate, then, that the USDA’s Food Safety and …
CDC launches video contest for the zombie apocalypse
Apparently the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention zombie apocalypse post I wrote about earlier this week - the one written by Rear Admiral Ali …
The CDC wants to help you prepare for the zombie apocalypse
This is is an extremely clever way to get people to read a disaster preparedness plan: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently posted …
Simple, cheap measures can prevent most needless deaths worldwide
When it comes to global public health, there's plenty of news supporting optimists and pessimists alike. But the balance tips towards hope, said Donald Shriber, …
Kids sickened by pollution in the U.S. cost $76.6 billion annually
The good news: Childhood lead poisoning cases have been cut enormously. The bad news: Preventable lead poisoning robs America of $50.9 billion in lost economic …