Health

Alternatives to Regular Blood Transfusions
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
A growing number of alternatives to regular blood transfusions enables patients to feel safer and in some cases lessen the need for transfusion. Such alternatives include a new drug to stem bleeding in heart surgery.

Toxic Waste : Final Tally
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
He explained that pesticide residues were not detectable in 41 of the 43 samples of fin fish tested, while the remaining two samples had only trace amounts (levels too low to be accurately characterized).

Toxic Waste : Uncooperative Lobsters, Radiation and Rough Seas
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
FDA survey efforts were directed towards collecting important bottom-dwelling seafood. Setting traps for lobsters within the dump site for bottom-feeding lobsters was an important facet of the operation.

Toxic Waste
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
In the stormy waters of the Atlantic Ocean off the New England coast, FDA, along with agents from other federal and state agencies, sampled fish from an area that served as a dumping ground for toxic and radioactive materials from 1953 to 1976.

Dental Amalgam: Filling a Need or Foiling Health?
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Amalgam has been used in dentistry for 150 years and remains the most widely used material to fill cavities in decayed teeth. Recently, scientists have been investigating whether mercury vapor escaping from silver fillings poses any health problem.

Medical Product Problems
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
FDA replaced five forms with one, simplifying reporting about adverse reactions and other problems with products it regulates. Products causing problems will come off the market faster under MedWatch - and that means increased safety for consumers.

Getting a Grip on Hand Problems: Carpal Tunnel, Arthritis
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Hand problems such as carpal tunnel syndrome, trigger finger, nerve spasms, and various forms of arthritis can be disabling. Early diagnosis and treatment can aid recovery. Carpal tunnel syndrome is the most frequently reported RSI, with 192 cases

Robotics Surgery: Robots in the Operating Room
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Your surgeon may have a new assistant at your next operation: a 7-foot-tall, 500 pound, jointed steel arm with a tiny drill for a hand. This computer-operated device is oneof several robots expected to take a more active role in the operating room.

Biotech Devices: Replacing Test Animals, Improving Diagnoses
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
This first installment of a two-part series tells how the products of bioengineering classified as medical devices are changing the ways pregnancies are confirmed and diseases are diagnosed and treated.

Exxon Valdez Oil Spill, San Francisco Rocks, Tylenol Tampering
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
After the oil tanker Exxon Valdez hit Bligh Reef in Alaska?s Prince William Sound March 24, 1989, spilling over 10 million gallons of oil into one of the state's richest fishing grounds, FDA dispatched investigators, scientists and advisors to the area.

FDA to the Rescue : Santa Clara I Arsenic Spill, Chernobyl Explosion
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Though some of the emergency situations FDA has been involved in are well known, others have received little publicity, possibly because the agency helped head off a disaster.

FDA to the Rescue
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
No stranger to emergencies, FDA is often involved in helping set things straight after disasters, such as hurricanes, nuclear meltdowns, earthquakes, and spills of oil and other contaminants.

Patient Restraints: Improving Safety, Reducing Use
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Recent reports of injuries and deaths with patient restraints, used mostly on older sick people, have made FDA and the health-care industry examine whether these devices are used more often than needed and how they can be made safer if they must be used.

Annual Medical Checkup: The Not So Routine Physical Exam
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
The annual 'routine physical' has just about gone the way of the dinosaur. In its place is a more individualized approach, drawing upon the best aspects of both horse-and-buggy medicine and high-tech medical devices and lab tests.

FDA in the Global Village
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
As nations begin working together more closely on many issues, the importance of FDA's international role increases. Inspecting foreign firms that sell FDA-regulated products here is just one facet of the agency's international activities.

Tips for a Hot Season : Soothing the Burn, Shellfish Safety
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
If despite all precautions you burn, there are a number of topical analgesics - with ingredients such as benzocaine, lidocaine, camphor, phenol, and menthol - on the market that will temporarily soothe the pain of a mild burn.

Teens: Enjoy, Protect the Best Ears of Your Life
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Rock concerts and other modern monster noises are causing hearing loss sufficient to make hearing aids necessary for young people. Some rock stars are setting a trend for their fans by taking steps to add years to their ears.

When Do You Need an Antacid?
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Used according to directions and in moderation, over-the-counter antacids can help relieve occasional heartburn and indigestion symptoms. But improper use can cause irreparable harm to your heart, kidneys or bones.

Playing It Safe at Work : What About ELF? Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Rest occasionally during periods of intense concentration. The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health recommends taking a 15-minute rest break every hour from highly demanding computer tasks.

Playing It Safe at Work
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
As technologies advance, some people wonder if workplace hazards may be part of many seemingly harmless office environments. Though there are as yet no definitive answers, workers can take some simple steps to minimize possible risks.