Health Buzz: Hands-Only CPR and Other Health News
Hands-Only CPR Endorsed
The American Heart Association yesterday endorsed cardio-pulmonary resuscitation that only uses hands, rather than mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, when bystanders are faced with someone in cardiac arrest. Giving the combination of mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and rapid chest compressions, the organization said, showed no advantage over performing the compressions alone.
The Heart Association hopes the new guidelines will help push strangers, who could be unwilling to perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation or unsure of the proper procedure, to step in to aid victims of cardiac arrest.
Universal Healthcare: Most Doctors Support It
Nearly two- thirds of doctors surveyed support establishing a national health care plan, according to an Indiana University School of Medicine study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. The survey asked approximately 2,000 doctors for their opinions on universal health care. Thirty-two percent indicated that they opposed the plan. In 2002, only half of the doctors surveyed supported a national plan.
Caring for Your Aging Parents
Five Rhode Island families are the subject of a PBS documentary on the issues --both difficult and joyous--of taking care of aging parents. The program, which airs in some markets Wednesday, April 2, explores how parents and children often swap roles as parents grow older and increasingly more dependent on their adult children.
Are you taking care of ailing parents? Are you concerned that you may in the near future? Our special report covers 15 ways adults can help their elderly parents, including encouraging them to exercise, preparing the home, and working out finances.
Internet Addiction: A Mental Disorder?
In an editorial published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, Jerald J. Block, M.D., suggests that Internet addiction be added to the files of mental disorders. He offers indications that computer usage may be a disorder, including excessive time online, withdrawal, and negative repercussions. What do you think? Tell us in the comment section below.
Reader Comments
internet addiction
What about video games? That's about what many young people do day and night. It must be an addiction far worse than at least learning something on the internet.
So what?
I agree with _ofCA... and found his/her explanation quite amusing.
One thing I will add is it seems to me that people have more spare time to even think of being obsessed with something that doesn't put food in the mouths of their family. My parents and grandparents were simply too tired from a hard day of work to bother with being obsessed with anything. How many kids these days have an hour or more of chores to do every day after school. How many help cook? Ha! How many parents really cook? It's a nuke it, eat it, go play on the internet.
The internet can be like a giant library in your study... or it can be a game box or a porn screen. It will be what you make it be. In our house it's a library.
internet addiction
Not only the doctors correct in diagnosing the problemof internet addiction, I'm surprised it took them this long to figure it out.
When ANY obsession - whether computer/internet or computer-game usage eclipses a person's normal life -- avoiding children and family members, taking care of personal business, hygiene, healthy eating habits, working, then, yes -- they have an addiction.
When someone is buying computer games and another tower and online pornography instead of paying the grocery, rent and utility bills, then, yes -- they have an addiction.
When a person cannot break away from the computer for 12-14 hours at a time, when they fall asleep at the computer, then waking up not knowing what DAY it is, then, yes -- they have an addiction.
One way to look at this problem is to study the obsessive-avoidance obsessive-compulsive characteristics of members of different addiction-behavior groups.
What's needed is more public information and intervention by family members.
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