WHO's Handling of Swine Flu Threat Fell Short
Nearly 30 independent health experts are convening in Geneva for the next three days to review how the World Health Organization dealt with the H1N1 swine flu pandemic, which proved milder than feared, Reuters reports. Keiji Fukuda, an influenza expert at the WHO, says the agency may have caused public confusion over the flu's threat, which critics contend led to a wasteful stockpiling of unused vaccinations, according to Reuters. "The reality is there is a huge amount of uncertainty (in a pandemic). I think we did not convey the uncertainty. That was interpreted by many as a non-transparent process," said Fukuda.
[Read Did 'Regular' Flu Shot Up Risks for H1N1 Flu? and 7 Swine Flu Facts You Need to Know Now.]
Parents Key in Managing Adolescents' Type 1 Diabetes Treatment
A diagnosis of type 1 diabetes, also known as juvenile diabetes, can be scary for any family, but what happens next determines how well the child is able to manage the disease, suggests new research scheduled presented Friday at the Society of Behavioral Medicine's annual meeting in Seattle. The study found that when parents don't monitor their kids' conditions closely, children and teens with type 1 diabetes are less likely to take proper care of themselves, U.S. News's January Payne reports.
Lax management of type 1 diabetes can result in heart disease, kidney failure, and blindness. If not properly controlled, the disease can also shorten life expectancy by seven to 10 years, according to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Still, following doctor's orders can be a daunting task because it means measuring blood glucose throughout the day, administering insulin injections or using an insulin pump, eating regularly, watching fat and carbohydrate intake, exercising, and adjusting insulin dosage based on meals and exercise. Read more.
[Read Beyond Insulin: Searching for a Cure to Type 1 Diabetes and With Type 1 Diabetes on the Rise, Parents Should Know the Warning Signs.]
Are Digital Mammograms Better Than the Conventional Kind?
The differences between traditional and digital mammography are similar to the differences between traditional and digital photography, writes physician Deborah Armstrong, U.S. News Health Advice expert in medical oncology. In digital mammography, the X-ray is converted into an electrical signal that can be displayed on a computer screen or printed as an image that looks like a regular mammogram. The patient's experience is no different from having a traditional mammogram. Digital mammograms can sometimes use a lower overall dose of radiation to the breast.
Some benefits of digital mammography are that the radiologist can manipulate the digital mammogram electronically to magnify an area, change contrast, or alter the brightness. In addition, the images are available immediately, without waiting for film to develop, and the images can be transmitted electronically from remote locations for centralized reading.
Digital mammograms can only be performed by a facility that is certified to perform them and digital mammography is more expensive than traditional mammography. The cost of digital mammography may thus not be covered by all insurance plans. Read more.
[Read Navratilova and Breast Cancer: Why Do Women Blame Themselves for Diagnosis? and Mammography Screening: Clearing Up Some of the Confusion.]
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