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Morning Health Talk :
New Delhi, June 3rd, 2018 :
Event of the day
After the United Nations declared June 3 as World Bicycle Day, a mega cycling event is being organised at Connaught Place in Delhi today. The event, organised by New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) in collaboration with Smartbike and World Cycling Alliance will see participation from thousands of cyclists. Why don’t each one of us cycle today.
Clinical
- Nipah: The Kerala government issued a fresh Nipah virus alert on Friday and directed the health administration in all districts to screen people who had close contact with even suspected Nipah patients. Till now, 16 of the 18 people who tested positive for Nipah virus have died.
- The Human Monoclonal Antibody (M 102.4) is a non-patented drug, developed at Australia. The antibody is referred by a number and not a name as clinical trials are yet to be completed. This is an antibody and not a vaccine, which can neutralise the effects of the Nipah Virus.
- 753 people are under observation for Nipah virus symptoms, after the outbreak first led to three deaths recorded in Kerela’s Kozhikode district on May 19. So far, the virus has claimed 16 lives. Data released by the World Health Organisation suggests that as of May 28, “15 people have tested positive for NiV in Kozhikode and Malappuram districts. According to WHO, in the current outbreak, acute respiratory distress syndrome and encephalitis have been observed.
- Attempting suicide is no longer a crime in India with the health ministry notifying on May 29 the Mental Healthcare Act 2017 that decriminalises it. The notification comes a year after the law was passed in Parliament. So, now IPC provisions cannot be invoked in case of an attempt to suicide.
Public Health
- Some countries, such as Mexico, France and Britain, are already taxing sugary drinks and the WHO made a non-binding recommendation in October 2016 that governments should impose a 20% tax. An independent panel advising the WHO has stopped short of recommending taxing sugary drinks to reduce obesity after failing to reach a consensus.
- A new study finds that more US kids are either thinking about or attempting suicide. For the study, a database of visits at 49 children’s hospitals for kids aged 5 to 17 were analyzed. Researchers found that over the past decade “the rates doubled among children that were hospitalized for suicidal thoughts or activity.” Half of the encounters involved teens aged 15 to 17; 37 percent were 12 to 14; and almost 13 percent were children aged 5 to 11 years. ( Sally Curtin, a statistician at the CDC)
- @WHO: WHO stands by its position that taxation on sugary drinks reduces consumption, decreases the risk of obesity and diabetes, and can provide funds to strengthen health systems #SodaTax
- Aspirin and hearing loss: In the body, aspirin gets converted into a chemical called salicylic acid, so the side effect that the label is referring to is sometimes called salicylism, or more simply, aspirin poisoning. Very high levels of aspirin in the blood can have toxic effects. Tinnitus — a ringing or whistling noise in the ear — and hearing loss are among them. But there’s no risk of that happening at an 81-mg dose. (Harvard) High-dose aspirin (6 to 8 g/day) or other salicylates can cause hearing loss, but this is reversible with discontinuation of the drug. In an observational study in men, regular use of standard-dose aspirin ≥two times/week was also associated with an increased risk of hearing loss. (Uptodate)
Legal: When proving a medical malpractice claim, there a few things that need to be established:
- That’s a Doctor/Patient Relationship exists: A doctor-patient relationship exists when a doctor agrees to provide you with some type of diagnosis or treatment.
- To Prove Negligent Care: That the doctor did not meet the medical standard of care. The Medical Standard of Care is the level and type of care that a competent, reasonable, and skilled healthcare professional, with a similar background and that, is also in the same medical community, would have provided under the same circumstances that led to the malpractice. In many malpractice lawsuits, expert witnesses such as other doctors or medical professionals in the same field are asked to testify as to what a competent and reasonably skilled doctor would have done in the same situation.
- To prove that an Injury Occurred because of Negligence: To win a medical malpractice case one cannot just prove that the doctor was negligent and failed to provide with the standard level of care. He or she must also prove that because of the doctor’s negligence, you suffered an injury or harm. It must be proven that his condition became worse, or that he suffered an additional medical issue as a result of the medical professional’s actions. This is another situation where an expert witness may be called to testify to explain how the additional issues were a direct result of the doctor’s negligent actions.
- To present proof of damages: The complainant must also provide the court with details regarding the damages that he suffered because of the malpractice. This may include the amount of wages that were lost or any additional medical costs that incurred due to the negligence of the medical professional. In a medical malpractice case, the victim is normally entitled to receive compensation for pain and suffering that the malpractice caused.
- To prove all Elements: In a medical malpractice lawsuit, one need to prove all elements stated above “by a preponderance of the evidence.” This means each of the statements above needs to be more likely true than not.
Dr KK Aggarwal
Padma Shri Awardee
Vice President CMAAO
President HCFI
HealthySoch
