Ban on Bargain Booze

 

The Government has proposed to enforce a minimum charge of 40p per unit to reduce the nation's binge drinking habits. In the last decade deaths from liver disease has risen by 25% with over 1 million people being admitted to NHS hospitals each year. It is also thought that over 1 million acts of violent crime each year are linked to alcohol.

The minimum charge is unlikely to affect most pubs and large brands. It will be mainly affecting cheap supermarket own brand produce, super-strength drinks and huge bottles of cheap cider which are currently being sold for around 20p per unit of alcohol. For example a 2 litre bottle of 5% cider which is sold at some shops for £1.60 will increase to a minimum of £4.00.
Hopefully the new laws will help reduce the number of casualties resulting from the effects of binge drinking.


Image- http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1268706/Cut-price-Curran-WAG-stocks-cheap-alcohol-Bargain-Booze.html

Can cooling the brain help our stroke victims?

According to an article reported in several of the national papers and on the BBC website; lowering the temperature of the brain can lead to a greater recovery for people affected by strokes. A pilot study has suggested that a reduction in temperature (35C) using cold saline or ice-packs on the body, appears to put the brain in a form of protective hibernation. It is estimated that this induced hypothermia will help over 40, 000 people in Europe each year; as the therapy has been considered suitable for most stroke victims. 

I have cared for several elderly people who have had strokes and not one of them had exactly the same symptoms. They suffered from a range of speech problems, paralysis and swallowing difficulties however each was affected differently. A treatment which is versatile in reducing the damage to the brain looks like really exciting possibility.

There is already strong evidence that cooling helps reduce the amount of permanent brain damage for those with serious head injuries. The pilot study shows that this technique had potential to help those suffering from strokes, however more research is needed.

Horizon BBC2: Out of Control?

After seeing this advertised, I decided to watch it on BBC iplayer.The programme looked at the role of the unconscious mind in a range of situations by studying human participants. I was particularly interested by how we react to bad news and risks- we are optimists!

 We have an unconscious mechanism which allows us not register bad news as effectively as we take in good news. For example we know that cakes contain 'empty calories' and could lead to us becoming overweight but we still eat them anyway! We often find ourselves living in the spare of the moment and not reading too deeply into the risks. In the study on the programme, the participant had to estimate the risk of developing a certain illness/disease whilst in a MRI scanner. He gives his prediction before finding out the real statistic, most things were grossly underestimated. When he was asked to repeat the set of questions, he did not use the information to change his results. For example when he found out that he was more likely ot be affected by cancer than he thought he still didn't alter his original prediction. The brain scans confirmed that we seem to have a dysfunctional ability to deal with negative information.

 It appears that we live in a world through rose-tinted glasses. Our optimism appears to have been developed for a reason. If we were forever worried that we would fail or take a turn for the worst then our anxiety levels would be through the roof which can contribute to a whole range of other problems (just for starters, think fight or flight mechanisms and how cortisol & other hormones interfere with your immune system). Also if we never thought we were capable of achieving anything then we wouldn't try. If we didn't have this optimistic way of life, I wouldn't have had the motivation to apply for medical school with only 5-10% chance of success from most of them, the odds were completely against me! That's enough for me to consider it an amazing mechanism.

I love watching this sort of thing, especially when I can link it back to my existing knowledge of science. I cant wait to get back into learning, only 6 months to go now!

Abortion Clinics Ads (Student BMJ March 12)

 

As of 30 April 2012, private abortion services which charge a fee will be able to advertise on the television and radio. Profiting companies will be allowed to broadcast their services alongside the existing non-profitable clinics. For some women this will make the termination of a pregnancy easier as they may be more aware of the services available however some worry that we may become desensitized to a very emotional and controversial subject. I think it is important that people think very carefully about their actions; the media may be portraying it as an easy and winning option, however we need to be careful not to over simplify such a life changing decision.

UK Doctors Abort on Gender Alone

 

The Abortion Act 1967 states that non-medical reasons for abortion are illegal in England, Scotland and Wales. Reports in The Daily Telegraph discovered that doctors have secretly been allowing the termination of a pregnancy based n the sex of their child. Secret filming found three clinics guilty of allowing sex-selection based abortions. Andrew Lansley has reported those involved to the GMC and to the police for their criminal actions. Doctors who partake in this illegal activity run the risk of being struck off and imprisonment.
Two doctors are needed to consent the abortion of an unborn child before reaching 24 weeks. The only accepted reasons for termination are that the pregnancy poses as a risk to the mother or her existing children's health (mental, physical) or that there is a significant risk that the child will be seriously disabled (physically or mentally). By abiding to these rules, the one way gender could play a part is if a) the child's sex significantly affects mothers mental health or b) there was a significant chance that the child may develop a disability based on X/Y chromosomes.

Sexual health with older patients (Student BMJ)

When diagnosing older patients, the chances of it being an STI would be fairly low down on a doctor's list, however research has shown that more than 80% of people aged 50-90 are sexually active. It has become apparent that Sexually transmitted infections are increasing in the older generations, however there hasn't been enough research  to explain why. As women get older they are physiologically more vulnerable to minor genital injuries after the menopause.When looking at improving the situation, it is difficult to know which strategies to use to improve awareness and control the spread of infection. Doctors have been discouraged to shy away from discussing save sex with patients regardless of age.

Vera Drake

Recently I watched this film and it made me think about people's attitudes towards abortions. Set in 1950's London, Vera, a nurturing motherly figure, is performing backstreet abortions to 'help girls out'. She uses household items and flushes them with soapy water to stimulate a miscarriage. With only the wealthy being able to afford to staying in a nursing home for the termination of their pregnancy, many women come to Vera for help. Not only does Vera have no medical training or sterile equipment, she is not able to offer the psychological support that healthcare professionals could offer.
Although Vera has a heart of gold and means no harm, one of the girls she helped takes a turn for the worst and her case becomes life threatening.Vera had never seen her actions as wrong however she was wrecked on hearing the news. The police soon get involved and her family learn of her private life. Her son in particular, presents as being emotionally distressed after finding that his Mum 'kills little babies'. She is sentenced for two and half years imprisonment.
 If abortions were made illegal in the UK, it worries me that these illegal and uncontrolled practices may take place again. When I think about not being able to get the right treatment or any medical attention to that matter, it makes you really appreciate having the NHS with free healthcare at the point of call. Also without proper support and counselling, people may be a risk to themselves or others. With the stigma of mental health reducing over time people, psychological support is more available and possibly more importantly, it is more accepted.

Trailer for Vera Drake (2004) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5L3hGxHumY

Cranky Breastfed babies- Do they have anything to cry about?

The Medical Research Council are advising parents that although breastfed babies cry more than those on formula milk, breast is still the best. Surveys have shown that within months of breastfeeding, 2/3 of women stop. Mothers are interpreting their babies cry as an indicator that their milk is not satisfying them, however MRC assures that there is no need for alarm; the babies are just trying to communicate.

It could be that bottle fed babies are overfed making them appear to have better temperaments or to do with the social norms of feeding babies that affects the trends seen. Scientists try to encourage women to breastfeed however essentially it is the individual's choice to decide on their feeding methods.