Clarity Testing Services Blog

Nobody wants to get the flu, but every year, about 50 million people do. In the flu epidemic of 1918, 50 million people died of flu-related complications. Flu is not only a dangerous, debilitating disease, it costs businesses billions of dollars in lost productivity.

There is no foolproof way to guarantee that your employees will not get the flu, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta recommends a flu shot. These vaccinations provide protection against the top three strains of the flu for the coming year. This year's shot will protect those who get it from the H1N1 virus as well as two other of the most common types.

While some of your employees will no doubt take the initiative to get a flu shot on their own, many will not. A great way to encourage your employees to get a flu shot is to host an onsite flu vaccination clinic.

Promote the flu clinic with an all-out campaign by placing posters around your facility. If your company has an intranet site or newsletter, make sure the flu clinic is mentioned prominently. Have a company executive send out a company-wide email announcing the flu clinic. It's a great idea if you make it a business goal to get employees vaccinated against the flu.

The CDC offers a toolkit containing posters and information for businesses and employers who choose to host an onsite flu vaccination clinic. This kit includes some of those promotional items.

Here are some more tips to make your flu clinic successful:

• Get managers and other leaders vaccinated first to set an example.
• Offer incentives. Here are some ideas:
  • Give the shot free or at very low cost. (Balance the cost of the vaccine against how much you would lose if that employee got the flu.)
  • Extend the offer to the families of the employee for free or at low cost.
  • Allow employees to get their shots during working hours without having to punch out.
  • Hold a contest and offer prizes to the department with the highest participation.
  • Provide simple refreshments at the clinic.
• Set up a comfortable and convenient location for the clinic.
• Make sure the clinic is as convenient as possible for employees.

When you consider the contagious nature of the flu, you can see that every one of your employees protected against it can help to ensure the health of your whole workforce.

While hosting a flu vaccination clinic may seem like a benevolent thing to do for your employees, it is also a very smart business practice. If you can reduce the number of your employees who contract influenza this year you will probably reduce your costs in absenteeism and medical costs. After all, how much of the $10.4 billion pie do you really want to pay for?

More info available:

http://www.flu.gov/

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/

References:

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/pdf/business/Toolkit_Seasonal_Flu_For_Businesses_and_Employers.pdf

http://pediatrics.about.com/od/kidsandtheflu/a/05_late_shots.htm

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/

http://answers.flu.gov/questions/4253

This entry was posted on October 2, 2011 at 5:54 PM and has received 538 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

Most people who work outdoors probably have at least a passing familiarity with poison ivy and the discomfort that it can cause. Yet one particular plant that can pose a much more serious health threat may be completely unknown to many people, including employers. This one is even listed by the federal government as a noxious weed. Meet the giant hogweed.

Originally from the Caucasus Mountain area (between Europe and Asia), giant hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum), a member of the carrot family, was introduced to the United States in the early 1900s as an ornamental garden plant. Today it is established in New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Maryland, Oregon, Washington, Michigan, Virginia, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. It spreads via seeds distributed by animals and waterways.

When giant hogweed sap touches human skin, it prevents the skin from protecting itself from sunlight. This, in turn, may lead to a very bad sunburn, which can even resemble a chemical burn. This is known as phytophotodermatitis and it can start as soon as 15 minutes after contact. The skin reaction can be made even worse by heat and moisture (even from sweat or dew). The severe irritation may lead to blistering, permanent scarring and, if the sap gets in the eyes, blindness, which can be permanent. Often the skin retains the appearance of a bad burn for months or even years after contact.

Giant hogweed is an herb that can grow to 12 feet or taller. Its stems are hollow and ridged, measure two to four inches in diameter and had dark red-purple blotches on them. They also produce rugged bristles. Its large compound leaves can grow up to 5 feet wide. Its white flower heads can grow up to 2 1/2 feet in diameter. The giant hogweed identification page describes the plant and its parts in detail, shows many photographs and compares this dangerous plant to several look-alikes. Northeastern residents may notice it bears a resemblance to the smaller, harmless weed known as Queen Anne's lace.

The toxic sap is located in all parts of the giant hogweed. Contact usually occurs when skin touches the bristles on the stem, broken stems, or the leaves. If you think you've been exposed to giant hogweed sap you should:

• Wash the affected area thoroughly with soap and COLD water as soon as possible
• Avoid exposing the area to sunlight/UV rays for 48 hours
• If sap goes in eyes, rinse them with water and wear sunglasses
• See a physician as soon as possible; this is a medical emergency
• Topical steroids may reduce the reaction's severity if applied early

Anyone who works in areas where giant hogweed may be present should know what it looks like in order to avoid it. Do NOT attempt to remove the plants unless you know how to completely protect yourself. More information about giant hogweed is available on New York State's Department of Environmental Conservation webpage.

References:

http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/39809.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noxious_weed

This entry was posted on September 8, 2011 at 12:30 PM and has received 264 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

Whether you call them "standard precautions," "bloodborne pathogen precautions" or "universal precautions," OSHA's standard 1910.1030 was drafted to keep people safe from diseases that can be transmitted by body fluids. Universal precautions were mainly directed at the healthcare field, particularly to those workers involved in the care of patients, all employers—even outside the healthcare industry—ought to be aware of universal precautions. They can apply to just about any organization where people may be exposed to others who fall sick or become injured.

Universal?

The purpose of universal precautions is to prevent contact with blood or other potentially infectious materials such as other body fluids including vomit, urine, saliva, feces and mucus.

If an accident happens and body fluids are present, there is the theoretical potential for disease to spread if another person comes in contact with even a tiny amount of that fluid. Universal precautions treats all people ("universal") as if they might be a carrier of a blood-borne pathogen.

The Basics of Universal Precautions

The foundation of Universal Precautions is to avoid contact with the body fluids of another person. In some occupations, such as nursing or dentistry, contact with body fluids is to be reasonably expected during the course of the workday. For such employees, personal protective equipment should be used (gloves, goggles, face shields, gowns, and so on).

In other workplaces, there is no reasonable expectation that an employee would come into contact with another person's body fluids during the workday—but accidents do happen. For example, if someone vomits or gets cut and bleeds in the workplace, the potential for possible blood-borne pathogen transmission exists. In such organizations, the best defense is to wear gloves as a barrier if an employee might have to clean or come in contact with the fluid. The best choice for protective gloves are non-porous, non-latex gloves. (Latex gloves work fine but some people are allergic to latex.)

A Few Tips

• Be prepared. If your organization is not one that reasonably expects to have contact with blood-borne pathogens, you should still have some non-porous gloves available to employees at all times in the workplace.
  • Gloves come in four main sizes (small, medium, large, and extra-large). The supply should include gloves that fit all employees. Individuals with large hands may not be able to fit into a small glove. However, if the glove is too large, it may slip or allow intrusion of fluid.
  • A variety of sizes is best for a large workplace.
  • Although latex gloves are fine, some people are allergic to latex. Non-latex is a good choice that works for everyone.
  • Always dispose of used gloves; never re-use them.
  • Encourage employees to change gloves if they become soiled, that is, an employee cleaning up body fluids may need to use more than one pair of gloves for one task.
  • Do not assume that hands are clean, even when gloves are worn. Always wash hands thoroughly when gloves are removed.
  • Speaking of hand hygiene...Hands should be washed thoroughly before and after using gloves. The CDC's Hand Hygiene Basics offers more information. [LINK: http://www.cdc.gov/handhygiene/Basics.html.]
• Cleaning personnel may come in contact with body fluids and should be considered as part of Universal Precautions (for instance, cleaning of restrooms, emptying trash).

Alcohol-based hand sanitizers can also be used, particularly when changing gloves (from one pair to another). As a general rule, hand sanitizers can be used when there is no visible soiling of the hands but hands may have come in contact with pathogens. Whenever there is any kind of visible soiling of the hands, soap and water should be used instead of an alcohol rub. Do not use soap and water along with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer at the same time since it dilutes the hand sanitizer.

References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_precautions

http://safety.lovetoknow.com/OSHA_Standard_Precautions

http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=standards&p_id=10051

CDC hand hygiene

http://www.cdc.gov/handhygiene/Basics.html

This entry was posted on September 8, 2011 at 12:20 PM and has received 250 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

A panel of experts from the Independent Scientific Committee on Drugs, a UK-based independent drugs advisory committee, set up and chaired by Professor David Nutt, recently studied 20 drugs and came to the conclusion than alcohol is the most harmful of the bunch.

The study, funded by London's Centre for Crime and Justice Studies, was recently published in the prestigious medical journal, The Lancet. Besides alcohol, some of the drugs studied were crack cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine (crystal meth), marijuana, ecstasy, LSD and tobacco.

The group used a new scale to evaluate the harms that the drugs cause. The scale uses 16 criteria; nine criteria focus on the harm that a drug may cause to the individual user and seven criteria focus on its harm to others. Of a possible 100 points, alcohol received a score of 72.

Some of the criteria relating to how drugs harm individual users were:

• Is this substance addictive?
• Will it contribute to poor health?
• Does it impair mental function?
• Will it result in loss of friendships?
• Can it be fatal?

The criteria examining how harmful a drug might be to society included:

• Can this substance damage the environment?
• Will it lead to the breakup of families?
• Will it have a negative impact on communities?
• Does it cause crime?
• Does it lead to incarceration?
• Can this substance increase healthcare or social service costs to society?

The study determined that

• Society was most harmed by alcohol, heroin, and crack cocaine
• Individuals were most harmed by heroin, crack cocaine, and methamphetamine

People concerned about drug abuse may be surprised to see alcohol topping the list of substances most harmful to society.

One reason this study may have concluded that alcohol is so much more harmful than other drugs is because alcohol is legal and plentiful.

• In August 2010, a Gallup poll found that 67% of adults in the US consume alcohol.
• This is the highest alcohol consumption rate since the 1980s.
• Alcohol is the most widely used substance on the list.

What makes alcohol so dangerous? The fact that it is legal, widely consumed, and perennially popular may contribute to the mistaken concept that it is harmless.

• Taken in excess, alcohol can damage almost all organ systems.
• Alcohol is addictive.
• It is related to more crime than most of the other substances on the list.
• It can profoundly impair those who abuse it.
• Consuming large quantities may be fatal.

The study has met with its critics, including Brigid Simmonds, chief executive of the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA). She spoke out against the study saying that to compare drinking beer to taking heroin or crack cocaine is irrational. "Alcohol misuse amongst a minority is an issue that the industry is working with government to address. This deliberately sensationalist headline grabbing language risks distorting debate, and alienates sensible people from discussing the sort of balanced and proportionate actions that do need to be taken."

While alcohol is harmful, the dangers of its abuse should not trivialize the fact that heroin, crack cocaine, methamphetamine, and other drugs on the list are extremely dangerous.

It might be noted that David Nutt, co-author of The Lancet article caused a controversy last year when he wrote in the Journal of Psychopharmacology that taking ecstasy was less dangerous than riding a horse and that society "does not adequately balance the relative risks of drugs against their harms."

Later he apologized explaining that he was did not mean to trivialize the dangers of ecstasy, but only to point out the relative risks of the two activities.

References:

http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/11/01/alcohol.harm/index.html?hpt=C2

http://www.aolhealth.com/2010/11/01/alcohol-deadlier-than-heroin-crack/

http://www.healthrelatedinfos.com/alcohol-more-harmful-than-crack-heroin-1998/

http://www.parentdish.com/2010/11/02/booze-may-be-worse-than-crack-cocaine-meth-study-says/

http://www.google.com/search?q=alcohol%20worse%20than%20crack&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbo=u&tbs=nws:1&source=og&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wn

http://www.thepublican.com/story.asp?sectioncode=7&storycode=68304&c=1

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independent_Scientific_Committee_on_Drugs

This entry was posted on May 27, 2011 at 6:22 PM and has received 306 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

Lead poisoning is caused by the accumulation of lead, a heavy metal, in the body. Since lead is not easily dissipated from the body it can accumulate for months or even years. Even small amounts of lead can pose serious health problems since lead is toxic to the bones, heart, intestines, kidneys, and reproductive and nervous systems

Symptoms of lead poisoning include:

• Headache
• Irritability
• Anemia
• Abdominal pain
• Seizures
• Coma
• Death

In adults lead poisoning is usually a result of occupational exposure. Job sites and occupations with high risk for lead exposure include:

• Foundry workers
• Metal recycling plant employees
• Plants producing products which contain lead such as ammunition, ceramic glazes, jet engines, plumbing, certain electronics and medical products and equipment
• Lead miners
• Smelters
• Plumbers and fitters
• Auto mechanics
• Welders
• Glass manufacturers
• Construction workers

However, lead poisoning can affect even individuals who do not work in these environments. Family members may be affected when a person exposed to lead in the workplace brings lead dust home on clothing or skin. Anyone residing or working in an older building may risk exposure, because older construction often contains lead-based paint, lead pipes and lead-contaminated dust. Furthermore, accidental environmental contamination may expose individuals to lead. Such environmental contamination may affect water, air, soil, and even food. Some consumer products, including foreign-made children's toys and furniture, have been determined to contain lead.

Lead poisoning is usually detected via a blood test. Depending on the level of lead found, different treatments may be used. People with serious symptoms may receive chelation therapy in which a drug is administered which binds with the lead allowing the body to excrete it.

In the case of lead poisoning, as with many toxic substances, the old saying rings true: An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. In most situations you can protect yourself from lead contamination by limiting your exposure to it as much as possible.

• In the home environment, professionals can remove lead paint and pipes from buildings.
• Laws such as those that ban lead paint from consumer products and limit pollution protect everyone.

Individuals who have concerns about lead in the workplace can consult the Occupational Health and Safety Administration or visit their website at OSHA.gov.

References:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/lead-poisoning/FL00068

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lead_poisoning

http://www.ct.gov/dph/LIB/dph/environmental_health/EOHA/pdf/Work_Lead.pdf

http://www.osha.gov/OshDoc/data_Hurricane_Facts/LeadHazards.pdf

http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/lead/

http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/lead/

This entry was posted on May 20, 2011 at 6:25 PM and has received 313 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

After being plagued by safety concerns for many years, Darvon®, Darvocet® and other drugs containing propoxyphene were withdrawn from the U.S. market on November 19, 2010 by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These painkillers had been popularly prescribed in the U.S. since the 1950s. It is estimated that 10 million Americans took pain medications containing propoxyphene in 2009 and that 18 million prescriptions were written.

Public Citizen's Health Research Group, directed by Dr. Sidney Wolfe, petitioned the FDA to ban propoxyphene in 1978 and again in 2006. Dr. Bob A. Rapaport, the director of the FDA's Division of Analgesia and Anesthesia Products, wrote in a memo that "there have long been concerns about propoxyphene's safety." He went on to mention that the drug was also thought to have limited efficacy as a pain killer.

The FDA was prompted to act when new scientific evidence suggested that propoxyphene, the active ingredient in Darvon and Darvocet, can damage the heart by causing potentially fatal heart rhythm abnormalities. The director of the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research's (CDER) Office of Surveillance and Epidemiology. Dr. Gerald J. Dal Pan said, "For the first time, we now have data showing that the standard therapeutic dose of propoxyphene can be harmful to the heart."

At a news conference the director of the FDA's office of new drugs at CDER, John Jenkins, MD, stated that propoxyphene "puts patients at risk of abnormal or even fatal heart rhythm abnormalities." This risk extends even to people without heart problems taking no more than recommended doses of propoxyphene.

People with prescriptions for propoxyphene are urged to contact their physicians at once for medical advice. It is not recommended that the medication be stopped abruptly without medical monitoring. In some cases, the physician may work with the patient to taper off the drug.

People taking propoxyphene products who experience or have experienced symptoms of an abnormal heart rate should contact their physician immediately. Symptoms include:

• Dizziness
• Lightheadedness
• Feeling woozy
• Heart palpitations
• Sensation of a "racing heart" or "pounding heart"
• Fainting or feeling like you might faint

These symptoms are likely to come and go rather than be persistent. According to Dr. Gerald Dal Pan, people who took propoxyphene drugs for a long time are not at increased risk for heart problems. Darvon does not cause permanent damage to the heart and "Once patients stop taking propoxyphene, the risk will go away."

Propoxyphene is prescribed for pain relief, and there are other pain medications available that may be appropriate substitutes.

References:

http://www.kwqc.com/Global/story.asp?S=13538353&nav=7k7U

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20101119/hl_nm/us_darvon_usa

http://pagingdrgupta.blogs.cnn.com/2010/11/19/darvon-darvocet-to-be-pulled-from-u-s-market/

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/PainArthritis/painkillers-darvon-darvocet-coming-off-us-market/story?id=12194165

http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/news/20101119/darvon-darvocet-banned

This entry was posted on April 28, 2011 at 1:21 PM and has received 335 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

Over 5 million Americans have diabetes and another 57 million are prediabetic, meaning they have higher than normal blood glucose levels. More and more Americans are getting diabetes and getting it younger. The National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) made an assessment in 2003 that 1 in 3 Americans born after 2000 will develop diabetes in their lifetime.

Left untreated, diabetes can cause permanent damage to kidneys, heart, eyes, and nerves. Some diabetics develop painful neuropathic conditions. Having diabetes can complicate treatment for other conditions.

So what does it mean if you have diabetic employees?

Given the large number of Americans with diabetes, companies with any appreciable size no doubt have diabetic employees on the payroll. Diabetics work in all fields, from running corporations to driving trucks, from professional athletes to construction workers.

Here are a few famous working diabetics past and present:

• Arthur Ashe, tennis player
• Thomas Edison, inventor
• Halle Berry, actor
• Mary Tyler Moore, actor
• Ella Fitzgerald, musician
• Elvis Presley, musician
• Mike Huckabee, Arkansas governor
• Sonia Sotomayor, Supreme Court judge
• Ernest Hemingway, writer
• Mario Puzo, writer
• Ray Croc, founder of McDonald's
• Ty Cobb, baseball player

Diabetes is considered a disability, and it is covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Diabetics may require what the law calls "reasonable accommodation." This may translate into allowing diabetic workers an extra break to test their blood sugar or have a snack. This may mean that diabetics require several short breaks during the day and that they are less able to postpone or skip a break.

On the other hand, there is no evidence that diabetic employees take more sick leave or have a disruptive influence on the work environment. In fact, many people are not even aware that they may be working side by side with diabetics.

As an employer, your work force is likely to include diabetic people. Here are some thoughts for managing this.

• Encourage your employees to be tested regularly for diabetes and pre-diabetes. This can even be done with on-site diabetes screening programs. (The earlier a person can get care, the better the disease can be managed.)
• Educate your employees about diabetes so that they recognize the symptoms.
• Train your supervisors so that they know the "reasonable accommodation" laws for diabetics.
• Make sure that diabetic employees can eat snacks during the day, if need be. There may be times when they will need to grab a bite to keep their blood glucose on track.
• If you have employee communications, such as company email blasts or newsletters or websites, regularly post information about diabetes including
  • The need for testing
  • Tips for diabetes-healthy eating
  • Symptoms of diabetes
  • Pre-diabetes
  • Healthy lifestyle tips (diet, exercise, weight loss)
• Diabetes can be related to obesity and many obese diabetics improve with weight loss. Your company may want to work with a weight-loss organization or dietician to offer a company-sponsored weight loss program.
• If it makes sense for your organization, an onsite gym can give your employees (diabetics and others) the opportunity to get exercise without sacrificing much time or convenience. This can be as simple as a few treadmills and exercise bikes in an easily accessible area.

More info:

The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) is the global advocate for diabetic worldwide. It represents over 200 diabetes associations in more than 160 countries. Its mission is to promote diabetes care, prevention and a cure worldwide. You can visit www.idf.org for details.

References:

http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/prevention/pre-diabetes/pre-diabetes-faqs.html

http://www.eeoc.gov/facts/diabetes.html

http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20101110/health/health3.html

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/info/diabetes/

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE69L21Y20101022

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diabetes_mellitus

http://www.worlddiabetesday.org/media/press-materials/press-releases/idf-launches-world-diabetes-day-2010-campaign

This entry was posted on April 28, 2011 at 1:14 PM and has received 307 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

In 2008, there were about 24 million diabetics in the U.S. About 20% of them did not know they had the disease.

Another 57 million—many also undiagnosed—have pre-diabetes, a condition with high blood sugar that is not quite diabetes. Pre-diabetics are at high risk of developing full-blown diabetes.

Diabetes is a metabolic disorder related to a hormone called insulin. In a healthy person the pancreas secretes enough insulin to regulate the body's level of blood glucose (sugar). A person with diabetes mellitus, usually just called diabetes, has high blood sugar levels because his or her body does not produce enough insulin, or does not properly utilize the insulin that is produced.

There are three main types of diabetes.

• Type 1
  • This used to be called "juvenile diabetes," because if a child had diabetes, it was almost always this type. Today, many children are diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes so this name has been dropped.
  • However, many people with Type 1 diabetes find out they have it as children.
  • The body produces no or very little insulin.
  • Insulin injections are required to maintain stable blood sugar levels.

• Type 2
  • This used to be called "adult-onset diabetes," because if an adult got diabetes, it used to be this type. Today, many children are diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes.
  • This type is far more common in the U.S. than Type 1 and is often diagnosed in adults.
  • The body is unable to utilize insulin properly. The body may or may not produce insulin (and, in fact, it may overproduce insulin).
  • This type of diabetes is usually managed with diet, exercise, and oral medication.

• Gestational diabetes
  • This is defined as a diabetes that occurs during pregnancy in a woman who did not have diabetes when she was not pregnant.
  • In most cases, gestational diabetes goes away when the pregnancy is over.

Diabetes affects people of nearly every age, race and ethnicity. It has near equal prevalence in both genders. According to the World Health Organization as of 2000 there were 171 million people (2.8% of the population) suffering from diabetes. By 2030 it is estimated that this number will double.

Symptoms of diabetes include:

• Increased thirst
• Thirst that can't be quenched even with lots of water
• Frequent urination
• Increased appetite
• Bad breath that smells like acetone (nail polish remover)
• Fatigue
• Unexplained weight loss
• Itchy skin

While there is not yet a cure for diabetes, it can be managed through blood-glucose testing, diet, exercise, weight control and/or medication and/or insulin. It is important to manage diabetes since its complications may affect the heart, eyes, kidneys and nerves.

More info:

The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) is the global advocate for diabetic worldwide. It represents over 200 diabetes associations in more than 160 countries. Its mission is to promote diabetes care, prevention and a cure worldwide. You can visit www.idf.org for details.

References:

http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/prevention/pre-diabetes/pre-diabetes-faqs.html

http://www.eeoc.gov/facts/diabetes.html

http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20101110/health/health3.html

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/info/diabetes/

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE69L21Y20101022

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diabetes_mellitus

http://www.worlddiabetesday.org/media/press-materials/press-releases/idf-launches-world-diabetes-day-2010-campaign

This entry was posted on April 28, 2011 at 12:39 PM and has received 301 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

Influenza or "the flu" can be quite costly for businesses. A 2007 study showed that the approximate annual cost of flu to businesses is approximately $10.4 billion! While many people take the advice of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and get themselves vaccinated, business owners and managers can encourage vaccination by offering an on-site flu shot clinic.

The facts about the flu may amaze you:

• About 50 million cases of the flu are reported in the U.S. a year.
• About 30,000 to 40,000 Americans die of the flu every year.
• About 150,000 Americans are hospitalized every year because of the flu.
• Flu-related deaths can result from pneumonia or cardiopulmonary conditions.
• Because the flu is very contagious, geographical outbreaks are common. If you want to know where the flu is striking, you can Google a flu map. Check it out at Google.org/flutrends. It's a collaborative project between the CDC and Google.
• Flu season typically starts in autumn and lasts all winter, but in some years, flu season starts later and lasts all spring, even into early summer.
• There is not just one "flu virus." There are many viruses that can cause influenza and they can change every year. That's why last year's flu shot may not help you with this year's viruses.

The CDC recommends that nearly everyone over the age of 6 months get vaccinated against the flu annually.

• Anyone can get the flu, even very healthy, strong individuals.
• People with chronic health conditions, such as diabetes, or heart and lung diseases are at high risk for flu-related complications and need a vaccination.
• Other at-risk populations for flu-related complications include the very young, senior citizens, and pregnant women.
• It is best to get vaccinated early in the flu season, as soon as the vaccine becomes available (usually in the early autumn).
• Each year the flu vaccine is formulated to protect against the three most common viruses for that year. The 2010-2011 flu vaccine targets influenza A H3N2, an influenza B, and influenza A H1N1.
• The vaccine protects you by causing your body to produce antibodies against the viruses.
• It takes about two weeks for these antibodies to build up, so during those two weeks you should still be diligent about protecting yourself from the flu (which is a good idea at all times)
  • Cover your sneezes and coughs with a tissue and throw the tissue in the trash right away.
  • Wash your hands frequently and/or use an alcohol-based sanitizer.
  • Don't touch your face or put your fingers in your nose, eyes or mouth.
  • As much as possible minimize contact with people who are ill.

More info available:

http://www.flu.gov/

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/

References:

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/pdf/business/Toolkit_Seasonal_Flu_For_Businesses_and_Employers.pdf

http://pediatrics.about.com/od/kidsandtheflu/a/05_late_shots.htm

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/

http://answers.flu.gov/questions/4253

This entry was posted on April 11, 2011 at 12:35 PM and has received 286 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

Medical journals, particularly peer-reviewed journals like The Lancet, have a reputation for scholarship. They may indulge a lot in medical jargon and write articles that go over the heads of all but the brightest medical minds, but they are thought to be steeped in academic integrity.

Medical journals disseminate information written by clinical and scientific experts. They can be extremely powerful in shaping clinical practice because physicians may rely on the information presented in them to help guide their decisions in treating patients.

This is not to say that medical journals do not create some controversy. They publish articles by leading authorities on the latest topics--and experts do not always agree with each other. In many ways, medical journals are an ongoing report of the current medical "conversation," with opinions on the latest diseases, research, and treatments.

But do medical journals ever sensationalize?

Recently, Britain's prestigious medical journal The Lancet, published an article in which a group of experts claimed to determine that alcohol was a more harmful substance that heroin, LSD, methamphetamine, and crack cocaine--to name a few. One of the authors of that article wrote last year in another prestigious medical journal, the Journal of Psychopharmacology, that taking ecstasy was less dangerous than riding a horse. Later he apologized explaining that he was did not mean to trivialize the dangers of ecstasy, but only to point out the relative risks of the two activities.

But are these stories real medical information or just a bid at making the news?

In the case of the article about the relative harms of a variety of substances, the authors created a rating scale that evaluated the harms numerically in terms of personal harms to the user and societal harms. Alcohol scored highest in terms of societal harm.

However, the study used a rating system that appears to have been created particularly for this study. Without validation--that is, without making sure that its measurements truly reflect what is being measured--results are more suggestive than conclusive.

The study has met with its critics, including Brigid Simmonds, chief executive of the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA). She spoke out against the study saying that to compare drinking beer to taking heroin or crack cocaine is irrational.

"Alcohol misuse amongst a minority is an issue that the industry is working with government to address," Simmonds stated. "This deliberately sensationalist headline-grabbing language risks distorting debate, and alienates sensible people from discussing the sort of balanced and proportionate actions that do need to be taken."

It is important when reading any medical materials, including peer-reviewed articles, to recognize that it is one opinion in an ongoing conversation.

References:

http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/11/01/alcohol.harm/index.html?hpt=C2

http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/11/01/alcohol.harm/index.html?hpt=C2

http://www.healthrelatedinfos.com/alcohol-more-harmful-than-crack-heroin-1998/

http://www.parentdish.com/2010/11/02/booze-may-be-worse-than-crack-cocaine-meth-study-says/

http://www.google.com/search?q=alcohol%20worse%20than%20crack&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbo=u&tbs=nws:1&source=og&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wn

http://www.google.com/search?q=alcohol%20worse%20than%20crack&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbo=u&tbs=nws:1&source=og&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wn

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independent_Scientific_Committee_on_Drugs

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