The hour was late and the hospital room was small. The parents of the six-month old girl with the congenital heart defect seemed tired and sad. The doctor, then a third-year pediatric resident, presented a difficult choice. Escalate care in order to prolong the child’s life, or emphasize the little […]
Ann Purchase
40 posts
Vaccinations will prevent nearly 325 million cases of disease among U.S. children born between 1994 and 2013. Yet not all children will receive all of the vaccines recommended by Healthy People 2020, a set of goals and objectives with 10-year targets for national health promotion and disease prevention. As the […]
Food allergies can be life-threatening, but can a diet that’s rich in certain foods increase longevity and reduce the risk of disease and inflammation? The search for “super foods” isn’t new, but recently published research in Environmental Nutrition indicates that nuts and peanuts, blueberries, and basil may have important health […]
Twenty years ago, a study involving more than 4,000 patients revealed substantial shortcomings in how U.S. hospitals care for the seriously ill. Known by the acronym SUPPORT, this 1995 study underscored the importance of palliative care, which seeks to improve the quality of life for patients with advanced illnesses. “Yet […]
Do your patients search the Web for health or medical advice? Statistically-speaking, they probably do. According to a Pew Research Health Fact sheet from December 2013, 72% of Internet users reported looking online for health information in the past year. Today, more people than ever are going online and then […]
Children who are allergic to peanuts are taught to avoid more than just peanut butter. Foods such as cereals and baked goods can contain peanut-related products. Food items that are made in factories where peanuts are processed can also pose risks. Peanuts are a leading cause of food-related allergic reactions, […]