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Monthly Archives: February 2012
Springtime Boating Tips
The arrival of spring usually means warmer weather, and higher temperatures mean you can go boating. Before you take your boat out on the water, though, take a few minutes to review the following safety tips: Make sure all children wear lifejackets. Whether on the boat or just near the water, kids have a way of getting into things before you know it. Do not fool yourself that you can “keep an eye on them.” Make sure you have a lifejacket for every adult. Never allow more people on the boat than you have personal flotation devices. It is also important that the lifejackets fit. Checking for fit at the beginning of the season will give you time to buy new gear if necessary. Do not drink and boat. This should be understood, but many times people do not think drinking and boating is as dangerous as drinking and driving….
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Safe Grilling
As the weather warms, you may consider bringing the grill out of storage and firing it up. Grills can be surprisingly dangerous if used incorrectly, though. Avoid any unpleasant accidents by following these simple tips: Read the owner’s manual. Many people have an aversion to reading manuals, but knowing how your grill works and the proper way to operate it is useful. It is also smart. Only use the grill outside. Too many fires are started by grills used under awnings or decks or some other overhang. Keep the grill stable. If it falls over, it could start a fire as well as ruin your food. Wear safe clothing. Hanging shirttails, frills or apron strings can catch fire. Use fire-retardant gloves as well. Use long handled utensils. Long handles prevent you from burning yourself and save you from grease splatter. Be ready to extinguish flames. Whether it is a fire…
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The Dangers of Translated Drug Labels
A study in the journal Pediatrics indicates that Spanish language translations of prescription drug labels can be so confusing that the medications are potentially hazardous to a patient’s health. Researchers looked at 76 labels generated by 13 different computer programs and discovered an error rate of almost 50 percent. The computer programs would often mix Spanish and English together, with sometimes dangerous consequences. As an example, in English “once” means one time, whereas in Spanish, it means “eleven.” The dangers of taking 11 doses instead of one are obvious. “It’s scary how high the error rate is,” said lead author Dr. Iman Sharif. “If we can’t do this right in Spanish – the most commonly spoken non-English language in the U.S. – I’m afraid to think what happens with other languages.” Apparently the computers translate the labels word by word, rather than taking whole phrases and interpreting the meaning and…
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How Defective Drugs Slip Through the Cracks
In an ideal world, medical patients would never have to worry about defective drugs. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is supposed to ensure the safety of our pharmaceuticals. Despite the organization’s efforts, dangerous pharmaceuticals are periodically cleared for sale. How does this happen? Legal drugs are supposed to go through extensive testing by the manufacturer before they go on sale to the public. The FDA is then supposed to approve these drugs. Unfortunately, the potential profit of a “blockbuster” drug can inspire manufacturers to use unethical methods to get their drugs to market. Companies, if they desire to, can downplay or hide negative test results. The FDA is under a constant swarm of applications and can often fail to notice these misrepresentations. To make matters worse, researchers responsible for publishing the test data often will not have access to all of the facts, leading published research to reflect overly-positive…
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