Friday, November 21, 2008

CDC Factsheet: Wildfires

Health Threat From Wildfire Smoke

Smoke from wildfires is a mixture of gases and fine particles from burning trees and other plant materials. Smoke can hurt your eyes, irritate your respiratory system, and worsen chronic heart and lung diseases.

How to tell if smoke is affecting you
Smoke can cause—

  • Coughing
  • A scratchy throat
  • Irritated sinuses
  • Shortness of breath
  • Chest pain
  • Headaches
  • Stinging eyes
  • A runny nose
  • Asthma exacerbations

If you have heart or lung disease, smoke might make your symptoms worse.

People who have heart disease might experience—

  • Chest pain
  • Rapid heartbeat
  • Shortness of breath
  • Fatigue

Smoke may worsen symptoms for people who have pre-existing respiratory conditions, such as respiratory allergies, asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), in the following ways:

  • Inability to breathe normally
  • Cough with or without mucus
  • Chest discomfort
  • Wheezing and shortness of breath

When smoke levels are high enough, even healthy people may experience some of these symptoms.

Know whether you are at risk

If you have heart or lung disease, such as congestive heart failure, angina, COPD, emphysema, or asthma, you are at higher risk of having health problems than healthy people.

Older adults are more likely to be affected by smoke, possibly because they are more likely to have heart or lung diseases than younger people.

Children are more likely to be affected by health threats from smoke because their airways are still developing and because they breathe more air per pound of body weight than adults. Children also are more likely to be active outdoors.

Protect yourself

Limit your exposure to smoke. Following are ways to protect your health:

Pay attention to local air quality reports. Listen and watch for news or health warnings about smoke. Find out if your community provides reports about the Environmental Protection Agency's Air Quality Index (AQI). Also pay attention to public health messages about taking additional safety measures.

Refer to visibility guides if they are available. Not every community has a monitor that measures the amount of particles that are in the air. In the western part of the United States, some communities have guidelines to help people estimate AQI based on how far they can see.

If you are advised to stay indoors, keep indoor air as clean as possible. Keep windows and doors closed unless it is extremely hot outside. Run an air conditioner if you have one, but keep the fresh-air intake closed and the filter clean to prevent outdoor smoke from getting inside. If you do not have an air conditioner and it is too warm to stay inside with the windows closed, seek shelter elsewhere.

Do not add to indoor pollution. When smoke levels are high, do not use anything that burns, such as candles, fireplaces, or gas stoves. Do not vacuum, because vacuuming stirs up particles already inside your home. Do not smoke, because smoking puts even more pollution into the air.

Follow your doctor's advice about medicines and about your respiratory management plan if you have asthma or another lung disease, Call your doctor if your symptoms worsen.

Do not rely on dust masks for protection. Paper "comfort" or "dust" masks commonly found at hardware stores are designed to trap large particles, such as sawdust. These masks will not protect your lungs from smoke. An “N95” mask, properly worn, will offer some protection. For more information about effective masks, see the Respirator Fact Sheet provided by CDC’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

Safe evacuation

As you evacuate and then return home, be cautious and take the same safety measures you would when there is no emergency: buckle up and do not drink and drive. See CDC’s Impaired Driving fact sheet for more information on these hazards.

Also, make sure that children are properly buckled up and in the rear seat. See CDC’s Child Passenger Safety fact sheet for more information.

Power outages

Power outages can be more than an inconvenience. Click on the What You Need to Know When the Power Goes Out page for more information about carbon monoxide poisoning, food safety, safe drinking water, power line hazards and more.

Medicare Publishes New Information on Quality of Care at Dialysis Facilities

Medicare Publishes New Information on Quality of Care at Dialysis Facilities

Changes to Web Site Will Help Consumers Compare Care and Make

Informed Health Care Choices

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) today announced important additions to the Dialysis Facility Compare consumer Web site (http://www.medicare.gov/dialysis) that will give consumers even better insight into the quality of care provided by their local dialysis patient facilities.

The improvements include two new quality measures that demonstrate how well dialysis patients are treated for anemia (low red blood cell count) as well as updated information that will help patients better understand survival rates by facility.

To view the entire Press Release, please see: http://www.cms.hhs.gov/apps/media/press_releases.asp

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Notice: ReliOn Insulin Syringes for use with U-100 Insulin (Tyco Healthcare - Covidien)

The kidney community uses a variety of products and resources to ensure the health and safety of patients and healthcare professionals. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issues alerts and notifications when these products and resources are unsafe or being recalled.

As directed by CMS, the KCER Coalition issues notices on FDA recalls via email and this website for the kidney community. To join the email list, please email sburris@nw7.esrd.net.

November 6, 2008

ReliOn Insulin Syringes for use with U-100 Insulin (Tyco Healthcare - Covidien)

Covidien and FDA notified patients and healthcare professionals of a recall of ReliOn sterile, single-use, disposable, hypodermic syringes with permanently affixed hypodermic needles. The mislabeled syringe may result in patients receiving an overdose of as much as 2.5 times the intended dose, with serious health consequences, low blood sugar, and even death. These syringes are sold only by Wal-Mart or Sam's Club pharmacies under the ReliOn name. The recall applies only to lot number 813900. The product was distributed from Aug. 1, 2008 until Oct. 8, 2008, and includes 471,000 individual syringes in 4,710 boxes. FDA urges patients and health care professionals to check syringe packaging carefully for products with this lot number, not to use the product, and return the product to the pharmacy for replacement. The lot number can be found on the back panel of the 100 count syringe carton, or on the white paper backing of each individual syringe “peel-pack”.

http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2008/NEW01911.html

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

It's always disaster season...

As we try to move out of hurricane season (which ends officially November 30), it's critical to remember there are many other hazards that could impact during the winter months. Severe winter weather, such as ice and snow storms; floods, which can occur year-round; and especially fires, due to the drier weather. Talk to your local emergency management agency to find out what winter hazards are in your area and how to protect yourself!