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The holiday social calendar often may be jammed with get-togethers that come with hidden dangers. The number of injuries and deaths from alcohol-related motor vehicle accidents increases during the holiday season as people leave festivities after drinking too much.

"It's not because people are depressed; it's just because they're partying, and they think it's OK to drink and drive," says Dr. Kathleen Delaney, an emergency medicine and internal medicine physician at UT Southwestern Medical Center. "It's better to call a cab than to pay for a hospital bill – or a funeral."

Legal blood-alcohol limits for a driver vary among states. Regardless, people experience coordination impairment and reduced alertness with blood alcohol levels of 0.05. A 120-pound woman reaches 0.04 after consuming one 12-ounce beer. A 160-pound man reaches 0.05 after two beers.

"Common sense says you know that you're impaired even at those levels," Dr. Delaney says. "It's the holidays, so you're going to have a few drinks and enjoy yourself. But just don't drive a vehicle. Designate a driver. Being in an accident is not a good holiday present."

For those who will not be driving, Dr. Delaney recommends limiting total alcohol consumption, spacing alcoholic beverages at least an hour apart and having a nonalcoholic beverage between drinks to help counteract alcohol's dehydrating effects. Also, ensure that all drinks containing alcohol – including eggnog and punch – are out of the reach of children. Alcohol consumption can cause a child's blood sugar to plummet, she says.

(12-23-08)

As host, you've probably thought of everything that would make your holiday get together a success. But Dr. Rebecca Gruchalla, chief of allergy and immunology at UT Southwestern Medical Center, recommends a few extra precautions if your guest list includes an asthma sufferer. The following suggestions can create a comfortable atmosphere for guests and help them avoid an asthma attack:

• Don't use juniper or cedar trees, which are pollinating this time of year. Instead, invest in an artificial tree and keep it dust free.
• Be mindful of fragrances, and avoid using scented candles and room sprays.
• Reschedule your party if you get sick. People with asthma are more susceptible to colds and the flu, which can exacerbate respiratory problems.

(12-23-08)

As the holiday season approaches, more people voice concern about the best methods for keeping vocal cords in shape for upcoming church choir performances, holiday concerts and spur-of-the-moment caroling.

Common causes for voice problems include misuse, such as loud talking in noisy environments and excessive coughing; smoking; and acid reflux, as well as stress, allergies, medications and even inadequate water consumption.

"The best thing you can do is to keep up an adequate level of hydration," says Janis Deane, a speech pathologist who specializes in voice disorders at the Clinical Center for Voice Care at UT Southwestern Medical Center. "Grab a bottle of water instead of a cup of coffee, which tends to dry you out."

If you have to do a lot of singing in a short period of time, consider giving your vocal cords a rest by staying quiet during rehearsal break, says Dr. Ted Mau, a laryngologist and throat surgeon with the Clinical Center for Voice Care. "It's particularly important to not push your voice when you already feel you need to strain to sing or talk."

Here are other precautions to consider:

• Avoid smoking and smoke-filled rooms or entryways, particularly just before a performance.
• Avoid eating a large meal just before a performance, particularly caffeine and acidic foods such as chocolate or citrus, all of which can cause acid reflux.
• Avoid repeated clearing of the throat, which can irritate the voice box. Take a sip of water instead.
• Treat coughs quickly so they don't develop into more serious hacking.
• Avoid alcohol, including folk remedies such as brandy and hot toddies, which are more likely to dry out the vocal cords.

Voice problems that last beyond a few weeks should be evaluated by a physician.

(12-23-08)

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is again reminding public pool and spa owners and operators nationwide that the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act becomes effective on December 19, 2008. This law requires installation of anti-entrapment drain covers and other systems as outlined in the Act.

The Pool and Spa Safety Act was enacted by Congress and signed by President Bush on December 19, 2007, and is designed to prevent the tragic and hidden hazard of drain entrapments and eviscerations in pools and spas. Under the law, all public pools and spas must have ASME/ANSI A112.19.8-2007 compliant drain covers installed and a second anti-entrapment system installed, when there is only a single main drain. Congress gave all affected pool and spa operators one year to comply with this law.

Public pools and spas that operate year-round are expected to be in compliance by December 19, 2008. CPSC staff has taken the position that seasonal public pools and spas that are currently closed must be in compliance with the law on the day that they reopen in 2009.

"Our mission at the CPSC is to keep American families safe," says Nancy Nord, CPSC Acting Chairman. "CPSC will enforce the requirements of this pool and spa safety law with a focus on where the greatest risk of drain entrapment to children exists, such as wading pools, pools designed specifically for toddlers and young children, and in-ground spas, particularly where these types of pools and spas have flat drain grates and single main drain systems."

Nord adds, "State health and enforcement agencies share the responsibility to ensure this law is properly enforced. I recommend these agencies take the same approach as CPSC concerning enforcement priorities."

Pool and spa operators are encouraged to continue working as diligently as possible to come into compliance, as the agency and state Attorneys General are empowered to close down any pool or spa that fails to meet the Act's requirements.

For more information about the Pool and Spa Safety Act, how to comply, and which companies have been certified to manufacturer drain covers and safety vacuum release systems, please log on to www.cpsc.gov/whatsnew.html#pool.

(12-16-08)

A government study has found that half-dose flu shots are effective in adults, especially women and people under the age of 50, and is a good way to stretch the supply.

The study, which appears in the Archives of Internal Medicine, involved 1,114 people between the ages of 18 and 64. The participants were randomly selected and given either a full or half-dose vaccine. Blood levels of antibodies to the flu virus were measured before the shot and then again 21 days later. Both men and women were found to have adequate levels of antibodies to protect from influenza, but women in the 18 to 49 age group had the highest.

(12-16-08)

Much has been made of President-Elect Obama's first promise: to get a family dog. But concerns about his daughter's asthma and allergies, and timing issues, have kept the new first-dad from making a decision. So, in the meantime, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) is donating 2 "asthma and allergy friendly" toy puppies to the Obama children.

The special stuffed toys sent this week – a Jack Russell Terrier and a Yellow Labrador Retriever – are examples of many that have recently been tested and certified by AAFA to be more suitable for children with asthma and allergies.

To be certified by the foundation, plush toys are put through rigorous laboratory testing including a review of raw textiles, chemicals, dyes, stitching, stuffing and other materials. Testing also includes dust mite exposure measurements, washability and durability.

"Real dogs can cause serious problems for people with asthma and allergies," says Dr. Bob Overholt, a board certified allergist in Knoxville and host of the Dr. Bob Show on the AmericanLife TV Network. "When inhaled into the nose and lungs, dog dander can trigger sneezing, coughing, wheezing and other symptoms that make breathing difficult," says Dr. Overholt. "Regular stuffed toys can cause problems as well, since they can harbor dust mites and harsh chemicals that trigger asthma and allergy symptoms."

"Finding toys that are more suitable for kids with asthma and allergies is the right way to go," says Yucynthia Jean-Louis, chair of AAFA's national board of directors. "The asthma & allergy friendly™ Certification, a scientific-based program, was created to help families – including First-Families – make more informed decisions."

Here are some tips for pet owners:

• Keep pets out of the bedroom and off of beds at all times to minimize dog dander accumulation.
• Separately wash human and dog bedding weekly in 130-degree F hot water to remove dust mites and dog dander.
• Wipe pets after being outdoors to remove loose pollen from their coats.
• Don't allow dogs to play with the kids' plush toys.

Visit www.asthmaandallergyfriendly.com to learn more. (12-16-08)

Losing a child to the flu seems unimaginable, but to members of Families Fighting Flu (FFF), it is a tragedy they have experienced firsthand. The nonprofit organization of families and health care practitioners who have lost a child to the flu or have had a child experience severe medical complications from the flu is partnering with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other public health organizations to commemorate Children's Influenza Vaccination Day on December 9 and help ensure other families don't have to bear this anguish.

This year, the CDC and FFF have designated Tuesday, December 9, Children's Flu Vaccination Day as a reminder to parents that vaccinating their children and those who live with or care for them is the first and most important step in protecting against this serious disease, which can lead to hospitalization and even death.

"The willingness of the members of Families Fighting Flu to speak openly about their loss and the importance of vaccinating children is both courageous and selfless, and I thank them for helping to spread the word about this important issue," says Dr. Julie Gerberding, director of the CDC.

The flu is a contagious disease that can cause symptoms such as high fever, sore throat, coughing, extreme tiredness, runny or stuffy nose and even nausea and diarrhea in children. It spreads easily from person to person. Yearly flu vaccination should begin as soon as vaccine is available and continue throughout the flu season, into December, January and beyond.

Each year in the United States, an average of 20,000 children younger than five are hospitalized because of flu-related complications. As many as one in five children younger than 5 may have to see the doctor, visit the ER or other urgent care for treatment for flu. And sadly, about 100 children on average die from this serious disease each year.

"Losing my infant son, Ian, to the flu has been an unbearable heartbreak, but he is the reason I want parents to know how important it is to protect their infants, especially those who are too young for vaccination by getting themselves, their family members, and every caregiver vaccinated against the flu," says Julie Moise, a FFF board member.

CDC recommends that children aged 6 months up to their 19th birthday get vaccinated against the flu. CDC also recommends that close contacts (family members, caregivers, etc.) of children younger than five get a flu vaccine each year to provide added protection to this high risk group. Additionally, people who live with or have other close contact with a child or children of any age with a chronic health problem (asthma, diabetes, etc.) should get a flu vaccine.

Children under 6 months are too young to receive the flu vaccine, but they are among the most vulnerable to develop serious, even fatal, complications from flu. This makes vaccination of their close contact especially critical. Children ages 6 months up to 9 years who are getting a flu vaccine for the first time need two doses of vaccine the first year. The second dose should be given 28 or more days after the first dose.

To learn when or where to get a flu vaccine, contact your doctor or local health department. For more information, call CDC at 1-800-CDC-INFO or visit www.cdc.gov/flu.

(12-09-08)

The produce section may be a bit bare this time of year, but that doesn't give anyone a free pass to skimp on fruits and vegetables. Dr. Jo Ann Carson, professor of clinical nutrition at UT Southwestern Medical Center, says the solution lies in choosing as much fresh seasonal produce as possible, then augmenting it with a mixture of frozen and canned offerings.

Frozen fruits and vegetables often contain nearly as many nutrients as fresh produce because they have been picked, frozen and packaged at their peak, she says.

Dr. Carson also notes that some canned vegetables, including pumpkin, provide more vitamins per serving than their fresh counterparts. The key, she says, is to watch the sugar and sodium content, because canned produce can be higher in both.

"A good principle is to look for fruit without added sugar or syrups and vegetables without extra butter, salt or cream sauces," Dr. Carson says.

(12-09-08)

The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced that small traces of melamine are not harmful in most foods, but does agree that strict limits need to be set and imposed by regulators before taking items off store shelves. The safety experts at the meeting in Ottawa, Canada, also decided that while melamine should not be in any food, a maximum amount of 0.2 milligrams per kilogram of body weight is tolerable daily.

Learn more in the article Investigating Melamine: Is This Chemical in Some Dinnerware and Sippy Cups Harming Our Children?

(12-09-08)

Neuroblastoma is by far the most common cancer in infants and the third most common type of cancer in children. Yet because initial symptoms are frequently flu-like – fever, achy body, fatigue – the disease is often not diagnosed until it has spread throughout the body, and therefore potentially fatal.

As the 2008-2009 flu season is upon us, it is important for parents to know about neuroblastoma – a disease in which cancer cells form in the nerve tissue of the adrenal gland, neck, chest or spinal cord – and better ways to detect it. After all, neuroblastoma is highly treatable if caught in its early stages.

AdreView, a molecular imaging agent for the detection of rare neuroendricne tumors in children and adults, received FDA approval in September 2008 and is now available in hospitals and medical centers nationwide. AdreView's high-quality images allow physicians to provide improved detection of tumors, both at the time of initial diagnosis and at later examinations when relapse or recurrence is suspected.

AdreView images reflect the functional behavior of the tumor cells, thus allowing cleaner characterization of even small tumors in comparison to similar appearing but non-malignant tissues. They are effective in assessing the extent of disease including primary tumor, soft tissue and bone metastasis.

This unique imaging agent also permits imaging of these tumors with a lower radiation dose than other agents that have been available for this purpose. As seen in the image above, AdreView has superior physical characteristics of photon emissions (light particles) for imaging and lower radiation exposures to I-131 mIBG; this permits the use of higher doses that result in higher photon density (compacted light). Additionally, AdreView can be used with Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) imaging, a valuable addition for localizing sites of disease in the body. (12-09-08)