Every second counts for anesthesia patients afflicted by the often deadly condition known as malignant hyperthermia (MH). According to research published in the April AANA Journal of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists, the intravenous administration of life-saving dantrolene sodium (DS) can occur significantly faster thanks to a new method of warming the diluent that is used to prepare the DS for use.

Malignant hyperthermia is a silent, inherited metabolic disorder of the muscle that is triggered by specific inhaled anesthetics or succinylcholine and can result in a severely high body temperature. Affected individuals usually appear normal and have no functional difficulties in everyday life. However, when these individuals receive anesthesia for surgery or some other procedure, this silent disorder can turn deadly. Treatment with DS, a muscle relaxant that restores a healthy level of calcium in the muscles and reduces high body temperature, prevents mortality when administered properly.

The study, titled “The Icarus Effect: The Influence of Diluent Warming on Dantrolene Sodium Mixing Time,” set out to determine the possibility of a more expedient method of warming the diluent in order to mix it with DS, thus saving precious time between the onset of MH and the administration of DS. It was conducted by Kevin Baker, CRNA, MSNA, staff nurse anesthetist for West End Anesthesia Group at St. Mary’s Hospital in Richmond, Va.; Donna Landriscina, CRNA, MSNA, assistant professor and assistant director of education in the Department of Nurse Anesthesia, Virginia Commonwealth University, and staff nurse anesthetist at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), Medical Center in Richmond, Va.; Heather Kartcher, RN, BSN, a second year graduate student in the Department of Nurse Anesthesia at VCU; and David Mirkes, RN, BSN, a second year graduate student in the Department of Nurse Anesthesia at VCU.

The researchers discovered that by warming the DS diluent (sterile water) to 41 degrees Celsius it safely lessoned the mixing time and resulted in faster treatment of patients suffering from MH. Thirty seconds or more could be shaved off the DS preparation process, which normally takes two minutes. To conduct the study, two standard fluid warmers were used that are typically found in hospital operating rooms around the country.

“Every second counts when treating a patient with malignant hyperthermia,” said Donna Landriscina, CRNA, MSNA. “This research indicates that it is possible to administer DS faster, thereby increasing the patient’s chances of a successful outcome.”

The diagnosis of malignant hyperthermia in a patient requires swift action on the part of the anesthesia provider. The key to effectively controlling an MH crisis is the quick administration of DS. Since its introduction into clinical practice in 1979, DS continues to be the first-line of defense against reducing the MH mortality rate from nearly 80 percent in the 1970s to less than 10 percent today.

“For years, nurse anesthetists have been on the forefront of research that has greatly enhanced anesthesia safety,” said Kevin Baker, CRNA, MSNA. “New discoveries of best practices such as this one will benefit patients for decades to come.”

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About the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA)

Founded in 1931 and located in Park Ridge, Ill., the AANA is the professional organization for more than 90 percent of the nation’s CRNAs. As advanced practice nurses, CRNAs administer approximately 27 million anesthetics in the United States each year. CRNAs practice in every setting where anesthesia is available and are the sole anesthesia providers in more than two-thirds of all rural hospitals.

Contact: Marlene McDowell

American Association of Nurse Anesthetists Continue reading →

Sanofi-aventis and
GEICAM (Grupo Espanol de Investigacion en Cancer de Mama) announced
that for women with high-risk node-negative early stage breast cancer
adjuvant treatment (post surgery) with Taxotere(R) (docetaxel) Injection
Concentrate as part of the TAC regimen (Taxotere(R), doxorubicin,
cyclophosphamide) was associated with a significant improvement in Disease
Free Survival (DFS) compared to a standard FAC regimen (5-Fluorouracil,
doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide) in the GEICAM 9805/Target-0 study.

The results will be presented at the 2008 annual meeting of the
American Society of Clinical Oncology, ASCO, in Chicago (Monday June 2,
2008, 2-6 pm, poster number 1D, abstract 542).

In Europe and North America, most breast cancer patients are diagnosed
at an early stage, before the tumor has spread to the lymph nodes. However,
few clinical trials in the past were dedicated exclusively to this
population of patients. GEICAM 9805/Target-0 is the first taxane-based
study to exclusively enroll women with node-negative early stage breast
cancer considered to be at high risk for recurrence. High risk patients
were defined as having at least one of the following St Gallen 1998
criteria: patient’s age 2 cm, or hormone-receptor (estrogen and/or progesterone receptor)
negative tumor.

The 1059 women enrolled in this multicenter, phase III study were
randomized to receive either TAC (n=539) or FAC (n=520) after surgical
resection of their tumor. Therapy was given every three weeks for a total
of 6 cycles. The primary end point was Disease Free Survival (DFS) and
secondary end points included overall survival (OS), safety, and quality of
life.

Analysis of efficacy, determined by DFS, was performed after a minimum
of 5-years of follow up. The study showed a significant improvement in
5-year DFS that was demonstrated in the TAC arm over the FAC arm, with 91%
and 86% patients, respectively, alive and disease free (HR 0.66, 95% CI
0.46-0.94, p=0.0202). The OS data are immature; estimated 5-year OS is 97%
for TAC and 95% for FAC (HR 0.72, 95% CI 0.40-1.30, p=0.2677). The safety
results have been already published (Martin et al (2006), Ann Oncol 17:
1205-12) TAC produced significantly more hematological adverse reactions
than FAC. Primary prophylaxis with G-CSF reduced the rate of neutropenic
fever. No toxic deaths were reported.

“First of all, I would like to congratulate the patients and my fellow
investigators for having the courage to participate in this innovative
trial in a purely node-negative patient population. This study showed that
the TAC regimen improves Disease Free Survival in women with high risk
node-negative breast cancer,” said GEICAM Chair and principal investigator
of the 9805 study, Prof. Miguel Martin.

About the Study

The GEICAM 9805/Target-0 trial was initiated as a complementary study
to BCIRG 001/TAX 316, a study that enrolled women with node-positive early
stage breast cancer.

b

From December 2001 to March 2003, 1059 patients aged 18-71, with T1-T3,
N0, M0 operable breast cancer and at least one high-risk St Gallen 1998
criterion (patient age 2 cm, or
hormone-receptor negative tumor) were enrolled in the study; 1047 patients
were eligible. Patients from Spain as well as Germany and Poland were
stratified by institution and menopausal status and randomized after
surgery to receive either TAC (docetaxel 75 mg/m2, doxorubicin 50 mg/m2,
cyclophosphamide 500 mg/m2) or FAC (5-fluorouracil 500 mg/m2, doxorubicin
50 mg/m2, cyclophosphamide 500 mg/m2) every 3 weeks for 6 cycles.
Radiotherapy was mandatory after conservative surgery and recommended for
patients with tumors > 5 cm; tamoxifen was given for 5 years to all
patients with endocrine responsive tumors. A study amendment initiated
during enrollment mandated the use of G-CSF with the first cycle of TAC, in
order to reduce the incidence and severity of hematological toxicities and
febrile neutropenia.

The primary end-point was DFS with analysis planned after a minimum
follow-up of 5 years.

The full safety analysis has previously been published (Martin et al
(2006), Ann Oncol 17: 1205-12). The analysis demonstrated that febrile
neutropenia (grade 4) was the most common and clinically severe event
(24.6%) reported with the TAC regimen. The incidence of febrile neutropenia
decreased to 6.5% with the use of G-CSF from the first cycle of TAC. The
incidence of febrile neutropenia among patients treated with FAC was 2.3%.
Grade 2-4 anemia was higher in the TAC regimen (47.4%) vs FAC (7.5%). The
incidence of anemia TAC decreased (27.5%) with the use of G-CSF. No toxic
deaths were reported.

About Breast Cancer

According to the American Cancer Society, worldwide, breast cancer is
the most common cancer in women and the second most common after lung
cancer in both genders. More than one million new cases of breast cancer
are reported worldwide annually and more than 400,000 women die each year
from the disease.

In Europe, breast cancer is recsponsible for 27.3% of all new cancer
cases among women and 20.22% of cancer deaths. The International Agency for
Research in Cancer estimates that in 2004 there were 360,749 new breast
cancer cases diagnosed while the number of deaths was 129,013.

According to the American Cancer Society, in general, breast cancer
rates have risen about 30% in the past 25 years in western countries. In
addition, the incidence is highest in western countries. This appears to be
due to increased screening which detects breast cancer in earlier stages.

About GEICAM

GEICAM (Grupo Espanol de Investigacion en Cancer de Mama) is a Spanish
non-profit scientific cooperative group fully devoted to breast cancer.
GEICAM is comprised of oncologists who belong to the Spanish Society of
Medical Oncology (SEOM) and of other health professionals related to breast
cancer research and treatment. The main GEICAM objectives are to promote
basic, epidemiological and clinical research, and to provide education to
doctors and patients and dissemination of information in the field of
breast cancer to the Spanish general population.

About Sanofi Aventis

Sanofi-aventis, a leading global pharmaceutical company, discovers,
develops and distributes therapeutic solutions to improve the lives of
everyone. Sanofi-aventis is listed in Paris (EURONEXT PARIS: SAN) and in
New York (NYSE: SNY).

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements as defined in
the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended.
Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts.
These statements include financial projections and estimates and their
underlying assumptions, statements regarding plans, objectives, intentions
and expectations with respect to future events, operations, products and
services, and statements regarding future performance. Forward-looking
statements are generally identified by the words “expects,” “anticipates,”
“believes,” “intends,” “estimates,” “plans” and similar expressions.
Although sanofi-aventis’ management believes that the expectations
reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, investors are
cautioned that forward-looking information and statements are subject to
various risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and
generally beyond the control of sanofi-aventis, that could cause actual
results and developments to differ materially from those expressed in, or
implied or projected by, the forward-looking information and statements.
These risks and uncertainties include those discussed or identified in the
public filings with the SEC and the AMF made by sanofi-aventis, including
those listed under “Risk Factors” and “Cautionary Statement Regarding
Forward-Looking Statements” in sanofi-aventis’ annual report on Form 20-F
for the year ended December 31, 2007. Other than as required by applicable
law, sanofi-aventis does not undertake any obligation to update or revise
any forward-looking information or statements.

Sanofi Aventis
sanofi-aventis Continue reading →

Between 20 and 70 percent of Canadians affected by mental illness shun medical treatment. Such avoidance of services provided by doctors and psychologists is particularly acute among men, according to a recent study published in the Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research.

In Canada, less than 10 percent of the population utilizes mental health services for problems ranging from depression to schizophrenia. But this number isn’t representative of the real number of people suffering from mental illness, according study author Aline Drapeau, a researcher at the Universit?© de Montr?©al’s Department of Psychiatry and Centre de recherche Fernand-Seguin of the Louis-H. Lafontaine Hospital.

According to data from the Statistics Canada Canadian Community Health Survey, women are 1.5 times more likely than men to turn to psychiatric services, twice as likely to consult a psychologist and 2.5 times more likely to turn to a general practitioner.

While these numbers might suggest that more women suffer from mental illness, Drapeau disagrees. “In comparable circumstances, women consult more often than men,” she says. The discrepancy, says Drapeau, shows how men and women do not perceive symptoms in the same way as programmed in their social anchorages.

“Social anchorages is an enculturation mechanism by which a person learns his or her social roles,” says Drapeau. “Men and women don’t always have the same cultural reference points because socially acceptable attitudes and behaviors can vary for both sexes.”

For instance, parental obligations aren’t perceived equally in the workplace. For women, it is perceived as positive to attend to maternal duties. For men, forgoing work to take care of the kids is perceived more negatively.

The same parallels exist in mental health. “If mental disease is seen in a negative light in the workplace, a man will be more reluctant than a woman to use the services available to treat their disease,” says Drapeau.

Other factors, such as tight finances or even type of employment, can influence whether men use mental health services. But the root of the problem, Drapeau stresses, is that men have greater difficulty acknowledging and accepting their symptoms.

Source:
Sylvain-Jacques Desjardins

University of Montreal Continue reading →

Individuals with single-gene mutations that mean they have abnormally low levels of the protein alpha-1 antitrypsin are highly susceptible to emphysema, a progressive lung disease that causes severe shortness of breath. Previous attempts to correct single-gene defects that cause lung disease by gene transfer have failed to achieve sustained gene expression in the mouse lung. However, a team of researchers, at Boston University School of Medicine, has now developed an approach that enabled them to attain sustained in vivo expression of normal human alpha-1 antitrypsin at levels able to improve emphysema in mice.

The team, led by Darrell Kotton, introduced gene-carrying lentiviral vectors into the windpipe of mice and found that they selectively and efficiently transferred the genes they were carrying to resident cells known as alveolar macrophages. These cells were long-lived and continued to express the transferred genes for at least two years. In a mouse model of emphysema, introduction into the windpipe of lentiviral vectors carrying the gene responsible for making normal human alpha-1 antitrypsin led to sustained alpha-1 antitrypsin expression in the lung and reduced disease. The authors therefore conclude that targeting genes to alveolar macrophages provides a way to achieve sustained gene expression in the lung and suggest that this might provide a therapeutic approach for overcoming overcome lung diseases caused by single-gene defects, for example emphysema caused by alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency.

TITLE: Amelioration of emphysema in mice through lentiviral transduction of long-lived pulmonary alveolar macrophages

AUTHOR: Darrell N. Kotton, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

JCI online December 21, 2009

Source: Karen Honey

Journal of Clinical Investigation Continue reading →

Patients undergoing knee or hip replacements recover more quickly when treated with targeted pain-blocking medications that may eliminate the need for general anesthesia during surgery and intravenous narcotics drugs after surgery.

The February issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter explains the newer pain management options and their benefits.

A decade ago, patients undergoing hip or knee replacements were almost exclusively given general anesthesia during surgery and intravenous narcotic pain medications afterward. This approach works for most people and still is commonly practiced. But both general anesthesia and intravenous narcotic drugs can cause nausea, vomiting, grogginess, decreased bowel function and other side effects.

In the early 2000s, Mayo Clinic anesthesiologists began developing new anesthesia protocols for joint replacement surgery that used known anesthetic and pain relief techniques in new combinations. Their goal was to eliminate the need for general anesthesia and intravenous narcotics and the resulting side effects.

The new procedures may vary but typically involve:

A choice: Even with the new protocols, patients may choose regional anesthesia, where the lower half of the body is numbed, or general anesthesia.

Oral pain medications early on: A combination of oral narcotic pain medications are given prior to surgery. Oral narcotics have fewer side effects than narcotics given intravenously. This technique is helpful for recovery whether general or regional anesthesia is used.

Sedation: Sedative drugs given before surgery help patients using regional anesthesia nap during the procedure, but not lose consciousness.

Nerve blocks: Through a catheter, a continuous infusion of numbing medicine is pumped near the surgery site for 48 hours. Nerve blocks are performed in conjunction with general or regional anesthesia.

Oral pain medications after surgery: For more than 95 percent of patients, pain that occurs after the nerve blocks are removed can be managed with oral pain medications such as acetaminophen (Tylenol, others), tramadol (Ultram, others) or oxycodone. Intravenous narcotic medications are used as a last resort.

Patients who receive regional anesthesia report significantly less pain after surgery than those receiving general anesthesia and intravenous narcotics. These patients are out of bed sooner, begin physical therapy sooner and leave the hospital one to two days before patients who were given general anesthesia and intravenous narcotics. With the newer protocols, patients may still experience typical side effects including nausea and vomiting, but to a lesser degree than with the older anesthesia methods.

Another benefit is that regional anesthesia protocols make surgery an option for older adults with more complicated conditions. A decade ago, older adults often were not considered candidates for surgery because they would have fared poorly with older anesthesia techniques.

Doctors report few downsides to these newer pain management approaches. Nerve injury is a rare potential complication. For most people, the regional anesthesia protocols are a change for the better, resulting in less pain, fewer complications and a quicker recovery.

Source: Mayo Clinic

View drug information on Oxycodone and Aspirin. Continue reading →

For young children, all states currently require the use of child safety seats, and the minimum age and weight requirements to graduate to seat belts has been increasing over time. A new study in the journal Economic Inquiry reveals that lap-and-shoulder seat belts perform as well as child safety seats in preventing serious injury. However, safety seats tend to be better at reducing less serious injuries.

Steven D. Levitt of the University of Chicago and author of the book Freakonomics and Joseph J. Doyle of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology analyzed three large representative samples of crashes reported to the police, as well as linked hospital data, among motor vehicle passengers aged 2-6 years of age. Researchers used the data to compare seat belts and child safety seats in preventing injury.

Results show that lap-and-shoulder seat belts perform as well as child safety seats in preventing serious injury. Safety seats were associated with a statistically significant 25 percent reduction in less serious injuries. Lap belts are somewhat less effective than the other two types of restraints, but far superior to riding unrestrained.

“Our comparisons across restraint types incorporate the way they are used, or misused, in practice,” the authors conclude. “Because many child safety seats are, in actual use, improperly installed, our estimates are likely to understate the benefits associated with their proper use. From a public policy perspective, however, understanding how safety devices work in practice, as opposed to under ideal circumstances, is of great importance.”

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This study is published in Economic Inquiry.

Steven D. Levitt is affiliated with the University of Chicago.

Published since 1962, (formerly Western Economic Journal), EI is widely regarded as one of the top scholarly journals in its field. Besides containing research on all economics topic areas, a principal objective is to make each article understandable to economists who are not necessarily specialists in the article’s topic area. Nine Nobel laureates are among EI’s long list of prestigious authors.

Source: Amy Molnar

Wiley-Blackwell Continue reading →

Almirall, S.A. (ALM.MC) and Forest Laboratories, Inc. (NYSE: FRX) announced positive top-line results of ATTAIN, a six month double-blind placebo-controlled pivotal Phase III study comparing the efficacy and safety of inhaled aclidinium bromide 200??g and 400??g twice daily (BID) versus placebo, in 828 patients with moderate to severe COPD.

Aclidinium 200?µg and 400?µg produced statistically significant increases from baseline in morning pre-dose (trough) FEV1 versus placebo at week 24 (99mL and 128mL, respectively; p Continue reading →

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) has released a new online learning activity designed to support general practitioners and other members of the general practice team in developing high quality care plans for people with intellectual disability, and in understanding eligibility requirements for Medicare-funded care plans.

“For patients with intellectual disability care plans are a critical part of managing their health and well-being. This new education module, which is relevant to all members of the general practice team, takes a case-based approach to assisting patients to manage their health needs,” said Dr Chris Mitchell, RACGP President, and GP in Northern NSW.

“GPs are often the first point of contact within the health system for people with intellectual disability. Their health care needs are often complex; completing a care plan is an important part of ensuring these patients receive the care they need,” said Dr Mitchell.

This educational activity, developed with the support of the Australian Government and Monash University, Centre for Developmental Disability Health Victoria, is now available through the RACGP’s online education portal gplearning at gplearning.au. By completing this activity GPs can earn category 2 QA&CPD points.

This module has been linked to the RACGP Curriculum for general practice learning objectives and is an ideal introduction for general practice registrars on best clinical practice in the management of intellectual disability. This activity is available online; GPs can complete this learning activity anywhere at any time.

After working through this module participants should be able to:

- Identify patients who would benefit from a care plan
- Describe the requirements, structure and regulation of the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) care planning items
- List the other professionals and services that could usefully contribute to the care plan and understand how to involve them
- Prioritise management goals and use the structure of a care plan to contribute to meeting those goals
- Describe how the routine use of care plans can help prevent potential health and well being problems from being missed.

The activity forms part of an active learning module comprising six activities.

Source
Royal Australian College of General Practitioners Continue reading →

DMAA: The Care Continuum Alliance released landmark principles for population health improvement and a model for an integrated, physician-guided delivery system for population-based chronic condition care.

The DMAA paper, “Advancing the Population Health Improvement Model,” describes the elements of a fully connected health system that leverages teams of care providers focused on proactive, coordinated, quality care across all stages of disease — from general prevention and wellness to individual care for people with existing conditions.

“These principles mark a milestone in the evolution of DMAA and population-based care,” DMAA Chairman William C. Popik, MD, said. “Today we reaffirm, unequivocally, the paramount role of the physician, as well as the valuable contributions of population health professionals, to high-quality, coordinated care.”

The DMAA population health improvement model comprises three core components:

- the central care delivery and leadership roles of the primary care physician;
- the critical importance of patient activation, involvement and personal responsibility; and
- the patient focus and expanded care coordination capacity provided by wellness, disease and chronic care management programs.

“The patient — and the patient-physician relationship — are at the center of this new model, supported by proven strategies developed through population-based care to keep the well healthy, prevent disease and minimize the ill effects of chronic conditions,” DMAA President and CEO Tracey Moorhead said. “This strength of this model lies in its comprehensive, coordinated team approach.”

The DMAA model emphasizes the need to explicitly recognize and proportionately reward cost-effective care that achieves targeted improvement goals for population health. To best achieve this, payers, purchasers, patients and their advocates and other members of the health care team must promote and ensure appropriate reimbursement for cognitive services, care coordination, referral activities and adherence to desired processes, such as the use of evidence-based clinical guidelines.

“We must realign payment models to reward physicians and other health care professionals for keeping populations healthy, rather than simply treating the sick,” said Dr. Popik, a board-certified family physician. “Our model strongly emphasizes evidence-based care and the need to appropriately compensate those who practice it.”

Under the DMAA model, accountable measures of success in population health should include clinical process and outcomes indicators; assessment of patient satisfaction, functional status and quality of life; economic and care utilization indicators; and effect on care disparities. DMAA is a leader in developing industry consensus guidelines on measuring clinical and financial outcomes in population-based care. Its two-volume Outcomes Guidelines Report has been widely adopted as a standard for assessing population health improvement program outcomes.

Key elements of the DMAA Population Health Improvement Model include:

- Population identification strategies and processes;

- Comprehensive needs assessments that assess physical, psychological, economic, and environmental needs;

- Proactive health promotion programs that increase awareness of the health risks associated with certain personal behaviors and lifestyles;

- Patient-centric health management goals and education which may include primary prevention, behavior modification programs, and support for concordance between the patient and the primary care provider;

- Self-management interventions aimed at influencing the targeted population to make behavioral changes;

- Routine reporting and feedback loops which may include communications with patient, physicians, health plan and ancillary providers;

- Evaluation of clinical, humanistic, and economic outcomes on an ongoing basis with the goal of improving overall population health.

The principles, available here, also list numerous other model components, including recognition of cultural sensitivities; assistance to family, friends and other unpaid caregivers; and physician support for data collection and analysis, among others.

“The convergence of these roles, resources and capabilities in the population health improvement model ensures higher levels of quality and satisfaction with care delivery,” DMAA says in the document released today. “Further, coordination and integration are important tools to address health care workforce shortages, individual access to coverage and care, and affordability of care.”

About DMAA: The Care Continuum Alliance

DMAA: The Care Continuum Alliance convenes all stakeholders providing services along the care continuum toward the goal of population health improvement. These care continuum services include strategies such as health and wellness promotion, disease management and care coordination. DMAA: The Care Continuum Alliance promotes the role of population health improvement in raising the quality of care, improving health outcomes and reducing preventable health care costs for people with chronic conditions and those at risk for developing chronic conditions. DMAA: The Care Continuum Alliance represents more than 200 corporate and individual stakeholders, including health plans, disease management organizations, health information technology innovators, employers, physicians, nurses and other health care professionals and researchers and academicians.

dmaa Continue reading →

Woodworking is a popular hobby, with table saws being owned and used by an estimated 6 million to 10 million people in the United States. Although table saws are associated with more injuries than any other woodworking tool, there have been no previously published national studies of table saw-related injuries. A recent study conducted by the Center for Injury Research and Policy of The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital found that from 1990-2007, an estimated 565,670 non-occupational table saw-related injuries were treated in US hospital emergency departments, averaging 31,500 injuries per year. Although a 27 percent increase in the number of injuries was found over the 18-year study period, there was no change in the rate of injuries per 10,000 US population.

According to the study, available online as a Publication Ahead-of-Print for the Journal of Trauma, lacerations (66 percent) were the most common type of injury while amputations (10 percent) were the most serious. The majority of injuries (86 percent) were to the fingers or thumb. Males (97 percent) and adults (97 percent) accounted for the majority of table saw-related injuries. In comparison to adults, children were more likely to injure their heads, faces and necks and to be injured at school.

“While the majority of the children who were injured were between the ages of 14 and 17 years, children as young as 6 years were found to be injured while operating a table saw,” said study author Brenda Shields, MS, research coordinator at the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. “More research is needed to determine appropriate age restrictions.”

Most of the table saw-related injuries resulted from contact with the blade of the saw. In cases when the mechanism of injury was documented, kickback was the most common mechanism (72 percent), followed by debris being thrown by the saw (10 percent), lifting or moving the saw (6 percent), or getting a glove or clothing caught in the blade (4 percent).

A new technology that could prevent some of these injuries is the SawStop, which can detect contact between a person and a saw blade and then instantly react to stop and retract the blade. “Although this technology could be beneficial in preventing serious injuries, it is currently too expensive for the average home woodworker to afford,” said Shields. “We recommend that all table saws be equipped with such technology and be made available at an affordable price.”

Other recommendations to prevent table saw-related injuries include keeping table saws in an area that is not accessible to children, protecting the blade with a rigid cover when not in use, reading the owner’s manual carefully for safety rules, and completing a table saw-specific safety course before operating the saw.

This is the first published study to describe the epidemiology of non-occupational table saw-related injuries using a nationally representative sample. Data for this study were collected from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS), which is operated by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. The NEISS dataset provides information on consumer product-related and sports and recreation-related injuries treated in hospital emergency departments across the country.

The Center for Injury Research and Policy (CIRP) of The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital works globally to reduce injury-related pediatric death and disabilities. With innovative research as its core, CIRP works to continually improve the scientific understanding of the epidemiology, biomechanics, prevention, acute treatment and rehabilitation of injuries. CIRP serves as a pioneer by translating cutting edge injury research into education, policy and advances in clinical care.

Source: Nationwide Children’s Hospital Continue reading →