Tool Tip: Quicker Blood Clotting [feedly]

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Tool Tip: Quicker Blood Clotting
// Cool Tools

When I accidentally removed about 5mm of my forefinger, ice, pressure, and an intermittent tourniquet didn't stop the bleeding. I called a doctor friend, who told me to pour hydrogen peroxide on it — because, "it is well documented that hydrogen peroxide induces blood clotting when you have a wound that is oozing rapidly."

Many online sources claim that hydrogen peroxide "destroys tissue." However, this post from Quora makes a persuasive case for using it. And it is widely used in dentistry.

The process takes a couple of minutes, and during that time, you must continue to pour on more hydrogen peroxide. As oxygen is released from the decomposition of the hydrogen peroxide, the blood thickens more rapidly, and the flow stops.

But does it "destroy tissue"? It is an irritant, but the 3% concentration sold at pharmacies seems unlikely to be harmful. See the Quora source above. Caveat: I am not a physician. I just saw how it worked for me.

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Artificial Sweetener Linked with Increased Risk of Leukemia

http://www.i4u.com/2016/03/107028/artificial-sweetener-linked-increased-risk-leukemia

Blueberries, the well-known 'super fruit,' could help fight Alzheimer's [feedly]

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Blueberries, the well-known 'super fruit,' could help fight Alzheimer's
// ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

The blueberry, already labeled a 'super fruit' for its power to potentially lower the risk of heart disease and cancer, also could be another weapon in the war against Alzheimer's disease.
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New Procedure Allows Kidney Transplants from Any Donor [feedly]

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New Procedure Allows Kidney Transplants from Any Donor
// Neatorama

About 100,000 people in the USA are currently waiting for kidney transplants. The right donor kidney has to come along for a transplant to work. About 50% of patients have a great deal of difficulty receiving a transplant and about 20% have such sensitive immune systems that finding a matching kidney is almost impossible.

But that may change. According to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers have found a way to change the immune system of a transplant patient so that it can accept any donor kidney.

This treatment filters a patient's own antibodies out of his blood, then replaces it with different antibodies. Gina Kolata explains at the New York Times:

Desensitization involves first filtering the antibodies out of a patient's blood. The patient is then given an infusion of other antibodies to provide some protection while the immune system regenerates its own antibodies. For some reason — exactly why is not known — the person's regenerated antibodies are less likely to attack the new organ, Dr. Segev said. But if the person's regenerated natural antibodies are still a concern, the patient is treated with drugs that destroy any white blood cells that might make antibodies that would attack the new kidney.

-via Debby Witt | Image: Holly Fischer

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Adolescent and Adult Vaccine Quiz | CDC

http://www2.cdc.gov/nip/adultimmsched/

The US government just banned electronic cigarettes from airplanes [feedly]

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The US government just banned electronic cigarettes from airplanes
// The Verge

The use of electronic cigarettes on commercial airplanes is now banned under a new rule finalized by the US Department of Transportation, which applies to all domestic and foreign carriers with flights scheduled to and from the US. The ban applies to all e-cigarettes, including electronic cigars, pipes, and devices designed to look like everyday products such as pens. It does not apply to nebulizers, which are used to treat cystic fibrosis and asthma.

It's not clear, however, whether the rule applies to vaporizers, some of which look like pens, while others look like smartphones with tubes attached. The Federal Aviation Administration hasn't made an official ruling, but it stands to reason that the DOT's new rule will also apply to vaporizers. (A spokesperson for the agency did not immediately respond to a request for comment.)

"unwanted exposure to aerosol fumes."

The House of Representatives is considering legislation to ban vaping on planes. A recent hearing on the measure featured one congressman, California Representative Duncan Hunter, taking a drag of his vaporizer in protest and declaring, "This is the future."

DOT Secretary Anthony Foxx said the ban is intended to protect passengers from "unwanted exposure to aerosol fumes" that is the product of smoking e-cigarettes. While the DOT said it considers its regulatory smoking ban to include e-cigarettes, the rule does not explicitly define "smoking," so the department took this step to eliminate any confusion. Research about the health effects of e-cigarettes and vaping is still ongoing — the Food and Drug Administration recently said there's a lack of scientific consensus — but rather than wait for more studies to come out, the agency said a precautionary approach was best.

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