Harvard World Health News - Anorexia, Pain, Ebola, and Dengue

[brdgt]

Understanding Anorexia: A Thin Excuse
Naomi Hooke (The Independent, London, September 18, 2007)
“As London Fashion Week continues, the controversy surrounding 'size zero' models is once again up for discussion. Prompted by the Madrid ban on models with a BMI below 18.5, fashion capitals around the world have undertaken enquiries into the links between eating disorders and the catwalk. Although any measure to protect models at risk of eating disorders is to be applauded, to believe that the fashion industry causes eating disorders is to completely misunderstand this most complex of illnesses.”

Pain Ratings Fail Sufferers
David Andreatta (The Globe and Mail, Toronto, September 18, 2007)
“It may be a painful truth, but a new study suggests that attempting to measure pain on a scale of 0 to 10 may not help doctors effectively treat the suffering.  The findings, published in the October issue of the Journal of General Internal Medicine, claim the commonly used numeric rating system failed nearly a third of the time to identify patients whose pain was serious enough to impair their day-to-day functioning.” Free registration required.

Congo's Ebola Outbreak Could Be Worst in Years
(The Washington Post, September 19, 2007)
“International medical personnel and supplies are being airlifted to a remote region of central Congo to combat what threatens to become the world's most serious outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus in years.”

Japan: Global Warming May Bring Dengue Fever to Hokkaido
(The Japan Times, September 16, 2007)
"Global warming could bring dengue fever to the northernmost reaches of Japan by expanding the habitat of mosquitoes, which transmit the virus, a recent study by the National Institute of Infectious Diseases shows."

Comments

[sasha-feather.livejournal.com]

So absolutely not surprising to me that pain ratings fail sufferers. I hate than scale. Actually I think it works better logarithmically, but most people are instructed to use it linearly. Thanks for posting this... I might have to go ahead and register just to read this one.