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Act Early to Head off Allergies
A childhood asthma attack is often triggered by an allergy. For children with a high risk of allergies, physicians sometimes recommend actions to head off early sensitization. These include avoiding cow's milk during the first year, eggs for the first two years and peanuts for the first three years of life.
Packaging Fights Accidental Poisoning
Northwest Hospital Joins Regional Cancer Event
Northwest News
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Report to the community
Recycling: From January to June of 1998, Northwest Hospital recycled 83.5 tons of mixed paper, 1.1 tons of kitchen grease, 41.1 tons of glass, cans and plastics and 25 tons of yard waste and compost. Transportation: The hospital subsidizes walk-on ferry, Pierce County and Community Transit passes for employees. Last November, the hospital was awarded a Commuter Challenge Pacesetter award in recognition of our commitment to reduce commute trips. Waste management: The hospital generates about 1600 pounds of medical waste per day and operates its incinerator approximately three days a week. |
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Fall Senior Safety Fair
Preventing falls and other injuries in those 55 and older is of prime importance in maintaining health and independence. This event is a combined educational forum called "Tread to Safety" and a fair with displays by experts and vendors on such topics as nutrition, exercise, pharmacy, blood pressure screening, etc. The fair will be held on October 3, 10am to 12 noon. Registration is required and space is limited. Call the education office at (206) 368-1621 to sign up. |
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Hospital gives $3.8 million in charity care and community service in 1997
As part of the hospital's charitable mission in providing services to the communities it serves, direct patient care is provided to low income families and service programs are provided at no cost or low cost. In 1997, Northwest Hospital provided $2 million of charity care and $1.8 million in community services. |
Mary Simpson, Breast Cancer Survivor
Northwest Hospital physicians, nurses and technology helped Mary Simpson in her battle against breast cancer. "I'm grateful for the options Northwest offered me," Mary Simpson said, "and also for the fact that I could get top-notch physicians and treatment at my 'neighborhood' hospital." Mary received surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. Today, she is a breast cancer survivor.
Each year in America, more than 180,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer. Approximately 43,900 women die each year and it is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women ages 35 to 54. "Early detection with mammograms saves lives," said Marita Acheson, MD, Imaging Medical Director of the Seattle Breast Center. "The five year survival rate following early diagnosis and treatment is 96%." You can be part of this important effort to prevent deaths from breast cancer. |
Past Issues
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Comments and suggestions from readers are encouraged. Write to Med-Info Newsletter, public relations department, Northwest Hospital, 1550 N. 115th Street, Seattle, WA 98133 or call 368-1739 during office hours. Valorie J. Fanger, Editor Hospital operator: 206-364-0500 Education and Training: 206-368-1621 Northwest Hospital is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against individuals because of race, color, religion, creed, age, sex, sexual orientation, handicap, marital status, political ideology, ancestry or national origin. © Copyright, 1998 Northwest Hospital. All rights reserved. |
From the Northwest Hospital Emergency Department and Trauma Team
Welcome to the "Family Safety" issue of our newsletter, specially designed by Northwest Hospital to help you and your family have safer and more accident-free lives. Included in this newsletter are articles about safe bicycling, safe driving, reducing the risk of falls, reducing violence against children as well as announcements for safety fairs and classes. On behalf of the hospital physicians and employees, we wish you a safe and healthy season.
Car crashes, falls, burns, drownings. Instead of thinking that "accidents happen," medical experts are now urging families to take pro-active steps to prevent accidental injuries and deaths.
Risks vary according to age and sex. Teens and young adults, especially young males, face a high risk of dying from car crashes; pre-schoolers are at special risk of drowning; and seniors suffer a high rate of falls that lead to disability or death. In every case, education, awareness and intervention can save lives.
Experts emphasize prevention and containment. Many accidents are avoidable, and medical experts teach strategies to prevent the accident from happening in the first place and, in the event of an accident, to limit the likelihood of death and disability.
Prevention efforts range from educating the public (about smoking in bed as a fire hazard, for example) to seeking changes in law, such as tougher drinking and driving laws and requiring motels and rental units to install smoke detectors.
When accidents do occur, containment measures such as collapsible steering columns and crumple zones on cars as well as seat belts and air bags are designed to protect accident victims.
Every American can take simple, common-sense steps to dramatically lower the risk of accidental death and injury.
Making Driving Safer
Better vehicle design, including the introduction of seat belts in 1968 and the advent of air bags, has curbed that growth. But seat belts have to be used to be effective.
The benefits are indisputable. Three point lap and shoulder belts reduce the risk of death or serious injury by 45 percent. For children, car seats cut the risk of being killed or seriously injured by 70 percent.
Seniors at Risk for Falls
Many seniors end up in nursing homes as the result of a fall that could easily have been prevented. A number of simple home improvements can make homes safer.
Common household improvements include: installing grab bars in the bathroom; fixing broken or loose steps; and upgrading lighting to provide good visibility. Other simple home safety guidelines include making sure cords don't cross traffic areas and removing throw rugs that might cause a slip or a trip.
Seniors should be cautioned to avoid climbing on chairs or ladders. Family or friends should arrange to take care of tasks such as changing light bulbs, washing windows and cleaning gutters so seniors won't need to climb.
Fire Safety
Every house should have working smoke detectors that are tested regularly as well as practiced escape routes from all sleeping areas. Smoke detectors reduce the risk of dying in a fire by 70 percent.
Other simple household measures can also cut fire risk. No one should ever smoke in bed. And, matches, candles and lighters should be stored out of reach of young children.
Between 10 and 15 percent of burns from scalding can be avoided by keeping the hot water heater set at 120 degrees Fahrenheit. At 140 degrees, hot tap water takes only two seconds to seriously burn a child or older person.
Coffee pots and their cords should be kept well out of reach of young children. Always turn the handles of pots and pans in toward the stove so a child can't reach up and pull on the handle. And, don't allow young children to climb onto chairs near the stove.
Not every accident can be prevented, but the risk of being killed or seriously injured can be minimized by paying attention to everyday prevention strategies. Rather than letting accidents happen, we need to think of them as preventable injuries and fight back by building safety into our daily routines.
Northwest Hospital sponsors a series of safety classes:
Motor vehicle crashes are responsible for almost half of all unintentional deaths each year. As car ownership grew in the second half of this century, the number of auto-related deaths sky-rocketed.
Falls are a risk for construction workers, rock climbers and others whose work and play involves dangerous heights. Yet, most serious falls occur in everyday situations around the home. The second leading cause of accidental death and injury, falls are most likely to occur among the elderly. Approximately 60 percent of all fatal falls occur to people aged 65 and over, typically the result of a slip in the bathtub, missing a step on the stairs, getting up too quickly at night or slipping on a throw rug.
Burns from fires and scalding from hot water are the third leading cause of accidental death. Three of every four fire-related deaths occurs as a result of smoke inhalation. Prevention is the most effective weapon against fires and burns.
To register, see the Classes section of this newsletter or call the education office at (206) 368-1621.
Bicycle Helmet Use Reduces Head Injuries by 70%
Bicycling is enjoyable at any age, and it's also a great exercise. It offers good aerobic conditioning and, even at a speed of 15 miles per hour, burns calories at the rate of 450 per hour. Moreover, the smooth motion of pedaling strengthens muscles without stressing the joints.
However, more than a million cyclists each year suffer serious accidents. In more than 90 percent of cases, the accident could have been avoided had the biker taken safety precautions.
The most basic consideration is protecting the head.
From 70 to 80 percent of bicycle fatalities involve head injuries. Roughly half of these victims are children; and among survivors, about a third suffer some kind of permanent disability. Most of these injuries could be avoided through the use of a helmet.
Two recent studies published in the Journal of the American Medical Association concluded that wearing a helmet reduced the risk of a head injury by 69 percent, regardless of the type of helmet worn, the age of the cyclist or whether the accident involved a motor vehicle.
For serious adult bikers, a helmet is usually part of regular biking gear. Only about 15 percent of children, however, wear helmets regularly when they ride a bicycle. Studies have shown that they are more likely to wear helmets at an early age and when parents have strict rules about helmet use. Parents should also serve as role models themselves by always wearing a helmet.
Avoiding Accidents
The most common causes of bicycle accidents, according to one study, included:
Accidents often occur when automobile drivers backing out of driveways fail to look for bicycles or when drivers open their car doors into cyclists.
To help ensure a safe bike ride, follow these tips:
Even with appropriate head protection, of course, a cyclist is always at risk of serious injury from collisions with motor vehicles or stationary objects or from falling off the bike.
Reduce Violence Among Children
Violence is a major social problem in American life, and violent acts seem to be occurring in younger and younger children each year. For offenders, the peak age is now 17; for victims, 16.
As the second leading cause of death among young persons 15 to 24, violence is also a public health issue. According to a 1990 Centers for Disease Control survey, nine percent of middle school and high school students had been victimized by crime in the past six months; 25 percent altered their lives because of the fear of violence, and 20 percent carried weapons to school for self protection during the previous month.
Violence is a problem today in all areas of the country and at all socioeconomic levels. As one public health expert pointed out, "Violence is a disease that kills children and hampers their normal development. Rather than running from it, we need to look for ways to immunize our children against it."
Early Action Is Crucial
Many factors are involved, of course, but parenting is crucial. The Cambridge Study in Delinquent Development, which followed 411 boys from working class families in London, found that harsh attitudes and discipline by parents were the most consistent predictors of violent behavior by age 32. Physical abuse, even when it's intended to teach discipline, increases children's anger, making it harder for them to control themselves and reinforces the notion of violence as a source of power. Non-physical measures such as time-outs have been found to be much less likely to lead to aggressive behavior.
In many cases, harsh discipline is combined with very little parental monitoring. A series of studies conducted by the Social Learning Center in Eugene, Oregon, found that children learn "aggressive scripts" at an early age when parents fail to supervise children properly and don't convey to them how they expect them to behave.
The Oregon program teaches parents to:
Parent Training Helps
Several small studies have indicated that parent training programs can help reduce violent behavior, but timing is important. According to one Oregon study, parent training was 75 percent effective in helping children under the age of nine, but only 25 percent effective for troubled teenagers.
Several long term studies in the United States, Great Britain, New Zealand and other countries found that boys and girls who are violent and aggressive at ages six to eight are more likely than others to become violent, antisocial or criminal adults.
Good parenting is a learned behavior, based on experience and the parents' own childhood experiences. Parents may also learn helpful parenting techniques through books, videotapes or parenting classes.
55 Alive Driving Class
Northwest Hospital is pleased to announce the return of the AARP 55 Alive driving class! We're offering two opportunities in 1998 to complete this two part course:
August Class
Part 2--Saturday, Aug. 29, 10:30am-2:00pm
October Class
Part 2--Saturday, Oct. 31, 10:30am-2:00pm
All sessions will be held in the Transitional Care Auditorium at Northwest Hospital and include a 30 minute lunch break. Preregistration and prepayment is required. These classes will fill quickly, so register early!
Cost: $8 per participant payable to AARP.
To register, print and fill out this form and return it with your check (payable to AARP) to: Northwest Hospital, Community Education, Mail stop D 101, 1550 North 115th Street, Seattle, WA 98133.
If you have questions, call the Northwest Hospital Community Education Office at (206) 368-1621.
Part 1--Saturday, Aug. 22, 10:30am-2:00pm
Part 1--Saturday, Oct. 24, 10:30am-2:00pm
Community Classes
Pre-registration is required for all classes. Unless noted, print and fill out this form to register.
Call 368-1621 for more information or visit our website at www.nwhospital.org.
Childbirth and Parenting Classes
Prenatal education courses include: Prepared Childbirth Series, Infant Safety and CPR, Sibling Class and Refresher Course. Call the Childbirth Education Office at 368-1784 and request a brochure with listings and descriptions of our classes for Prenatal Education and Infant Parenting.
- Infant CPR and Safety: For parents, grandparents and baby-sitters (over age 14) who care for an infant 0 - 12 months old. This course teaches infant CPR, accident prevention and product safety. Taught by American Heart Association certified instructors. Cost: $20 per person, or $35 per couple. August 17, September 2, September 21 and October 14. 6:30 - 9:30pm.
- Child CPR and Safety Class: Designed for parents, grandparents and others who care for children 1 to 8 years of age. Course covers accident prevention and child CPR. There will be time for discussion, questions and CPR practice using manikins. September 16, October 6, October 26, November 11, 6:30-9:30pm. Cost is $20 per person or $35 per couple.
- Grandparents Class: This popular class provides support, guidance and encouragement to prospective grandparents. Discussion includes current practices in childbearing and infant care, the grandparent's role, and grandparent's feelings. The instructor is a CBC nurse and grandmother of eight. September 1 and November 2. 7 to 9pm. Cost $20 per household.
- Positive Parenting: This special educational forum provides support and information for parents of children preschool to 13 years. You'll learn tools of the trade and develop new understanding and approach to raising children with mutual respect and healthy self-esteem. Taught by Karen Joslin, MA, author of Positive Parenting A-Z and co-author of Positive Parenting Your Teens. Monday, October 6, 7 - 9pm. Cost: $15 per household.
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