Healthy Nation

In many of the cultures of the South Pacific region, kava plays an important role in society. Because of its soothing, soporific effects, it is used medicinally to treat sleeplessness and anxiety. Kava is also part of social, cultural, and religious life in many countries throughout the South Pacific. Kava has been used for hundreds of years by Pacific Island people without the toxic effects that have been seen among people in Europe and the United States. (Though kava does not seem to have the same toxicity in people of the South Pacific region that it has shown in Westerners, kava use among Pacific Islanders is not free of difficulty.

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A recent study is confirming the benefits of a treatment used to limit damage from a heart attack and doctors here in the Bay Area say the technique, known as therapeutic hypothermia, is also becoming more advanced.

When cardiac arrest patients are being rushed to the emergency room the clock is ticking, not just for their hearts, but also their brains, which can become vulnerable after suffering a loss of oxygen. So along with restoring heartbeat, E.R. teams are often targeting the patient’s body temperature as well.

“To cool them down, you want to decreased their metabolic rate,” said Elisa Guzman, R.N.

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“APSF has had a profound impact on the anesthesia patient safety movement,” said American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) President Mark A. Warner, M.D. “On behalf of ASA, I thank APSF for its many years of dedicated research and education to help improve safety for patients around the world. We look forward to the advances APSF will contribute to during the next 25 years.”

APSF focuses on several patient-safety initiatives, including adverse anesthesia events, anesthesia information management systems, fire and medication safety, technology training and much more. Its lat Read full post…