Ambulance Response Times

A study researching the link between ambulance response times and the weather has revealed that the length of time it took for the vehicle to arrive dropped by 1.3 per cent for each degree drop in temperature.

Experts looked at how the weather affected ambulance responses in Birmingham between 2007 and 2011, and found that colder weather meant slower response times as the weather conditions were worsened and the roads more treacherous.  The ambulance service has a target of reaching 75 per cent of immediately life threatening calls within eight minutes.  It wasn’t just cold weather which hampered call times; hot weather also saw an effect on response.  The research was published in Emergency Medical Journal.

Ibuprofen and Increased Risk of Heart Attack

Anti-inflammatories are in the news again following the publication of research linking the most popular type to an increased risk of early heart attack and stroke.

Diclofenac is taken for a range of problems including arthritis and sprains by millions of people in the UK.  Although the issue was raised in 2006, it was received by doctors with widespread apathy, but the new research looked at 51 studies and concluded that those on Diclofenac were 40 per cent more likely to have strokes or heart attacks than those who took nothing or a safer alternative.

40 Plus Mums More at Risk

The Office for National Statistics have revealed a new trend in their figures which shows that women over 40 are now most likely to lose a baby in its first year of life.

The change could be due to the improvement in support for teenage mothers, and the increase in older mothers who have a higher risk of giving birth to babies with severe congenital problems.  In 2008, mothers under 20 years old had the highest chance of losing a baby before the child’s first birthday.  Between 2008 and 2010 the lowest rate of infant mortality was in mothers aged 30 to 34 years.  Neena Modi, professor of neonatal medicine at Imperial College London, said the rise in infant mortality amongst 40 plus mothers since 2008 was probably within the realm of normal statistical variability, although she did feel the drop in the rate within the teenage mother was significant.

Prescription Charges

Changes to UK prescription charges announced by ministers will see charges rise by 20p to £7.85 from 1^st April.  Earl Howe, health minister, said NHS dental charges will also increase on this date.  The cost of prescription pre-payment will remain unchanged.  Earl Howe said regulations would be laid in parliament to implement the changes.

Baby Freeze

Doctors saved the life of a baby boy suffering from a potentially fatal heart condition using a new procedure which radically cools the body.

The boy was given a five per cent chance of survival before the treatment as he was born with a racing heart of 300 beats per minute.  He was treated at University College Hospital London for supraventricular tachycardia and is now a thriving baby back home with his parents.  The treatment involves sedating the baby so they don’t move too much and cooling the body from 98.6F to 91.9F.  The length of the treatment depends on the condition of the baby but in this case it took four days.