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Spring cleanup should include safe medication disposal

Thank you to Mercy Health-St. Rita's for this reminder about National Drug Take Back Day. If Lima isn't a convenient destination, visit https://safe.pharmacy/drug-disposal for a locator tool.

This Saturday, April 30 is National Drug Take Back Day–a reminder to go through your medicine cabinet and remove expired and unused medications in a safe and secure way. Mercy Health–St. Rita’s has a 24/7 accessible drug take back bin in the Emergency Department waiting room.

Facts about GERD and esophageal cancer

April is esophageal cancer awareness month

By Jayde Kurland, MD  FACG, AGAF, FACP

Many are not aware that having chronic GERD (gastroesophageal reflux) puts you at risk for this cancer.  Once someone has symptoms of difficulty swallowing, the cancer is already at an advanced stage.

At the time of diagnosis, there is only a 20% 5-year survival.

Over time, GERD can lead to Barrett’s esophagus, a precancerous condition where the tissue that lines the lower esophagus changes and if not detected or treated, can develop into esophageal cancer. 

Weekend Doctor: Handwashing

By Mike Patrick, MD, Medical Director for Interactive Media, Nationwide Children’s Hospital

The year was 1846. Dr. Ignaz Semmelweis was working in the Vienna General Hospital when he noticed a perplexing problem. Women giving birth in the doctor-run maternity ward developed fever and died more often than women in the midwife-run maternity ward. Doctors tended to visit their wards after performing autopsies, while the midwives did not. Dr. Semmelweis wondered if “cadaverous particles” might remain on their hands. He imposed a new rule, urging doctors to wash their hands before entering the ward. Sure enough, fever and death in the doctor-run ward decreased significantly.

Here comes the sun (and protecting your skin)

By Karen Kier, Pharmacist on behalf of the ONU HealthWise team

This week, I spent some time at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio enjoying the 2022 special exhibit, The Beatles: Get Back to Let It Be. The Beatles were inducted into the hall of fame in 1988 as a group, with each member individually being inducted in the years to come.  The exhibit features the docuseries by Peter Jackson including the 1969 rooftop concert in London. Although Sir Paul McCartney and John Lennon were the major lyricists for The Beatles, George Harrison wrote the famous song Here Comes The Sun. George wrote the song in 1969 while staying at the country home of his friend Eric Clapton. The song was inspired by the arrival of spring and a temporary relief from the band’s business affairs. The song was recorded as part of the Abbey Road album released in 1969. George Harrison was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004 with a speech by his friend and Traveling Wilburys’ band member Tom Petty.  

April 18 free lead tests for children; Healthy Homes Awareness Month

The Kenton Hardin Health Department is joining the Ohio Department of Health to promote lead poisoning prevention efforts. In celebration of Healthy Homes Awareness Month, the Kenton Hardin Health Department is offering free lead tests for children under 6 by appointment on April 18. For more information, contact Kenton Hardin Health Department at 419-673-6230 and speak with a nurse.

Overboard

By Karen Kier, Pharmacist on behalf of the ONU HealthWise team

The idiom “to go overboard” is used to describe a person who does something that is excessive or extreme. An example would be a person going overboard to prepare food for a party or spending an excessive amount of money on an item. Some may remember the 1987 romantic comedy Overboard that starred Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell. The movie was a box office success and can still be seen on television. A 2018 remake of Overboard starred Anna Faris and Eugenio Derbez that reversed the roles of the original movie. Others may remember Adam Sandler’s movie in 1989 titled Going Overboard about a struggling comedian who works on a cruise ship.

So, why am I discussing going overboard as it relates to COVID-19? The FDA cleared the way for a third, fourth, and fifth booster dose for the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines.

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