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Main Category: GastroIntestinal / Gastroenterology
Also Included In: Public Health
Article Date: 15 Jun 2011 – 11:00 PDT
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This week, The New York City Health Department has issued hundreds of violations to restaurants failing to post a letter grade reflecting the result of an inspection. More than 800 violations have been issued for not displaying a grade, or putting it in a place where patrons can’t spot it easily. The grading system was started last July and about three-quarters of the city’s more than 24,000 restaurants have been inspected. The rest must post a “Grade Pending” sign.
An A, B or C reflects cleanliness, food safety and other requirements such as number of sinks. The Health Department conducts unannounced inspections of restaurants at least once a year. Inspectors check for compliance in food handling, food temperature, personal hygiene and vermin control.
Each violation of a regulation earns a certain number of points. At the end of the inspection, the inspector totals the points, and this number is the restaurant’s inspection score, the lower the score, the better. An inspection score of 0-13 is an A, 14-27 points is a B, and 28 or more points is a C. Grade cards must be posted where they can easily be seen by people passing by.
The following disclaimer appears on the department’s Web site regarding inspection data:
“As a result of an inspection, the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene may issue violations to the establishment. Owners have the opportunity to dispute these violations at the Department’s Administrative Tribunal, except when there are only general violations that result in fewer than 14 points. In these instances the violations must be corrected, but are not heard at the Administrative Tribunal. The information presented here may reflect inspections that have not yet been adjudicated.”
Americans dine out frequently due to their rushed schedules, and while it makes for a nice treat every once in a while doing so also means facing considerable health risks as well. Whether the effects settle in the present or the future, they still have considerable impact on their overall well-being. Sanitation, allergy, infections, and additives both intentional and unintentional can all lurk undetected in restaurant food, waiting for unsuspecting consumers to chomp down so they can spread their ugliness further.
Most restaurant trips, of course, will not result in a traumatic experience of explosive diarrhea or potential injury. But patrons still need to be made aware of the possible dangers that exist when dining at restaurants, no matter if they be dive or five stars.
The New York State Restaurant Association (NYSRA) which originally opposed the new grading system in 2010, also alerts their members that there is a scam being conducted which involves a phony government official calling restaurants and falsely claiming to be a health department inspector. The phony official will often ask to collect specific information (Ids, account numbers, etc.) from the restaurant and notify the recipient that they will receive an inspection in the coming weeks. NYSRA is unaware of any follow up inspection ever occurring.
New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOH) inspections are conducted in person and an owner/manager may always ask to see an inspector’s ID and badge.
Sources: The New York City Department of Health and The New York State Restaurant Association
Written by Sy Kraft
Copyright: Medical News Today
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Follow us on Twitter Main Category: Crohn’s / IBD Patient / Public: A new study from Rhode Island Hospital has found that MR enterography (MRE) without the use of an anti-peristaltic agent were as reliable as CT enterography (CTE) in determining the presence of Crohn’s disease. Additionally, MRE reduces the patient’s exposure to ionizing radiation. The study is now published online in advance of print in the European Journal of Radiology.
Lead author David J. Grand, M.D., director of the Body MRI program at Rhode Island Hospital, found that MR enterography without anti-peristaltic agents results in high diagnostic confidence for the presence or absence of Crohn’s disease when compared to CT enterography. To limit exposure to ionizing radiation in young patients, MR enterography may be considered a first-line study for the evaluation of known or suspected Crohn’s disease.
“This is an important discovery in the diagnostic process for Crohn’s disease,” said Grand. “This information will help us to develop safer approaches toward testing, helping to lower patients’ exposure to radiation, while still maintaining the integrity of diagnosis.”
The study included 26 patients to be tested for known or suspected Crohn’s disease. The patients underwent CTE immediately followed by MRE without the use of an anti-peristaltic agent. Two fellowship-trained abdominal imagers evaluated each study on a 10-point scale for exam quality, level of diagnostic confidence and presence of Crohn’s disease. The CTE and MRE images were reviewed in random order with at least two weeks separating interpretation of the test results of a single patient.
While the quality of the MREs was ranked slightly lower than the quality of the CTEs, both tests were judged with similarly high rankings for level of confidence in interpretation.
Crohn’s disease, a form of imflammatory bowel disease (IBD), is a chronic, relapsing, auto-immune disorder that may affect any portion of the gastrointestinal tract, most commonly the terminal ileum. The incidence of IBD has increased 31 percent in the U.S. since 1991. Cross-sectional imaging is currently a mainstay of evaluation of patients with Crohn’s disease due to its ability to assess the entire bowel and extra-luminal complications including fistula and abscess. Recently, however, MRE has demonstrated excellent efficacy both in detection of Crohn’s disease as well as in differentiation of active from chronic small bowel changes.
While CTE has proven to be an effective tool in diagnosing Crohn’s disease, the radiation dose the patient receives is up to five times higher than that of small-bowel follow through, the test it has largely replaced. In one population-based study, diagnostic imaging exams exposed the majority of Crohn’s patients to an additional annual radiation does equal to the annual background radiation in the U.S., while a subset of patients received up to 11 times this additional dosage.
MRE can eliminate ionizing radiation exposure in the population of patients who often present while young and undergo multiple imaging exams throughout their lives.
Additionally, all published literature to date has used a pharmacologic anti-peristaltic agent to minimize motion artifacts. While the agents may improve subjective image quality, their use has not been shown to be diagnostically necessary and administration complicates exam protocol and increases expense. This study demonstrates that the anti-peristaltic agents may not be necessary, and suggests a simplified protocol of MRE which maintains diagnostic yield while decreasing complexity and expense.
The principle affiliation of Grand is Rhode Island Hospital (member hospital of the Lifespan health system in Rhode Island). Direct financial and infrastructure support for this project was received through the Lifespan Office of Research Administration. The researcher also has an academic appointment at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University.
Source:
Note: Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care Follow us on Twitter Main Category: GastroIntestinal / Gastroenterology Patient / Public: 5 (1 votes) Healthcare Prof: A lot of Americans struggle with digestive difficulties with many not knowing how to fit in regular physical activity or make the best dietary choices that can actually promote digestive health.
According to the International Food Information Council Functional Foods/Foods for Health Consumer Trending Survey, 81 percent of Americans believe foods and beverages may improve digestive health. Many are also aware of the relationship between fiber, probiotics and prebiotics and maintaining a healthy digestive system.
Yet, few Americans are consuming these types of foods and beverages to experience their health benefits.
Getting regular physical activity and eating a balanced diet that includes plenty of fiber-rich fruits, vegetables and grains as well as certain yogurts and fluids can help promote optimal digestive health. “Making the right choices in your diet is your best assurance of keeping your digestive system running smoothly,” says David Grotto, registered dietitian and author of “101 Optimal Life Foods.”
Using these tips will have you well on your way to staying healthy and regular.
Ten Tips To Achieve Optimal Digestive Health:
1) Consume a Balanced Diet. Choose a variety of foods from each food group, especially fiber-rich fruits, vegetables and grains as well as certain yogurts and fluids.
2) Establish an Eating “Routine.” Eat regular meals to help promote consistent bowel movements.
3) Eat Small, More Frequent Meals. Aim for 4-5 small meals per day versus 2-3 large meals.
4) Chew More. Digestion starts in the mouth. Chew thoroughly. Chewing can help with the needed breakdown of some nutrients.
5) Remember a Mealtime Beverage. Fluids help move solids through the digestive system.
6) Make Half Your Plate Fruits and Veggies. Fiber-rich fruits and vegetables can also provide prebiotics that support the growth of good bacteria in the digestive tract.
7) Eat Yogurt or Kefir Daily. Certain yogurts and kefir contain probiotics that can help promote digestion.
9) Avoid Overeating. Excessive intake can burden the digestive system.
10) Get Moving. Focus on fitting physical activity into your day to help promote digestive health. Even slow activities like stretching and walking will promote good digestive health.
Source: International Food Information Council (IFIC)
Note: Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care Follow us on Twitter
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Revising MRE Protocol May Reduce Costs, Complexity While Maintaining Integrity Of Diagnosis For Crohn’s Disease
Also Included In: Radiology / Nuclear Medicine
Article Date: 16 Jun 2011 – 3:00 PDT
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Ellen Slingsby
Lifespan
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Ten Tips To Achieve Optimal Digestive Health
Article Date: 15 Jun 2011 – 0:00 PDT
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Relax After Eating. Give your body time to digest your meal before being active again.
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