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Blogs Comment On Supreme Court News, Pregnant Prisoner Health Care, Withdrawal Method, Other Topics
The following summarizes selected women"s health-related blog entries.~"Considering Common Ground and Our New Supreme Court Nominee," Cristina Page, Birth Control Watch: Page writes that the fact that appeals court Judge Sonia Sotomayor, Obama"s nominee to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice David Souter, has served on the board of Childbirth Connection is of great interest, since Sotomayor"s own views on women"s health could mirror those of the organization. Page explains that the organization "takes no policy position on abortion, but it is very much a proponent of women"s rights during childbirth." According to Page, Sotomayor"s work with Childbirth Connection "stands out" on her resume as "the only entry that does not have a purely legal focus." Page writes, "To me, it"s an important sign, and one from which pro-choice and women"s health advocates can derive some comfort," as the group is "dedicated to identifying and promoting best practices in women"s health based on rigorous scientific evidence." She adds, "If Sotomayor"s connection to the group is any indication of the value she places in science and her respect for the field of medicine, her nomination is good news for women"s health." Page also provides a link to audio of her appearance on a radio show to discuss "common ground" in the abortion-rights debate. She writes that David Gushee, an abortion-rights opponent who also appeared on the show, was genuinely "reasonable and looking for solutions." Page adds, "Listening to him gives me faith in this new and albeit small movement of pro-lifers who genuinely want to support policies that help reduce the need for abortion" (Page, Birth Control Watch, 5/27).~ "Unshackling Female Prisoners in Labor," Abigail Kramer, Salon"s "Broadsheet": Last week, the New York state Legislature passed a measure that would prevent the state"s prisons from using handcuffs or shackles on pregnant female inmates during labor. Similar laws exist in three other states. Kramer writes, "Handcuffs and shackles for women in labor pose problems beyond the obvious snafu of being brutal, inhumane and bat"s balls freaking crazy." She continues, "Having a baby is generally understood to be a wee bit uncomfortable," adding, "Not being able to move can increase the pain and slow down or complicate labor" and "restraints can cause a delay if a woman has to be rushed off for an emergency C-section -- which, as a doctor points out in Amnesty"s original report on institutional violence against women prisoners, can lead to brain damage for the baby." In addition, "women giving birth have not turned out to pose a tremendous flight risk to the nation"s criminal [justice] system: When Amnesty International asked prison administrators to provide examples of past in-labor escape attempts, they came up with exactly... well, zero," Kramer concludes (Kramer, "Broadsheet," Salon, 5/28).~ "Be Responsible: Give Your Partner Drugs!" Norah Hazelton, National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association"s "Family PlanIt": "One thing I remember pretty clearly from sex ed in high school health class ... was that if one person in a couple is diagnosed with an [sexually transmitted infection] and gets treatment, it"s very important to get the other partner tested and treated because otherwise you can just end up passing it back and forth," Hazelton writes. She continues, "Trouble is, a lot of STIs don"t have symptoms and it can be difficult getting someone with no symptoms to take the time (and money) to go see a doctor." Hazelton writes, "Thankfully, expedited partner therapy (EPT), the practice of treating partners without a medical assessment, is becoming more and more popular." She adds, "With 19 million new cases of STIs each year in the U.S. (costing an estimated $15.9 billion annually), any options that could reduce those numbers need to be considered seriously." Although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended and endorsed EPT, "there are still many legal barr
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Full Senate To Begin Debate On Sotomayor Tuesday
The full Senate on Tuesday is set to begin debate on Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor, who is widely expected to be confirmed by the end of the week, the Los Angeles Times reports (Savage/Oliphant, Los Angeles Times, 8/4).Six Republicans have announced that they will vote to confirm Sotomayor, while most are aligning with the party base to vote against her confirmation. No Democrats have announced that they will oppose her nomination. At the risk of alienating his state"s large Hispanic population, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) on Monday announced that he will oppose Sotomayor"s confirmation (AP/USA Today, 8/4). "An excellent resume and an inspiring life story are not enough to quality oneself for a lifetime of service on the Supreme Court," McCain said, adding, "I do not believe she shares my belief in judicial restraint" (Los Angeles Times, 8/4). Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.), an advocate for gun-rights, had been under pressure to vote against her but on Monday said that he supports the nominee and will vote to confirm her. Nelson said that he believes Sotomayor has "a great respect for the law" (AP/USA Today, 8/4).
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Advanced Technologies Pump Growth Into European Cardiac Rhythm Management Market, Affirms Frost & Sullivan, UK
The incidence of cardiovascular disease is rising due to factors such as ageing, obesity, smoking and other cardiac ailments. Each year cardiovascular diseases cause over 4.3 million deaths, accounting for 48 per cent of all mortalities in Europe.
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APIC Launches Online Infection Prevention Course

The first of six online courses to educate healthcare professionals on preventing the transmission of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) is being launched by the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC). Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) cause 99,000 deaths in the U.S. each year. The "APIC Healthcare-Associated Infections Elimination Library" compiles APIC"s evidence-based elimination guides into an interactive, online format. The APIC course can be used to educate all hospital staff, from the novice to more experienced healthcare workers. This is the first component of APIC"s Online Learning Center. Elimination of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in hospital settings is the first module in the APIC HAI Elimination Library. Future courses will cover catheter-related blood stream infections, catheter-associated urinary tract infections, C. difficile, surgical site infections and ventilator-associated pneumonia. "APIC"s new online library is designed to ensure that all healthcare workers can easily access critical learning about the reduction of HAIs," said APIC CEO Kathy L. Warye. "This is the first time that APIC content is being offered in this way and supports our overall strategy to deliver quality education as broadly and conveniently as possible." Courses include case studies, links to published guidelines and real-time feedback to assess the learner"s performance. Participants can obtain continuing education credit for completed coursework. The courseware will be available for purchase by healthcare organizations whose employees train on the HealthStream Learning Center platform. HealthStream is a leading provider of research and learning solutions for the healthcare industry. For more information, please visit http://www.healthstream.com/apic/. APIC


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