Here are some of the latest health and medical news
developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:
Distracted Driving Common Among Young Adults: Poll
A new poll finds that 63 percent of Americans under 30 use a
handheld phone while driving and 30 percent admit they've sent text
messages while behind the wheel.
The survey, by the U.S. Department of Transportation and
Consumer Reports, also found that only one-third of young drivers
believe such behavior is very dangerous, the
Associated Press reported.
Among Americans over age 30, 41 percent said they use handheld
phones while behind the wheel and 9 percent said they'd sent test
messages while driving.
Nearly 5,500 people were killed in distracted driving-related
crashes in 2009, according to the Department of Transportation, the
AP reported.
The Transportation Department and Consumers Union have launched
a new partnership to tackle the issue. It includes a guide for
parents and educators, a public service announcement for TV
stations, and a video for retail stores.
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Skippy Peanut Butter Recalled
Concerns about possible salmonella contamination have led to a
recall of some jars of creamy and chunky Skippy Reduced Fat peanut
butter.
The recall includes jars distributed to retailers in Arkansas,
Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Minnesota, Missouri,
Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota,
Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin, according to information on
the website of Skippy manufacturer Unilever,
CBS News reported.
The 16.3-ounce jars are marked with UPC codes 048001006812 and
048001006782 and have Best-If-Used-By Dates of MAY1612LR1,
MAY1712LR1, MAY1812LR1, MAY1912LR1, MAY2012LR1 and MAY2112LR1.
Consumers with recalled jars of Skippy peanut butter should stop
consuming it and contact Unilever at 900-453-3432 for a replacement
coupon,
CBS News reported.
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Psychiatrists Abandoning Talk Therapy: Report
Health insurance changes are a main reason why many of the
48,000 psychiatrists in the United States now focus on prescribing
medications instead of providing talk therapy to their patients,
according to
The New York Times.
For example, Dr. Donald Levin of Philadelphia treated 50 to 60
patients in once- or twice-weekly talk therapy sessions of 45
minutes each when he first established a private practice in 1972.
His goal was to keep patients happy and fulfilled.
But Levine now treats 1,200 patients in short office visits that
focus mainly on prescription adjustments. The objective now is just
to keep patients functional, the
Times reported.
This type of brief consultation is now common in psychiatry,
according to Dr. Steven S. Sharfstein, a former president of the
American Psychiatric Association and the president and chief
executive of Sheppard Pratt Health System in Maryland.
"It's a practice that's very reminiscent of primary care," Sharfstein told the Times. Psychiatrists "check up on people; they pull out the prescription pad; they order tests."
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Recalled Hazelnuts May be Linked to
E. Coli Cases
Hazelnuts and mixed nuts that may be linked to seven cases of
E. coli infection in Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin have
been recalled by DeFranco & Sons of Los Angeles, according to
U.S. health officials.
The hazelnuts and mixed nuts with hazelnuts were sold across the
United States and in Canada in November and December. No
E. coli has been found in the products, the
Associated Press reported.
The recalled products -- sold under the brand names Sunripe,
George Packing, Firestone Farms, and Northwest Hazelnut -- were
available in a variety of packages as small as 1 pound.
Fifty-pound bags of hazelnuts and mixed nuts with hazelnuts may
have been repackaged in smaller containers or sold from bulk
containers, the
AP reported.