Most office KITCHENS are more dirty.....

Most office KITCHENS are dirtier than the toilets, with kettles and microwaves the germiest places

• Half of kitchen surfaces are contaminated with dangerous levels of coliforms - bacteria in faeces
• These bacteria can cause gastrointestinal diseases
• 25 per cent of draining boards, 30 per cent of microwaves, 40 per cent of kettles also contaminated

By Emma Innes
PUBLISHED:17:26 GMT, 23 April 2013| UPDATED:17:26 GMT, 23 April 2013

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Workplace kitchens are dangerously dirty, to the point that they could cause illness, new research suggests.

A study has revealed that half of surfaces in workplace kitchens are contaminated by dangerously high levels of coliforms – the bacteria present in faeces which can lead to outbreaks of gastrointestinal disease.

It also showed that more than a quarter of draining boards were found to have four times the safe level of coliforms.

Half of surfaces in workplace kitchens are contaminated by dangerously high levels of coliforms - the bacteria present in faeces which can lead to outbreaks of gastrointestinal disease

 

 

The research also revealed that the handles of shared fridge-freezers were bacteria-rife, with a third carrying high levels of coliforms, whilst 30 per cent of shared microwaves were also shown to be contaminated around the handles and buttons.

Tea drinkers are not any more hygienic – more than 40 per cent of kettle handles were revealed to be contaminated with higher levels of bacteria than are found on toilet doors.

Overall, the swab results, carried out by Initial Washroom Hygiene, showed that 75 per cent of kitchen work surfaces are home to more bacteria than an average feminine sanitary bin.

Dr Peter Barratt, Technical Manager at Initial Hygiene, said: ‘Shared office kitchens can be very busy areas with a heavy footfall, making this space a potential hazard for cross-contamination when good hygiene practices and hand washing aren’t encouraged.

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‘As workers prepare their lunches on the kitchen surfaces, it’s vital to ensure these surfaces are sanitised on a regular basis and that, as a minimum, towel dispensers, soap, and hand or surface sanitizers are available to mitigate the risks.

The survey revealed that the handles of shared fridge-freezers were bacteria-rife, with a third carrying high levels of coliforms, whilst 30 per cent of shared microwaves were also shown to be contaminated

 

 

‘Regular hand washing with soap and water has been proven to reduce the risk of the spreading of pathogens, and will help to ensure the workforce remains fit and healthy.’

To conduct the research Initial took 280 samples from 70 kitchen appliances in eight offices.

The news comes just after it was revealed that one sick person can infect half of an office’s commonly touched surfaces by lunchtime.

Scientists at the University of Arizona discovered that telephones, desktops, table tops, doorknobs, photocopier and lift buttons, and the office fridges are all rapidly contaminated by an ailing worker.

However the study also revealed that simple interventions, such as hand washing and the use of hand sanitizer or wipes, can drastically reduce employees' risk of infection.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2313619/Most-office-KITCHENS-dirtier-toilets-kettles-microwaves-germiest-places.html#ixzz2ROURphW8
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Antarctic ice is melting faster...

Antarctic ice is melting TEN TIMES faster than it was 600 years ago

• Experts found the most rapid melt occurred in the past 50 years
• Tests carried out on ice core on James Ross Island, Antarctic Peninsula
• Temperatures up by 1.6 degrees Celsius over 600 years, they found

By Amanda Williams
PUBLISHED:08:22 GMT, 15 April 2013| UPDATED:10:32 GMT, 15 April 2013

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Summer ice is melting 10 times faster in the Antarctic than it was 600 years ago, with the most rapid melt occurring in the past 50 years.

Researchers from the Australian National University and the British Antarctic Survey also discovered the ice melt is at its highest level in 1,000 years.
 
'It's definitely evidence that the climate and the environment is changing in this part of Antarctica,' lead researcher Nerilie Abram said.

A one-metre long section of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet Divide core, with a dark layer of volcanic ash visible. The teams drilled a 364-metre (1,194 feet) long ice core from James Ross Island in the continent's north to measure past temperatures in the area

 

 

Abram and her team drilled a 364-metre (1,194 feet) deep ice core on James Ross Island, near the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, to measure historical temperatures and compare them with summer ice melt levels in the area.

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Visible layers in the ice core show periods when summer snow on the ice cap thawed and then refroze.

They found that, while the temperatures have gradually increased by 1.6 degrees Celsius (2.9 degrees Fahrenheit) over 600 years, the rate of ice melting has been most intense over the past 50 years.

Experts said the stronger ice melts are likely to be responsible for faster glacier ice loss and some of the dramatic collapses from the Antarctic ice shelf over the past 50 years

 

Scientists at the British Antarctic Survey have produced the most detailed map yet of Antarctica¿s landmass, showing a landscape of mountain ranges and plains cut by gorges and valleys much deeper than previously seen

 

 

That shows the ice melt can increase dramatically in climate terms once temperatures hit a tipping point.

This is the first time it has been demonstrated that levels of ice melt on the Antarctic Peninsula have been particularly sensitive to increasing temperature during the 20th Century.

MOST DETAILED MAP OF ANTARCTICA YET

Scientists at the British Antarctic Survey have produced the most detailed map yet of Antarctica’s landmass.

Bedmap2 shows a landscape of mountain ranges and plains cut by gorges and valleys much deeper than previously seen.

In addition, the map allows scientists to analyse, in much greater detail, the bed below the Antarctic ice sheet.

The map reveals the volume of ice in Antarctica is 4.6 per cent greater than previously thought and that the the mean bed depth at 95 metres, is 60 metres lower than estimated.

The volume of ice that is grounded with a bed below sea level is also 23 per cent greater than originally thought meaning there is a larger volume of ice that is susceptible to rapid melting.

It also reveals the ice that rests just below sea level is vulnerable to warming from ocean currents.

The new deepest point, under Byrd Glacier, is around 400 metres deeper than the previously identified deepest point.
 

'Once your climate is at that level where it is starting to go above zero degrees, the amount of melt that will happen is very sensitive to any further increase in temperature you may have,' Abram said.

Robert Mulvaney, from the British Antarctic Survey, said the stronger ice melts are likely responsible for faster glacier ice loss and some of the dramatic collapses from the Antarctic ice shelf over the past 50 years.

Their research was published in the Nature Geoscience journal.

In other parts of Antarctica, such as the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, the picture is more complex and it is not yet clear that the levels of recent ice melt and glacier loss are exceptional or caused by human-driven climate changes.

Dr Abram concludes: 'This new ice core record shows that even small changes in temperature can result in large increases in the amount of melting in places where summer temperatures are near to 0°C, such as along the Antarctic Peninsula, and this has import'

This research was funded by the Natural Environment Research Council.
Dr Abram is an Australian Research Council Queen Elizabeth II Fellow.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2309256/Antarctic-ice-melting-10-times-faster-600-years-ago.html#ixzz2QveEqu1y
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A two-year-old boy dies from rare genetic disorder.

Heartbreak after little boy who longed to meet his baby sister dies from rare genetic disorder just FOUR DAYS before she is born

• Archie Watson, 2, had a Tay-Sachs, a disorder that causes nerve cells to die
• Died last Monday in children's hospice after singing his favourite songs
• His sister Matilda Rose arrived on Friday, weighing 7lb 8oz
• Parents Bradley and Lauren believe he is now Matilda's guardian angel

By Anna Hodgekiss
PUBLISHED:09:39 GMT, 9 April 2013| UPDATED:10:16 GMT, 9 April 2013

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A two-year-old boy who longed to be alive for the birth of his sister has lost his battle to a rare genetic disorder just four days before her arrival.

Archie Watson died last Monday after suffering from Tay-Sachs, which causes deterioration of nerve cells, mental and physical abilities and a maximum life expectancy of four years.

Now his parents, Bradley, 34 and Lauren, 27, believe he is watching over their newborn, Matilda Rose, as her guardian angel.

 

A life cut short: Two-year-old Archie Watson suffered from a rare genetic disorder and died four days before his longed-for baby sister was born

 

Archie was suffering from Tay-Sachs, a rare but fatal genetic condition that causes derioration of nerve cells and a maximum life expectancy of four years

 

 

Mr Watson, from South Wales, said: 'Matilda has a guardian angel now in Archie, who will be there for her. I know it sounds strange, but we honestly believe it - that she will carry on where he left off.

'We wanted him to be here when she was born, but he was poorly and hung on for as long as possible. He is not suffering any more.'

Archie, who was diagnosed in December 2011, died at Ty Hafan Children's Hospice, after singing his favourite Sesame Street songs and watching a starlight projector.

His death resulted in Lauren, who was due to give birth on April 7, deciding to be induced.

 

Four days after Archie died, his sister Matilda Rose was born (pictured with parents Lauren and Bradley and bother Jack). Mr and Mrs Watson believe Archie is watching over his sister as her guardian angel

She didn't want to miss the celebration of his life, which they are having instead of a funeral.

Matilda Rose arrived on Friday afternoon, weighing 7lbs 8oz.
At nine months, Archie stopped developing properly, had trouble walking and began having seizures.

He was then diagnosed with Tay-Sachs.

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Mr Watson said: 'We could have wallowed in despair, closed the curtains and counted down the days.
But, we threw the curtains open and got much good out of something so bad.
'After he was diagnosed, we had a "no tears at Christmas" policy. We didn't want regrets and to look back having wasted two years we had with Archie.'

The little boy's life was crammed with as much fun as possible from trips to Euro Disney and Wembley, as well as being a mascot for the Cardiff Blues rugby team.

Archie, who was diagnosed in December 2011, died at Ty Hafan Children's Hospice, after singing his favourite Sesame Street songs

 

 

Mr Watson, who works for an insurance broker in Cardiff, told his local paper that the couple had first realised there was something wrong with Archie when he started having fits at the age of nine months.

He told the said: 'Archie suddenly started having a lot of seizures. Then, just before Christmas, he had some blood tests and brain scans and it was found that he had a deficiency of a protein which helps the nervous system.

'Unfortunately both my wife and I are carriers of the gene, so Archie inherited that gene.

'We knew something was wrong as his development was changing and he was having the seizures.

Archie's death resulted in Mrs Watson, was due to give birth on April 7, deciding to be induced, so as not to miss the celebration of Archie's life being held instead of a funeral

'We thought is might be cerebral palsy or something similar, but we did not realise it would be terminal.'

Then, after Archie developed pneumonia, the family feared he wouldn't make it to Christmas.

His parents and brother Jack, 10, said goodbye every day of the final four weeks they spent at Ty Hafan and had a birthday for each of the 30 months Archie lived.

Mr Watson said: 'He fought until there was nothing left in him. He was hoping to meet his sister, but it wasn't meant to be. His legacy will live on and he will keep inspiring people.'

His story has touched the hearts of thousands of people through postings on social networking sites as he bravely fought the terminal illness.

Through sky dives, marathons and other fundraisers, family and friends have already raised £23,000 for Caerphilly Children's Centre, Ty Hafan and Cure and Action for Tay-Sachs.

For more information: www.amazingarchie.com/index.html

TAY-SACHS: A CRUEL GENETIC DISORDER THAT STRIKES YOUNG

Tay-Sachs disease is a rare and usually fatal genetic disorder that causes progressive damage to the nervous system.
In the most common form of the condition, symptoms usually begin at around five months of age, when a previously normal child’s development begins to slow and they gradually lose their ability to move. Other symptoms can include muscle stiffness and fits.
The first noticeable symptom is usually that a baby is excessively surprised and startled by noises, such as people clapping their hands or a telephone ringing. A red spot may also appear near the centre of each of their eyes.

 
Babies with the condition will also be much slower in reaching developmental milestones, such as gripping objects and learning to crawl.
Tay-Sachs disease is caused by a genetic mutation. This happens when the instructions that are found in all living cells become 'scrambled' in some way, causing one or more processes of the body not to work properly.

 
In Tay-Sachs disease, a genetic mutation known as the HEXA mutation results in the body not producing an enzyme called Hexosaminidase-A (Hex-A). Without this enzyme, a fatty substance called ganglioside builds up in the cells of the nervous system, causing them to stop working normally, eventually killing them.

SOURCE: NHS Choices

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Father died on hospital bathroom floor ......

Father died on hospital bathroom floor after junior doctor failed to give him life-saving drugs

• Edward McKean, 52, had undergone surgery to remove benign brain tumour
• Died of a blood clot in the pulmonary artery at University Hospital Coventry
• Had not received vital blood-thinning drugs which could have saved him
• Inquest heard junior doctor missed the drugs off his medication chart
• 'Neglect' contributed to death and doctors missed opportunities to save him

By Emma Innes
PUBLISHED:09:40 GMT, 2 April 2013| UPDATED:13:10 GMT, 2 April 2013

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Edward McKean, 52, died after doctors failed to notice he was not receiving vital drugs

 

A father-of-three died on the bathroom floor of a hospital after a junior doctor left life-saving drugs off his medication chart, an inquest has heard.

Medics failed to realise Edward McKean, 52, was not receiving vital blood-thinning drugs for six days after he underwent brain surgery to remove a benign tumour.

Mr McKean did not receive the drugs - designed to reduce the risk of blood clots - because a junior doctor missed them off his treatment chart when she copied it up.

As a result, a clot formed in Mr McKean’s leg, broke free, and blocked an artery, causing a fatal pulmonary embolism - a blood clot in the pulmonary artery - as he walked to the bathroom.

A post-mortem examination found he had already suffered a smaller embolism which could have alerted doctors to their mistake and saved his life.

A coroner ruled that doctors and nurses missed numerous opportunities to spot their mistake and said ‘neglect’ had been a contributing factor to his death.

An inquest at Coventry Magistrates Court on Friday heard that the keen walker’s life could probably have been saved if the mistake had been picked up.

Mr McKean had surgery to correct a rare tumour in his nasal cavity and skull at University Hospital Coventry, in Walsgrave, on April 3 last year.

He initially received the anti-coagulant medication after the opeation but stopped receiving it following the error.

The contracts manager, from Solihull, West Midlands, died as he walked to the bathroom on April 22, almost three weeks after his operation.

Mr McKean’s partner, Susan Rickards, told the inquest she had ‘fought for a year’ to stop the tragedy being ‘swept under the carpet’.

Describing the moment she learned of his death, she told the inquest: ‘The hospital rang me at five in the morning and told me there was an emergency, so I shot up there.

‘I thought if he saw I was calm it would help him to keep calm.

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‘I thought he might have broken his arm or leg, but when I got to the ward they told me he was gone.’

Consultant neurosurgeon Hussien El-Maghraby admitted the mistake should have been detected sooner.

He said: ‘What is serious is that it was not picked up for six days.’

Mr El-Maghraby added that when he learned what had happened, he sent an email to the hospital’s chief executive.

A junior doctor at University Hospital Coventry missed vital blood-thinning drugs off Mr McKean's medication chart and as a result he went without them for six days and died of a blood clot in the pulmonary artery

 

 

Deputy coroner Louise Hunt asked him: ‘On a scale of one to ten, how serious would you say these collective failings were?’

He replied: ‘Very serious, ten out of ten.

‘That’s what made me send an email.’

The inquest heard the hospital had since improved ward rounds and made other changes to minimise the risk of a similar tragedy.

Ruling that neglect had contributed to Mr McKean’s death, Ms Hunt asked the hospital to send her written confirmation that it had implemented measures to prevent similar mistakes occurring again.

Dr Mike Iredale, deputy medical director, apologised to the family for the ‘unimaginable distress and grief’ the hospital had caused them.

He accepted serious mistakes were made and promised the hospital would continue to improve its procedures.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2302728/Father-died-hospital-bathroom-floor-doctors-failed-life-saving-drugs.html#ixzz2Pn0YC3Zm
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