Medicine harms 1 in 15 hospitalized kids

CHRISTOPHER R BLAKE ASSIST NEWS EDITOR CRB724@CABRINI EDU

According to the first scientific test of a new detection method made by the National Initiative for Children’s Healthcare Quality, medicine mix-ups, accidental overdoses and harmful drug reactions harm 1 in 15 hospitalized children. This alarming number is far larger than earlier research estimates and have increased concerns already raised by well-publicized cases including the accidental drug overdose of actor Dennis Quaid’s newborn twins last November. The group’s research found a rate of 11 drug-related harmful events for every 100 hospitalized children. In comparison to an earlier estimate of 2 per 100 hospitalized children, based on traditional detection methods, this is extremely high. A calculation based on government data estimated 7.3 percent of hospitalized children, or about 540,000 kids each year were affected by medicine mix-ups.

Students show health benefits after food study

educating the mind of the person, although that is very important, but also concerned about the moral development of that individual.”

The mansion was packed with Cabrini students, faculty, staff, as well as outsiders, as Nutter spoke in a sincere and confident voice of the difficulties that students in Philadelphia public schools face.

Nutter’s efforts in Philadelphia are to provide students with people who will be role models for them and encourage them to do something with their lives, while others often tell them they can’t. “Kids are on a journey. We are the tour guides; we’re trying to give them the right direction along the way,” Nutter said.

Raised by parents who valued education; sickened by the conditions she witnessed as a community organizer in Philadelphia; those are two experiences in Nutter’s life that led her to receive a master’s degree in city planning and start making a difference. “We have to respond to the call of these young people as a community,” she said.

Throughout her lecture, she emphasized the importance of relationships; especially those in young peoples’ lives. While supporting the need for gaining knowledge, she also tries to teach students that life is often measured by who you know, which is why building a social network is key.

Nutter also focuses on the reformation of the public school system. She wants to ensure that schools are teaching certain skills needed for life after high school, whether that is post-secondary education or a career. She believes that the same skills are needed for both of those paths.

Both President Iadorolla and Dr. Hedtke congratulated Nutter on “doing something extraordinary.”

Each year there is a committee that makes suggestions of who should receive the award. Among the committee were Cabrini’s Dr. James Hedtke, chair of history and political science, and Dr. Daryl Mace, assistant professor of history and political science. Ultimately, the members of the Willis family decide the recipient.

Past recipients included Violetta Barrios de Chamorro, former president of Nicaragua, in 1993, and Carolyn Jefferson-Jenkins, president of the League of Women Voters of the United States.

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Five Philadelphia elementary schools substituted sodas with fruit juice, limited snacks and took away candy from their students. Instead they handed out raffle tickets for wise food choices teaching kid, parents and teachers about the importance of good nutrition. The number of children who gained weight during the two-year experiment was half the number of students who gained weight in schools that did not make the health conscious efforts. The experiment was led by Gary Foster, director of the Center for Obesity Research and Education at Temple University. Although not all of the results were promising after two years there were fewer new overweight children found. The overall number of overweight students at the schools involved in the experiment dropped by 10 to 15 percent, while the schools that did not change, the number rose up to 20 percent.

Bush seeks to reduce Columbian trade tariffs

President Bush sent Congress an agreement to slash tariffs on trade with Columbia, advising the House and Senate to approve the measure by the end of the year. Bush said it would open markets in Columbia for a wide variety of American industrial and farm products. In addition the President hopes to gain support from Columbian President Alvaro Uribe, whom Bush praised for his work in fighting terrorism. Critics argue the measure does not do enough to protect the workers of Columbia and the agreement would place pressure on a U.S. job market in a time of economic recession.

Israeli and Palestinian leaders meet

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas met in Jerusalem on Monday for the first time in six weeks. The two leaders came together to communicate about U.S.sponsored peace talks before President Bush’s visit to Israel next month. Bush is due to arrive in mid-May to celebrate Israel’s 60th anniversary. His administration is urging Israelis and Palestinians to obtain a lasting peace settlement before he leaves office next year.