Our latest “Freakonomics” column in the New York Times Magazine is about hospital-acquired bacterial infections, and how doctors don’t always do a very good job of washing their hands, and how one hospital set out to fight this problem. As always, we’ve posted some of the research behind the column elsewhere on this website.
Death to the Microbes
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Some doctors have proposed having medical personnel wash their hands with yogurt. The idea is that antibiotics kill off nearly all natural bacteria, creating an attractive surface on which bacteria which are naturally weaker and can’t compete — but which are resistant to antibiotics — can thrive.
This Google search pulls up several references to this idea. I read a long article about it in the Toronto Globe and Mail last year.
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=yogurt+hospitals+wash+hands+with+yogurt
for example this one:
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=32922
Some doctors have proposed having medical personnel wash their hands with yogurt. The idea is that antibiotics kill off nearly all natural bacteria, creating an attractive surface on which bacteria which are naturally weaker and can’t compete — but which are resistant to antibiotics — can thrive.
This Google search pulls up several references to this idea. I read a long article about it in the Toronto Globe and Mail last year.
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=yogurt+hospitals+wash+hands+with+yogurt
for example this one:
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=32922
A good essay on an important topic.
A good essay on an important topic.
I recall reading a newspaper article a few months ago which mentioned that colds and flu were reduced by something like 56% on a US submarine by getting the submariners to wash their hands five times a day, although I can’t find reference to it in Pubmed. The scientific point being that these viruses are transmitted mainly by hand to mouth contact rather than via droplet inhalation. Earlier reports have mentioned doorknobs as a major route of virus transmission. Given the number of working days lost to colds and flu, I think a modified version of this screensaver saying something like “Wash your hands before meals” could have a huge economic impact.
I recall reading a newspaper article a few months ago which mentioned that colds and flu were reduced by something like 56% on a US submarine by getting the submariners to wash their hands five times a day, although I can’t find reference to it in Pubmed. The scientific point being that these viruses are transmitted mainly by hand to mouth contact rather than via droplet inhalation. Earlier reports have mentioned doorknobs as a major route of virus transmission. Given the number of working days lost to colds and flu, I think a modified version of this screensaver saying something like “Wash your hands before meals” could have a huge economic impact.
Napkins may soon be able to detect bacteria. The links below are all pretty much the same. Just included 3 in case they don’t all work. A brief description of the story is below
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060918/LIFESTYLE03/609180319/1040
http://www.courierpostonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060918/BUSINESS01/609180333/1003/BUSINESS
http://www.heraldnet.com/stories/06/09/17/100bus_technotes001.cfm
Cornell University researchers are developing a napkin that will be able to detect bacteria, viruses and other dangerous substances with a mere swipe. The napkins, made with special nanofabrics, could have commercial use in food preparation or health care, said Margaret Frey, a professor of fiber science and apparel design at Cornell. The biodegradable absorbent wipe is similar to a common household napkin but has nanofibers containing antibodies to numerous biohazards and chemicals. Users would simply wipe the napkin across a surface, and those antibodies would signal the presence of bacteria or viruses by changing colors, for instance, Frey reported on her work Monday at the American Chemical Society’s national meeting in San Francisco. She said her research team has applied for patents and is looking for commercial partners, though the napkin is still a few years away from commercial production.
Napkins may soon be able to detect bacteria. The links below are all pretty much the same. Just included 3 in case they don’t all work. A brief description of the story is below
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060918/LIFESTYLE03/609180319/1040
http://www.courierpostonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060918/BUSINESS01/609180333/1003/BUSINESS
http://www.heraldnet.com/stories/06/09/17/100bus_technotes001.cfm
Cornell University researchers are developing a napkin that will be able to detect bacteria, viruses and other dangerous substances with a mere swipe. The napkins, made with special nanofabrics, could have commercial use in food preparation or health care, said Margaret Frey, a professor of fiber science and apparel design at Cornell. The biodegradable absorbent wipe is similar to a common household napkin but has nanofibers containing antibodies to numerous biohazards and chemicals. Users would simply wipe the napkin across a surface, and those antibodies would signal the presence of bacteria or viruses by changing colors, for instance, Frey reported on her work Monday at the American Chemical Society’s national meeting in San Francisco. She said her research team has applied for patents and is looking for commercial partners, though the napkin is still a few years away from commercial production.