Capsules

DIPHTHERIA

Rohingya refugees at risk

Diphtheria is spreading rapidly among Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, theWHOhas warned. More than 110 cases have been diagnosed by health partners, including Médecins Sans Frontières and the International Federation of the Red Cross. Six deaths have been recorded. “These cases could be just the tip of the iceberg. This is an extremely vulnerable population with low vaccination coverage, living in conditions that could be a breeding ground for infectious diseases like cholera, measles, rubella, and diphtheria,” said Navaratnasamy Paranietharan,WHO Representative to Bangladesh.

Heart disease

Simple test saves infants

Infant deaths from critical congenital heart disease decreased by a third in eight US states that mandated screening for CCHD using a simple pulse oximetry test that determines the amount of oxygen in a baby’s blood and the pulse rate. Deaths from other or unspecified cardiac causes dropped 21 per cent.

GREENHOUSE GASES

Carbon footprint of surgeries

The first analysis of the carbon footprint of surgical suites at three hospitals in the UK, Canada and the US highlights that the choice of anaesthetic gases can be a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions from operating theatres. The study, published in The Lancet Planetary Health, highlights the potential for reducing emissions in health-care settings and potentially reducing costs. Emissions due to anaesthetic gases accounted for 2,000 tonnes of CO2e at each of the North American site — ten times that from the UK hospital. The authors blame higher usage of desflurane for this.

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