Routine in Aberdeen...

 

Sorry for the bad rhyme in the title, but this article about a new practice in Aberdeen, Scotland's A&Es (ERs).   They are making it routine for everyone needing lab work to be automatically tested for HIV, hepatitis & other blood borne illnesses.  They had success with their trial run & plan to keep the practice.  I've thought this should be standard for years.  It could help people be diagnosed & treated sooner.

The benefit drama continues.  We started our plan yesterday & will continue this week.  It doesn't look like the asshats in DC will get things fixed anytime soon.   I don't know how this will play out.  I hate this.

It's still dark & raining.  We got over 2" yesterday.  It came down slowly all day & night.   There will be more.   That could help get the area to this month's rainfall average.

That's all for now, take care.

Cya...

OIDP & Cherokee Nation...

 

There aren't many Native pieces, but this article is about the OIDP (Office of Infectious Disease and HIV/AIDS Policy) & Cherokee Nation working together for a program called HELP (Hepatitis C (HCV) Engagement and Linkage Program).  The program was started in 2023 & focuses on increasing screening for HEP C, HIV & syphilis. 

This is a 3 year program with goals of evaluating & working with care programs among vulnerable communities in hopes of handling these illnesses in these populations.  Eventually, the HELP program could spread to other tribes.  The program has partnered with medical professions, some via telehealth, local care programs & the Nation.  

This is the beginning of their 2nd year.   I hope it prospers.  The articles in this post were good reads (the initial piece & the 1 referencing the start in 2023).   If Native American health issues or HIV in vulnerable populations are an interest, I suggest these pieces.

Take care.

Cya...

Another Early, Maybe Hard Morning...

 

On top of normal Friday things, we have other errands.  The 1st bill of next month has arrived & has to be paid.  The gas company always wants their payment early.  Its easier just to handle it when it gets here.  I also need to get my last hepatitis shot.  Past that, there's checking mail, shopping & getting lunch.

The hard part of today, is that I have to take the kitten into the vet.  He, Machen, has been acting off for over a week.   There's been a lot of stillness & sleeping.  At 1st we thought it was the seasonal change & allergies.  But, he hasn't eaten anything notable since Tuesday & doesn't seem to be drinking his water either.  The litter box is pretty empty.  He's moving his jaw weird, drooling, has so tiny blood specks on his fur & he stinks.  He's mostly been retreating.   If this isn't something easy like an infection or dental issue, this could be his last morning.   I hope not.

I have to get moving.  Take care.

Cya...

Finally & Another...

 

I actually saw a hummingbird in the yard yesterday.  I almost missed it.  It was up near the tiger lillies.  I haven't seen them there before.  I think most things are avoiding the hibiscus this year.  If that's the case then that may be the only hummer I see this year.  The tigers are almost done for the season.  I'm not sure what's wrong with the rose of sharons.  They've been dying off for the last few years.   There used to 6 in the backyard.  Now, there's 2 & the front bush is half gone.   The hummers don't go near the crepes as much.  I'd put up a feeder, but there are so many ants in the yard, that's probably all that'd get to it.

On the other point, it happened again.  This article goes on to detail how another doctor possibly exposed over 2,400 patients to HIV & various hepatitis types.  Who knows what else.  All because he couldn't be bothered with safety protocols.

That's all for.  I need to get around & go shopping. Take care.

Cya...

Another Preventable Exposure Site...

This is irritating, but errors do happen.  That's why there should be means for retests & reexamination. This article states over 400 people at a Salem hospital could've been exposed to HIV & hepatitis due to poor performance handling equipment.

I'm won't go into much detail, it's in the piece.  At least they're offering screening.  This should never have happened.  It'd been a while since an occurrence this large was reported.  Medical facilities have got to getter protocol & means for handling their equipment & procedures. 

That's it for now.  Still annoyed by a hard sell job by  a Kinetic internet sales person yesterday.  I think the matter is handled.  Take care.

Cya...

Yet Again & Again...

 

I've written about this too many times.  According to this piece, another medical facility has not followed proper sterilization procedures.   The VA medical center in  Dublin, Ga has possibly exposed over 4,000 patients  to hepatitis, HIV & other viruses.  

More than 4,000 veteran patients were informed surgical instruments used on them were not sterilized properly. Veterans and their families tell us they are overwhelmed with worry.

How many more times is this kind of incident going to happen?  These processes are supposed to be standard practice.  Yet, we hear about 1 or more every few months happening across the country.  This profession has got to do better.  A single incident, no   matter how "innocent" could leave a person facing a lifelong battle with HIV.  There are no excuses for this.  Do Better.

Cya...

Distance Problem...

 

A problem for me regarding my HIV treatment has always been distance.  I've use telemedicine, but it's not the same.  Still, it beats a 2 hour drive for me just to sit in a waiting room for 15 minutes, then see a resident for 5 just to get lab results.  It's not worth the effort.  

HIV shouldn't be treated like a rare, tropical illness.  Loads of people are dealing with, it's a billion dollar industry & we've been actively facing it for almost 4 decades.   Why am I still going to a specialty clinic?

Why aren't at least the more common, socially communicable diseases being brought together in place?  HIV, STI's, Hepatitis, TB,... most are things I'm regularly tested for.  If I'm getting tested for them why aren't they being actively treated in more general locations, instead of being relegated to specialists, hours away?  

If these illnesses were treated like other ailments & physicians were expected to have at least a passing knowledge of them, then we might make a dent in their progress.   These diseases are common in many areas now.  It's no longer makes since to act like they're isolated events.  Normalize these illnesses.  Treat them like any other ailment.  Then we might see them diminish.

Cya...

Ongoing Still...

Over the past year & still til today there've been ongoing reports of HIV, Hep C & heroin usage in small town & rural America.  I read an article this morning concerning the suburbs of Atlanta.  The place was different but the story was the same.  

These places are in economic turmoil.   These people often to turn to risky outlets for handling their situations, like self medicating with heroin.   Most of these places have little in the way HIV or Hep C education/testing.   Virtually none of them have needle exchange programs or efforts to promote safer sex, such as free condoms.

Bad economics, no prospects, heroin & desperate people are a dangerous combination.  It's just a matter of time before someone has some blood-borne  or sexually transmitted illness that spreads like wildfire due to shared needles & risky sex.  

These small towns are tinderboxes for an inferno to burn through these areas.  Most of the officials want nothing to do with serious prevention efforts.  That might be seen as condoning sex or drug use.  Few, if any of these places are prepared for the outbreaks just waiting to happen, like those in Indiana.

We need a better economy & more jobs.  These people need hope,  But, all we can do here & now is try to educate them & give them the tools to avoid contracting/spreading these illnesses.  Sadly, I doubt that will ever happen no matter how many of these little towns go up in proverbial flames.

Cya...

Still Spreading...

Throughout the news online for the past few days, there's been discussion of how Ohio may soon be hit by a wave of HIV infections.   Like its neighbor, Indiana, Ohio has been the victim of the economic downturn.   It has been hit hard financially.  When this happens the emotional, social, psychological & spiritual soon begin to suffer as well.  As these wounds compound, people look for solace.

Too often people find comfort in drugs; pain killers, oxy, meth & heroin.  This has already left Ohio with a high number of Hepatitis C cases.  It's likely other communicable diseases such as HIV are soon to follow.

The scary thing, this pattern is almost identical to what happened in Indiana.  Almost every state in the Great Lake region is in a similar situation & could easily go down the same path.  The old industry states have fallen & may never recover.  Look at the Detroit area.    Too much of the US is looking worse off than those countries we title "third world."

These people have been cast aside by the industries they made great.  They aren't falling through the craps, they're being shoved down the drain. They've experienced a rapid shift into the marginal world of being  part of  the fringe population of society.   It's not a pretty place & it's not safe.

Cya...

It Continues...

This article & many others out today are talking about a rural Kentucky area & its Hep C epidemic.   The man in the article has tracked over 500 IV drug users since 2008.  At this time up to a 70% are infected with Hep C.   That's 350 + people with a highly infectious disease.   

This probably could've been handled better with more outreach programs & needle exchange.   But this is a southern state where such things are highly frowned upon.  Remember this is only 200 miles south of the county in Indiana suffering from a huge HIV outbreak.  

The writer realizes its just a matter of time before those drug users also test + for HIV.   Then what?  In these states where prevention is a 4-letter word & akin to devil-worship, these highly communicable & preventable diseases are spreading like wildfire.  Way to go conservatives.  

Many people still think this is the 1980's & things like Hep C & HIV are city-things.   But more & more these viruses are present in fairly removed, rural settings.   Places with high-unemployment, little-to-no public services & a lot of drug users.

What's going to happen here?  I have no idea.  Will these states learn?  Most likely not.  They'll do just enough to get through the danger zone & then go back to business as usual.  

Cya...

Follow Up On Negligence...

I wrote about a dentist last March in this post.  This article is talking is a follow up to what happened with him.   This man's negligence led to the state telling over 7,000 to get tested for HIV & hepatitis.  This article tells over various types of hepatitis diagnosis of his patients.  It didn't mention any anything about possible  associated HIV cases. 

The lawsuits are ongoing.  The fallout is still becoming evident.  The best thing about this is, there will be 1 less dentist in the world who refuses to follow basic sanitation & hygiene rules in his office.   This situation should never had been at all.  But, some people can't be bothered to take proper care to guard against transmitting diseases to their patients.   I still think just losing his license is too lenient.

Cya...

A Talent For Causing Things Pain...

This article talks about a dentist (of course), that has potentially exposed thousands of his patients to HIV, hepatitis & other illnesses because he reused his syringes & needles.  This went on for over a decade & now  the Denver area health officials are having to contact all these people & inform them that they need to be tested.

The Colorado health officials sent out 8,000 letters like that.  Imagine if only 5% were infected.  That's 400 people infected with HIV or Hep for over a decade giving it to who knows how many other people.  Try explaining that to your spouse, "Honestly, I didn't cheat on you... the dentist gave it to me."  I'm simplifying that, because they wouldn't have known the dentist did it.

Apparently, he was already being investigated for pharmaceutical issues before this came out.  Now his practice is closed & these people are in limbo.  Some are calling for prison time.  I say he should be strung up & left to feed the crows.  These syringes are cheap, about $1 USD, & he couldn't be bothered to use a new one. Disgusting.

Cya...