My Front Page

Local doctor warns about overdoses from common OTC medication

By Catherine Richard
In a recent interview, a local doctor drew attention to a very common over-the-counter medication that results in thousands of hospitalizations and hundreds of deaths every year.
The culprit is nothing other than acetaminophen.
While it has good safety profile when taken properly, slightly higher doses could cause liver toxicity.
“The therapeutic dose of acetaminophen and the toxic dose of acetaminophen are not that far off from one another,” said Dr. Richard Neel, MD, MPH.
According to one study published in 2023 by the National Library of Medicine, acetaminophen is the second leading cause of liver transplants in the United States.
Furthermore, on a yearly basis, overdoses account…

TO CONTINUE READING…CLICK HERE or go to www.devinenewsmembers.com

How rare are train derailments? Since 2020, more than 4,000 trains have derailed with 70% of derailments happening in cities. A very publicized one you may recall was the Norfolk Southern freight train incident in East Palestine, Ohio in 2023. Some interesting train derailment statistics can be found on usafacts.org under “Are train derailments becoming more common?” Many of us cross railroad tracks every day in our county. We probably don’t think much about it, but trains have become longer and are very likely carrying hazardous materials that are highly explosive increasing the risk to the communities they pass through. This year, our preparedness focus for the Health Unit will include education on railway, truck and pipeline safety. Our office and the county Office of Emergency Management & Fire Marshal will be offering a seminar on identifying hazards like these in our communities and how to protect ourselves and our environment. The seminar will be open to the public and I hope to have some information on that soon. Future plans on this topic may include training for volunteers on identifying toxic chemicals and accident response. What would accident response look like for public health in a railway derailment situation or pipeline leak or explosion? For public health, there may be air, surface soils and surface water affected. There may be individuals affected with symptoms of chemical exposure. There may be evacuations or sheltering in place to plan for. If you are interested in attending some of our future events on this topic, email me at patricia.mechler@medinatx.org. It doesn’t mean you have to be a volunteer with us, it means you want to be aware of and able to spot some of the hazards these types of situations can produce and how you could be prepared to take care of yourself, your family and friends. Source: www.nlc.org Rail Safety in Communities Across the U.S.