Robin Ferner News Today

### What you need to know Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) is a water soluble vitamin required for several physiological processes, including normal nervous system functioning, and red blood cell development and maturation. It has antioxidant effects, is a co-factor in mitochondrial energy metabolism, and contributes to DNA synthesis, the methylation cycle, and epigenetic regulation.12 B12 is present in foods of animal origin, such as meat, eggs, and milk, or via food fortification. Healthy adults requir...

### What you need to know A 34 year old woman with pulmonary tuberculosis started first-line anti-tuberculosis therapy comprising rifampicin, isoniazid, pyrazinamide, and ethambutol. Two weeks into treatment, she complained of nausea and dark discoloration of urine. Liver enzymes and bilirubin (normal at baseline) were raised, with levels of bilirubin three times above the upper limit of normal, alanine aminotransferase four times above, and alkaline phosphatase two times above. A diagnosis of a...

UK has approved the drug use in the state-run health service and stockpiled 200,000 courses of the treatment.

Avoid holiday heart syndrome on Christmas ​ By IANS | Published on ​ Fri, Dec 25 2020 10:51 IST | ​ 0 Views   COVID-19 survivors are returning to hospitals with reduced heart functions. (Photo: Pixabay). Image Source: IANS News New Delhi, Dec 25 : As millions celebrate Christmas, researchers have pointed out certain health hazards like the holiday heart syndrome or even the pine needles in the tree, that can be avoided during the festivities. The Christmas season is associated with ...

Jeffrey Aronson: When I Use a Word . . . Medical mistletoe December 18, 2020 In our recent survey of harms at Christmas, Robin Ferner and I did not discuss the harms that might arise from having seasonal plants in the vicinity, other than Christmas trees. In a PubMed search for plants connected to Christmas I find that mistletoe is the most often discussed. For example, “holly” yields 1775 hits (excluding the many authors called Holly and addresses such as Holly Springs, North Carolina).”...

 E-Mail The Christmas season is associated with preventable harms from cards, tree decorations, and presents, as well as overeating and overdrinking, so do the benefits of Christmas outweigh the harms? In the Christmas issue of The BMJ, Robin Ferner and Jeffrey Aronson dig out some cautionary tales from the archives. They find that Christmas cards can be a potential source of harm. In 1876 a young man developed arsenic poisoning after painting festive cards with the highly toxic Scheeles Gre...

by Iswarya on  December 17, 2020 at 12:38 PM Christmas season is linked to preventable harms from tree decorations, cards, and presents, as well as overeating and overdrinking. Given the balance of benefits and harms, Christmas may not be cost effective, reports a new study. The findings of the study are published in the journal The BMJ. In the Christmas issue, Robin Ferner and Jeffrey Aronson dig out some cautionary tales from the archives. They find that Christmas cards ca...