Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/18811
4A – Daily News – Monday, November 1, 2010 Vitality & health MILWAUKEE (MCT) — It resem- bles a space-age capsule, in which a child stands on a platform while green laser beams capture images of the spine in a matter of seconds. For scoliosis patients, this new EOS scanner at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin is about more than bells and whistles. It's all about reducing radiation doses in children whenever possible. Attention has been trained on radi- ation doses after news reports in the last year of patients in hospitals in Cal- ifornia and other states receiving over- doses while undergoing brain CT scans. The California cases prompted passage of a law in the summer that will require medical centers in that state to record radiation doses for each scan. Dosage monitoring in children is not necessarily new for specialty cen- ters, such as children's hospitals, but it's gained increased focus and aware- ness among physicians around the country. "We don't know that the doses used in medical imaging cause cancer, but we need to act cautiously as if it does," said physician Marilyn Goske, a pro- fessor of radiology at Cincinnati Chil- dren's Hospital Medical Center and chairman of Image Gently, a national campaign that promotes radiation pro- tection in children. No medical studies have definitive- ly shown what radiation dose is safest over a person's lifetime. Physicians will consult with radiol- ogists, technicians and medical physi- cists on which imaging technique is best to help diagnose a patient. It's a balancing act — the imaging tech- nique has to be good enough for a doc- tor to see what's going on, but the goal is to keep the radiation dose as low as possible. For children, the cumulative radiation doses add up over a lifetime. The key to deciding on medical imaging is for physicians to ask whether the information gained out- weighs any risks, said Jeffrey Kanne, a radiologist who is vice chairman of quality and safety for the department of radiology at the University of Wis- consin School of Medicine and Public Health. Doctors may first turn to an imag- ing technique that won't deliver a dose of radiation to a patient. Ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, are two standbys, but both have their drawbacks as well. Ultrasound typically is used to diagnose problems in the liver, spleen, gall bladder, kidneys, ovaries and New scanners help cut kids' radiation risks fitness How to judge if you , or a loved one , is overweight (MCT) — In theory, people should be able to glance in a mirror and see they're packing extra pounds. But 30 percent of overweight Americans think they're at a normal weight, according to a recent poll from Harris Interactive/HealthDay. Here's how to take a more honest look: Don't compare yourself to others. So many Ameri- cans are overweight now that you may get a skewed sense of what's healthy. "The normal reaction is to say, 'my child may be a little chunky, but they aren't as big as that kid over there,'" says Babs Benson, a registered nurse and manager of the "Healthy You" weight man- agement program at Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters in Norfolk, Va. MCT photo Rebecca Egan, 12, gets set for a low-dose radiation scan at the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin.The machine, designed for pediatric patients, uses only one-tenth of the radiation of a regular X-Ray. testes. "We use ultrasound whenever pos- sible," and it will often answer the question, said physician Sheila Moore, medical director of pediatric radiology at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin and a professor at the Medical College of Wisconsin. However, ultrasound won't produce an image of anything with air, such as lungs, because it can't see through it. MRI also doesn't use radiation and can produce high-quality images. However, patients must stay still for long periods. The typical MRI takes 25 to 30 minutes, in 3- to 5-minute segments. CT scans, particularly head and abdominal imaging, are at the higher end on the radiation dosing scale. X- rays deliver the equivalent of one day of background radiation from soil, rocks, air, water and building materi- als. One CT scan of the head delivers the equivalent of up to eight months of background radiation; a CT scan of the abdomen is equal to up to 20 months of background radiation, according to Image Gently. The number of CT scans has been increasing in the last decade, partly because many more medical centers and clinics have the scanners. It's esti- mated that between 4 million and 7 million children have CT scans each year. It's used not only to diagnose a disease or condition, such as examin- ing the lungs, but also to help doctors plan for surgery. "It's related to defensive medicine," Kanne said. "In emergency rooms, doctors are faced with patients they know little about. It's their job to make sure they aren't missing something life-threatening." For orthopedic patients, doctors have traditionally relied on X-rays to show spine curvature, discrepancies in leg length or knee problems in chil- dren. Recycle The Warmth Yes, I can help! Who do you know that needs a coat? Yourself? Children? Grandchildren? Mother or Father? Neighbor? Homeless? Friend? Co-worker? Elderly? C ome to: Bethel Church, 625 Luther Rd., Saturday, Nov. 13th 8:00am to 12 noon Help us get the word out. Every year the Daily News associates have sponsored a warm clothing/soup kitchen giveaway. It is our way of saying “ we care about others”. Clothing, blankets and food will be available for all. Please help us pass the word to families and individuals that would benefit from this event. If you would like to donate, bring your gently used: • BLANKETS • COATS • HATS • SCARVES • WINTER CLOTHING, to the Daily News, 545 Diamond Ave. The greatest needs each year are for X-Large sizes and Children’s warm clothes. We will be accepting items until Nov.12th. We sincerely appreciate everyone’s participation. This event is open to any family or individual in need of winter clothing. THANK YOU Senia Owensby Getting the word out about Recycle The Warmth. Transporting clothes from Daily News to Bethel Church Nov. 12th. Setting up night before giveaway, Nov. 12th. Roving help during giveaway. Tearing down afterward, boxing up, cleaning up. Transporting leftover items back to Daily News. We Also Need: Clothes racks of any size Trash/Leaf - sized bags Your own unique skill or talent Name Phone # E-mail Please return this form to Senia Owensby Daily News, 545 Diamond Ave. Call 527-2151, (DailyNews), 527-2841, (home), or e-mail production@redbluffdailynews.com wowensby@clearwire.net Figure out your BMI. That's body mass index, a measurement that considers both height and weight. To find easy-to-use programs and result analyses, type "BMI Calculator" into an online search engine. Measure your waistline. Abdominal fat is most dan- gerous because it raises the risk of heart disease and diabetes. Wrap a tape measure around the smallest area between your ribcage and belly button. Men should measure no more than 40 inches, while women should be 35 inches or less. Consider your waist-to-hip ratio. It's better to have big hips and a smaller waist than vice versa. Divide your waist measurement by your hip measurement. Ideally, woman's result should be 0.8 inches or less and a man's 0.95 inches or less. Work with a doctor. Medical professionals can take accurate body fat measurements and plot BMI read- ings on a detailed graph. "It puts the whole thing into perspective," Benson says. Look at pictures of yourself. Many people first realize they're too heavy when they see themselves in recent photographs. Nutrition Quiz: The tricky side of treats (MCT) — How about we take all the fun out of Halloween by detailing just how caloric that candy can be? Consider this our version of the awful parental trick of handing out baby carrots in Tootsie Roll wrappers and making kids cry. 1. How many fewer calories does a Hershey's Kiss with almonds have than a regular Hershey's Kiss? a) 1 b) 3 c) 9 2. Which "fun size" candy bar (17 grams) has the fewest calories? a) Snickers b) Milky Way Fibromyalgia? Please call Suffering With (530) 529-6544 Rory Lengtat, D.C. Sources: nutritionda- ta.self.com; lowcarbdi- ets.about.com Do You Suffer From… Fatigue, Weight Gain, Morning Headaches, Dry Skin, Brain Fog, Anxiety, Hair Falling Out, Cold Hands/Feet, Depression Or Poor Memory? Who Else Wants to Discover 6 Causes of Hypothyroid & How to Fix It? Attend Free Thyroid Seminar Wed, Nov 3rd – 12:10 pm Limited Seating! Must RSVP www.RedBluffThyroidDoc.com or 527-1774 c) Kit Kat 3. How many more calories does the long, thin "small" Tootsie Roll have compared with the shorter, squatter "midgee"? a) 17 b) 27 c) 37 4. Judging strictly by calories, which would be the worst "fun size" box of candy to choose? a) Raisinettes b) Hot Tamales c) Junior Mints 5. Which food choice has the fewest calories? a) a large banana b) 1-ounce York Pep- permint Pattie c) 1 ounce of roasted, salted almonds ANSWERS: 1: b; 2: c (Kit Kat, 73; Milky Way, 75; Snickers, 80); 3: a; 4: a (Raisinettes, 56; Junior Mints and Hot Tamales, 50 each); 5: b (Pepper- mint Pattie, 102; banana, 121; almonds, 167).