Interesting Health NEWS today

Whenever I read the paper (and if I have a pen to hand) I tend to highlight interesting quotes and healthcare related stories. Here is everything in the news today I found reading various papers. 

Facts on asthma
Asthma costs the UK 1.1 billion pounds a year.
It causes three deaths a day while more than 270 people are admitted to hospital a day because of it.
The UK has one of the highest Asthma burdens in the world, >18million people.
SMART INHALERS (for example) will be hugely benficial in the future keeping track of patient adherence and reminding patients to take their medicine, reducing exacerbations.

We need a new health tax?
Various GP surgeries, A&E departments and Units are being closed around the country to avoid a predicted 20 billion pound shortfall in 2020. Dr Dan Poulter MP reckons a new health tax or rise in national insurance could relieve the pressure on NHS budget.

Readmissions mean higher death rates?
A study presented at European society of Cardiology in Rome over the weekend compared patients being admitted 1 to 3 times to those being admitted 4 to 7 times over the study period (500,000 patients in the study). The results showed those who were admitted more (4-7 times) had almost 20% increased risk of dying.
Advice was to make sure patients were taking the correct medication after discharge and diagnosed properly. (duh?)

Ipad vs Midazolam
Results presented at the World Congress for Anaesthesia in Hong Kong showed that tablet devices with 'age appropriate games' are at least as effective than midazolam in in dropping anziety levels prior to paediatric surgery.
The Ipad group had higher parental satisfaction and nursing staff satisfaction rates than the midazolam group. Dr Chassard involved in the study quoted by the Independant "electronic devices are a non-pharmacological tool that can reduce stress around the time of the operation without any of the side effects of sedatives".

101 year old transplanted kidney
We dont know why but some transplanted kidneys are able to resist rejection. While on average most are rejected after 12-15 years. Sue Westhead (68yrs) has the worlds oldest which she received in 1973 from her 57yr mother.
3000 people are on the transplant waiting list.
58,000 are effected by kidney failure, mainly caused by diabetes and high blood pressure.
No one really understands why chronic rejection occurs, is it poor lifestyle choices?
2000 transplants a year are from deceased donors and 1000 from living donors

Sources: The Metro, London evening standard, the independant, i newspaper.