MONDAY, Sept. 18, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Over 3 million American children now take medication for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but new research shows medication errors have spiked nearly 300% in the past two decades for these kids.The increase in ADHD medication errors parallels the increase in ADHD diagnoses, said study co-author Dr. Gary Smith, director of the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio.“Because therapeutic errors are preventable, more attention should be given to patient and caregiver education, and development of improved child-resistant medication dispensing and tracking systems,” Smith suggested. “Another strategy may be a transition from pill bottles to unit-dose packaging, like blister...

MONDAY, Sept. 18, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Low-carb diets may be all the rage, but they're not for kids with diabetes, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).In a new report, the AAP says that low-carbohydrate diets cannot be recommended for children or teenagers with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes. That's because there's little evidence they're helpful, but there are concerns about restricting kids' diets to that degree.Instead, the AAP encourages families to focus on cutting out "bad" carbs: sugary drinks, sweets and other processed foods that are low in nutrients. Just as important, kids should get enough healthy carbs, including vegetables, beans and fiber-rich grains.The "keto" diet and similar ones popular among adults can put very strict limits on carbs, with a...

MONDAY, Sept. 18, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- As people age, health issues tend to mount, but roughly a quarter of low-income adults over 65 have no medical insurance.That’s the age when most Americans become eligible for Medicare, the federal health insurance for seniors. But many of the uninsured seniors are Hispanic Americans who aren't eligible for that coverage, or lower income people who may not be able to afford Medicare premiums.“It’s particularly concerning to think of older adults not having health insurance, given that the prevalence of disease and related complications increase with age,” said study first author Nathalie Huguet, an associate professor of family medicine at Oregon Health & Sciences University.“It’s more challenging to manage health conditions in the...

MONDAY, Sept. 18, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- CPR could save your life if you suffer cardiac arrest in a public place, but you're less likely to receive it if you're a woman, a new study finds.The findings were presented Monday at the European Emergency Medicine Congress, in Barcelona.“In an emergency when someone is unconscious and not breathing properly, in addition to calling an ambulance, bystanders should give CPR. This will give the patient a much better chance of survival and recovery,” co-author Dr. Alexis Cournoyer, a researcher at Sacred Heart Hospital of Montreal, said in a meeting news release. Co-author Sylvie Cossette, a nurse researcher at the Montreal Heart Institute, said the study was meant to uncover factors that might discourage people from delivering CPR.“Our...