Latest / Morning Medical with Dr. Chow / AI in Hospitals, Sunscreen Costs, and Prolonged Flu Season Insights

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AI in Hospitals, Sunscreen Costs, and Prolonged Flu Season Insights · Morning Medical with Dr. Chow

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  Welcome back to Morning Medical with Dr.
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  Chow, where we bring you the latest in medical and health news from around the globe.
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  I'm your host, Dr.
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  Chi-Ming Chow, and today we're diving into a story from Nova Scotia, Canada, where hospitals
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  are taking significant steps to improve safety for both staff and patients.
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  Nova Scotia Health has begun installing artificial intelligence-powered weapon
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  detectors in hospitals across the province.
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  This initiative follows a concerning incident in January 2025, where three employees at the
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  Halifax Infirmary were attacked.
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  The director of security for Nova Scotia Health, Dean Stienburg, shared that the
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  province doesn't have comprehensive data on potentially dangerous incidents in hospitals,
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  but this is something they're actively working to change.
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  The portable weapon detectors, which are expected to be operational at the Cape Breton
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  Regional Hospital's emergency department soon, are designed to identify items that could pose
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  a threat to safety.
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  This includes everyday objects like pocket knives or box cutters, which people might carry
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  without malicious intent.
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  The goal is to ensure such items do not enter hospital facilities.
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  Cathy Lynn Howley, the director of perioperative services for Nova Scotia Health's
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  eastern zone, explained that while the machines detect potentially dangerous items, they do not
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  collect personal information.
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  They are equipped with cameras, but these are not enabled in any hospitals.
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  Instead, the machines are connected across North America and continuously learn to
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  distinguish between harmless and harmful objects.
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  Since their installation in December, these detectors have already prevented over 3,500
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  dangerous items from entering healthcare facilities.
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  When an item is flagged, security personnel will conduct additional checks.
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  However, rather than turning people away, they're simply asked to store the item safely
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  or return it to their vehicle.
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  Interestingly, the introduction of these devices will not require an increase in staff.
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  Existing security personnel will use them to enhance their current operations, making their
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  work more efficient and comprehensive.
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  This step represents a proactive approach to hospital safety, aiming to prevent incidents
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  before they occur.
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  It's a great example of how technology, especially artificial intelligence, can play a
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  crucial role in enhancing safety in public spaces, including healthcare facilities.
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  As these systems continue to evolve, they'll likely become an integral part of hospital
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  security measures worldwide.
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  Today, let's turn our attention to a pressing issue in dermatology: the cost of sunscreens.
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  A recent economic analysis has revealed a striking cost difference for sunscreens with
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  the same sun protection factor, or SPF, and identical ingredients.
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  The price per ounce of SPF 50-rated sunscreens can vary by an impressive 17.5 times, ranging
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  from as little as 57 cents to as much as 10 dollars.
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  Even more astonishing, the cost of a single application of these sunscreens can differ by
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  up to 100 times, depending on clothing choices and application frequency.
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  The analysis highlights that wearing more protective clothing, such as broad-brimmed
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  hats, long-sleeved shirts, and pants, can significantly reduce the amount of sunscreen
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  needed, thereby lowering the overall cost.
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  This is because such clothing provides excellent physical protection against the sun,
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  reducing the need to reapply sunscreen frequently.
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  Dr.
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  Maria L.
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  Wei from the University of California, San Francisco, and her colleagues, who conducted
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  this study, suggest that dermatologists should encourage the use of protective clothing and
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  inform patients that less expensive sunscreens can be just as effective.
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  This could be an important public health intervention, as it might lead to wider
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  adoption of sun protection measures and potentially reduce the incidence of skin
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  cancer.
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  Dr.
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  Andrea Borba from UCLA Health adds that while sunscreens with similar SPF ratings and active
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  ingredients offer the same level of protection, the main differences between brands often
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  relate to cosmetic factors.
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  Higher-priced sunscreens may include ingredients that improve texture, quick
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  absorption, or skin health benefits such as added vitamins.
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  However, the key factors to consider when choosing a sunscreen are its SPF rating and
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  whether it is broad-spectrum, meaning it protects against both ultraviolet A and
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  ultraviolet B rays.
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  The study also found that the cost of sunscreen for a week at the beach can range dramatically.
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  If you're wearing shorts, the cost could be between 6 dollars and 57 cents and 115 dollars
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  and 12 cents.
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  In contrast, wearing a bikini could increase this range to between 7 dollars and 75 cents
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  and 135 dollars and 82 cents.
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  For those with outdoor jobs, the annual cost could range from 81 dollars and 53 cents to as
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  high as 1,429 dollars and 42 cents.
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  Interestingly, previous studies have shown that the price of sunscreen significantly influences
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  its use.
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  Higher-priced products are often associated with reduced use, both in terms of frequency
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  and the amount applied per use.
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  Therefore, it's crucial to balance cost with effective sun protection strategies.
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  The authors of the study recommend standardizing sunscreen application to achieve
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  the desired thickness and suggest that using a shot glass full of sunscreen, which is about
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  one ounce, can help ensure proper coverage.
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  They also mention that applying sunscreen twice can counteract the tendency to apply too
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  little.
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  Cardiac imaging centers around the world may need to update their protocols and equipment,
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  according to a large-scale study of radiation effective doses to patients undergoing
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  diagnostic testing for coronary artery disease.
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  This study, led by Dr.
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  Andrew Einstein from Columbia University Irving Medical Center, highlights the significant
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  variations in radiation doses across different countries and imaging modalities.
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  The radiation effective dose varied depending on the type of diagnostic imaging used.
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  For instance, cardiac computed tomography for coronary artery calcium scoring had a median
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  dose of 1.2 millisieverts, positron emission tomography had 2.0 millisieverts, single-photon
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  emission computed tomography had 6.5 millisieverts, and coronary computed tomography
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  angiography had the highest at 7.4 millisieverts.
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  Interestingly, nuclear cardiology centers were more likely to maintain median effective doses
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  at or below 9 millisieverts, as recommended by guidelines, compared to centers providing
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  coronary computed tomography angiography.
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  Specifically, 81 percent of nuclear cardiology centers met this guideline, whereas only 56
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  percent of coronary computed tomography angiography centers did.
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  One striking finding was the influence of a country's income level on radiation doses.
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  In low- and middle-income countries, patients received 20 percent higher radiation doses for
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  nuclear cardiology compared to their counterparts in high-income countries.
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  The disparity was even greater for coronary computed tomography angiography, with doses
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  being 96 percent higher in lower-income countries.
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  The study also highlighted a concerning disparity in radiation doses between different
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  regions.
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  For example, the median dose for coronary computed tomography angiography in Africa was
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  more than five times higher than that in Western Europe.
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  Such variations underscore the need for improvements in the quality and safety of
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  cardiac imaging worldwide.
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  The authors emphasized the critical need for training, standardized protocols, and updated
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  equipment to reduce radiation doses, particularly in low- and middle-income
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  countries.
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  They pointed out that factors such as scanner type, chosen radiopharmaceuticals, equipment
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  features, and institutional protocols could explain these variations.
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  The study, part of the INCAPS 4 initiative, involved a cross-sectional analysis of 19,302
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  adults who underwent noninvasive coronary artery disease diagnostic testing at 742
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  centers in 101 countries during a single week from October to December 2023.
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  It found that radiation doses were consistently lower in Western Europe and highest in regions
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  like Latin America and Africa.
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  While the study provides valuable insights into radiation dose variations, it also acknowledges
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  limitations, including reliance on self-reported data and the lack of assessment
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  of image quality.
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  Nevertheless, it serves as a call to action for global improvements in cardiac imaging
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  practices.
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  Now, let's shift our focus to the ongoing flu season, which health experts warn could be
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  unusually prolonged this year.
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  Dr.
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  Michael Glazier, chief medical officer and pediatrician at Bluebird Kids Health in
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  Florida, has indicated that the 2025-26 flu season is far from over.
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  In fact, it might extend well into the warmer months, which is a trend we're seeing unfold
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  this year.
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  Dr.
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  Glazier explains that this flu season is tracking with historical patterns, as influenza
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  A typically strikes first and most aggressively.
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  However, the current situation is marked by the emergence of influenza B cases alongside the
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  continued prevalence of influenza A.
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  This development is not uncommon, but it suggests that the flu season will likely
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  persist into the spring months.
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  While the timing of the flu waves might be typical, the intensity is not.
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  This year, a new influenza A H3N2 variant, known as Subclade K, has proven particularly
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  challenging.
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  Its novelty means that the population has limited immunity from prior infections, and
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  there has been a nationwide decrease in vaccinations.
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  Compounding these issues is the current vaccine's reduced effectiveness against this
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  particular strain.
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  Despite earlier predictions that this flu season would be more moderate compared to
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  recent years, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now ranks it as a high severity
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  season for children.
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  Alarmingly, approximately 60 pediatric deaths have already been attributed to the Subclade K
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  strain this year.
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  Dr.
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  Glazier emphasizes that it's absolutely not too late to get a flu shot.
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  Even if you've experienced an earlier influenza A infection, there's still a risk of
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  contracting influenza B.
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  Vaccination remains the best tool to minimize the duration and severity of the illness, even
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  if the vaccine isn't a perfect match for the circulating strain.
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  It's crucial to distinguish between the flu and spring allergies, as the symptoms can differ
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  significantly.
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  While allergies typically don't cause high fever, chills, or body aches, these are
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  hallmark symptoms of the flu.
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  Dr.
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  Glazier advises parents to be vigilant about persistent or recurrent fevers in children,
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  particularly if they don't respond to acetaminophen or ibuprofen.
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  He also stresses the importance of monitoring hydration in children, as they become
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  dehydrated more easily when sick compared to adults, which can worsen symptoms.
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  Ensuring adequate rest, proper hand hygiene, hydration, and nourishment can help bolster the
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  body's immune system and defense against viruses.
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  And with that, we wrap up today's episode of Morning Medical with Dr.
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  Chow.
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  Thank you for joining us as we navigated through the latest in medical and health news.
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  Remember to stay informed and take proactive steps to safeguard your health.
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  Until next time, this is Dr.
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  Chi-Ming Chow signing off.
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  Stay healthy and take care!