Author Archives: Colin

Eye injuries: PPE is important at home, too

When was the last time you wore personal protective equipment (PPE), such as gloves or safety glasses? Do you have to wear it for work? Or maybe you’d have to … Continue reading →

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Is that snake or spider poisonous?

Whether it’s that spider building its web in the corner of your bathroom or a snake in your garden, you may have wondered if that creepy-crawly thing was poisonous. If … Continue reading →

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Healthy Homes: An interview with Eric Frohmberg

Eric Frohmberg is the manager of the Maine Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program and the chair of the Maine Healthy Homes Advisory Council. We asked him some questions about Healthy … Continue reading →

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Can I give my child Benadryl to make them sleepy?

If you’ve ever traveled on a plane with a young child, you may have been tempted to give them a dose of Benadryl (diphenhydramine) to make them sleepy. While you … Continue reading →

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Poisonings at work: An interview with Dr. Karla Armenti

For North American Occupational Safety and Health Week, we spoke with Dr. Karla Armenti, the principal investigator for the Occupational Health Surveillance Program within the New Hampshire Department of Health … Continue reading →

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Suicide and poisoning: Prevention strategies

Suicide is a complex issue involving multiple factors. According to the Surgeon General’s 2012 National Strategy for Suicide Prevention, “There is no single path that will lead to suicide. Rather, … Continue reading →

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Suicide and poisoning: Current statistics

According to the CDC, suicide was the 10th leading cause of death [PDF] in the U.S. in 2010 with 38,364 suicides, a rate of 12.4 per 100,000. Northern New England … Continue reading →

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Prescription Drug Abuse: An ED perspective

The abuse of prescription drugs, especially opioid painkillers, is a growing public health concern. Our Medical Director, Dr. Tamas Peredy, is also a doctor with the Maine Medical Center Emergency … Continue reading →

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Home, safe home? Not always, but help is just a call away

Did you know that most poisonings happen at home? A lot of these poisonings are by little kids, who learn through trial and error. They explore their surroundings and put … Continue reading →

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Of porcupines and poison prevention

Did you ever think a porcupine might improve your health? Alisa Zapp Machalek, writing for the Inside Life Sciences series at the National Institute of General Medical Sciences website, has … Continue reading →

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How can you help a child with a cold feel better?

As we talked about in yesterday’s post, cold and cough medications are not recommended for young children. But if your child feels miserable, what can you do? To bolster my … Continue reading →

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How much Tylenol can you give your baby?

Every parent at some point has asked this question: How much medicine is safe to give my baby? One of the most common medications for parents to wonder about is … Continue reading →

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