There are so many tests that are performed on patients every day, but why is the U.S. healthcare system consistently ranked as one of the least healthy countries in the world according to W.H.O. (World Health Organization).

KEY POINTS FROM DAN MURPHY 1) This study used rats. The authors note that prior studies have shown that ratsand humans have similar spinal innervation patterns. However, they also note thatthese findings should be reaffirmed on human specimens. 2) This study is an immunohistological analysis of the cervical intervertebral disc(IVD) to investigate its sensory and autonomic innervation. The authors used theneuro-tracer Fluoro-gold (FG) to stain ten C5 – C6 IVDs. They stained for thefollowing neurons: * Dorsal root ganglions (DRG) from level C1 – C8 [sensory {afferents} cellbodies; this would include pain afferents] * Stellate ganglion (SG) [inferior cervical sympathetic efferent ganglion] * Nodose ganglion (NG) [Vagus nerve parasympathetic sensory ganglion to thenucleus tractus solitarius]. 3) Several studies have reported that sympathetic nerves participate in chronicpain; sympathectomy procedures can effectively treat chronic pain. The DRGs, SG, and NG neurons were immune-stained for: * Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP); found in inflammatory pain neurons. * Isolectin B4 (IB4); found in neuropathic (nerve injury) neurons. 4) Findings for the innervation of the C5-C6 IVD: * The neurons innervating the C5 – C6 IVD were derived from the C2 – C8 DRGs,but not from the C1 DRG. * 3% of the neurons were for neuropathic (nerve injury) pain: Isolectin B4 (IB4); [therefore pain afferents] * 21% of the neurons were for inflammatory pain: Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP); [therefore pain afferents]

Ignaz Philipp Semmelweiswas a Hungarian physician of German extraction. He discovered that the incidence of puerperal fever could be drastically cut by use of hand disinfection in obstetrical clinics. Puerperal fever or childbed feveris a condition that results from an infection of the female reproductive organs, contracted during or following childbirth or miscarriage. Historically, puerperal fever was a devastating disease. It affected women within the first three days after childbirth and progressed rapidly, causing acute symptoms of severe abdominal pain, fever and debility. If puerperal fever is left untreated it can often be fatal. Puerperal fever was common in the mid-19th century hospitals and often fatal with mortality at 10%-35%. Semmelweis was the early pioneer of antiseptic procedures that are still used in hospitals and other healthcare facilities. He proposed the practice of washing with chlorinated lime solutions in 1847 while working in Vienna General Hospital’s first obstetrical clinic. The doctor’s wards had three times the mortality rate than the midwives’ wards. He published a book of his findings in Etiology Concept and Prophylaxis of Childhood Fever. Despite various publications of results where hand washing reduced the mortality rate to below 1%, Semmelweis’s observations conflicted with the established scientific and medical opinions of the time and his ideas were rejected resoundingly by the medical community. Doctors’ were offended at the suggestion that they should wash their hands. Semmelweis could offer no acceptable scientific explanation for his findings and the medical community wanted research on his findings. They felt that his findings were just anecdotal and had no place in the medical community. Semmelweis was attacked so badly by the medical community that it took its toll on his health and mental well-being. In 1865, Semmelweis was committed to an asylum, where he died at age 47 after being beaten by the guards, only 14 days after he was committed. Only years after his death, his antiseptic procedures gained widespread acceptance. Now the history books have described him as the savior of mothers.

KEY POINTS FROM THIS ARTICLE: 1) This is the first study that has evaluated the significance of pet contacts duringchildhood for the development of respiratory tract infections. The object of this studywas to investigate the effect of dog and cat contacts on the frequency of respiratorysymptoms and infections during the first year of life. This study is a prospective cohortstudy of 397 children on respiratory tract infections and animal exposures during thefirst year of life. 2) Assessed co-variables included birth month, birth weight, number of older siblings,maternal smoking, parental atopy (asthma, allergic eczema, or rhinitis), paternaleducational levels, and breast-feeding status. 3) Viral respiratory infections are frequent, occurring between 3 and 6 episodesduring the first of year life. 4) Children having dogs at home were healthier (had fewer respiratory tractsymptoms or infections) than children with no dog contacts, by 31%. 5) Children having dog contacts at home had less frequent otitis [by 44%] andtended to need fewer courses of antibiotics [by 29%] than children without suchcontacts. 6) Both the weekly amount of contact with dogs and cats and the average yearlyamount of contact were associated with decreased respiratory infectious. 7) Dog contacts may have a protective effect on respiratory tract infections duringthe first year of life. 8) During the first year of life, animal contacts are important, possibly leading tobetter resistance to infectious respiratory illnesses during childhood. 9) Breast-feeding reduces the risk of infant respiratory infections. 10) Parent smoking increases the risk of infant respiratoryinfections. 11) If children had dog or cat contacts at home, they were significantly healthierduring the study period. These children had fewer weeks with cough, otitis, and rhinitisand also needed fewer courses of antibiotics than children with no cat or dog contacts at all.