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A wide range of toxic chemicals have been found in the umbilical cord blood of newborns, indicating the potential for health risks from chemical exposure that begin in utero. The neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) setting may also have potential chemical exposures that create health risks. Given the extreme vulnerability of this patient population, it is critical to minimize unnecessary hazardous chemicals. Neonatal intensive care unit nurses have an important role to play in making the NICU as safe as possible for their patients and themselves. This article will focus on the human health effects of several chemical exposures commonly found in the NICU for which nurses can help to eliminate or select safer alternatives: (1) diethylhexyl phthalates (a plasticizer commonly found in intravenous tubing/bags and other products); (2) bisphenol A (commonly found in the lining of baby formula cans); (3) personal care products used in the NICU; (4) cleaning, sterilants, and disinfectants; and (5) mercury. A tool for assessing environmental health risks will be presented and associated intervention options including purchasing policies; hospital-wide chemical policies; and development of institutional infrastructures, such as Green Teams, to address NICU and hospital-wide environmental health concerns. Nursing's evolving role in environmental health will be reviewed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a growing body of evidence regarding the presence of toxic pollutants in the air, water, soil, food, and indoor environments, and the health effects of these pollutants on humans. Children have special vulnerabilities to environmental risks in their homes, schools, and communities. Children's susceptibility to environmental risks stem from biological, behavioral, and socio-economic factors. Environmental standards are not always protective of children's health, and in some instances, no standards exist. Addressing children's vulnerabilities and decreasing their exposures require a multi-faceted and multi-disciplinary approach with clinical, public health, and policy interventions. Preventing exposure to hazardous levels of pollution is largely the role of the public health community, environmental protection agencies, and the policy makers who create the enabling laws. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) (1995) has recommended the integration of environmental health into nursing practice, education, research, and policy/advocacy work. This article identifies areas in each of these categories in which nurses can enhance their practice regarding children's environmental health. In addressing children's environmental health, nurses' expanded roles can include a range of activities, such as anticipatory guidance, health education, public health interface, improved health tracking, environmental health research, and legislative/regulatory engagement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nursing community has become increasingly active in the environmental health policy arena by exerting its influence at the local, state, and national environmental health policy levels; on media-specific issues; and in the work-related venues where they have influence. Nurses are valued and trusted by policy makers, and should be active in policy efforts to increase access to public health information such as potentially hazardous chemicals in the air, water, food, soil, and land. Given the global nature of environmental contamination, it is critical that nursing's international organization becomes active in environmental health policies. Promotion of healthy environments should be translated to organizational position papers and practice recommendations within nursing and nursing specialty organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

18 consecutive patients suspected of and treated for an acute scaphoid fracture were examined by lowfield MRI. This showed 11 fractures while seven scaphoids were considered normal. T1 weighted images showed a fracture as an area of decreased signal intensity. Two radiologically obvious fractures produced normal MR images. These fractures proved to be the result of old trauma. A wide spectrum of additional traumatic lesions in the wrists, not detected by routine X-ray analysis, were also demonstrated. These included seven fragmented triangular fibrocartilages (TFC), torn scapho-lunate ligaments in four cases and one torn triquetro-lunate ligament. Bone bruises of other carpal bones and seven other carpal fractures were also detected.Low field MRI can be used to show scaphoid fractures and allows diagnosis of additional or simulating lesions. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

While it is commonly understood that the quality of the air we breath and the water we drink can impact our health, it is often more difficult to recognize that our choices of the health care products, along with the way we dispose of them, and the chemicals we spray on our foods or use to clean and disinfect may actually compromise the environment and consequently our health. This article will guide nurses and other health care professionals as they transform our hospitals into environmentally healthy and safe places by helping them adhere to environmentally preferable purchasing policies, follow environmentally conscious waste management strategies, decrease use of chemical pollutants, promote use of healthy foods, and provide leadership in environmental stewardship [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]