DISPENSARY CORNER 17 Nov 15
November 17, 2015
Now this is clever.
A new wound dressing that
changes colour when it detects
infection is being touted as a
way to avoid unnecessary use of
antibiotics.
Developed by researchers at
Bath University in the UK, the
dressing releases fluorescent dye
from tiny capsules when toxins
are released by wound bacteria.
The dressing will help doctors
identify bacterial infections -
particularly in burn
victims - and treat them faster.
According to the BBC physicians
find it difficult to easily diagnose
infections without moving
dressings, which can be painful
and possibly create scarring.
Because of this antibiotics are
often prescribed as prophylaxis,
increasing the opportunity for
antimicrobial resistance.
Sleep doctors have
recommended that smartphones
and tablets be updated to include
a new “bed mode” in order to
avoid disrupting people’s sleep.
Professor Paul Gringras said
an automatic “bedtime mode”
should filter out light at the blue
and green end of the spectrum,
which can interfere with the
body’s natural circadian rhythm.
In a study published in Frontiers
of Public Health he found there
was a trend for new devices to
be larger, brighter, with more
contrast and more blue light.
He said using such a gadget in
the evening could prevent you
falling asleep by an extra hour.
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