September

With the publication of “Factors of risk in the development of coronary heart disease—six year follow-up experience. The Framingham Study” in the Annals of Internal Medicine in 1961, coronary heart disease (CHD) became widely known as the leading cause of death in North America. 

This groundbreaking paper reported new epidemiological findings that suggested the risk of developing CHD was related to hypertension, elevated serum cholesterol levels, and the electrocardiographic pattern of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). 

High-pressure injection injuries
Looks can be deceiving
High-pressure injection injuries, while relatively rare, can be devastating if neglected or inappropriately treated. Between 1999 and 2008, three claims for injection injury were submitted to WorkSafeBC: one eventually resulted in amputation of a finger, and the other two, despite surgical debridement, resulted in chronic pain.

The three topics I’m writing about today may seem disparate, but actually all have a common thread.

Since the Electronic Recycling Association (ERA) was launched in 2003, they have prevented thousands of computers, laptops, and electronics—parts of them toxic—from going to waste in a landfill. 

Instead, ERA wipes the data, refurbishes the equipment, installs new operating systems, and donates them to charities and nonprofits. Those who cannot afford a computer can earn (by volunteering) or receive free computers.