October

Human exposure to mercury, a naturally occurring element, is universal. Similar to the case with lead, recent research indicates that subtle effects of mercury toxicity may occur at much lower levels than previously believed. There are substantial uncertainties in the interpretation of the public health implications of current exposure levels.

References

Background

Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in Canadian women. Each year in British Columbia, 2700 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed and 640 women will die of this disease.[1]

In 1992, the Supreme Court of Canada affirmed the principle that, although the binder and paper of the patient’s health record belong to the hospital (or in the case of a private office, the doctor), the information in the record belongs to the patient or the patient’s legal guardian. This legal reality, however, is typically not reflected in day-to-day practice, particularly for health records on hospital inpatient units. Most patients and professionals still believe that opening the chart to the patient is granting a privilege rather than facilitating a right.