We are becoming a nation of better Boy Scouts, whose motto is "Be Prepared." In its latest annual assessment of the nation's day-to-day readiness for managing health emergencies, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation says the U.S. scores a 7.1 on a 10-point scale, up 3 percent from last year and nearly 11 percent since the index began five years ago.
The index analyzes 140 measures, such as number of pediatricians and flu vaccination rates, to calculate a composite score for health security from threats like emerging infectious diseases, terrorism and extreme weather conditions.
While the country as a whole has improved in health emergency readiness, there remains significant disparity among states. The highest-scoring state (Maryland, 8.0) scored 25 percent higher than the lowest scoring states (Alaska and Nevada, 6.4). States in the Deep South and Mountain West regions lagged behind Northeast and Pacific Coast states.
Many of the lower-scoring states face elevated risks of disasters and contain disproportionate numbers of low-income residents.
Body of Knowledge
The surface area of a human lung is equal to a tennis court.
Counts
5: Estimated number of Americans, in millions, who misused prescription stimulants last year, such as Ritalin and Adderall
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Stories for the Waiting Room
Vitamin D gets a lot of positive press linking adequate levels with reducing the risk of cancers and, most recently, diabetes. More traditionally, it's necessary for strong bones and muscle because it helps the body absorb calcium.
But the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force is no longer recommending that older adults take vitamin D to help prevent falls (and thus broken bones). The task force found that exercise and physical therapy are good prevention tactics for adults age 65 and older who live at home and are at risk of falling, but said new research suggests that vitamin D doesn't do much to prevent falls and that high monthly doses of vitamin D are actually associated with a higher risk of falls in older adults who've fallen before.
Doc Talk
Distal Pulse: the pulse farthest from the heart
Phobia of the Week
Anablephobia: Fear of looking up. Go ahead... look it up.
Number Cruncher
A single fruit crepe with strawberry topping from the International House of Pancakes contains 460 calories, 189 from fat. It has 21 grams of total fat or 32 percent of the recommended total fat intake for a 2,000-calorie daily diet.
It also contains 90 milligrams of cholesterol (30 percent); 250 mg of sodium (10 percent); 65 grams of total carbohydrates (22 percent); 3 grams of sugar and 6 g of protein.
Best Medicine
First guy: Did you hear about the paranoid dyslexic?
Second guy: Yes, he's always afraid he's following someone.
Observation
"My doctor gave me two weeks to live. I hope they're in August."
—Comedian Ronnie Shakes
Medical History
This week in 1923, Listerine was registered as a trademark. The modern Listerine is a mouthwash, but the original amber-colored product was a disinfectant for surgical procedures, dating back to its formulation in 1879 by Dr. Joseph Lawrence and Jordan Wheat Lambert. The name was in honor of English surgeon Joseph Lister, famous for performing the first antiseptic surgical procedure in 1865. Other than that, Lister had no relationship to the product.
Self Exam
Q: Are there more bones in the hand or the foot?
A: Hand, but just barely. The hand contains 27 bones; the foot contains 26.
Epitaphs
"He gave all he possessed, including his life, for the wild animals of Africa."
—Michael Grzimek (1934-1959) was a German zoologist, conservationist and filmmaker whose work was instrumental in promoting the development of several of Africa's most famous national parks, including Tanzania's Serengeti National Park. He was killed when the plane he was piloting near Ngorongoro Crater collided with a vulture, causing him to lose control.
To find out more about Scott LaFee and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
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