Published44 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Mid Yorkshire Teaching TrustBy Rachel RussellBBC NewsPatients in West Yorkshire have become the first in the country to access a new pre-surgery laser treatment, following a successful trial.Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust has started to roll out Steriwave on those coming in for hip and knee surgery.The treatment involves a probe shining a red light into patients’ nostrils to kill off bacteria which cause surgical site infections.Dr Stuart Bond called it an “important new technology”.”We are very excited to be the first Trust to be giving patients access to this important new technology which kills viruses, bacteria, and fungi with a five-minute treatment,” Dr Bond, a consultant antimicrobial pharmacist and director of innovation, said. The treatment was rolled out following a successful trial at Pontefract Hospital last year, with the aim of helping to prevent patients getting infections during surgery. The NHS has previously said it hopes it could be an alternative to nasal antibiotics, which are currently given to patients before their surgery to prevent infections such as MRSA.Carolyn Cross, chief executive officer at Ondine Biomedical, said: “We are delighted the Trust has adopted Steriwave, particularly as the NHS is seen around the world as a leader in antibiotic stewardship in response to the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance.”Follow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram. Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk.More on this storyHospital trials nasal lasers to stop infectionsPublished10 August 2023Related Internet LinksMid Yorkshire Teaching NHS TrustThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

Published1 hour agoSharecloseShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Dean BurnsBy Rachel RussellBBC NewsThe grandmother of a four-year-old girl who was fighting for her life in hospital with strep A says she is starting to get better.Camila Rose Burns was put on a ventilator at Liverpool’s Alder Hey Children’s Hospital after falling ill.Fifteen UK children have now died after invasive strep A infections since September.Most strep A infections are mild, but more severe invasive cases – while still rare – are rising.Experts say cases are higher than normal this year because of increased social mixing after Covid.Strep A cases expected to level off soon – doctorGPs say parents need clearer strep A adviceWhat is strep A and how dangerous is it?Dawn Burns said her granddaughter Camila was making progress after being initially taken to hospital in Bolton last weekend when her father Dean Burns found her hallucinating.She told Radio 4’s Today programme: “She gradually came off the different meds… when we first got there the consultant said she was the illest child in the UK and she was as close to death as you could be without actually dying – that’s what he said to us. “She was on absolutely tons of support meds, ventilator, dialysis et cetera. But slowly and surely, she managed to pull it round.”Prof Kamila Hawthorne, of the Royal College of GPs, added on the programme that children who have had chicken pox are more likely to get strep A or scarlet fever, which is one of many types of infections caused by strep a.She later advised: “If a child has temperature over 39C (102.2F) and their behaviour is changing we are more than happy to see them.”‘No antibiotic shortage’Prof Sir Andrew Pollard, chairman of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), also told Radio 4 on Friday that he is not aware of any “national shortage” in antibiotics to treat strep A.He said: “I can’t tell you about supply chain issues but my understanding is that overall we do have plenty of antibiotics.”Of course, you could have a local situation where there’s a shortage, but I’m not aware of any national shortage, particularly given that this bug is treatable with one of our oldest antibiotics, penicillin, and it’s always sensitive to penicillin, so it should be perfectly treatable when it’s recognised.”Ms Burns also advised parents to look out for signs of the infection as she said Camila had originally complained of having pain in the top left hand corner of her chest, but a doctor said it was likely due to her pulling a muscle. Image source, Dean BurnsEarlier this week, Camila’s father Dean Burns told parents who had any concerns about their children’s health to “scoop them up” and to get checked. He added Camila’s family were “hoping and praying for a miracle so that she heals and comes back to us”.Hanna Roap, a primary school pupil from Penarth, Vale of Glamorgan, in Wales, is among the children who have died from strep A, with her family saying their hearts had been “broken into a million pieces”.Public Health Wales said on Friday that levels of strep A were now similar to 2016, despite having doubled in recent weeks.And leading paediatrician Dr Ray Nethercott added cases of strep A in Northern Ireland are expected to level off within weeks.The UK Health Security Agency has said there is no current evidence that a new strain is circulating and that the rise in cases is more likely because of high amounts of circulating bacteria and increased social mixing.What is Strep A?Image source, BSIP/Getty ImagesGroup A streptococcal (GAS) infection is caused by strains of the streptococcus pyogenes bacteriumThe bacteria can live on hands or the throat for long enough to allow easy spread between people through sneezing, kissing and skin contactMost infections cause mild illnesses such as “strep throat” or skin infectionsIt can also cause scarlet fever and in the majority of cases this clears up with antibioticsOn rare occasions the bacteria can get deeper into the body – including infecting the lungs and bloodstream. It is known as invasive GAS (iGAS) and needs urgent treatment as this can be serious and life-threatening You can read more about Strep A here.More on this storyStrep A: What is strep A and what are the symptoms?17 minutes agoGPs say parents need clearer strep A advice18 hours agoCall for awareness after eighth strep A child death3 days agoGirl’s family devastated by Strep A death6 days ago

Published40 minutes agoSharecloseShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, PA MediaBy Rachel RussellBBC NewsThe number of people smoking in the UK dropped to its lowest level on record last year but more people were using e-cigarettes, new figures have revealed. Data from the Office for National Statistics found around 13.3% of people aged 18 or over smoked cigarettes in 2021, down from 14.0% in 2020. But 7.7% of those aged 16 and over said they used e-cigarettes – compared to 6.4% in 2020.The first ONS records on smoking were in 2011 and found 20.2% had smoked.The ONS said the latest data was a “statistically significant” drop.Vaping – is it a risk-free option?Should disposable vapes be banned?The decrease in the numbers of smokers may be partly due to more people turning to electronic cigarettes, James Tucker, data and analysis for social care and health division at the ONS, said.He said: “This is the lowest proportion of current smokers since 2011, when we began recording smoking prevalence from the annual population survey (APS).”The ONS said that vaping devices such as e-cigarettes had played a “major role” in reducing the numbers of smoking across the UK.It added that e-cigarette use was highest among current cigarette smokers at 25.3% and ex-cigarette smokers at 15.0%, with only 1.5% of people who have never smoked saying that they currently vape.But it added that vaping may not be the only factor for a drop in smoking numbers.It could also be due to increased public awareness campaigns and smoke-free places such as pubs and offices. The government’s tobacco control plan aims to reduce smoking prevalence among adults in England to 12% or less by the end of 2022.The UK nation with the biggest proportion of current smokers in 2021 was Scotland at 14.8%, with the lowest being England at 13.0%, the ONS added.Elsewhere, Wales and Northern Ireland reported 14.1% and 13.8% current smokers respectively.Men were more likely to be current smokers in 2021 with 15.1% of men smoking compared with 11.5% of women in the UK.The highest number of current smokers was found in the 25 to 34-year-old age bracket at 15.8%, while the lowest was those aged 65 and over at 8%The ONS said that people who had no qualifications were more likely to be current smokers at 28.2%, compared to those whose highest level of education was a degree or equivalent at 6.6%. The NHS website says that, while not risk-free, vaping poses less of a risk than tobacco cigarettes. However, the long-term effects of vaping are not yet known.It is against the law to sell e-cigarettes to those aged under-18.More on this storyIllegal vapes seized by trading standards18 NovemberIsle of Man to ban sale of vapes to under-18s8 NovemberYoung non-smokers told not to take up vaping29 SeptemberRise in teenage vaping, as drug use falls – survey6 SeptemberShould disposable vapes be banned?24 October