The Star Online: World Updates
The Star Online: World Updates |
- CT scans to spot appendicitis up sharply in U.S.
- China-U.S. basketball 'friendly' erupts into brawl
- China-U.S. basketball 'friendly' erupts into brawl
| CT scans to spot appendicitis up sharply in U.S. Posted: 18 Aug 2011 11:20 PM PDT NEW YORK (Reuters) - The number of U.S. children and adults getting computed tomography scans to diagnose appendicitis has shot up since the 1990s, according to a study -- raising questions about whether the technology is being over used. In the study, carried in the Annals of Emergency Medicine, researchers found that across U.S. emergency departments, the percentage of adult appendicitis patients who were diagnosed using CT scans rose from just 6 percent in 1996 to 69 percent in 2006. Among children, that figure went from zero to 60 percent, said researchers led by Daniel Tsze, a paediatrician at Columbian University Medical Centre in New York. Tsze said he could not say whether those recent numbers are "too high" because CT is the most accurate test for appendicitis, which is likely a major reason for the dramatic upswing in its use. But there is also no evidence as yet that using CT improves patients' outcomes, he added. If it did, the downsides of radiation exposure and cost could be worth it. "There are definitely situations where it's indicated, but I don't think it's indicated in every case," he told Reuters Health. One reason for the CT surge in diagnosing children's appendicitis is that the technology has improved in recent years. A scan can now be done so quickly that even young children can hold still long enough, whereas in the past they would have had to be sedated. Young children are also less able to talk about their symptoms, and in cases where there is confusion about the cause, a CT scan might be in order. "A lot of people are pushing for a combination of strategies," Tsze said, noting that there is a move to encourage a more judicious use of CT scans in cases of suspected appendicitis. An alternative to a CT scan is ultrasound, which involves no radiation -- though it is not as accurate. Another study published this month found that for all types of emergency room visits, interviewing patients about symptoms and getting a good history usually contributed far more to a doctor's ability to make the right diagnosis than either CT or ultrasound scans. In a separate finding, Tsze's team found that children with appendicitis were less likely than adults to get pain medication. In 2006, 70 percent of adults were given painkillers, versus only 43 percent of children. In particular, children were less likely to get narcotic painkillers, perhaps due to worries about safety. But Tsze said studies have shown narcotics are safe and effective for children's appendicitis. (Reporting by Amy Norton at Reuters Health; editing by Elaine Lies) Copyright © 2011 Reuters Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search. | ||
| China-U.S. basketball 'friendly' erupts into brawl Posted: 18 Aug 2011 10:18 PM PDT BEIJING (Reuters) - As U.S. Vice President Joe Biden built trust with China in Beijing's corridors of power, goodwill between the two nations unravelled Thursday night on a nearby basketball court, where players beat each other up and even a chair was thrown. A 'friendship' game between Washington's Georgetown Hoyas and Chinese professional side the Bayi Military Rockets erupted into a brawl as the match wound down at Beijing's Olympic Stadium. It was unclear what triggered the fighting.
Players traded blows, someone in the crowd flung a chair, and fans tossed full water bottles at the Hoyas players and coaches as they headed to the locker room, writing off the rest of the game. In China, state media did not report on the incident and microblogs were mostly silent as censors worked quickly to delete any references to the fight. "Even the news about the fight between the Chinese and U.S. basketball teams needs to be cut," said a microblogger named Yinnu. The brawl broke out one night after Biden, who is in Beijing on a four-day visit to discuss U.S.-Chinese economic relations, attended a Georgetown game against another Chinese club. That game, which Georgetown won, passed without a fist fight. The games are part of a "China-U.S. Basketball Friendship Match" in Beijing, according to the Washington Post. The Hoyas intended to continue with the rest of their 10-day trip in China, including other scheduled matches in Shanghai. The Bayi Rockets is a professional basketball team associated with China's People's Liberation Army (PLA). The name "Bayi" refers to August 1, 1927, the founding date of the PLA. GOODWILL "GONE" Just as many of China's Asian neighbours say its increasing aggression is to blame for trouble in the South China Sea, some Hoyas fans took to Twitter to accuse the Chinese team of starting the tussle. "All that goodwill Yao Ming garnered for Chinese people in USA, GONE," tweeted a person with the username of JAIMECITOU, referring to the recently retired Chinese basketball star. "Not first time Chinese Team fought on court ... Disgrace." Another user called cgallaher3 said: "All out brawl at a basketball game in China. This is why the NBA won't expand there." After an estimated half-dozen individual altercations on the court, some Chinese onlookers joined the fracas, the Washington Post reported late on Thursday. As the brawl spilled beyond the court, an unidentified Bayi player pushed Georgetown's Aaron Bowen to the ground before repeatedly punching the sophomore guard while sitting on his chest, the paper said. "Tonight, two great teams played a very competitive game that unfortunately ended after heated exchanges with both teams," coach John Thompson III said in a statement on Georgetown's website. "We sincerely regret that this situation occurred." "We remain grateful for the opportunity our student-athletes are having to engage in a sport they love here in China, while strengthening their understanding of a nation we respect and admire at Georgetown University." Biden's office declined to comment and calls to the China Basketball Association went unanswered. A staff member from the news office from China's General Administration of Sports told Reuters: "I personally heard about it this morning when I surfed the Internet, but our office leaders are on a business trip, so we have no comments and any information to publish so far." The American team will visit cultural sites, participate in basketball clinics with Chinese students and play four exhibition matches against teams from the Chinese National Basketball Association. The players will also participate in the Nike Festival of Sport in Shanghai. (Reporting by Sui-Lee Wee and Sabrina Mao; Additional reporting by Don Durfee and Jeff Mason; Editing by Ken Wills and Daniel Magnowski) Copyright © 2011 Reuters Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search. | ||
| China-U.S. basketball 'friendly' erupts into brawl Posted: 18 Aug 2011 09:47 PM PDT BEIJING (Reuters) - As U.S. Vice President Joe Biden built trust with China in Beijing's corridors of power, goodwill between the two nations unravelled on a nearby basketball court, where players beat each other up and even a chair was thrown. A 'friendship' game between Washington's Georgetown Hoyas and Chinese professional side the Bayi Military Rockets erupted into a brawl as the match wound down at Beijing's Olympic Stadium. It was unclear what triggered the fighting.
Players traded blows, someone in the crowd flung a chair, and fans tossed full water bottles at the Hoyas players and coaches as they headed to the locker room, writing off the rest of the game. In China, state media did not report on the incident and microblogs were mostly silent as censors worked quickly to delete any references to the fight. "Even the news about the fight between the Chinese and U.S. basketball teams needs to be cut," said a microblogger named Yinnu. The brawl broke out one night after Biden, who is in Beijing on a four-day visit to discuss U.S.-Chinese economic relations, attended a Georgetown game against another Chinese club. That game, which Georgetown won, passed without a fist fight. The games are part of a "China-U.S. Basketball Friendship Match" in Beijing, according to the Washington Post. The Hoyas intended to continue with the rest of their 10-day trip in China, including other scheduled matches in Shanghai. GOODWILL "GONE" Just as many of China's Asian neighbours say its increasing aggression is to blame for trouble in the South China Sea, some Hoyas fans took to Twitter to accuse the Chinese team of starting the tussle. "All that goodwill Yao Ming garnered for Chinese people in USA, GONE," tweeted a person with the username of JAIMECITOU, referring to the recently retired Chinese basketball star. "Not first time Chinese Team fought on court ... Disgrace." Another user called cgallaher3 said: "All out brawl at a basketball game in China. This is why the NBA won't expand there." After an estimated half-dozen individual altercations on the court, some Chinese onlookers joined the fracas, the Washington Post reported late on Thursday. As the brawl spilled beyond the court, an unidentified Bayi player pushed Georgetown's Aaron Bowen to the ground before repeatedly punching the sophomore guard while sitting on his chest, the paper said. "Tonight, two great teams played a very competitive game that unfortunately ended after heated exchanges with both teams," coach John Thompson III said in a statement on Georgetown's website. "We sincerely regret that this situation occurred." "We remain grateful for the opportunity our student-athletes are having to engage in a sport they love here in China, while strengthening their understanding of a nation we respect and admire at Georgetown University." Biden's office declined to comment and calls to the China Basketball Association went unanswered. A staff member from the news office from China's General Administration of Sports told Reuters: "I personally heard about it this morning when I surfed the Internet, but our office leaders are on a business trip, so we have no comments and any information to publish so far." The American team will visit cultural sites, participate in basketball clinics with Chinese students and play four exhibition matches against teams from the Chinese National Basketball Association. The players will also participate in the Nike Festival of Sport in Shanghai. (Reporting by Sui-Lee Wee and Sabrina Mao; Additional reporting by Don Durfee and Jeff Mason; Editing by Ken Wills and Daniel Magnowski) Copyright © 2011 Reuters Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search. |
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