Health trends

Contaminated alcohol swabs recalled

Triad Group, a manufacturer of over-the-counter products, and the US Food and Drug Administration notified health-care professionals and patients of the recall involving all lots of alcohol prep pads, alcohol swabs, and alcohol swabsticks manufactured by Triad but sold as private labels at the consumer level. This recall has been initiated because of concerns about potential contamination of the products with Bacillus cereus.

This recall involves those products marked as STERILE as well as non-sterile products. Use of contaminated alcohol prep pads, alcohol swabs, and alcohol swabsticks could lead to life-threatening infections, especially in at-risk populations, including immune suppressed and surgical patients. Alcohol prep pads, alcohol swabs, and alcohol swabsticks are used to disinfect prior to an injection.

Source: US Food and Drug Administration

Free HIV-testing services

FAMPLAN Jamaica is utilising community outreach activities and radio advertisements to impart critical information to individuals about free HIV-testing services and sexual and reproductive health.

Parent and peer educators have been facilitating sensitisation sessions on sexual and reproductive health and are disseminating vouchers, which enable individuals to access free HIV-testing services at the Beth Jacobs Clinic located at 14 King Street, St Ann's Bay.

The services will be available until January 21 and are made possible through funding from the United Nations Population Fund, through its support of the FAMPLAN HIV testing initiative project, which is aimed at increasing access to HIV testing services in the parish of St Ann.

Source: FAMPLAN Jamaica