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Minerva

Minerva

BMJ 2000; 321 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.321.7262.714 (Published 16 September 2000) Cite this as: BMJ 2000;321:714

The effects of air pollution on individuals are usually small, although a European study initiated by the World Health Organization shows that the damage can be substantial at the population level (Lancet 2000;356:795-801). The investigators estimate that air pollution causes 6% of all deaths, half a million asthma attacks, and 16 million person days of lost productivity each year in Austria, France, and Switzerland. Traffic is the main culprit, they say.

The American Society for Testing Methods tests medical gloves by filling them with a litre of water and watching for leaks (Archives of Surgery 2000;135:982-5). In general, gloves made without latex and those with a low latex content leak more than standard latex gloves, according to research from Virginia. Approval by the Food and Drug Administration is no guarantee of quality, say the researchers, who tested 3720 gloves of various types. Nearly a quarter of approved brands leaked more than the permitted 2.5%.

How soon after a propofol anaesthetic should people be allowed to drive? When serum concentrations of the drug fall to about 0.2 µg/ml (British Journal of Anaesthesia 2000; 85: 396-400). Experiments …

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