How is Mesothelioma Diagnosed?

How is Mesothelioma Treated?

Selecting a drug rehab center is one of the most important and difficult decisions you will make in your lifetime. Few of us know what to look for in a quality rehab program and not all drug rehabilitation centers are alike. Each drug rehab has its own program options, staff qualifications, credentials, cost, and effectiveness.

Asking appropriate questions when you call a drug rehab for information is important and you should expect to receive clear answers.

Before you make any decisions-ask questions and get the facts!

Does the drug rehab offer a variety of programs?

Alcohol and drug addiction are diseases that progress through predictable stages. It takes a trained health professional, often a doctor specializing in addiction medicine, to make an accurate diagnosis and prescribe the most appropriate treatment, whether it be outpatient counseling or an inpatient alchol and drug rehab.

A drug rehabilitation treatment center should offer a variety of treatment programs that meet individual needs. Programs may include inpatient, residential, outpatient, and/or short-stay options.

The difference between inpatient and a residential treatment center is that inpatient services are provided by a licensed hospital, while residential programs usually do not meet the same rigorous standards of medical care.

The length of stay depends on the severity and stage of the disease.

How much does a drug rehab center cost?

"How much does it cost?" is often one of the first questions asked when someone calls a drug rehab program.

The price tag for drug rehab treatment depends on the type of rehab you choose. You need to know what is included, what will be added to your bill as a fee-for-service program, and what services your health insurance will cover. This makes it extremely difficult to compare prices by simply asking the question - "What does rehab cost?" The best way to find out the range of costs for rehab is to talk to an intake advisor. You can discuss your insurance coverage or your financial concerns and they will help you narrow down your choices to what best meets your needs in the most affordable way.

If you are seeking the best value for your treatment dollar, remember: Price can be meaningful only in the context of quality and performance.

Also remember that the cost of drug addiction and alcoholism, if not treated, can far exceed the cost of treatment.

Is the drug rehab treatment program medically based?

There is an advantage to including on-site medical care in a Drug Rehab. Physicians and nurses provide 24-hour hospital services to monitor and ensure a safe withdrawal from alcohol and other drugs. In addition, a medical staff specializing in addiction medicine can oversee the progress of each individual and make necessary adjustments to the treatment plan.

Medical credentials and accreditation can also be important. For example, a chemical dependency Drug Rehab that earns JCAHO accreditation (Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations) meets national standards for providing quality medical care. Appropriate state licensing is also an important consideration.

Be sure to ask which medical costs are included in the price of treatment at the drug rehab.

What is the degree of family involvement in a drug rehab program?

Drug abuse and alcoholism affects the entire family, not just the alcoholic/addict. Quite often family members do not realize how deeply they have been affected by chemical dependency. Family involvement is an important component of recovery.

Drug Rehabs vary in the degree and quality of family involvement opportunities. Some offer just a few lectures and others offer family therapy. Ask if there is any time devoted to family programs and if group therapy is included.

Does drug rehabilitation include a quality continuing care program?

There are no quick fixes for the diseases of drug abuse and alcoholism. Recovery is an ongoing process. The skills one learns during intensive rehabilitation treatment must be integrated into everyday life and this takes time.

Some drug addiction treatment programs will offer a follow-up program but only in one location which may make it difficult to use.

Drug rehabilitation treatment programs should include a quality, continuing care program that supports and monitors recovery.

The decision to enter a drug rehab program can be a very difficult and painstaking process. If you are confused by the many choices offered on this drug rehab site, please call one of our our treament center specialist at (877) 707-8498.

Our treatment center helpline is answered by a professional staff who understands what you are going through. They will listen to your questions and concerns, and provide you with free drug rehab referrals.

see drug-rehabs website

On September 30, 2004, Merck announced a worldwide withdrawal of its anti-inflammatory drug, Vioxx, following information that people taking Vioxx are twice as likely to have heart attacks and strokes than people who take other inflammatory drugs, such as Naproxen.

Vioxx is one of a class of anti-inflammatory drugs strenuously marketed as being more effective, with fewer side effects than other, older drugs, including such over-the-counter medications as ibuprofen.

Vioxx and other drugs in the class have not proven to be the breakthrough cure-all for pain as they were advertised. In fact many physicians prefer ibuprofen for pain relief to Vioxx and Celebrex combined, and for patients, the cost of the over-the-counter medication is 10 to 15 times less than that of the prescription drugs.

Merck & Co., the maker of Vioxx launched the drug in the U.S. in 1999, and has had nearly $2.5 billion in sales of the drug in 2003.

via [southfloridavioxxattorney]

For those of you how have a morbid fascination for gadgets like the Human Skull USB Drive and the Human Skull MP3 Player Belt Buckle, here’s something new and USB-ish that should be right up your alley.

The USB Skull will soon be available from Thumbs Up for £9.99 (about $14 USD).

via [GeekAlerts]

Technology and warfare go hand in hand these days, but I would’ve never expected the beloved iPod Touch to be responsible for calculated sniper attacks. What you’re looking at is a M110 semi-automatic sniper system with a Knights Armaments mounting system. The Touch is strapped into an Otterbox case and is running BulletFlight, which is available in the app store for $12. Just dial in the weather, wind speed and distance, and it will spit out the necessary scope adjustments for you to acquire your target.

BulletFlight app here

via [gadget review]

LAS VEGAS, USA (AVING Special Report on 'CES 2009') -- Sharp today introduces the world's first AQUOS LCD TV BD Series equipped with a built-in Blu-ray disc player at the press conference during 2009 CES, which is designed for a convenient all-in-one home theater solution.

The full-HD 1080p AQUOS BD series, which includes the 52-inch class 'LC-52BD80U', 46-inch class ' LC-46BD80U', 42-inch 'LC-42BD80U', 37-inch class 'LC-37BD60U' and 32-inch class 'LC-32BD60U' screen class sizes, combines the ultimate high definition television with the ultimate high definition content format with a side-loading multi-slot for Blu-ray, DVD and CD content.

The series offers a single-step operation feature that turns on the TV and activates play when a BD disc is inserted. In addition, the BD series features a newly developed Advanced Super View(ASV) Superlucent panel for a dramatically bright and crisp picture with reduced reflection and a new AQUOS Pure Mode for convenient optimized viewing of Blu-ray titles. A new elegant 'AQUOS Blue' design includes a subtle blue accent at the bottom of the frame and a swivel stand for viewing convenience.

"We created this series to offer consumers a product that provides the same high-quality, clear picture they've come to expect from a Sharp AQUOS, but with the added convenience of a Blu-ray player for a unique combination solution that allows playback of the latest HD Blu-ray movies," said Bob Scaglione, senior vice president and group manager, Product and Marketing Group, Sharp Electronics Corporation. "This product is a one-stop, stylish home theater and the built-in side-loading Blu-ray slot is also a space-saver for style-conscious consumers, eliminating the need for a separate box and extra cables."

Action spy dramas increasingly feature a computer geek character who accesses everything from satellite imagery to floor plans to convenience store security cameras, then feeds the data to his team, saving the day. This type of work, it turns out, is easier said than done.

Two agencies are trying to make it easier to access and blend Web-based snoop-scoop. The U.S. Joint Forces Command and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency are sponsoring an annual demonstration called Empire Challenge, which "seeks to improve interoperability of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance activities" among end users.

One of last year's Challenge participants, the Open Geospatial Consortium, or OGC, has already demonstrated a common interface that allows "analysts to detect and access sensors from different sources."

"Let's say you're an analyst, and you want (to find) out what's going on in Bellingham, Wash., and you don't know what sensors are available in Bellingham," said Sam Bacharach of OGC. "Is there a Predator with an electrical-optical camera overhead? Maybe there are Washington State Patrol cameras on the interstates. Right now, just to know all those things exist, you have to go through an exhausting process to find them."

And we're not just talking traffic cameras. OCG aims to enable real-time integration of virtually any Web-connected device; examples cited include flood gauges, air pollution monitors, stress gauges on bridges, mobile heart monitors, assorted robots, and the usual space- and airborne-imaging devices.

"In a perfect world, in the world we're trying to enable, all of the sensors may come online," Bacharach said. "They would be put in a catalog so the operator could then come in and type in Bellingham, and magically get a map of all the sensors and all the data that is available covering Bellingham, Wash."

Joint Forces Command hopes lessons from this year's demonstration will allow it to integrate OGC's interface capabilities into the Distributed Common Ground System-a classified architecture used to share sensor information within the intelligence community.

The goal is to shorten the time it takes to collect and analyze intelligence, and disseminate it to troops on the battlefield.

The Empire Challenge is open to government agencies, private industry, and academia; in case you want to channel Marshall J. Flinkman in helping track the Enemy of the State.

(Credit: USAF)

via [cnet]

Apple has cut deals that will finally enable iTunes to offer songs free of copy protection software from the three largest music labels, according to two sources close to the negotiations. In exchange, Apple has agreed to become more flexible on pricing, the sources said.

Under the terms of the deal, song prices will be broken down into three categories--older songs from the catalog, midline songs (newer songs that aren't big hits), and current hits--said one of the sources. Apple has offered songs free of digital rights management protections from EMI for more than a year. But EMI accounts for less than 10 percent of music sold in the U.S.; these new deals will expand iTunes' DRM-free library to include songs from the other three major labels (Sony BMG, Universal, and Warner Music).

Apple and the music labels have also apparently come to terms on over-the-air downloads, according to a source. That would allow iPhone owners to download songs to their mobile devices via cell networks and without the aid of Wi-Fi. Apple, which closed the deals last week, could announce the agreements as early as Tuesday at the Macworld Conference and Expo in San Francisco.

Apple did not respond to requests for comment.

DRM-free songs are something that many iTunes users have requested for some time. However, the celebration over their appearance at the country's largest music retailer may be overshadowed by increased prices on some hit songs, which might be seen by some as an Apple surrender on pricing. Apple fans have long applauded the company for holding the line on pricing despite loud complaints from the major music labels.

The good news is that the price of catalog music is falling to 79 cents per song. The labels will get an opportunity to price some hit songs for more than 99 cents but eventually those songs will drop to 79 cents, according to one source.

Before iTunes users get too worked up, they should remember that song prices at iTunes haven't increased in five years. According to the Consumer Price Index, a 99-cent song in 2002 would be worth $1.17 today.

Not only will new music downloads be free of copy-protection software, but Apple and the labels will begin removing DRM from music already available in the iTunes Store, the source said. However, it's unclear what will happen to songs that have already been purchased.

via [cnet]

Will Panasonic be able to make other companies adopt the same standard in the future? The company will open a Hollywood based office in February to start lobbying as those 3D ready Blu-ray plaers and TVs are going to arrive in 2010 or later.

cybertheatre via Nikkei