Medicine: Danger Signals

Despite medical advances, man continues to take chances with his health. To combat this familiar pattern, doctors across the country last week issued warnings against three current follies.

¶ Physicians attending a Manhattan seminar reported that lax personal hygiene, particularly in hospitals, has canceled many of the gains of modern medicine. According to Dr. Robert Elston of the American Public Health Association, many hospital staffers believe that antibiotics have made frequent hand washing unnecessary. But the A.P.H.A. reports that about 5% of all patients now incur infections during their hospital stays. Almost 40%...

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