Morning Medical Update: ‘Peanut patch’ for toddlers with peanut allergies; Blood bag drone delivery; Doctors warn seniors about THC

‘Peanut patch’ for toddlers with peanut allergies

A promising new trial tested the effectiveness of a patch designed to desensitize children allergic to peanuts. The trial involved over 200 children with peanut allergies, ages one to three. After wearing the patch for 22 hours a day for one year, 67% of children were able to tolerate one to four peanuts. There was also a decrease in the number of severe reactions.

Blood bag drone delivery

The delivery of blood bags via drones is now possible in India. On a recent flight, 10 units of whole blood samples were delivered between hospitals nearly 30 miles apart. The biggest challenge when transporting blood is maintaining a low temperature, which was achieved. If there is continued success, drone delivery will become common in India.

Doctors warn seniors about THC

Senior citizens have started to contribute to the rise of THC use in the United States. However, more and more seniors end up in the emergency room because they accidentally become too high. “If you are a first-time user, or if you are somebody who is used to using products from the 60s and 70s, today’s products are way more potent. Your body and your metabolism might not be used to that level of potency,” Dr. Lianne Hirano of the Geriatrics department at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, Washington, said in an interview. It is the responsibility of the customer to research the effects of the product before consuming.