Lobbyists Continue Pressing Their Cases.

Pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, advocacy groups and others with a stake in health reform continue to lobby in hopes of winning concessions in the overhaul, or at least surviving the changes unscathed. "One of the groups key to working any deal is the pharmaceutical industry, which has been quite active behind the scenes," National Public Radio reports. NPR interviewed former congressman Billy Tauzin, who is president of PhRMA, the drug industry"s lobbying group. Tauzin said he couldn"t predict whether health reform, which his group supports, would make the industry wealthier, but added, "we"ll do okay" (7/30). Meanwhile, one Texas hospital has aggressively pursued a lobbying and fundraising campaign to encourage lawmakers to "soften measures that could choke its rapid growth," the New York Times reports.

Recession-Battered States Cut Funding For Health Services.

Under economic pressure, states are slashing funding for health services from Connecticut to California. The cuts frustrate providers and lawmakers are looking for ways to limit harm. The Associated Press reports: "Washington is pouring $87 billion in federal stimulus money into the states to help maintain state-run Medicaid health care for the needy - and to handle the expected surge in enrollment. But Connecticut and other cash-strapped states say they still must slash spending on health care to cover massive budget deficits. At least 21 states have already restricted low-income children"s and families" eligibility for health insurance or their access to services; at least 22 states and the District of Columbia are cutting services for low-income elderly or disabled patients." AP also reports: "The programs that do face cuts are diverse.

Children Capable Of Lifesaving CPR.

Nine-year-olds can and should learn CPR. A study of 147 schoolchildren, published in BioMed Central"s open access journal Critical Care, has shown that, although the smallest may lack the requisite strength, the knowledge of how to perform basic life support is well retained by young children. Fritz Sterz, from the Medical University of Vienna, Austria, led a team of researchers who studied children who had received six hours of life support training. Upon examination four months after the training, 86% performed CPR correctly. Sterz said, "The usefulness of CPR training in schools has been questioned since young students may not have the physical and cognitive skills needed to perform such complex tasks correctly. We found that, in fact, students as young as 9 years are able to successfully and effectively learn basic life support skills. As in adults, physical strength may limit depth of chest compressions and ventilation volumes, but skill retention is good."

Company Fined After Worker Suffers Fatal Injuries After Being Run Over At Work, UK.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is urging companies to ensure that sufficient safety procedures and risk assessments are in place to properly protect staff. The call comes after the prosecution of John Stacey and Sons Ltd at Winchester Crown Court. The prosecution follows an incident at the company"s Tadley site on 1 June 2007. An employee, Frederick Aubrey, was run over and died five days later from his injuries. John Stacey and Sons Ltd pleaded guilty to section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and regulation 3(1) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 at an earlier hearing at Basingstoke Magistrates Court on 29 June.