This photo is the drug facts label of the hand sanitizer that I often use called germ-X. It was taken in my room. Germ-X claims itself “Effective at eliminating more than 99.99% of many common harmful germs & bacteria in as little as 15 seconds”. And the “Uses” section of the drug label mentions “[Use] to decrease bacteria on the skin that could cause disease”. Based on these claims, we can see that a hand sanitizer is one of the preventive methods. We have read in ‘The Upstream Doctors: Medical Innovators Track Sickness to Its Source’ how “upstreamists”, or those who seek to get to the source of illnesses rather than simply being curative, are the most effective in being able to maintain people’s health. In this case, by eliminating pathogens that can cause people to get, for example, the flu, the upstreamists are able to prevent costs of treatment as well as eliminating the risk of other people getting sick. The FDA is responsible for creating these labels. FDA stands for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, who is responsible to prevent and protect people’s health. Based on these facts, this picture depicts the influence of public health on a population level, because any over the counter drug must have these labels on to inform patients of the drug’s benefits, ingredients, and warnings. If this were not enforced, would companies even bother to put these labels on? Most likely not. (Rena Tatsumi, Germ-X, 5/27/2019) This is the government warning section printed on the back of a bottle of Tequila. No, I do not drink. This photo was taken at my boyfriend’s apartment, who is 22 years old, so it is legal for him to have it. The label serves as a warning for pregnant women to not drink alcohol because it increases the risk of birth defects, as well as others by mentioning not to operate machinery after drinking and that it can cause health problems. In this case, I feel like this preventive measure applies to all four levels (individuals, household, community, and population). On the individual level, drinking can cause serious issues when consumed by pregnant women/in copious amount by someone. This can affect households, where individuals who are addicted to drinking can be abusive towards other family members and/or women giving birth to children with developmental issues which can lead to expensive medical costs to treat the child. These conditions can make communities unsafe, as drinking impairs judgment and can lead to violence. In the population level, innocent people are often harmed substantially by drunk drivers. It can also pose a burden on the population as a whole when tax is used to fund medical assistance to children with developmental issues. This concept of preventing problems from happening can be seen in ‘The Upstream Doctors’- rather than trying to cure birth defects or deaths due to alcohol (children drowning), it is much more effective if you can prevent them (trying to see who are throwing the children in) from the start. (Rena Tatsumi, Tequila, 5/29/2019)A label on the poultry that I bought from Publix had a “Safe Handling Instructions” section which had warnings about the risks of bacterias and to be sure to cook it properly before eating. I took this picture near my kitchen before cooking it. This label shows public health in action at the individual/household level. This is the case because undercooked meat will harm the individuals who ate it, but it usually won’t affect others (unless it was served to many people- for example, in a restaurant). This label shows the concept of prevention as well, as it informs consumers of proper storing, handling, and cooking of the meat to prevent sickness caused by bacteria. It connects to the reading ‘The Broad Street Pump’ due to the fact that both are dealing with issues caused by pathogens, and both take measures to eliminate the risk but in different ways. In the reading, they removed the handle and eventually created a sewage system to eliminate the contamination. In this case, we are killing the bacteria to avoid getting sick. It is different, but in the end, we are doing the same thing- preventing diseases. (Rena Tatsumi, Poultry label, 5/29/2019)
This post brings up some interesting challenges for public health. Widespread use of antibacterial solutions like this is one of the things that may be associated with the rise of antibiotic-resistant “superbugs.” I have heard that there is a move to ban all antibiotic soaps for this reason, though I don’t know if that is actually going to happen.
Because bacteria are the things that DIRECTLY make us sick, they are the most downstream thing. Hand sanitizers are very downstream solutions, rather than upstream solutions.
This post brings up some interesting challenges for public health. Widespread use of antibacterial solutions like this is one of the things that may be associated with the rise of antibiotic-resistant “superbugs.” I have heard that there is a move to ban all antibiotic soaps for this reason, though I don’t know if that is actually going to happen.
Because bacteria are the things that DIRECTLY make us sick, they are the most downstream thing. Hand sanitizers are very downstream solutions, rather than upstream solutions.