Scales put patients at risk' Patients could be at risk from inaccurate hospital weighing scales, according to a report from trading standards officers.

Scales put patients at risk'
Patients could be at risk from inaccurate hospital weighing scales, according to a report from trading standards officers.

According to the report, a third of scales in NHS hospitals do not weigh properly, with one in five not calibrated properly to zero. Inspectors found examples where nurses had bought scales from high-street shops, and baby scales were put on foam mats or wobbly trolleys, making them inaccurate.

The report, from the Local Authorities Co-ordinators of Regulatory Services (Lacors), found widespread use of household bathroom scales, which have been deemed unsuitable for medical use. Between April and August this year, council trading standards teams inspected 7875 sets of scales in more than 200 hospitals across the UK. The study found that 34% of the equipment was inaccurate, 22% of scales were not set to zero, and only 16% of hospitals had trained staff in the basic use of weighing equipment.

The report said: "Some of these inaccuracies will have been minor, but others much more serious - potentially leading to big under- and overdoses of radiation, chemotherapy, anaesthetic, pain relief and other medicine."

Genes linked to lung cancer An international research team has identified two genetic variations that appear to increase a person's risk of developing lung cancer by up to 60%.

In April, the same researchers identified another gene that raised lung cancer risk. They said their latest finding was relevant for both smokers and non-smokers. "We are looking at differences in the DNA that makes you more or less likely to develop lung cancer," said Paul Brennan, a cancer epidemiologist at the World Health Organisation's International Agency for Research on Cancer. "The idea is if you can identify genes, that might indicate why people develop lung cancer."

Smoking is the leading risk factor but scientists are looking to genetics to help explain why some long-time smokers never develop the disease and why some non-smokers do.

The study, published in the journal Nature Genetics, involved researchers from 18 countries who analysed genetic mutations in more than 15,000 people.

The researchers discovered a region on the fifth chromosome containing two genes - TERT and CRR9 - where they believe variations can increase the likelihood of lung cancer by as much as 60%.

Ecstasy affects memory'
Frequent use of ecstasy, one of the most widely used illegal drugs in the UK, causes memory problems and learning difficulties, according to a new study of the drug.

The study, led by Swansea University's head of psychology Professor Mark Blagrove, assessed the effects of ecstasy on story memory and skills learning.

Participants were asked to recall details of a short newspaper-type story about a fire on a farm. The study found that those who had taken ecstasy two to three days before hearing about the article could only recall 83% of the details that non-drug-takers were able to recall.

Professor Blagrove said: "It appears that ecstasy seems to affect memory for facts rather than the learning of new motor skills. The study means that certain aspects of work and employment will be a problem for frequent ecstasy users."