Health

Lethal parasites kill one human every ten seconds. Others prefer to keep people alive, for food and shelter. In this program, patients discuss their encounters with botfly maggots, leeches, candiru fish, elephantiasis, tapeworms and cerebral tapeworm cysts, and a tiny water parasite that eats away at the interior of the eye. Experiments include one in which lice are scattered on a volunteer to see how they react and another in which a volunteer incubates a monstrous beef tapeworm in his digestive tract-and then expels it. Viewer discretion is advised. (50 minutes)

While acknowledging the achievements of the pharmaceutical industry, this program offers an alternative perspective on the production of medicines, emphasizing the use of plants and herbs instead of synthetic compounds. Beginning with a historical overview of plant remedies-including evidence of sophisticated herbalism in ancient Mesopotamian, Egyptian, and Arab cultures-the video describes how pharmacology evolved out of traditional herbal medicine. It also explores new pharmaceutical research that has come full circle, returning to the use of natural plant extracts. The development of anti-cancer medicine derived from periwinkle is one of many examples. (53 minutes)

In its strictest sense, the term art brut refers to art created outside the boundaries of official culture and often focuses on the work of people who live in mental institutions. This program focuses on the art of Josef Pepi" Hofer and several other artists with mental retardation and similar disabilities as it captures them in workshops and at a showing and award ceremony at The House of Art, Munich. Although not designated as art therapy, the effects of creating art are visibly therapeutic as these individuals explore issues of sexuality and other areas of human experience and imagination through depictions both complex and deceptively simple. (37 minutes)"

Chemical irritants can cause a debilitating sensitivity or even a chemical injury. This program examines the all-too-common threat of chemical exposure-often from products and materials found in the average home or office building. Showing how contaminants and irritants can travel through heating and air conditioning ducts, the program highlights a case study in which a woman developed rashes, swelling, and difficulty breathing due to chemicals in her workplace. Another example features a man sickened by a chemical plant near his residence. Expert guests include Dr. Grace Ziem, a prominent occupational medicine specialist, and Alan Cohen of Beyond Pesticides, a nonprofit group that opposes the overuse of pesticides. (25 minutes)

Is chiropractic care more than just back cracking"? In this program, Dr. Kevin Soden explores the practice of chiropractic medicine, and its theory that the body can heal itself. Founded by D. D. Palmer, chiropractic care uses spinal manipulation to help people rid themselves of pain and illness. With the assistance of experts in the field, Dr. Soden investigates the myths and misconceptions of the practice, what patients should expect from a visit to a chiropractor, and the extensive schooling required to become a doctor of chiropractic care. In doing so, he demonstrates how chiropractic care differs from other therapy practices, including its rival, physical therapy. (24 minutes)"

This program examines the biological evolution of our internal timekeepers, examining the conflict between the time in our bodies and brains and the time on our wrists. It looks at the fish with the most accurate pacemaker known to science; shows how cell cycles are being tracked and biological clocks transplanted; reveals the novel ways in which human biological clocks are being reset; and explains why Greenwich is where time starts, how conversations can be set to music, why some people are larks and others owls, and what causes the Monday morning blahs. (58 minutes)

The vast majority of coma patients face a critical and very limited window of recovery time-after one year, the chance for improvement is slim to none. This documentary follows the progress of four individuals in comas or vegetative states over the course of a year, exploring the mysteries of the injured brain as each patient emerges, to varying degrees, from darkness. Interweaving commentary from renowned physicians and neurologists, the program goes inside a top U.S. medical facility for coma treatment-the Center for Head Injuries at the JFK Medical Center in Edison, New Jersey. With unprecedented access to the center, the program also chronicles the emotional stories of the four patients' families, who must deal with overwhelming medical complexities and frightening uncertainties about the fate of their loved ones. An HBO Production. (103 minutes)

Heart disease. Cancer. Chronic fatigue syndrome. Repetitive stress injuries. In this clinical three-part series, experts in the field of medicine discuss the diseases and disorders that are so much a part of modern life, promoting the value of preventive care and early diagnosis. 3-part series, 27-29 minutes each.

Research into the pathology of calcification is building momentum. This program follows the work of scientists and physicians dedicated to the study of calcium in the human body-including how and why it accumulates to fatal levels and how diseases linked to calcification can be prevented, treated, or cured. Science journalist Douglas Mulhall introduces the basic issues; Dr. Clarke Anderson of the University of Kansas Medical Center describes his groundbreaking 1967 discovery concerning matrix vesicles and calcification; and Dr. Catherine Shanahan of King's College London explains recent findings that micro-particles are released by living as well as dead cells. Case studies are included. Not available in French-speaking Canada. (44 minutes)

This program shows why repeat drunk driving offenders are still on our roads, endangering our lives. On the street, a man caught driving drunk three times insists that he is being harassed and does not have a drinking problem. In a hospital, we visit a 16-year-old victim, run down by a repeat drunk driver, on a breathing machine, fighting for his life. In a courtroom, we see a four-time repeat DUI offender getting sentenced to 48 hours in jail. The program looks at a judicial system under fire for failing to enforce a strict habitual offender law; a jail-house interview with a repeat DUI offender facing second-degree murder charges; and a Victim Impact Panel where families who have lost loved ones in drunk driving accidents tell their stories to repeat DUI offenders. (49 minutes)

In this factual case study, revelers at a Burns Day celebration in Scotland become ill. When E. coli is suspected, health officials conduct a medical manhunt to discover its source. They and researchers move cautiously from one possible cause to the next-the food served, the water drunk, improper food handling. When none of the investigations prove conclusive, suspicions mount that the microbe was probably passed on by someone sitting at the table where people became ill. During the program, researchers working on the case trace the evolution of the deadly 0157 E. coli strain from animals to ancient humans, and make connections between E. coli and diseases including flu and tuberculosis. (26 minutes)

The remorseless battle between parasites and humans is ugly-very, very ugly-but understanding it is of vital importance to anyone entering the health professions. Using case studies, experiments, computer simulations, medical imaging, and commentary by leading experts, this graphic three-part series exposes the intricate ways in which parasites colonize the human body and illustrates how to treat infected patients. Viewer discretion is advised. Original BBCW broadcast title: Body Snatchers. 3-part series, 50 minutes each.

Dialing 9-1-1 is simple in itself, but few people are truly ready for a siren-filled ride to the emergency room. This program will help viewers prepare for such a crisis, providing detailed information on when to call 9-1-1, how best to speak with the dispatcher, what to do while waiting for an ambulance, and what to expect upon arrival at the ER. Expert guests include Emergency Medical Services specialist Andrew Brave and Dr. Leigh Vinocur of the American College of Emergency Physicians. The program also reenacts a real-world situation in which an elderly man fell in his home and was unable to reach a telephone. Viewers will gain a better understanding of how seniors and other vulnerable individuals should prepare for medical emergencies. (24 minutes)

With the growth of America's urban populations has come an increased demand for medical first responders-most notably, the emergency medical technician. This program guides students through the duties of the EMT-Basic and EMT-Paramedic, the skills and personality traits both require, and the financial and personal advantages that these positions offer. Featuring interviews with veterans of the profession, the program describes the 110-hour class and national or state registry exam an aspiring EMT must complete, along with specific functions-for EMT-Bs, supporting an ambulance team in the field and during patient transport, maintaining vitals and airwave access, controlling bleeding, basic splinting, and applying a cervical collar; and for EMT-Paramedics, traction splinting, patient status assessment, and other functions that prepare patients for emergency room care. Both the Hollywood-style excitement and the routine aspects of EMT life are emphasized, in addition to the best high school courses and volunteer opportunities in which a would-be EMT should get involved. A viewable/printable instructor's guide is available online. Correlates to national and state board certification standards. A Meridian Production. (22 minutes)

Back injuries and other musculoskeletal disorders are rampant in the healthcare industry. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nurses' aides, health aides, radiology technologists and therapists, as well as licensed practical nurses and registered nurses, make up six of the top 10 professionals at the greatest risk for back injury.