December 17, 2009, 7:50 AM CT

Critical communication for caregivers

Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia represent an exponentially growing social and health care challenge for American families not only family members who face the progressive brain disease, but also those who love them.

A number of spouses of those with dementia do more than watch as their partners deal with the disease's effects on brain functioning, memory, motor skills and emotional health. They often assume round-the-clock caregiving responsibilities as their husband or wife of a number of years faces progressive decline. Communication can become a especially difficult issue.

"We observed that breakdowns in communication may trigger or deepen problem behaviors in family members with dementia," says Marie Savundranayagam, assistant professor of social work at the University of WisconsinMilwaukee (UWM). "These problem behaviors by those with dementia, such as agitation and aggression, have consistently been linked with caregiver stress."

Through a UWM Research Growth Initiative grant and an Alzheimer's Association New Investigator Research Grant, Savundranayagam is working to identify communication strategies used by caregivers to resolve communication breakdowns.

Partners in long-lasting relationships are the focus of her research. "There's something very special about these relationships," she says. "These caregivers are less likely to place their spouses in a nursing home. They want to keep that family member at home as long as possible."........ Posted by: Emily      Read more         Source

December 16, 2009, 11:23 PM CT

Canadian Drug Store: How to Find a Reputable Online Drug store

At a time when ecommerce is all pervading, how does one discern the reliability of a store, more so a drug store? The answer lies in careful observation and understanding the characteristics of a reputable store. Here is a guide to acquaint you with the features of a trustworthy Canada drugs store.

Reputable Canadian Drug Store: Features

Canadian drug stores are popular for their high quality medications that are dispensed by licensed and trained pharmacists. Purchasing at these reputable pharmacies is not only safe, but also convenient and cost-effective. These tips can help you choose a reputable Canadian pharmacy for buying your medications:

Price: Determine whether the store offers the drugs you require, and that it is done at reduced prices. Since prescription drugs may be expensive, always choose a store that offers discount. Canadian drug stores also offer discounts to customers who bring in repeat business.

Referrals: Ask your family and friends for recommendations. If you do not know anyone who has used Canadian online pharmacies, look for the CIPA logo on the website. This logo denotes the seal of approval and affiliation with the Canadian International Pharmacy Association. ........ Posted by: Emily      Read more         Source

December 15, 2009, 7:58 AM CT

Mobility Scooter

A mobility scooter is a battery-powered vehicle designed for individuals with restricted mobility. It can accommodate only one person at a time. Mobility scooters come in three basic designs that are based on their intention of use, namely, indoor, outdoor and both.

Many people mistake a mobility scooter with a wheelchair. They may have similar premise though scooters provide improved design and higher range of motion. Moreover, the user is required to have some upper body strength to drive the wheelchair which is not the case with mobility scooters. These inherit the best features of wheelchairs and provide the user more mobility and comfort.

Mobility scooters are available in three and four wheels designs. It has broad seats that can accommodate an adult easily. With its flat area, it enables a user to feel comfortable in the way his/her legs are positioned. A control panel on the front side is designed in the form of a dashboard.

Mobility Scooter: How does it operate?

A mobility scooter, typically, requires a pair of rechargeable batteries. One can put it on charge from a wall outlet. The type and capacity of the batteries forms the basis of the extent of time for which these mobility scooters may run. Usually, if you charge it for around eight hours, it is likely to run from 20 to 30 miles. Using good quality batteries is crucial to ensure long life and driving time of your scooter......... Posted by: Emily      Read more         Source

December 1, 2009, 8:32 AM CT

Home visits can improve asthma

A few home visits by a health care specialist to educate children with asthma about basic strategies for earlier symptom recognition and improving medicine use can lead to fewer flare-ups and less frequent trips to the ER, as per research from Johns Hopkins Children's Center reported in the recent issue of Pediatrics

An estimated 6.5 million children in the United States have asthma, which is the leading pediatric chronic illness in this country and disproportionately affects minorities.

"We compared several strategies to improve asthma control among children and, much to our delight, we observed that taking a few simple steps can go a long way toward doing so," says senior investigator Kristin Riekert, Ph.D., a pediatric psychology expert at Hopkins and co-director of the Johns Hopkins Adherence Research Center.

Scientists say the key is providing regular asthma education that includes:

in-the-home demonstration and training on the proper use of inhalers by an asthma specialist and a discussion with the family about regular access to a pediatrician, ensuring they have access to one.

an asthma action plan specifically tailored to each child with a list of must-take daily controller medicine to keep inflammation at bay, a checklist of what to do when symptoms start and when to seek emergency care......... Posted by: Emily      Read more         Source

December 1, 2009, 8:27 AM CT

MRI to detect pregnancy complication

A study presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) revealed that MRI is a highly accurate means of identifying placenta accreta, a potentially life-threatening and increasingly common condition that is the leading cause of death for women just before and after giving birth.

"Due to the increase in cesarean sections and other surgeries that leave scarring on the uterine wall, coupled with women giving birth during the later part of life, the occurence rate of accreta has increased dramatically over the past 20 years," said lead researcher Reena Malhotra, M.D., a radiologist at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) in La Jolla.

Placenta accreta, in which the placenta surrounding a fetus attaches too deeply to a woman's uterus, is most dangerous when the condition is not detected until the time of delivery. When a placenta that is deeply attached to the uterus is delivered along with a baby, it pulls with it parts of the blood-rich uterine wall, rupturing blood vessels that can lead to severe hemorrhaging in the mother, as well as complications for the baby. Severe cases, especially when undiagnosed, may lead to massive hemorrhage requiring blood transfusion, hysterectomy or death of the mother.

While routine prenatal ultrasound is often able to identify the presence of placenta accreta, it is not always able to definitively diagnose subtle cases......... Posted by: Emily      Read more         Source

November 24, 2009, 11:17 AM CT

New biodegradable fibers for advance stent technology

Stents that keep weakened and flabby arteries from collapsing have been true life-savers. But after six months, those stents are no longer needed - once the arteries are strengthened, they become unnecessary. Previously, doctors had no choice but to leave them in place.

Prof. Meital Zilberman of Tel Aviv University's Department of Biomedical Engineering has developed a new patent-pending fiber platform that carries drugs where they're needed, then dissolves.

"Our new composite fibers consist of a strong core coated with a drug-releasing, or 'eluting,' solution. They combine strength with the desired elements necessary for drug delivery, so they can be used as the basis of biodegradable drug-eluting stents," says Prof. Zilberman.

Her unique coating technology, she adds, can be used to coat both metal stents, which are currently available, and the biodegradable stents now in development.

Controlling the flow

"The main problem with drugs used on stents is that coating manufacturers have been unable to develop a method for releasing them in a controlled manner," explains Prof. Zilberman. Insoluble in water, these drugs do not release well from a coating, she explains. A coating made from an extremely porous structure like hers, however, provides a large surface area for diffusion. This gives cardiologists "a desired release profile"......... Posted by: Emily      Read more         Source

November 23, 2009, 8:10 AM CT

Risk factors for ADHD

Children exposed prenatally to tobacco smoke and during childhood to lead face a especially high risk for ADHD, as per research done at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.

The study estimates that up to 35 percent of ADHD cases in children between the ages of 8 and 15 could be reduced by eliminating both of these environmental exposures. This could translate into up to 800,000 children.

"Tobacco and lead exposure each have their own important adverse effect," says Tanya Froehlich, M.D., a doctor in the Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics at Cincinnati Children's and the study's main author. "But if children are exposed to both lead and prenatal tobacco, the combined effect is synergistic".

The study is to be published online Nov. 23 by Pediatrics

"Eventhough we tend to focus on ADHD therapy rather than prevention, our study suggests that reducing exposures to environmental toxicants might be an important way to lower rates of ADHD," says Robert Kahn, MD, MPH., a doctor and researcher at Cincinnati Children's and the study's senior author.

The scientists observed that children exposed prenatally to tobacco smoke were 2.4 times more likely to have ADHD. Those with blood lead levels in the top third had a 2.3 fold increased likelihood of ADHD, despite levels well below the Centers for Disease Control action level of 10 micrograms per deciliter. Dr. Froehlich and her colleagues found the risk of ADHD more than eight times higher for children exposed to both tobacco and lead in comparison to unexposed children......... Posted by: Emily      Read more         Source

November 23, 2009, 8:08 AM CT

Daycare and TV time

In a newly released study, the amount of television viewed by a number of young children in child care settings doubles the prior estimates of early childhood screen time, with those in home-based settings watching significantly more on average than those in center-based daycares. This study is the first to examine screen time in child care settings in more than 20 years. The study looked at television use in 168 child care programs in four states, and was guided by lead researcher Dimitri A. Christakis, MD, MPH, director of the Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development at Seattle Children's Research Institute and professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington School of Medicine. "Preschool-Aged Children's Television Viewing in Child Care Settings" is reported in the December 2009 issue of Pediatrics, appearing online November 23, 2009.

Prior estimates of screen time for babies and pre-school children relied on parental reports of viewing in the home, yet the majority of pre-schoolers are now usually cared for by someone other than a parent, away from home in a child care setting. Previous studies have estimated that preschool children watch 2-3 hours of TV per day at home. As per the researchers, prior data on screen time in child care settings are more than 20 years old and don't accurately reflect today's cultural factors affecting media use among children......... Posted by: Emily      Read more         Source

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 15:18:54 GMT

The first online doctors

Who has never heard about Jay Parkinson, founder of HelloHealth service, the first online medical practice? Now please meet Dr. Hodge, the first iPhone doctor.

Hodge"s start-up Personal Pediatrics aims to equip a fleet of self-starter pediatricians in major metro areas with iPhones, cloud-based practice software and the marketing know-how to court new parents, families and corporate health programs alike. The company"s plan points to a growing trend of doctors returning to what was once a mainstay of the profession: the house call.

Hodge has already established that the iPhone doctor model works - after more than a decade working in a pediatrics office in St. Louis, Missouri, where she saw up to 35 patients a day for about 10 minutes each, Hodge traded in the patient assembly line to launch Personal Pediatrics. That was three years ago. Back then she had her laptop and Palm Treo in tow.

I have to mention one thing first. The whole health 2.0 movement is not about transforming the healthcare system into an online service, but there are more and more people who want to reach healthcare services through online or mobile applications, and doctors must need their expectations as well.

If there are no patients who want to be online, no doctors will build such services. That’s how it works.

Further reading:
Posted by: Bertalan      Read more     Source

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 02:35:33 GMT

Twitter Health News

Feel free to follow me on Twitter so we can share interesting articles about genetics and medicine 2.0.

• Big Pharma and Twitter = Big joke! (Health Business News)

• Twitter surgery timeline: 8 months of OR tweets

• Webcast Your Brain Surgery? Hospitals See Marketing Tool (New York Times)

• Surgery LIVE: For four consecutive nights, top surgeons will carry out life-changing operations in front of a studio audience and live on Channel 4. While performing brain surgery on an awake patient, open heart surgery and more, our surgeons will answer YOUR questions live.

Posted by: Bertalan      Read more     Source