Tag Archives: medical

Medical assessment in the blink of an eye

There are many routes to making snap judgments (not all of them particularly useful). One of these is our ability to get the "gist" of an entire image by analyzing the whole scene at once, based on interpretation of global properties and image statistics, not focusing on specific details.That seems to be what medical experts can do. They are not perfect in a fraction of a second but they do far better than random guessing when classifying medical images as normal or abnormal even though, in that blink of an eye, they cannot tell you where the problem might be located. …

Surgeon shortage linked to burst appendices

Living in an area with few general surgeons may make people with appendicitis more likely to turn into ruptured appendix cases by the time they get to surgery, according to new research. “The study shows that access to surgical care, especially general surgical care, is important and low access can have real impacts that affect peoples' health,” coauthor Thomas Ricketts of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill told Reuters Health by email. The Affordable Care Act includes a provision for incentive payments to increase the supply of doctors in areas with shortages, but those bonuses only apply in places with too few primary care doctors. General surgeon and primary care shortage areas don't always line up, Ricketts said, and even when they do, general surgeons can't move to areas that don't already have primary care physicians to serve the community and refer patients back to them. Almost 30,000 patients with appendicitis - a quarter of whom suffered a burst appendix - were discharged from hospitals in North Carolina between 2007 and 2009, according to data from hospitals and surgery centers in the state analyzed by the researchers. There are 95,000 burst appendices per year in the U.S. according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. A 2008 study found that an appendectomy can cost between $10,000 and $18,000 more when the appendix has burst. With surgery before a rupture, typically about 20 hours or less after abdominal pain begins, patients usually recover quickly. If the appendix has burst (roughly 40 hours after symptoms begin), that could mean repeat operations and longer recovery time, according to the Merck Manual. To see whether a surgeon shortage was linked to more burst appendices in an area, the researchers compared the number of cases of appendicitis, and specifically burst appendices, with the number of general surgeons in “surgical service areas” of the state that roughly align with zip codes. Having less than 3 general surgeons per 100,000 people increased the likelihood of having a ruptured appendix by five percent, compared to areas with at least 5 surgeons, Ricketts and his colleague report in the Annals of Surgery. However, areas with the most severe shortage had a 25 percent rate of rupture, compared to 24 percent in areas with no shortage. According to Dr. Edward Livingston, who has written about using ruptured appendices as a measure of care but was not involved in the new study, that is much too small a difference to draw any conclusions. Logic dictates that ruptures would be more common in rural areas, since patients have to travel farther to get to care, but that's the opposite of what the study found if the results are reliable, said Livingston, the deputy editor for clinical content at the Journal of the American Medical Association in Chicago. There were fewer surgeons relative to the population in urban areas, but the study didn't account for the residents, physician's assistants and nurse practitioners who add to the surgical work force in large urban medical centers, Livingston said. The results of the same study with more patients from more diverse regions might not show any difference between groups at all, Livingston told Reuters Health in an email. It would make more sense to measure the delay between when symptoms begin and when the patient reaches surgery in several different areas, and see if areas with longer delays correspond to areas with fewer surgeons, in order to infer that fewer surgeons lead to delays which lead to ruptures, Livingston said. “They would have to measure the delay to prove their point,” Livingston said. “This highlights a problem in studies like this one, where conclusions are made based on assumptions about what happens without really knowing what is happening at a patient level,” he said.source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/06/17/surgeon-shortage-linked-to-burst-appendices/

The best city to have a heart attack?

A trip to Sin City isn't always fun and games, with MGM Resorts properties in Las Vegas averaging roughly 45 to 50 sudden cardiac arrests a year on the casino floor. With heart attacks becoming commonplace in casinos, properties on The Strip are training employees to use defibrillators, also known as AEDs – turning casinos into what some consider the safest place to, well, have a heart attack. “We're able to get anywhere on a property a lot quicker than calling 911,” said Dr. David Slattery, the medical director for MGM Resorts defibrillator training program. A defibrillator applies electrical energy to the affected heart area, giving the individual a better chance of surviving by regaining their natural rhythm. Both MGM and Caesars properties, which make up a majority of the casinos on the Las Vegas Strip, train employees on the casino floor to use these defibrillators at a moment’s notice. Whether the heart attack is noticed by a security officer near a slot machine or by a surveillance camera, the odds are high you'll get some immediate help. “If you look just at the casino floor, where the response time is less than three minutes, about 60 to 70 percent of those come back after sudden cardiac arrest,” said Slattery. The AED training at MGM is certified by the American Heart Association, incorporating regular “mock drills” where employees reenact the situation, attaching the defibrillator to a mannequin while administering CPR. The drill incorporates three individuals, with each person taking a turn at resuscitating the individual. The training is becoming a model for other industries. “There are companies out there, and I'm associated with one called Cardio Ready, and these companies actually model what they do after the Vegas model,” said cardiologist Dr. Kevin Campbell. “They manage AEDs for hotels, businesses and banks, and that sort of thing.” Slattery calls the security officers the “special forces” since the officers arrive within the first minutes of cardiac arrest. It looks to be a special force that's definitely worth betting on.Pete Griffin is part of the Junior Reporter program at Fox News. Get more information on the program here.source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/06/16/best-city-to-have-heart-attack/

Stepfather vows son will walk again after saving 4-year-old girl from Georgia creek

Ricky Robinson wants one thing for Father’s Day. He wants to see his heroic, selfless son walk again. Robinson said his stepson, Michael Patterson, 43, saw his life forever changed on June 8 when he leapt into the swift-moving Euharlee Creek along the Silver Comet Trail in Rockmart, Ga., to save Javea Jones, a 4-year-old girl whom he had never met. Jones survived, but Patterson severed his spine after hitting the shallow creek bed, leaving him paralyzed from the shoulders down. He is also suffering from pneumonia in both lungs. “He is an angel, a 100 percent hero and an angel,” Robinson told FoxNews.com on Friday. “It’s going to take time, but Michael is a fighter, so yeah, he will walk again one day.” “He is an angel, a 100 percent hero and an angel. It’s going to take time, but Michael is a fighter, so yeah, he will walk again one day.”- Ricky Robinson, stepfather Patterson, who recently started a contracting job, has no health insurance and is now facing thousands of dollars in medical and rehabilitative care. Relatives have created a trust for donations to help offset those costs and “thousands” of dollars have already been received, Robinson said. “They really have been pouring in,” he said. “We never knew how many friends Michael really did have until this happened.” Patterson’s 9-year-old son, Michael Cole Patterson, witnessed the accident and is so distraught that he hasn’t fully grasped the magnitude of his father’s injuries. “He really hasn’t comprehended it all yet,” Robinson said. “But he loves his Daddy 100 percent.” Patterson on Friday was scheduled to undergo surgery to alleviate breathing problems at Redmond Regional Medical Center in Rome, Ga. He was surrounded by relatives prior to the surgery, Robinson said. “Right now they got him sedated real heavy,” he said. “He can’t speak, but he really tries. He’s a real fighter.” Robinson said he was “not a bit” surprised that his stepson sacrificed his own well-being to save a stranger. Just two weeks earlier, Patterson rescued a trucker whose tanker overturned on State Route 278, pulling the man from his rig before it burst into flames. “Like I said, he’s an angel,” Robinson said. “He’s always had a big heart. He loves life and people.” Patterson’s tragic accident is not the only life-changing event currently plaguing his family. Robinson, who is suffering from throat cancer, is due to undergo surgery soon to remove his vocal box and tongue. Patterson is also in the process of divorcing his wife, Robinson said. A Facebook page called “Friends of Mike Patterson” has been created in his honor, providing direct links for donations and updates on Patterson’s condition. As of midday Friday, it had more than 42,000 supporters. “God bless you for putting yourself in [harm’s] way to try to save a child,” one posting read. “I am thankful there are people like you in the world who would risk themselves to save my child.” Vicki Jones, Patterson’s mother, told FoxNews.com that the show of support has been nothing short of overwhelming. “I’m grateful beyond belief because this is going to be the rest of Mike’s life,” Jones said. “I’m just thankful. I did not realize … I thought the world had gotten cold and cruel, but I have learned a lesson from my son. I have opened my eyes. In this world, there is so much good, so many people with huge hearts and thing I didn’t even know existed anymore.” And despite the fact that her son — a man whose livelihood revolved around his hands — was unable to move both extremities as he suffered from a high fever on Friday, Jones saw some light amid the darkness. “There’s so many lessons here,” she said. “I now see why good people hide. They protect themselves, but they are angels.” Asked if his stepson would make the same decision again if seeing someone in desperate need, Robinson did not hesitate. “In a heartbeat,” he said. “But we’d tell him to jump, not dive. Right now we’re just praying.” Click here to donate to Patterson or mail monies to River City Bank, Mike Patterson Donation Fund, 228 N. 2nd Ave SW, Rome, GA 30165.source : http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/06/14/stepfather-vows-son-will-walk-again-after-saving-4-year-old-girl-from-georgia/

FDA urges protection of medical devices from cyber threats

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday urged medical device makers and medical facilities to upgrade security protections to protect against potential cyber threats that could compromise the devices or patient privacy. It released that advisory in coordination with a separate alert from the Department of Homeland Security, which disclosed vulnerability in a wide variety of medical equipment that can make those devices vulnerable to remote attacks from hackers. “Over the past year, we've become increasingly aware of cyber security vulnerabilities in incidents that have been reported to us,” William Maisel, deputy director for science at the FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health, said in an interview. “Hundreds of medical devices have been affected, involving dozens of manufacturers,” Maisel said, adding that many were infected by malicious software, or malware. But he said all the infections appeared to be unintentional, largely due to malware and computer viruses that were circulating in hospital computer networks and jumped onto the devices. An alert published on the government's Industrial Control Systems Cyber Emergency Response Team website, cited research from Billy Rios and Terry McCorkle of the cyber security firm Cylance Inc, who said they have identified more than 300 pieces of medical equipment that are vulnerable to cyber attack. They include surgical and anesthesia devices, ventilators, drug infusion pumps, patient monitors and external defibrillators. The problem with the equipment is that it can be controlled using default passwords that can be obtained with relative ease by motivated hackers, Rios said in an interview. Those passwords give their holders complete control of the devices and in some cases can be used to gain that access remotely via the Internet, he said. “Somebody could take over the device and make it do whatever they want it to do and it would be almost impossible for hospital staff to know that it had been tampered with,” Rios said. Rios and McCorkle are among a group of security experts who in recent years have suggested that medical devices such as insulin pumps and pacemakers could be vulnerable to hacking. The FDA on Thursday said it is not aware of any patient injuries or deaths associated with devices and hospital computer networks that have been infected with malware and computer viruses. In an advisory on its website, however, the FDA said manufacturers, hospitals and patients need to protect themselves better from the introduction of malware in medical equipment and unauthorized access to settings that control devices. “Many medical devices contain configurable embedded computer systems that can be vulnerable to cybersecurity breaches,” the agency said. The risk of breaches has grown as devices have become increasingly interconnected, via the Internet, hospital networks, other medical devices and smartphones, the FDA said. “Specifically we recommend that manufacturers review their cybersecurity practices and policies to assure that appropriate safeguards are in place to prevent unauthorized access or modification to their medical devices or compromise of the security of the hospital network that may be connected to the device,” the agency said. Among its recommendations, the FDA said manufacturers need to take steps to limit unauthorized device access to trusted users only, particularly for devices that are “life sustaining” or could be directly connected to hospital networks. User IDs, passwords and other security controls need to be strengthened, including potential use of biometrics, the agency said. Moreover, manufacturers need to assure that devices recover and continue to work once security has been compromised. “Cybersecurity incidents are increasingly likely,” the FDA said, “and manufacturers should consider incident response plans that address the possibility of degraded operation and efficient restoration and recovery.” The FDA also urged health care facilities to evaluate their network security, including restricting unauthorized access to the network and networked devices.source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/06/14/fda-urges-protection-medical-devices-from-cyber-threats/

Protein protects against breast cancer recurrence in animal model

Precisely what causes breast cancer recurrence has been poorly understood. But now a piece of the puzzle has fallen into place: Researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania have identified a key molecular player in recurrent breast cancer — a finding that suggests potential new therapeutic strategies. The study, performed in the laboratory of Lewis A. …

New eyeball licking fetish spreading pink eye among Japanese adolescents

Pink eye cases have been spreading among Japanese school children as a result of a new bizarre fetish: “eyeball licking.” In a post by the Japanese website Naver Matome, the curious act – known as oculolinctus – is described as an expression of intimacy between young lovers, Medical Daily reported. The article listed numerous accounts of the fetish from Japanese web users, and various videos of eyeball licking are available on Youtube – with some posted to the site as early as 2006. One of the accounts in the Naver Matome post was from a Japanese middle school teacher, who detailed how he had noticed an increasing number of styes among his students.  At one point, he said up to 10 children in the same classroom were wearing eye patches to school. The teacher said he finally understood the reason for the rise in eye problems, when he witnessed a male student licking a female student’s eye in the school’s gymnasium.  After yelling at them to stop, the couple explained to the teacher that they had recently started dating and wanted to move beyond just kissing.  They also explained the act had become popular among their classmates. According to Shanghaiist, the trend may have stemmed from a music video by a Japanese band, Born, in which a woman licks the lead singer’s eye.  Oculolinctus also seems to be popular in Japanese manga comics, Medical Daily reported. Doctors warn that bacteria can be easily transmitted through eyeball licking, leading to conjunctivitis, or what is more commonly known as pink eye.  Some experts say that oculolinctus can have much more serious consequences, as an improperly washed mouth can transmit acid or spices into the eye. Click for more from Medical Daily.source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/06/13/new-eyeball-licking-fetish-spreading-pink-eye-among-japanese-adolescents/

Gene variants may predict who will benefit from breast cancer prevention drugs

The work represents a major step toward truly individualized breast cancer prevention in women at high risk for the disease based on their age, family history of breast cancer, and personal medical history. "Our study reveals the first known genetic factors that can help predict which high-risk women should be offered breast cancer prevention treatment and which women should be spared any unnecessary expense and risk from taking these medications," said the study’s lead scientist, James N. Ingle, M.D., professor of oncology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. "We also discovered new information about how the drugs tamoxifen and raloxifene work to prevent breast cancer." Ingle and Mayo-based colleagues in the NIH Pharmacogenomics Research Network (PGRN) conducted the study in collaboration with PGRN-affiliated researchers at the RIKEN Center for Genomic Medicine in Tokyo. …

Bug bites causing allergies? How to avoid dangerous tick bites

As we transition into summer, it is expected that the now infamous lone star tick will continue to spread throughout the United States.  When the lone star tick bites, saliva is injected into the victim that contains a specific sugar known as “alpha gal,” according to research from the University of Virginia. In as little as a few weeks, this appears to cause an antibody surge that can precipitate a full blown allergic reaction after eating red meat, such as beef, pork and/or lamb, but not poultry.   It’s important to be aware of health issues related to tick bites, and of course to plan ahead to reduce the likelihood of giving your favorite host a warm-blooded meal.  That means following some of the suggestions by the CDC: 1. Know your neighborhood.  Find out whether deer or lone star ticks are prevalent in your area. 2. Assess the risk of your activity and the chance of exposure to ticks, i.e. hiking in woods vs. back yard picnics.   3. Know the proper way to apply both DEET and natural based insect/tick repellents, how long they protect and what concentration is appropriate for adequate protection for adults and children.   4. Consider dressing in light clothing making it easier to spot very small ticks. 5. Always due a close inspection and tick check when returning from tick endemic areas. 6. Learn the recommended techniques in removing a tick. 7. Save the recovered tick for analysis by your local department of health, and they can determine the type of tick and whether it may contain the bacteria that causes Lyme disease, for example. So be prepared - and avoid getting “ticked off” this summer!Dr. Clifford Bassett is an adult and pediatric allergy specialist, and diplomat of the American Board of Allergy and Immunology. He is the medical director of& Allergy and Asthma Care of NY.& & Bassett is a clinical assistant professor of medicine and on the teaching faculty of NYU School of Medicine and NYU Langone Medical Center and assistant clinical professor of Medicine and Otolaryngology at SUNY LICH. Follow him on& Twitter. & source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/06/12/how-to-avoid-tick-bites-that-could-cause-red-meat-allergies/

Man sues doctor, says penile implant gave him 8-month erection

A truck driver who says a penile implant gave him an erection that lasted eight months described in court Tuesday how the procedure caused him to withdraw from much of life, wearing long, baggy sweat pants and a long shirt to hide his condition. Daniel Metzgar, 44, of Newark, testified in New Castle County Superior Court in Wilmington in his medical malpractice lawsuit against Wilmington urologist Dr. Thomas Desperito. He told jurors the inflatable prosthesis made him feel like less of a man. Colleen D. Shields, Desperito’s lawyer, said in her opening statement that sometimes bad medical results occur through the fault of no one. She also said that the urologist told Metzgar the prosthesis had to be removed four months after the surgery when Metzgar complained of an infection and that the erection wasn’t going down. Shields said Metzgar didn’t do anything for months after that visit, the News Journal of Wilmington reports. Metzgar had the procedure in December 2009. He said he lost his insurance afterward and didn’t have $10,000 he said Desperito wanted before he would do the surgery. The prosthesis was removed in August 2010 after tubing from the device punctured Metzgar’s scrotum. He now has a replacement prosthesis from another doctor. But Metzgar says scar tissue from the first surgery left him about 50 percent smaller and he does not get the same level of sensation. Metzgar and his wife, Donna, are seeking unspecified damages from Desperito and his medical group.source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/06/12/man-sues-doctor-after-penile-implant-gave-him-8-month-erection/