Paracentesis: The Procedure
Discussion: The Z-track method minimizes fluid leakage from the puncture site. Injecting medication into the skin using this method is important to preventing post-procedure leaking. Once a needle has entered subcutaneous tissue and muscle, it opens a track that may not reseal immediately. There are also studies suggesting that Z tracks may reduce pain during injection. We suggest using the method during your paracentesis procedure.Z tracks are used for all kinds of intramuscular injections and can be applied to other sites on the body. Pull and press the skin and tissue 2 cm caudad to the deep abdominal wall and inser...
Source: The Procedural Pause - March 3, 2020 Category: Emergency Medicine Tags: Blog Posts Source Type: blogs
Using Ultrasound for Paracentesis
Paracentesis can be a quick and simple procedure with the right equipment and a well-rehearsed approach. It's important to practice this skill in the procedure lab and to familiarize yourself with the kit in your department a few times a year. This month, we focus on paracentesis set-up and basics, and next month we will review the nuts and bolts of completing the procedure.Important equipment for paracentesis: Five or six collection bottles, antiseptic prep, and a paracentesis kit. Consider longer needles for abdominal walls thicker than 2.5 cm.Grab the ultrasound and a pen. Position your patient at a 45-degree ang...
Source: The Procedural Pause - February 3, 2020 Category: Emergency Medicine Tags: Blog Posts Source Type: blogs
New Technology to Destroy Cancer Cells, Oncotripsy, May Offer Promise
Many of the readers of this blog will be familiar withlithotripsy which involves the use of shock waves to disintegrate stones in the kidneys, bladder, and ureter (see:Lithotripsy). Scientists are now experimenting with the use of ultrasound to selectively kill cancer cells (see:Ultrasound selectively damages cancer cells when tuned to correct frequencies). They have called this type of treatment oncotripsy. Below is an excerpt from the article:A solid mechanics lab at Caltech first developed the theory of oncotripsy, based on the idea that cells are vulnerable to ultrasound at specific frequencies —like how ...
Source: Lab Soft News - January 28, 2020 Category: Laboratory Medicine Authors: Bruce Friedman Tags: Healthcare Delivery Healthcare Innovations Medical Research Source Type: blogs
Can a chemical in breast milk dissolve tumors?
Recently, a study conducted by Motol University Hospital in Prague discovered a chemical that breaks up cancerous tumors inside patient’s bladders, allowing the tumor fragments to pass in their urine without any discomfort or causing damage to other tissue cells. A study of 20 bladder cancer patients has shown proof of this after only a few doses of the chemical.
What’s even more exciting, is that this chemical, Alpah1H, is naturally found in human breast milk! Although a pharmaceutical company is working to produce this chemical for further research, we are off to a great start knowing that we have the potential to cu...
Source: Cord Blood News - August 27, 2019 Category: Perinatology & Neonatology Authors: Maze Cord Blood Tags: Health medical research Source Type: blogs
3D Ultrasound Developed to Guide Treatment of Gynecological Cancers
Researchers at Western University, London Health Sciences Centre, and Lawson Health Research Institute, all in Canada, have developed and tested a new 3D ultrasound system. Designed to improve the accuracy of interstitial brachytherapy, a technique in which tiny sources of radiation are placed inside tumors, the new ultrasound may help physicians to significantly improve their targeting accuracy.
The technology is particularly useful in transvaginal procedures, such as those initiated to attack vaginal, cervical, and uterine cancers, since physicians typically don’t have a clear view of the anatomical features they&#...
Source: Medgadget - May 30, 2019 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Medgadget Editors Tags: Ob/Gyn Oncology Source Type: blogs
BioethicsTV (April 21-May 2, 2019): #NewAmsterdam, #TheResident, #GreysAnatomy
by Craig Klugman, Ph.D.
Exploring bioethical issues in television medical dramas
New Amsterdam (Season 1; Episode 19): Privatizing the VA; The Resident (Season 2; Episode 22): Organ buying; Grey’s Anatomy(Season 15; Episode 23): Insurance Fraud
New Amsterdam (Season 1; Episode 19): Privatizing the VA
A veteran has a stroke while driving and injures a police officer. We learn that the driver was diagnosed two years earlier with bladder cancer, which has led to his current stroke. He could not get treatment because the VA closed the urology division in a rush toward privatization.… (Source: blog.bioethics.net)
Source: blog.bioethics.net - May 3, 2019 Category: Medical Ethics Authors: Craig Klugman Tags: BioethicsTV Featured Posts Organ Transplant & Donation Politics Source Type: blogs
10 Outstanding Companies for Women ’s Health
The women’s health technology or so-called femtech
market has been on the rise for the last couple of years, but it has mainly
revolved around fertility and pregnancy. We believe that female health topics reach
far beyond such traditional issues and players should concentrate more on
menopause, endometriosis, or mental health, just to name a few areas. Thus, we
tried to collect companies which are on top of their game in the conventional
fertility and/or pregnancy area, but also start-ups and ventures who are
looking way beyond that. Here’s our guide to 10 outstanding companies in
women’s health.
The women’s hea...
Source: The Medical Futurist - April 18, 2019 Category: Information Technology Authors: nora Tags: Business Future of Medicine Health Sensors & Trackers Telemedicine & Smartphones companies company digital digital health digital health technologies femtech health technology Innovation market women women's health Source Type: blogs
Fight Aging! Newsletter, April 15th 2019
In this study, we found that senescent chondrocytes isolated from OA patients secrete more EVs compared with nonsenescent chondrocytes. These EVs inhibit cartilage ECM deposition by healthy chondrocytes and can induce a senescent state in nearby cells. We profiled the miR and protein content of EVs isolated from the synovial fluid of OA joints from mice with SnCs. After treatment with a molecule to remove SnCs, termed a senolytic, the composition of EV-associated miR and protein was markedly altered. The senolytic reduced OA development and enhanced chondrogenesis, and these were attributable to several specific differenti...
Source: Fight Aging! - April 14, 2019 Category: Research Authors: Reason Tags: Newsletters Source Type: blogs
7 Women Who Inspire Me
Proverbs 13:20 says, “Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble.” In other words, hang with the winners. A few months ago, my therapist gave me the assignment to think about the wise women in my life, warriors who had persevered through difficulties in their lives to emerge as stronger figures, examples of resilience who could serve as my teachers. I went even further and interviewed each one, asking them about the force or philosophy behind their strength.
The following women have survived illness, divorce, deaths, lay-offs, but pressed on with a tenacity that inspires me. They are wo...
Source: World of Psychology - March 27, 2019 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Therese J. Borchard Tags: Inspiration & Hope Mental Health and Wellness Self-Help Women's Issues Source Type: blogs
Cancer treatment: Is a clinical trial right for you?
Clinical trials are research studies that test a new drug or therapy in patients who have a disease. These studies are classified as phase I, II, or III depending on their purpose.
Phase I: These initial, small studies test promising new drugs that effectively kill cancer cells in laboratory experiments. The goal is to understand the safe dose and capture early evidence of benefit. Phase I trials may be open to patients with any type of cancer, or only certain types of cancers more likely to respond to specific drugs. Generally, fewer than 50 patients are enrolled.
Phase II: Once a phase I trial identifies a safe dose, ...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - March 22, 2019 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Guru P. Sonpavde, MD Tags: Breast Cancer Health Treatments Source Type: blogs
Five Fabulous Fats
Happy Fat Tuesday!
On this day, celebrated in many countries with lavish parties and high-fat foods, we’re recognizing the importance of fats in the body.
You’ve probably heard about different types of fat, such as saturated, trans, monounsaturated, omega-3, and omega-6. But fats aren’t just ingredients in food. Along with similar molecules, they fall under the broad term lipids and serve critical roles in the body. Lipids protect your vital organs. They help cells communicate. They launch chemical reactions needed for growth, immune function, and reproduction. They serve as the building blocks of your ...
Source: Biomedical Beat Blog - National Institute of General Medical Sciences - March 5, 2019 Category: Research Authors: Susanne Hiller-Sturmhoefel and Alisa Zapp Machalek Tags: Cell Biology Chemistry and Biochemistry Pharmacology Cellular Processes Diseases Lipids Source Type: blogs
Bodily Fluids As The Basis For Digital Health
Blood, saliva, urine, sweat or even ear wax can carry valuable information about an individual’s medical state. Until now, even simpler tests on such bodily fluids had to be carried out at medical facilities, but with the recent uptick in the development of digital diagnostic technologies, more and more solutions appear on the market which enable the patient to do such tests at home. Here we take a look around the bodily fluid business.
From bloodletting to digital sweat measurement
Blood, yellow bile, black bile, phlegm. Although it
doesn’t sound appealing, the ancient Greek already thought that bodily fluids ma...
Source: The Medical Futurist - February 27, 2019 Category: Information Technology Authors: nora Tags: Future of Medicine Health Sensors & Trackers Portable Diagnostics blood bodily fluid digital digital health digital solutions digital tattoo saliva smart smart healthcare sweat technology urine Source Type: blogs
Does Digital Health Technology Know Women?
The majority of period tracker apps fail women, fitness trackers, and wearables fail pregnant women terribly. They were most probably designed and developed by men, and most likely not consulted by future users. We looked around at the women’s health and “femtech” market and found that digital health technology has yet to live up to female expectations. So far, the area is under-researched, underfunded and not understood.
Technology – Still a man’s
world
In spite of the slogan
of diversity pinned on the flag of many tech companies, the field is highly
dominated by men. It is easy to imagine Silicon Val...
Source: The Medical Futurist - February 21, 2019 Category: Information Technology Authors: nora Tags: Business Future of Medicine Medical Professionals Patients digital digital health technology diversity female femtech gender gender disparity Innovation social issues society woman women women's health Source Type: blogs
Fight Aging! Newsletter, February 18th 2019
This study showed that potential vicious cycles underlying ARDs are quite diverse and unique, triggered by diverse and unique factors that do not usually progress with age, thus casting doubts on the possibility of discovering the single molecular cause of aging and developing the single anti-aging pill. Rather, each disease appears to require an individual approach. However, it still cannot be excluded that some or all of these cycles are triggered by fundamental processes of aging, such as chronic inflammation or accumulation of senescent cells. Nevertheless, experimental data showing clear cause and effect relationships...
Source: Fight Aging! - February 17, 2019 Category: Research Authors: Reason Tags: Newsletters Source Type: blogs
Podcast: A Bipolar and a Schizophrenic Discuss Feelings of Loneliness
While depression is a common mental health issue, it’s not even close to being the most common. Listen in to hear our hosts discuss how loneliness can make a person feel unwanted and uncared for – even if they are standing in a crowded room.
SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW
“People think you can’t be lonely if you have people in your vicinity.”
– Gabe Howard
Highlights From ‘loneliness’ Episode
[0:30] Loneliness kills more people than depression.
[3:30] Michelle explains loneliness she has experienced.
[5:20] Gabe explains loneliness he has experienced.
[8:00] We always bring up our mo...
Source: World of Psychology - January 28, 2019 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: A Bipolar, a Schizophrenic, and a Podcast Tags: A Bipolar, A Schizophrenic, and a Podcast Communication Motivation and Inspiration Schizophrenia Source Type: blogs
