Hepatitis A in the United States
  Few Americans are aware of a major epidemic that has taken hold of large areas of their country in recent years – by a disease that is easily diagnosed and prevented. Sadly, public – and even professional interest in these events have been overshadowed by COVID-19.    AN UPTICK IN CASES Hepatitis A had been largely under control until three years ago and can be easily prevented through the use of a safe and effective vaccine.  From January 2017 to January 2019, at least 26 separate outbreaks were reported, to a total of 11,628 cases and 99 deaths, nationwide. Homeless individuals and users of illicit dru...
Source: GIDEON blog - October 21, 2020 Category: Databases & Libraries Authors: Kristina Symes Tags: Epidemiology News Outbreaks Source Type: blogs

Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease as the Marker of a Lifestyle that Shortens Life Span
In conclusion, all NAFLD histological stages were associated with significantly increased overall mortality, and this risk increased progressively with worsening NAFLD histology. Most of this excess mortality was from extrahepatic cancer and cirrhosis, while in contrast, the contributions of cardiovascular disease and HCC were modest. (Source: Fight Aging!)
Source: Fight Aging! - October 20, 2020 Category: Research Authors: Reason Tags: Medicine, Biotech, Research Source Type: blogs

Interventions Targeting the Aging of the Gut Microbiome
Age-related changes to the microbial populations of the gut, the gut microbiome, appear important in the progression of aging. The effects on long-term health and risk of age-related conditions might be on a par with those of physical activity, and certainly overlap with those of diet. With ageing, beneficial microbes that produce metabolites (such as butyrate) that lead to better tissue function diminish in number, while harmful microbes that spur chronic inflammation grow in number. This may be due to loss of immune system competency, as the immune system gardens the gut microbiome, or it may be due to diminished intesti...
Source: Fight Aging! - October 19, 2020 Category: Research Authors: Reason Tags: Medicine, Biotech, Research Source Type: blogs

Who could understand what it ’s like to tell someone their loved one is dying? 
I sat outside my patient ’s ICU room, my eyes glancing from his chart to him and his wife.  The picture was grim.  My patient, Tom, was a 56-year-old man, severely ill from decompensated cirrhosis, was admitted for the third time in a month with hypothermia from sepsis.  Despite antibiotic therapy, he was not improving .  Now […]Find jobs at  Careers by KevinMD.com.  Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.  Learn more. (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog)
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - October 4, 2020 Category: General Medicine Authors: < span itemprop="author" > < a href="https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/post-author/sami-el-dalati" rel="tag" > Sami El-Dalati, MD < /a > < /span > Tags: Physician Critical Care Hospital-Based Medicine Source Type: blogs

General examination – hands and feet
General examination – hands and feet Cyanosis and pallor can be noted in the tips of the digits in both central and peripheral cyanosis. Severe jaundice may be visible in the palms and soles, especially in small infants. Clubbing of digits may be noted in cyanotic heart diseases as well many other non cardiac conditions. In clubbing, initially there is fluctuation of nail bed (Grade 1) followed by obliteration of angle between nail and adjacent skin fold (Lovibond angle – Grade 2). Later there is curvature of the nails (parrot beaking – Grade 3). Grade 4 or hypertrophic osteoarthropathy is not common in cardiova...
Source: Cardiophile MD - September 22, 2020 Category: Cardiology Authors: Prof. Dr. Johnson Francis Tags: HBC Heberden’s nodes Janeway lesions Lovibond angle Osler’s nodes Pitting edema Polydactyly Source Type: blogs

Accordion sign – Cardiology MCQ – Answer
Accordion sign – Cardiology MCQ – Answer Accordion sign on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is seen in – Correct answer: 3. Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy A focal crinkling of the right ventricular outflow tract and subtricuspid regions on MRI in arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy/dysplasia (ARVD/C) has been called “accordion sign” [1]. It was observed in 60% of the mutation carriers and none of those without the mutation (p < 0.001). {Another accordion sign (also called concertina sign) has been described in computed tomography (CT) after administration of or...
Source: Cardiophile MD - August 24, 2020 Category: Cardiology Authors: Prof. Dr. Johnson Francis Tags: Cardiology MCQ DM / DNB Cardiology Entrance Source Type: blogs

Weight loss can help head off lasting damage caused by fatty liver
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is the most common cause of liver disease in the United States, and is estimated to affect up to a quarter of adults in the world. It is defined by excess fat accumulating in the liver and usually occurs in people with obesity, high blood sugars (diabetes), abnormal cholesterol or triglyceride levels, or high blood pressure. These disorders often run together and as a group are called metabolic syndrome. The “non-alcoholic” part of “non-alcoholic fatty liver disease” is important to distinguish it from alcohol-related liver disease, which can also cause excess liver fat. How fat ca...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - April 30, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Irun Bhan, MD Tags: Diet and Weight Loss Digestive Disorders Source Type: blogs

OK, boomer: You ’re not the only one who needs testing for hepatitis C
It turns out that many more people than just boomers can benefit from testing for hepatitis C, a viral infection of the liver that often causes no symptoms. If you’re a member of the baby-boom generation (born between 1946 and 1964), your doctor may have already recommended the test. But those born before or after those years may not have known about the test unless they had a risk factor for hepatitis C, such as a history of intravenous drug use. A new guideline is changing this approach. Why the different recommendations for baby boomers? In 2012–2013, the CDC and the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) establ...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - March 31, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Robert H. Shmerling, MD Tags: Digestive Disorders Health Infectious diseases Men's Health Sexual Conditions Women's Health Source Type: blogs

Alcohol Damage to the Liver – What Happens?
Alcohol use disorder and heavy drinking present many harmful health risks. They can include everything from high blood pressure to fatal seizures. One of the most well-known health risks that come along with prolonged heavy drinking is liver damage. How does alcohol impact the liver, and what types of alcohol damage to the liver are there? In order to better understand alcohol damage to the liver, it is important to learn how the liver processes alcohol. According to MyDr, there are 2 ways that alcohol can be processed by your liver: Most alcohol is broken down, or metabolized, by an enzyme in your liver cells known as a...
Source: Cliffside Malibu - March 4, 2020 Category: Addiction Authors: Jaclyn Uloth Tags: Alcohol Alcohol Rehab Information Alcoholism Detox Resources for Alcohol and Drugs/Opiates alcohol abuse alcohol dependence alcohol detox alcohol treatment alcohol treatment center alcohol treatment facility Source Type: blogs

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

The truth about fatty liver
The majority of doctors will tell you that there is nothing you can do to reverse fatty liver and that health problems such as cirrhosis and liver failure may be in your future that they will address with the awful “solution” of liver transplant. The truth is the opposite: fatty liver is easily and readily reversible in virtually everybody, provided you take action before irreversible changes take place and are given the right information and tools. In this video, I discuss the three basic phenomena that drive fat deposition, liver damage, and inflammation that lead to this condition: Carbohydrate consumption ...
Source: Wheat Belly Blog - January 23, 2020 Category: Cardiology Authors: Dr. Davis Tags: Open bowel flora carbohydrates carbs Inflammation NAFLD nash triglycerides undoctored wheat belly Source Type: blogs

Long-Term Effect of Binge Drinking on the Body
Most people know about the damaging effects that binge drinking can bring to someone’s life. Loss of enjoyment of life, losing family relationships, financial and career struggles, homelessness, and legal consequences are just the tip of the iceberg. However, it can be more difficult to realize the long-term effect of binge drinking on the body, because you cannot always see it. Frequent binge drinking poses many dangerous health risks, and many of them can lead to death. Facts on Long-Term Effect of Binge Drinking on the Body For men, binge drinking is defined as consuming five or more drinks within about two hours, a...
Source: Cliffside Malibu - January 17, 2020 Category: Addiction Authors: Jaclyn Uloth Tags: Alcohol Alcohol Rehab Information Alcoholism alcohol abuse alcohol dependence alcohol treatment alcohol treatment center binge binge drinking Source Type: blogs

Ride the Fluid Wave Before Performing a Paracentesis
​Before you break out the bottles for a paracentesis, you may want to consider doing a test for ascites. Many procedures require executing an old-school test before even looking at a result or grabbing an ultrasound machine. Knowing what to look for on a physical exam may guide your practice and intervention dramatically. Using noninvasive tools first could help your patient avoid other tedious or unnecessary testing, which may also result in lost time. Incorporating ultrasound into your practice may also help you nail a diagnosis or allow you to perform a procedure better than you expected.A markedly distended abdomen d...
Source: The Procedural Pause - January 2, 2020 Category: Emergency Medicine Tags: Blog Posts Source Type: blogs

Shock, bradycardia, ST Elevation in V1 and V2. Activate the Cath Lab?
A 60-something with h/o cirrhosis and diabetes called 911 because he felt sick and wasunable to move his lower extremities. On arrival he was bradycardic and hypotensive.He stated that starting approximately 7 hours prior the he felt that he was unable to feel his extremities. At some point after that he contacted his neighbor who came to check on him and called 911. On arrival to the stabilization room he says he can feel his extremities and and states that he justgenerally feels unwell. He denies any chest pain or shortness of breath.p.p1 {margin: 0.1px 0.0px 0.1px 0.2px; font: 11.0px Calibri}EMS repo...
Source: Dr. Smith's ECG Blog - December 28, 2019 Category: Cardiology Authors: Steve Smith Source Type: blogs

Fight Aging! Newsletter, December 23rd 2019
In this study, by adenovirus-mediated delivery and inducible transgenic mouse models, we demonstrate the proliferation of both HCs and SCs by combined Notch1 and Myc activation in in vitro and in vivo inner ear adult mouse models. These proliferating mature SCs and HCs maintain their respective identities. Moreover, when presented with HC induction signals, reprogrammed adult SCs transdifferentiate into HC-like cells both in vitro and in vivo. Finally, our data suggest that regenerated HC-like cells likely possess functional transduction channels and are able to form connections with adult auditory neurons. Epige...
Source: Fight Aging! - December 22, 2019 Category: Research Authors: Reason Tags: Newsletters Source Type: blogs