Flowers, chocolates, organ donation — are you in?
Chocolates and flowers are great gifts for Valentine’s Day. But what if the gifts we give this year could be truly life-changing? A gift that could save someone’s life, or free them from dialysis?
You can do this. For people in need of organ, tissue, or blood donation, a donor can give them a gift that exceeds the value of anything that you can buy. That’s why February 14th is not only Valentine’s Day — it’s also National Donor Day, a time when health organizations nationwide sponsor blood drives and sign-ups for organ and tissue donation. Read on if you’ve ever wondered what can be donated, had reservations ...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - February 11, 2021 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Robert H. Shmerling, MD Tags: Health Heart Health Kidney and urinary tract Lung disease Source Type: blogs
If I listen hard enough, each patient has a sacred story to share
From a medical perspective, Mr. G’s case seemed straightforward. His GFR had fallen. His kidneys were failing. Dialysis would be required as the best treatment for his renal condition. When I met with Mr. G later in the afternoon, he was in despair. He could not see how dialysis would save his life and expressed […]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 - February 6, 2021 Category: General Medicine Authors: < span itemprop="author" > < a href="https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/post-author/johnathan-yao" rel="tag" > Johnathan Yao < /a > < /span > Tags: Education Cardiology Medical school Source Type: blogs
What ’s behind racial disparities in kidney disease?
My first exposure to kidney disease and its impact on communities of color occurred when I was in high school. An elderly neighbor, who was like a grandfather to me, had been diagnosed with kidney failure. At about the same time, my older first cousin, who had children about my age, was starting dialysis due to kidney failure attributed to hypertension. She would go on to get a kidney transplant. If you ask any African American, he or she is likely to have at least one relative with kidney disease requiring dialysis or transplantation.
Disparities in kidney disease not noted in medical literature until early 1980s
When I b...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - February 3, 2021 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: J. Kevin Tucker, MD Tags: Health care disparities Kidney and urinary tract Source Type: blogs
Fight Aging! Newsletter, January 25th 2021
In conclusion, our studies highlight the important role of the tyrosine degradation pathway and position TAT as a link between neuromediator production, dysfunctional mitochondria, and aging. (Source: Fight Aging!)
Source: Fight Aging! - January 24, 2021 Category: Research Authors: Reason Tags: Newsletters Source Type: blogs
The Enormous Clinical Potential of Senotherapeutics for the Treatment of Chronic Kidney Disease
Today's open access review paper is a high level look at what the newfound realization of the importance of senescent cells to aging and age-related disease means for the treatment of chronic kidney disease. At present there are few good options for treatment, and those therapies that are widely used can only slow the progression towards kidney failure. The kidneys filter waste and regulate many of the chemical and other characteristics of blood. Correct function of the kidneys is vital to the correct function of many other organs in the body, including heart, vascular system, and brain. As the kidneys decline, so too does...
Source: Fight Aging! - January 20, 2021 Category: Research Authors: Reason Tags: Medicine, Biotech, Research Source Type: blogs
SENS Research Foundation on Recent Plasma Dilution Research
The SENS Research Foundation scientific staff here discuss the recent results demonstrating benefits to an aged metabolism resulting from dilution of blood plasma. Plasma dilution is a comparatively simple process, straightforward enough that self-experimenters with the support of physicians recently replicated the animal study protocol in a few human volunteers. Dilution of blood plasma also dilutes harmful signal molecules present in an aged body, such as those generated by an increased burden of lingering senescent cells. This reduces chronic inflammation and improves tissue function in older individuals.
When ...
Source: Fight Aging! - January 19, 2021 Category: Research Authors: Reason Tags: Daily News Source Type: blogs
Typical chest pain and hypotension, Activate the Cath lab?
I was texted this ECG with the info that the patient " clinically looked like he was having a myocardial infarction " :What do you think?There is atrial and ventricular pacing. Both spikes are best seen in V1 and V2 (as always, if you click on the image, it enlarges). The QRS is very very wide. On the image below, I have drawn lines in every lead from the QRS onset (blue) and QRS end (red). I measure the QRS duration at about 280 ms. Of course, all ventricular paced rhythm is wide, but not often this wide. One must always consider hyperkalemia when the QRS is very wide, but the K turned ...
Source: Dr. Smith's ECG Blog - January 17, 2021 Category: Cardiology Authors: Steve Smith Source Type: blogs
Weekly Australian Health IT Links – 04 January, 2021.
Here are a few I have come across the last week or so. Note: Each link is followed by a title and a few paragraphs. For the full article click on the link above title of the article. Note also that full access to some links may require site registration or subscription payment. General Comment ----- Well in Deep Summer that does not actually feel like Summer the news flow is pretty slow! Just a few items worth a browse! Enjoy 2021 ----- https://www.theaustralian.com.au/life/21-innovations-in-science-and-tech-that-will-change-our-world-in-2021/news-story/5a459634cf5ab5c19b1957f7ce381617 21 inventions that will change ...
Source: Australian Health Information Technology - January 4, 2021 Category: Information Technology Authors: Dr David G More MB PhD Source Type: blogs
First Dedicated Pediatric and Neonatal Acute Dialysis Machine Released U.S.
Medtronic is releasing in the United States the industry’s first and only dedicated pediatric and neonatal acute dialysis machine.
The Carpediem (Cardio-Renal Pediatric Dialysis Emergency Machine) has been in development for about a decade and the first in-human use was announced back in 2014. Having now received FDA marketing authorization, Medtronic is now making it available to hospitals around the country. Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center already has these installed and in use.
The continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) device is indicated for patients between 2.5 and 10 kilograms (5...
Source: Medgadget - December 10, 2020 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Medgadget Editors Tags: Cardiac Surgery Critical Care Medicine Pediatrics Urology medtronic Source Type: blogs
Delayed GI Symptoms and a Liver Transplant
A 16-year-old boy presented to an emergency department in rural Pennsylvania for nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. He reported diffuse abdominal cramping that had started two hours earlier. Shortly prior to arrival, he had multiple episodes of nonbloody diarrhea and emesis. He had no significant past medical history, and was not currently taking any medications or supplements. Initially, the history he gave was limited due to a language barrier. His sister was also being evaluated for similar symptoms.The boy's vital signs were a heart rate of 130 bpm, a blood pressure of 100/50 mm Hg, a respiratory rate of 26 bpm, an oxy...
Source: The Tox Cave - November 30, 2020 Category: Emergency Medicine Tags: Blog Posts Source Type: blogs
Fight Aging! Newsletter, November 30th 2020
We examined specific aspects of metabolism in male PolG+/mut mice at 6 and 12 months of age under three dietary conditions: normal chow (NC) feeding, high-fat feeding (HFD), and 24-hr starvation. We performed mitochondrial proteomics and assessed dynamics and quality control signaling in muscle and liver to determine whether mitochondria respond to mtDNA point mutations by altering morphology and turnover. In the current study, we observed that the accumulation of mtDNA point mutations failed to disrupt metabolic homeostasis and insulin action in male mice, but with aging, metabolic health was likely preserved by counterme...
Source: Fight Aging! - November 29, 2020 Category: Research Authors: Reason Tags: Newsletters Source Type: blogs
Cellular Senescence and Immune System Aging as Causes of Chronic Kidney Disease
There is a great deal of interest in cellular senescence these days. The accumulation of senescent cells in later life is robustly demonstrated to be an important mechanism of aging, and one that can be reversed via the application of what have come to be called senolytic therapies. In mice, the application of senolytics extends life and reverses the progression of numerous age-related conditions. Senescent cells are harmful, even though their numbers are never very large, because they secrete a mix of signals that provoke inflammation, tissue remodeling, and changes in cell activity. Sustained over the long term, this con...
Source: Fight Aging! - November 24, 2020 Category: Research Authors: Reason Tags: Medicine, Biotech, Research Source Type: blogs
A woman in her 60s with VFib arrest and no STEMI on her post-ROSC ECG.
This study had a fatal flaw: they did not keep track of all the " Non-STEMI patients " who were NOT enrolled, but instead were sent for immediate angiogram. It was done in Europe, where the guidelines suggest taking all shockable arrests emergently to the cath lab. So it is highly likely that physicians were very reluctant to enroll patients whom they suspected had Occlusion MI (OMI), even if they didnot have STEMI. These physicians did not want a patient with an OMI that was not a STEMI to be randomized to no angiogram. This strong suspicion is supported by their data: only 22 of 437 ...
Source: Dr. Smith's ECG Blog - November 17, 2020 Category: Cardiology Authors: Pendell Source Type: blogs
California Watch: 2020 November Ballot Initiatives
Michael D. TannerCalifornia ’s ballot measures can be more than a little confusing. Commonly referred to by their numbers, and sometimes referencing previous propositions, even knowledgeable voters can be forgiven for having trouble keeping track of which proposition does what. Take this year ’s Prop. 15, for instance: it would roll back 1978’s Prop. 13, which limited property taxes, and which is unrelated to March 2020’s Prop. 13, which would have authorized the state to issue bonds for schools. Some propositions are quite obscure: this year’s Prop. 23 deals with regulations for kidney dialysis clinics, and...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - October 26, 2020 Category: American Health Authors: Michael D. Tanner Source Type: blogs
What happens if you do not recognize this ECG instantly?
Written by Pendell MeyersA young man in his 20s with history of end stage renal disease and dialysis presented for acute chest pain. His last dialysis was 4 days ago. He was very hypertensive and short of breath, but oxygen saturation was normal.Triage ECG:What do you think?Pathognomonic for severe, life threatening hyperkalemia. QRS widening, PR interval prolongation (I believe those are P waves best seen in V1 and V2, but it matters not), and peaked T waves are apparent. There is also a large R-wave in aVR, which is typical of severe hyperkalemia.Prior ECG on file from 12 days ago:Baseline LVH with repolarization a...
Source: Dr. Smith's ECG Blog - October 21, 2020 Category: Cardiology Authors: Pendell Source Type: blogs
