What to do when Atrial Fib with RVR will not Electrically Cardiovert. And how do you measure the QT in Atrial Fib?
Conclusions.The efficacy of transthoracic cardioversion for converting atrial fibrillation to sinus rhythm was enhanced by pretreatment with ibutilide. However, use of this drug should be avoided in patients with very low ejection fractions. (N Engl J Med 1999;340:1849-54.) Important aspects to this study:They included patients who had had a fib for less than 48 hours.They excluded patients with a fib for longer than 48 hours unless they proved, by TE echo, to not have an atrial clot OR unless they anticoagulated them for 3 weeks first.Therefore, our patients who have been in afib< 48 hours, or who have been on ant...
Source: Dr. Smith's ECG Blog - February 12, 2021 Category: Cardiology Authors: Steve Smith Source Type: blogs
Ultrasound Can ‘Jump-Start’ Brain From Coma-Like State
After treatment, the two patients were able to understand language and communicate for the first time in years.
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Source: PsyBlog | Psychology Blog - February 9, 2021 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Jeremy Dean Tags: Neuroscience Source Type: blogs
Lessons Learned: What Data Leaks in Connected Medical Devices Are Teaching Us
The following is a guest article by David Sygula, Senior Cybersecurity Analyst at CybelAngel. They are the machines that take your X-rays, and conduct your MRI, CT and ultrasound scans. More than ever, they are linked to networks, workstations and servers – there are an estimated 450 million connected medical devices in the world and, […] (Source: EMR and HIPAA)
Source: EMR and HIPAA - February 4, 2021 Category: Information Technology Authors: Guest Author Tags: Administration Ambulatory Health IT Company Healthcare IT Hospital - Health System LTPAC Security and Privacy CybelAngel David Sygula DICOM Hacks Health Data Breaches Healthcare Hacks Healthcare Security Medical Device Security Source Type: blogs
History of cardiology : Robert F Rushmer, a cardiac scientist par excellence .
Few individual’s works mattered more than others in the field of cardiology. Here was a man born in Utah, studied at Rush university trained in Mayo, settled in Seattle as a pediatrician. But his passion drove him to become a specialist cardiac physiologist with an urge to find the answers to all those lingering queries that arise as a practicing clinical cardiologist. He built an exclusive animal lab to study the mechanics and physics of circulation and cardiac pumps.
He can be called new age, Harvey. He seemed to always bother, how is it that the 6 liters of blood traverse from he...
Source: Dr.S.Venkatesan MD - February 1, 2021 Category: Cardiology Authors: dr s venkatesan Tags: Basic sciecne Basic science -Physiology Best books in cardiology bio ethics great cardiologists best books in cardiac physiology best cardiology books cardiovascular physiology famous Seattle doctors Great Men in cardiology history of Source Type: blogs
Chest pain, ST Elevation, and tachycardia in a 40-something woman
A prehospital cath lab activation for STEMI came through with the information that the 40-something woman had chest pain and a pulse of140.We were immediately skeptical that the patient had a STEMI because of the high heart rate. She would have to be in cardiogenic shock with a massive STEMI for that. Certainly possible, but when the heart rate is so high, be skeptical.The patient arrived with this ECG:Here the heart rate is obviously no longer 140What do you think?ECG: it certainly appears to be an anterior STEMI, but it is important to realize that right ventricular ischemia from either inferior and RV STEMI ...
Source: Dr. Smith's ECG Blog - January 30, 2021 Category: Cardiology Authors: Steve Smith Source Type: blogs
Are early detection and treatment always best?
Throughout my medical career, I’ve heard statements like these:
Early detection offers the best chance of cure.
If you wait for symptoms, you’ve waited too long.
Knowledge is power, and the sooner you have the information, the better.
Over time, I’ve realized they are often untrue. Many health conditions go away on their own. In such cases, early testing may amount to wasted effort, time, and medical cost. Some testing is invasive and has a significant risk of complications. And minor abnormalities may lead to more testing. There’s also the anxiety of waiting for results, or learning you have an abnormality of unce...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - January 28, 2021 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Robert H. Shmerling, MD Tags: Back Pain Heart Health Managing your health care Prevention Screening Tests and procedures Source Type: blogs
Wellens' syndrome: to stent or not? IVUS negative, Symptoms persist, Stress Testing, Instantaneous Wave Free Ratio, and Fractional Flow Reserve.
A 55 y.o. male with no cardiac PMHX presented for 2 weeks of exertional chest pain, worsened on the day prior to presentation. On the day of presentation, the chest discomfort was particularly intense, and associated with diaphoresis and nausea. It was resolved (pain free) when the ECG was recorded:This ECG was read as " nonspecific " by the providers. What do you think?These is classic Wellens ' pattern A (biphasic, terminal T-wave inversion), and it isWellens 'syndrome (Angina, resolved -- pain free -- with preserved R-waves and Wellens ' pattern A T-waves). The morphology of these T-wav...
Source: Dr. Smith's ECG Blog - January 28, 2021 Category: Cardiology Authors: Steve Smith Source Type: blogs
8 Ways Robots Can Enhance Healthcare
Science fiction movies are filled with depictions of medical robots as integral parts of the healthcare system. From Anakin Skywalker’s surgery by autonomous robots to Big Hero 6’s healthcare robot Baymax, these mechanical staffers stayed only within the realm of sci-fi movies and one’s imagination for a long time; but not for much longer. Indeed, as we exemplify in this article, they are steadily making their way into healthcare institutions. The healthcare industry is betting on those potentials as well, with the global medical robot expenditures expected to rise by about 20% by 2025 to reach $24.6 billion.
H...
Source: The Medical Futurist - January 27, 2021 Category: Information Technology Authors: berci.mesko Tags: Covid-19 Healthcare Design Medical Education Robotics future Hospital Innovation Surgery technology gc4 drones drone delivery robots InTouch Health Veebot Pepper Big Hero 6 UVD Robots Xenex social robots Zipline A Source Type: blogs
Imagio Opto-Acoustic Imaging for Breast Lesions FDA Approved
Seno Medical, a San Antonio, Texas firm, has won FDA approval to introduce its Imagio device that utilizes opto-acoustic imaging to help physicians identify whether breast lesions are benign or malignant. It is hoped that this non-invasive and radiation-free technology will help to reduce the number of biopsies that have to be performed.
Opto-acoustic imaging combines ultrasound with laser optics to provide a combined view of tissue anatomy and the blood flow around it. Cancerous lesions commonly exhibit a high density of newly formed blood vessels (angiogenesis) and a lower oxygen saturation compared with surroundi...
Source: Medgadget - January 19, 2021 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Medgadget Editors Tags: Ob/Gyn Radiology Surgery Source Type: blogs
HARPOON System for Mitral Valve Repair: Interview with Daveen Chopra, Edwards Lifesciences
Degenerative mitral regurgitation occurs when the mitral valve prolapses, causing blood to leak back into the atrium every time the heart beats. The condition can be asymptomatic for many people, but for some it can cause a variety of issues, including fainting, pain, and shortness of breath.
Currently, open-heart surgery is considered to be the gold-standard treatment for degenerative mitral regurgitation, but the procedure is obviously highly invasive. The HARPOON system developed by Edwards Lifesciences aims to provide mitral valve repair through a small chest incision, with the procedure occuring while the heart is ...
Source: Medgadget - January 15, 2021 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Cardiac Surgery Cardiology Exclusive Radiology Source Type: blogs
Nanodroplets and Ultrasound to Drill Through Blood Clots
Penetrating compacted and extensive blood clots has been one of the main challenges of vascular surgery. Various catheter-based devices have been invented and are in use today, but many patients present with plaques that are just too difficult even for the finest existing devices.
Now, researchers at North Carolina State University and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have developed a new way to attack blood clots that involves special nanodroplets and an ultrasound catheter that activates them.
The nanodroplets are made out of lipid spheres packed with low-boiling point liquid perfluorocarbons (PFCs)...
Source: Medgadget - January 8, 2021 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Medgadget Editors Tags: Cardiology Radiology Vascular Surgery Source Type: blogs
Acute chest pain, ST Depression in V2 and V3, relief with Nitroglycerine, " normal " coronaries, and apical ballooning. Is it takotsubo?
This was submitted by Michael Fischer, one of our outstanding2nd year EM residents at Hennepin Healthcare.CaseA previously healthy female in her 40s presented 1 hour after abrupt onset 10/10 crushing chest pain that started while brushing her hair that morning. The pain radiated to her bilateral jaw and right shoulder, and did not seem to be exertional or pleuritic in nature. Here is her pre-hospital ECG: What do you think?Smith: V2 and V3 have some minimal ST depression with downsloping. This is highly suggestive of posterior MI.This was read by EMS as non-specific. Aspirin 324mg was given by EMS. Ni...
Source: Dr. Smith's ECG Blog - January 8, 2021 Category: Cardiology Authors: Steve Smith Source Type: blogs
ECG with Aslanger's Pattern. CT Pulmonary Angiogram Reveals LAD Ischemia (Septal Transmural). But this is not Contradictory.
A 52 y.o. male presented with persistent central chest pressure, without radiation, SOB or diaphoresis, which began at rest approximately one hour prior to arrival. He had never had pain like this before. He felt slightly nauseous earlier but no vomiting. He is denying any back pain or abdominal pain. An ECG was recorded during pain:What do you think?This shows significant ST depression in I, II, and V4-V6, with reciprocal ST Elevation in aVR. This suggests diffuse subendocardial ischemia. However, along with that subendocardial ischemia, there is also STE in lead III with...
Source: Dr. Smith's ECG Blog - January 4, 2021 Category: Cardiology Authors: Steve Smith Source Type: blogs
8 Digital Health Technologies Transforming The Future Of Nurses
Being a nurse is a highly demanding but genuinely fulfilling job with the chance to touch many people’s lives. This hasn’t been highlighted better than during the COVID-19 pandemic. When the whole world is stricken by fear and uncertainty, with many under lockdown 2.0, nurses are actively in the front line assisting patients and physicians. As the nursing profession requires the core of what makes us human – paying attention, being empathetic and caring -, it will never be replaced by technology.
However, technological innovations can relieve nurses of the burden of many monotonous and repetitive tasks; especially ...
Source: The Medical Futurist - December 15, 2020 Category: Information Technology Authors: Pranavsingh Dhunnoo Tags: Future of Medicine Robotics 3d printing AI artificial intelligence digital health Health 2.0 nurse Personalized medicine technology digital technology nurses Source Type: blogs
Microbubbles Deliver Drugs Directly to Tumors
When fighting cancerous tumors, all too often the very drugs that can destroy a lesion tend to have significant negative effects on the rest of the body. Doses have to be maintained at moderate levels to avoid side-effects that are even worse than the disease. In light of this, researchers have been trying to develop ways to more precisely deliver cancer drugs so that they target where they are needed.
An exciting new approach, which involves using microbubbles to deliver drugs directly to tumors, has shown significant promise thanks to researchers at the University of Leeds in England. A team there has now shown that ...
Source: Medgadget - December 10, 2020 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Medgadget Editors Tags: Materials Medicine Nanomedicine Oncology Source Type: blogs
