National Study Reviews Drug Administration during CPR
SEATTLE (KING 5) - In addition to CPR, paramedics routinely administer drugs to get the patient stabilized before reaching the hospital.  But do those drugs really improve the chances of survival? That was unknown until now. A national study led by UW finally has an answer—which is—it depends. When a King County Medic One team arrives at the scene of a cardiac arrest. CPR is standard. So is lidocaine to stabilize heart rhythm. “These drugs have been around-- lidocaine for probably 50 years, amiodarone for more than ten years-- and we used them with the best intention of wanting to save lives. The reality is we...
Source: JEMS Patient Care - April 5, 2016 Category: Emergency Medicine Tags: News Cardiac & Resuscitation Source Type: news

Survival after severe amitriptyline poisoning with prolonged ventricular tachycardia and cardiac arrest - Abeyaratne DD, Liyanapathirana C, Gamage A, Karunarathne P, Botheju M, Indrakumar J.
We report the first cas... (Source: SafetyLit)
Source: SafetyLit - March 19, 2016 Category: Global & Universal Tags: Alcohol and Other Drugs Source Type: news

Strategies for the Prehospital Treatment of Stable Ventricular Tachycardia
Patients with stable v tach may experience a constellation of symptoms but generally don’t require cardioversion unless instability develops. Photo Matthew Strauss   You’re dispatched for an “ill” 55-yearold male. Upon arrival you find him sitting on the sofa in no apparent distress. He states he’s been feeling ill for the past three days. He’s otherwise asymptomatic. Initial assessment reveals an intact airway, normal breathing and clear lungs, no neurologic deficits, and no gross abnormalities on exposure. During the circulation exam, you note a regular rhythm with a fast heart rate. Capillary refil...
Source: JEMS Patient Care - March 1, 2016 Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Eric Cortez, MD Tags: Cardiac & Resuscitation Patient Care Source Type: news

Ablation Can Have Durable Benefit in Recurrent Ventricular Tachycardia (CME/CE)
(MedPage Today) -- But overall outcomes still "sobering" long term (Source: MedPage Today Cardiovascular)
Source: MedPage Today Cardiovascular - February 11, 2016 Category: Cardiology Source Type: news

Mindfulness Practice During A Heart Attack: Or Me and My Mind Against My DNA
The author at age 26 sitting in Zazen Seiza style. This past August, at the age of 56, on the last day of my summer vacation, on the day after I ran yet another 5k, while I was attending my Saturday morning yoga class, I had a heart attack that could have killed me. It was a shock but not a surprise. Heart disease killed my older sister at 54, would have killed my dad at 56 had he not been life-flighted to UMass Medical Center where they shot him up on the helipad with a then experimental decoagulant, and heart disease killed my granddad on my first birthday. I had had a full medical work just the summer before and all sy...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - October 30, 2015 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news

The Most Beautiful Dance I Ever Enjoyed With My Husband
This past weekend my husband, Dan danced at our friend's daughter's wedding. Well, if you consider swaying from side to side dancing, then it qualifies. While it may not seem so remarkable, the fact that Dan wiggled on a dance floor is amazing and wonderful! It was just five years ago that his life took a cruel turn and he suffered a devastating stroke. He couldn't walk, talk or eat. He had a feeding tube in his stomach, and we were told he was "gravely" ill. The stroke had affected his brain stem where bodily functions were regulated, paralyzed the optic nerve and traveled beyond. He received tPA -- tissue plasminogen ...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - September 15, 2015 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news

Patient generated healthcare data
< I've often written about the IT strategies of Accountable Care Organizations and the need for a Care Management Medical Record which incorporates EHR data, patient generated data, customer relationship management features, protocols/guidelines and a workflow engine. Although I have yet to see mature products in the marketplace, components are evolving that will fundamentally change the way we deliver care. People know that I have been very transparent about my own medical history, as described in this Politico editorial. Here’s how I’m using Patient Generated Healthcare Data in my own care management ...
Source: Mass Device - July 27, 2015 Category: Medical Equipment Authors: MassDevice Tags: Blog Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Life as a Health Care CIO Source Type: news

Illustrated case report of phenol exposure
Phenol 3.5 out of 5 stars Phenol Toxicity Following Cutaneous Exposure to Creolin®:A Case Report. Vearrier D et al. J Med Toxicol 2015 Jun;11:227-231. Abstract This paper is worth looking at for the excellent color photographs of the partial thickness skin burns induced by exposure to Creolin®, which contains carbolic acid (phenol), sodium hydroxide, and isopropanol. A 9-year-old girl was brought to the emergency department because of respiratory distress and unresponsiveness. Symptoms came on quickly and started within 4 minutes of the mother pouring 8 oz Creolin® over the patients hair in an attempt to get rid of hea...
Source: The Poison Review - June 18, 2015 Category: Toxicology Authors: Leon Tags: Medical coagulative necrosis creolin phenol surface burn Source Type: news

Catheter Ablation for VT in Patients With an ICD (CALYPSO)Catheter Ablation for VT in Patients With an ICD (CALYPSO)
Is early use of catheter ablation for ventricular tachycardia superior to antiarrhythmic medications? Journal of Cardiovascular Electrophysiology (Source: Medscape Today Headlines)
Source: Medscape Today Headlines - March 17, 2015 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Cardiology Journal Article Source Type: news

TPR Podcast Episode #8: Pearls from NACCT
Discussion of Dr. Millard Bass’ JAMA article “Sudden Sniffing Death” (SSD) SSD occurs after sniffing, bagging, or huffing a volatile hydrocarbon inhalant Hypothesis: death results from sensitization of the myocardium to catecholamines, resulting in cardiac arrhythmias   Capsaicin for Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome Initial idea to use capsaicin in the treatment of cannabinoidhyperemesis syndrome (CHS) stemmed from: Symptomatic relief from hot showers or baths often reported by patients Realization that TRPV1 receptor is activated by both hot temperatures and capsaicin Case reports from California and Ne...
Source: The Poison Review - March 1, 2015 Category: Toxicology Authors: LeonThe Poison Review Tags: Podcast cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome capsaicin cream clenbuterol NACCT phenibut sudden sniffing death syndrome tpr podcast Source Type: news

Development of ST elevation myocardial infarction and atrial fibrillation after an electrical injury - Gursul E, Bayata S, Aksit E, Ugurlu B.
Electrical energy is a type of energy that is commonly used in daily life. Ventricular premature beats, ventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation, atrial tachycardia, atrial fibrillation, bundle branch blocks, and AV block are arrhythmic complicati... (Source: SafetyLit: All (Unduplicated))
Source: SafetyLit: All (Unduplicated) - February 7, 2015 Category: Global & Universal Tags: Burns, Electricity, Explosions, Fire, Scalds Source Type: news

St. Jude Medical launches v-tach ablation trial
St. Jude Medical launches a clinical trial to evaluate the use of ablation and cardiac rhythm management devices in treating ventricular tachycardia. St. Jude MedicalNews Well, Clinical Trials, Cardiac Rhythm Managementread more (Source: Mass Device)
Source: Mass Device - January 7, 2015 Category: Medical Equipment Authors: Brad Perriello Source Type: news

Use of MRI to Guide Electrophysiology ProceduresUse of MRI to Guide Electrophysiology Procedures
Get a comprehensive overview of the role of MRI in the management of the most common complex arrhythmias: atrial fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia. Heart (Source: Medscape Today Headlines)
Source: Medscape Today Headlines - December 22, 2014 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Cardiology Journal Article Source Type: news

Pop quiz: cardiac arrhythmia from an herbal medicine
3 out of 5 stars Life-threatening cardiovascular toxicity following ingestion of Chinese herbal medicine. Martinez A et al. Emerg Med Australas 2014 Oct;26:512-13. Abstract This case report describes a 46-year-old Chinese woman in Melbourne who presented with peri-oral and facial paresthesias, gastronintestinal disturbance (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea,  abdominal pain,) tachycardia and hypotension. She also had decreased level of consciousness and ventricular tachycardia. Symptoms started 30 minutes after ingesting a Chinese herbal medicine. The following is a pop quiz based on this presentation. Click on the question to r...
Source: The Poison Review - November 21, 2014 Category: Toxicology Authors: Leon Tags: Medical aconite cao wu cardiotoxicity Chinese herbal medicine chuan wu fu zi monkshood wolfsbane Source Type: news

CV Toxicity Tied to Azithromycin and/or Hydroxychloroquine
Risk increased for prolonged QT and/or ventricular tachycardia, including torsades de pointes (Source: Pulmonary Medicine News - Doctors Lounge)
Source: Pulmonary Medicine News - Doctors Lounge - November 11, 2014 Category: Respiratory Medicine Tags: Cardiology, Family Medicine, Infections, Internal Medicine, Critical Care, Emergency Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Pulmonology, Journal, Source Type: news