Skylar’s story: My heart surgery scar makes me appreciate life
About the blogger: Skylar Bayer, 28, is a PhD student at the University of Maine. When she was one day old, she had open-heart surgery for transposition of the great arteries, a congenital heart defect where the heart’s two main arteries are physically swapped. But her heart defect didn’t keep her from being a kid like any other and hasn’t stopped her from following her passions. If anything, it’s made her appreciate life all the more.
I can still recall being a five-year-old girl in the women’s locker room of the swim and tennis club my family attended in the summer. I’m peering around the room...
Source: Thrive, Children's Hospital Boston - November 10, 2014 Category: Pediatrics Authors: Guest Blogger Tags: All posts Source Type: news
What Medications Should Be Avoided with Long QT Syndrome?
Discussion
Mycoplasma pneumoniae is a frequent cause of pharyngitis, pneumonia and acute bronchitis, but acute otitis media is uncommon. Symptoms are usually self-limited and variable and include cough (non-productive usually but later can be productive), fever, fatigue and occasionally headache. Coryza is rare. Cough can continue for 3 to 4 weeks and can be accompanied by wheezing. Radiographic changes include diffuse infiltrates or focal abnormalities but are variable.
Long QT syndrome (LQTS) is a group of disorders that have a prolonged QT interval and a polymorphic ventricular tachycardia. Torsade de pointes (“t...
Source: PediatricEducation.org - July 14, 2014 Category: Pediatrics Authors: pediatriceducationmin Tags: Uncategorized Source Type: news
Overdose and death from pediatric chloral hydrate sedation
Chloral hydrate
4 out of 5 stars
Pediatric Chloral Hydrate Poisonings and Death Following Outpatient Procedural Sedation. Nordt SP et al. J Med Toxicol 2014 Jun;10:219-222.
Abstract
The medical use of chloral hydrate goes back to the 19th century. It is still used occasionally today for pediatric pre-procedural sedation. The risks inherent in this practice are illustrated in this excellent short article. The authors present a series of 3 cases of chloral hydrate overdose, —including 1 fatality — that all occurred within a 4-month period:
A 4-year-old girl was prescribed 900 mg chloral hydrate by her dentist, to be ta...
Source: The Poison Review - June 24, 2014 Category: Toxicology Authors: Leon Tags: Medical chloral hydrate overdose death fatality pediatric sedation Source Type: news
Substrate Ablation Better for VT (CME/CE)
SAN FRANCISCO (MedPage Today) -- An ablation method that does not rely on inducing ventricular tachycardia in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy and ventricular tachycardia improved outcomes in a small randomized trial. (Source: MedPage Today Primary Care)
Source: MedPage Today Primary Care - May 9, 2014 Category: Primary Care Source Type: news
FDA Approves New Catheter For Treatment Of Atrial Fibrillation
The FDA has granted marketing approval for the Thermocool Smarttouch ablation catheter for use in patients with drug-resistant paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF), sustained monomorphic ischemic ventricular tachycardia and Type I atrial flutter. The device is manufactured by Biosense Webster, a Johnson & Johnson company. (Source: Forbes.com Healthcare News)
Source: Forbes.com Healthcare News - February 25, 2014 Category: Pharmaceuticals Authors: Larry Husten Source Type: news
Sarcoidosis Presenting With Ventricular TachycardiaSarcoidosis Presenting With Ventricular Tachycardia
While sarcoidosis usually manifests initially with pulmonary involvement, this unusual patient had no history of systemic sarcoidosis before presenting with refractory ventricular tachycardia. Journal of Medical Case Reports (Source: Medscape Today Headlines)
Source: Medscape Today Headlines - September 11, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Cardiology Journal Article Source Type: news
Ventricular Tachycardia Ablation as First Line TherapyVentricular Tachycardia Ablation as First Line Therapy
Evidence supporting the early use of catheter ablation of VT is outlined in this editorial. Journal of Cardiovascular Electrophysiology (Source: Medscape Today Headlines)
Source: Medscape Today Headlines - May 31, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Cardiology Journal Article Source Type: news
Cardio Notes: Pump for Right Heart Shows Promise
(MedPage Today) -- A support device for right heart failure may be an option for this critically ill population. Also, various specialists combine for ventricular tachycardia, dabigatran's link with viral infections, and NT-proBNP and Afib. (Source: MedPage Today Cardiovascular)
Source: MedPage Today Cardiovascular - April 8, 2013 Category: Cardiology Source Type: news
Outside the box: UCLA uses brain aneurysm treatment to stop irregular heart rhythms
For the first time, a UCLA team has used a technique normally employed in treating brain aneurysms to treat severe, life-threatening irregular heart rhythms in two patients.
This unique use of the method helped stop ventricular arrhythmias — which cause "electrical storms" — that originated in the septum, the thick muscle that separates the heart's two ventricles. This area is virtually impossible to reach with conventional treatment.
The research is published in the February issue of Heart Rhythm, the official journal of the Heart Rhythm Society, and is highlighted on the cover.
Many peopl...
Source: UCLA Newsroom: Health Sciences - March 14, 2013 Category: Universities & Medical Training Source Type: news
Conference report: Eplerenone in patients with acute STEMI without heart failure
Source: PharmaLive
Area: News
PharmaLive has reported on results from the REMINDER trial, which evaluated eplerenone in the early treatment of acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). These results were presented at the 62nd Annual Scientific Session of the American College of Cardiology.
The REMINDER study included 1,012 patients with acute STEMI without a history of heart failure (HF) or an ejection fraction of <40% and without signs of HF. They were randomised to treatment (preferably before myocardial reperfusion) with eplerenone (25-50 mg OD) or placebo in addition to standard th...
Source: NeLM - Cardiovascular Medicine - March 11, 2013 Category: Cardiology Source Type: news
How Do We Manage Patients With Ventricular Tachycardia?How Do We Manage Patients With Ventricular Tachycardia?
Learn more about the management of sustained ventricular tachycardia, with special focus on diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. Europace (Source: Medscape Today Headlines)
Source: Medscape Today Headlines - February 6, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Cardiology Journal Article Source Type: news
Antidepressant link to heart changes confirmed
Conclusion
This study shows a link between three antidepressants (two SSRIs and one tricyclic) and prolonged QT interval (a risk factor for rare but serious heart rhythm problems). The study did not assess the risk of these heart rhythm problems directly (which is difficult to measure because of their rarity). The researchers point out that the recent FDA warning over the risks of citalopram was based on its association with prolonged QT interval only, and “in spite of the epidemiological data showing no difference in risk for arrhythmia [heart rhythm abnormality]”.
The researchers say that certain SSRIs were not signi...
Source: NHS News Feed - January 31, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Medication Mental health Source Type: news
