August 1st, 2011 by Glenn Laffel, M.D., Ph.D. in Opinion, Research
Tags: Angina, Cardiac Health, Connectedness, Coronary Disease, Happiness, Harvard, Heart Attack, Heart Health, Improved Life Expectancy, Julia Boehm, Life Satisfaction, Martin Seligman, Optimism, Positive Health, Research, Robert Wood Johnson, Stable Marriage, Study Review, University of Pennsylvania, Whitehall II Study
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For centuries, health providers have focused on the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease. This time-honored paradigm has generated phenomenal advances in medicine, especially during the last 60 years. It has also created a bit of an image problem for providers. That’s because the paradigm encourages consumers to perceive health care as a negative good; an economic term describing a bundle of products and services that we use because we must, not because we want to. Recent trends towards empowered consumers are a symptom of this problem more than a solution to it, as I described here.
Recently, the concept of Positive Health has emerged as a possible antidote for the malaise.
Pioneered by University of Pennsylvania psychologist Martin Seligman, Positive Health encourages us to identify and promote positive health assets—which Seligman describes as strengths that contribute to a healthier, more fulfilling life and yes, improved life expectancy as well. According to Seligman, “people desire well-being in its own right and they desire it above and beyond the relief of their suffering.”
Proponents of Positive Health have proposed that Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Pizaazz*
July 31st, 2011 by DeborahSchwarzRPA in News, Research
Tags: Biopsy, Bronchoscopies, Cancer, Columbia University, CT Scan, ENB, Health News, Lung, Lung Lesion, Lung Nodules, Lyall A. Gorenstein, Minimally Invasive Thoracic Surgery, New York-Presbyterian, superDimension Electromagnetic Navigation Bronchoscopy, Thoracic Surgery, Tracheobronchial Tube
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Every year, a half million bronchoscopies are performed in the U.S. in order to investigate lesions within patients’ lungs. Because conventional bronchoscopy cannot reach the distant regions of the lungs, more invasive surgical procedures are often needed to diagnose lung nodules that may be malignant.
The General Thoracic Surgery Division at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia has begun using a new technology, superDimension Electromagnetic Navigation Bronchoscopy™ (ENB). ENB creates a computer-generated reconstruction of the lungs from a CT scan of the tracheobronchial tree, explains Lyall A. Gorenstein, MD, FRCS (C), FACS, Director, Minimally Invasive Thoracic Surgery. Using these reconstructed images, the system creates a visual pathway so that surgeons can guide steerable catheters to where lung nodules are located, facilitating examination and biopsy.
“This enables us to Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Columbia University Department of Surgery Blog*
July 31st, 2011 by Medgadget in News, Research
Tags: Ambient Air, Artificial Lung, Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve School of Medicine, Chemical Engineering, Cleveland Ohio, Extra Oxygen, Gas Diffusion, Joe Potkay, Lab On A Chip, Nanomedicine, Silicone Rubber, Thoracic Surgery
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Researchers from Case Western Reserve School of Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio made a prototype of an artificial lung which reaches gas exchange efficiencies almost equal to the genuine organ. The small device does not need extra oxygen, it works with normal air. Joe Potkay, a research assistant professor in electrical engineering and computer science published the technique this week in the journal Lab on a Chip.
The scientists developed this prototype while keeping track of the natural design of our lungs. It is made of breathable silicone rubber acting as blood vessels that get as small as one-fourth of the width of a human hair. Because it works on the same scale as normal lung tissue, the team was able to shrink the distances for gas diffusion compared to current techniques. Tests using pig blood show oxygen exchange efficiency is three to five times better.
One of the big advantages of this system is that Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Medgadget*
July 30th, 2011 by ChristopherChangMD in Research
Tags: Antibiotics, Bacteria, Bacterial Infection, CSI, Infection, luminol, MRSA, Reactive Oxygen Species, Test, Viral Infection
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From the pages of CSI: Miami… a commonly used forensic chemical called luminol to identify traces of blood at crime scenes has been modified to be used in a novel medical test that can help differentiate a viral infection from a bacterial infection.
Why is this important?
Not uncommonly, it is sometimes hard to differentiate between a bacterial infection which is treated with antibiotics from a viral infection which is NOT treated with antibiotics. Unfortunately, in the healthcare system, too often, antibiotics are given if an infection is present whether viral or bacterial which is leading to multi-drug resistant infections like MRSA.
Well with this test, Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Fauquier ENT Blog*
July 30th, 2011 by DrCharles in Health Tips, Research
Tags: Artificial Readings, Blood Pressure, Deep Breaths, Low-Salt Diet, Lowering Blood Pressure, Medication, Relaxation, Systolic BP, Tension, Weight Loss
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A recent study confirmed that the doctor’s office may be one of the worst places to determine if your blood pressure is under control. The automatic rise in tension many people experience when they are being scrutinized contributes to artificially high blood pressure readings. Although many times the only way improve one’s blood pressure is through treatment (such as medication, a low salt diet, and weight loss), other times I’ve seen a simple 10 second relaxation routine drop a patient’s blood pressure reading by up to 20 systolic points. The following may help you obtain a better, more accurate reading the next time you have your pressure checked in the harried office.
1) Insist on being seated for at least 3 minutes before your pressure is taken. Even walking from the waiting room back into an examining room will briefly increase your blood pressure.
2) Take several deep, relaxed breaths in and out before the doctor begins to check your blood pressure.
3) Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at The Examining Room of Dr. Charles*
Recently, the concept of Positive Health has emerged as a possible antidote for the malaise.
