MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'donate life'. Sun, 11 Oct 2009 21:27:38 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2365162&cid=t_234043_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2F3408TIqVfgc%2F “Two lungs are better than one - when it comes to lung transplantations,” thanks to a new study that looked at the long-term survival rates of patients who had lung transplants. Lung transplantation may be an option for people with cystic fibrosis , emphysema, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis , or sarcoidosis , although there may be other illnesses in the group as well. The study, done by researchers from Johns Hopkins, found that having both lung replaced by healthy lungs because if one lung is left behind, there may be some residual (left over) parts of the disease, which could end up causing problems. The researchers also point out that “when both lungs are replaced, the new lungs, which must breathe together as a pair, are already adapted to each other.” The encour... A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2365162 Thu, 23 Apr 2009 11:53:54 +0100 2365162 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2365163&cid=t_234043_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2F0UtbwKaUYUk%2F It’s not an unusual theme: a young person enters medical school determined to help save the world - or at least his or her small part of it. As doctors, men and women hold so much potential in their hands and while some go on to practice in the more traditional fields, others move on to more developing areas of medicine, like transplantation. While every doctor does affect lives, what transplantation surgeons and researchers do is, quite literally, give life back to someone who had no chance of survival before. Jeffery Steers, MD, is one such transplant surgeon. After graduating from the University of Kansas Medical Center, School of Medicine with his MD, he went on to do a residency in general surgery, followed by a fellowship at the Mayo Graduate School of Medicine in surgery. His ... A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2365163 Thu, 23 Apr 2009 01:56:54 +0100 2365163 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2357450&cid=t_234043_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2F9HlbLlYHYBg%2F Since such a large number of people don’t sign organ donation cards or place themselves on a registry, healthcare personnel find themselves in the position of having to ask shocked and grieving families about their wishes. This is a difficult task for people who aren’t trained or well-prepared for the role. According to a press release issued by the BMJ , A recent audit of 341 deaths in intensive care units in the UK revealed that 41% of relatives of potential donors denied consent. In an interview study a third of relatives who had refused donation said that they would not refuse again, whereas only a few of people who had given consent regretted their decision. The authors of the study review looked at 20 were looking to see if they could find specific factors that affected h... A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2357450 Wed, 22 Apr 2009 22:16:21 +0100 2357450 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2313765&cid=t_234043_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2Fx5zJki_4cpU%2F Times have changed in how patients who are potential donors are considered to be dead and therefore able to be organ donors. It used to be that you had to be brain dead, with no signs of brain activity, cardiac - heart - death wasn’t in the equation. This has changed an now those who are heart dead can be organ donors but the teams have to move fast for the organs to be viable. I came across this story this morning of two families, two infants, and two sad stories. In a nutshell, one baby can’t live. She goes into cardiac arrest when she sleeps and needs to be brought back to life each time. Because of this, 2-month-old Kaylee Wallace lives on a respirator in the province of Ontario. Many miles away, is another infant, 1-month-old Lily O’Connor who desperately needs a hea... A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2313765 Wed, 08 Apr 2009 09:46:53 +0100 2313765 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2313767&cid=t_234043_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2FkQpGzUhOwxw%2F It goes without saying that there are several sites and blogs on the Internet about organ donation and organ transplantation. Here are some of the more interesting ones I found and a bit about them. I am. Are you? is part of the Donate Life Illinois program. Aside from the interesting information, it also provides important need-to-know news, such as: “Illinois residents need to RE-REGISTER after Jan. 1, 2006 to join the state’s registry and ensure their wishes to be an organ/tissue donor are honored.” Greatest Gift Blog is a companion blog to the Greatest Gift Foundation. Becky writes about organ donation, including living donation as she was a living donor when she gave part of her liver to her brother. Donor Cycle is written by “TC,” an organ procurement t... A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2313767 Wed, 08 Apr 2009 08:12:30 +0100 2313767 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2313769&cid=t_234043_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2Fpo8OiLWZKiI%2F Many times, if you ask someone why they won’t agree to be an organ donor, you learn from them that their main reason is really not a reason: it’s a myth. Why myths are perpetuated is likely through fear. You hear something that frightens you and you pass it on. Some people don’t believe it and others do and will pass it on some more. But what are the myths about organ donation? 1-  I’m too young, not yet 18, so I can’t consent. While you are too young to sign consent to be an organ donor, if you’ve discussed this with your parents or guardians, they may make that decision for you. Infants have been donors. 2-  I’m too old to donate. There’s virtually no age limit as to when you have to stop considering yourself to be an organ donor. There i... A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2313769 Wed, 08 Apr 2009 00:43:28 +0100 2313769 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2313775&cid=t_234043_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2FuuKoVK-2TFk%2F So many stories about transplants really tug at your heart, but ones that include children and babies can be incredibly poignant. When I put out an appeal to speak to people about organ transplants, I was contacted by Ed Weir. He told me his story of their 1-month-old daughter, Rachel. Rachel died of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) 22 years ago. Most often when a child dies of SIDS, the child is discovered too late for their organs to be used in transplantation. In this case, Rachel’s death was discovered immediately. And because of that, many other children were saved or their lives were improved by Rachel’s gift. Here is Ed’s story, in his words: My wife was at the veterinarian with our dog just before we were to kennel them and leave on a vacation.  She was in one... A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2313775 Tue, 07 Apr 2009 00:52:17 +0100 2313775 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2313779&cid=t_234043_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2FL93Ol-eOOf8%2F Professional golf takes stamina and training to get to the top of the sport. While it might not be as rough and tumble as other sports, to be able to walk a good pace for several days running, to hit those balls far and with great accuracy, and to keep the mental fitness to stay on track - these are all part of being an athlete. So, what does a pro golfer do if he finds that he’s not quite so strong anymore, he can’t walk as far and he can’t hit the ball as hard - and he’s only 28 years old? This is what happened to Erik Compton, former University of Georgia and Nationwide Tour golfer. He’s not only a heart transplant recipient - he has had two heart transplants. Erik had his first heart transplant when he was 12 years old. He went on to become a pro golfer an... A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2313779 Mon, 06 Apr 2009 18:44:06 +0100 2313779