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 'high risk'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:25:57 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5086168&cid=t_226347_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdrlindagalloway.files.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F07%2Fgreys-nursery.jpg No one likes pain, least of all pregnant women. Although obstetricians do a great job providing prenatal care and childbirth deliveries, there is always room for improvement regarding patient education. The management of labor pain is usually delegated to the Anesthesia Department within a hospital or an ambulatory center. The goal of anesthesia is to eliminate physical pain and any suffering that might be a result of pain. However pain and suffering may not always be about cause and effect. To quote the literature, “Although pain and suffering often occur together, one may suffer without pain or have pain without suffering.” Some women want to eliminate pain and others view it as a normal process. However, to the well initiated, it is well known that women who are in pain and “suffe... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5086168 Mon, 01 Aug 2011 18:00:35 +0100 5086168 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4902416&cid=t_226347_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdrlindagalloway.files.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F06%2Fbookjpg.jpg Of the 4 million babies born in the U.S. each year, approximately 12.3 percent of them will be premature and 3.56 percent will occur before 34 weeks. Premature birth is one of the leading causes of severe handicaps and has an annual cost of approximately $26 billion dollars. Although risk factors for preterm labor have been identified, there is still no cure. As stated in a previous blog post, when the cervix becomes weak (a condition called cervical insufficiency), the patient is at risk for second trimester miscarriages and preterm labor. Also, if a patient has a previous history of premature birth then she needs her cervix measured in a future pregnancy.  If her cervix is short and measures between 16 mm and 25 mm before 23 weeks, she is at risk for premature labor and delivery. The re... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4902416 Mon, 06 Jun 2011 21:00:23 +0100 4902416 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841483&cid=t_226347_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdrlindagalloway.files.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F05%2F1031747_hospital.jpg At one time, a hospital would be called a 24-hour institution but now it’s a business. Within this business are shift workers that include nurses, technicians, clerical staff and even hospital employed doctors who are now called hospitalists.  In a teaching hospital resident physicians also work in shifts so the responsibility of patient care is always being transferred from one group of healthcare providers to another. Do they always communicate effectively? Regrettably, “no.” Sign-outs, handoffs, shift changes, nurses’ report. These are the multiple names for the process where a departing  provider is responsible for letting the arriving provider know what’s going on with the patient.  According to statistics, 80% of medical mistakes occur during shift changes and 50 to 60% ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841483 Wed, 18 May 2011 16:00:13 +0100 4841483 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4813290&cid=t_226347_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdrlindagalloway.files.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F05%2F350by403.jpg If a pregnant woman finds herself scratching and itching during the third trimester, these symptoms should not be ignored. Each year, approximately 0.1 to 15% of pregnant women are affected by a liver disorder called Intrahepatic Cholestasis of Pregnancy or (ICP). ICP patients tend to develop symptoms of itchiness of their hands and feet that becomes progressively worse and then spreads all over their body. The itchiness usually worsens at night and if untreated can cause jaundice and several life-threatening complications to the unborn fetus. When a pregnant woman complaints of itchiness (pruritus) all over her body, the first order of business is to determine whether a rash is present. If a rash is absent, ICP should be suspected. The liver is the largest gland in the body and in additio... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4813290 Tue, 10 May 2011 21:00:28 +0100 4813290 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4723805&cid=t_226347_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Folympian-impregnated-with-the-wrong-embryo%2F2011.04.17 Olympic winner and motivational speaker, Jim Stovall once said “Integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one is looking.” In September 2009, I wrote about a blog about Carolyn Savage, a 40 year old woman with a poor obstetrical history. Savage married her college sweetheart and had an uncomplicated first pregnancy. However, her second child was born prematurely. She had 4 subsequent miscarriages and ten years later she became pregnant through in-vitro fertilization (IVF). Because the Savages wanted a large family, they tried IVF again. Unfortunately, Savage was impregnated with the wrong embryo. To their credit, everyone rose to the highest level of integrity. The infertility clinic informed the Savage family as soon as the mistake was discovered and then gave them the option o... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4723805 Sun, 17 Apr 2011 18:00:26 +0100 4723805 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4709205&cid=t_226347_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fkudos-to-acog-a-moral-victory-for-pregnant-women%2F2011.04.13 This post is written as a follow-up to The Hijacking of Pregnant Women. It is said that sometimes you have to rock the boat in order to shift the course of progress. Well today pregnant women have reason to celebrate. The winds of change are apparent. Bowing under pressure, K-V Pharmaceutical Company reduced the price of Makena from $1500 to $690. Makena is the trade name for hydroxyprogesterone caproate or 17OHP. It is a drug recently approved by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) to reduce premature deliveries before 37 weeks if it is given before 21 weeks gestation.  It has been used for years as an off-label drug and costs approximately $10 to $20 to make by compound pharmacists. When the FDA gave K-V an exclusive right to manufacture the drug, their integrity flew out the window.... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4709205 Wed, 13 Apr 2011 17:00:38 +0100 4709205 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4642596&cid=t_226347_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fcms-never-events-incentivize-physicians-to-avoid-caring-for-high-risk-patients%2F2011.03.27 In 2008, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced it would no longer pay for the treatment of “never events,” i.e., certain medical conditions in hospitalized patients which the Feds deem to be universally avoidable under all circumstances. These conditions included: * Decubitus ulcers * Two kinds of catheter-associated infections * Air embolism * Mediastinitis after coronary bypass surgery * Transfusing patients with the wrong blood type * Leaving objects inside surgery patients * In-hospital falls Then, having been delighted with the results of its original list (or dismayed that healthcare costs continued to skyrocket despite its original list) CMS subsequently proposed declaring several new conditions as “never events,” including: (more…) *... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4642596 Sun, 27 Mar 2011 17:00:46 +0100 4642596 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4544969&cid=t_226347_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fpostpartum-hemorrhage-what-every-pregnant-woman-should-know%2F2011.03.03 Having a baby can be a beautiful thing until something goes wrong. The tragedy is that many high-risk conditions can be managed appropriately if the patient is cooperative and the healthcare provider is competent and well trained. Unfortunately, almost 600 pregnant women die in the U.S. each year from complications and the most common complication is significant blood loss after birth or postpartum hemorrhage (PPH).  PPH occurs when there is a blood loss of 500 cc or greater for a vaginal delivery and 1,000 cc after a cesarean section (C-section). Or, if you were admitted with a hemoglobin of 12 and it drops by ten points to 11, there should be a high index of suspicion for PPH as well. Therefore, if you feel lightheaded or dizzy, have palpitations or an increased heart rate after deliver... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4544969 Thu, 03 Mar 2011 18:00:52 +0100 4544969 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4445800&cid=t_226347_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fsex-during-pregnancy-is-safe%2F2011.02.07 The Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) has published a new primer designed to help physicians when they counsel pregnant women. They note that sex during pregnancy is normal and is generally considered safe. The authors point out that there are very few proven contraindications and risks regarding intercourse in normal pregnancy. Pregnant women and their partners are often afraid to have sex. Men may think they are “invading” the home of the fetus and could actually harm the baby. In fact, the fetus is quite safe, ensconced in the uterus (womb) and the cervix (opening of the uterus) is closed in normal pregnancy. The penis has no contact with the fetus or the uterus during normal intercourse, no matter what the position. When is intercourse considered risky? Only f... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4445800 Tue, 08 Feb 2011 02:00:00 +0100 4445800 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4441975&cid=t_226347_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fwill-your-hospitals-maternity-ward-close%2F2011.02.06 When our country starts closing obstetrical units in hospitals because they “cost too much” money to operate, pregnant women need to pay attention because their babies are in serious trouble. Such was the case of the most recent casualty, South Seminole Hospital, a 200-bed hospital, that’s located within 30 minutes of my neighborhood. More than 20,000 babies were born in South Seminole Hospital during the past 18 years, and many of the babies were delivered by a local obstetrician who died approximately three years ago. I recall sitting in the emergency room of the hospital with a fractured ankle and listening to a chime that used to ring every time a baby was born. It was a soothing and humbling sound knowing that a new life was making its grand entrance each time that chime rang.... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4441975 Sun, 06 Feb 2011 14:00:12 +0100 4441975 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4139219&cid=t_226347_87_f&fid=36941&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mazecordblood.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D811 If you are thinking about becoming pregnant, or if you are having difficulties getting pregnant, this website is an amazing resource.  From pre conception to ‘normal’ pregnancy to high risk pregnancies, there are blog posts, resources and wonderful success stories to answer your unique questions.  You can find women and men who are going through very similar experiences; get their thoughts and ideas on many different issues and perhaps give some advice to others. There are resources on infertility, moms to be, pharmacy guides and cord blood banking.  Make your way over there, it will be worth the trip!! http://tinyurl.com/28kxqgd (Source: Cord Blood News) Cord Blood News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4139219 Fri, 05 Nov 2010 20:42:44 +0100 4139219 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3733125&cid=t_226347_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F07%2F07%2Fa-not-so-random-act-of-kindness%2F “Practice random kindness and senseless acts of beauty.” – Anne Herbert Penn Station, New York City, noon, the beginning of summer. Eighty degrees: A perfect day. Everyone who can be outside is outside. But I have to go in to catch the train back to Jersey. I am not at full sprint, but I am moving, hungry. No breakfast, no lunch. A morning consult brings me in once a month to YAI/National Institute for People with Disabilities. I’ve done it hundreds of times. Winters, summers, I know my way around Penn Station. I have it down to a science. I get a sandwich – make the train. There is a deli near the Seventh Avenue exit that has the best grilled vegetable panini sandwich I’ve ever had. I swear I would do the consult just to buy this sandwich. The staff at YAI/NIPD... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3733125 Wed, 07 Jul 2010 10:30:50 +0100 3733125 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3508166&cid=t_226347_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FyxatCOmKNtg%2F By Mark A. CalabriaMismanaged municipal and state governments around the country are finding a new target to blame for their own self-inflicted wounds:  the growing market for credit defaults swaps (CDS) on municipal debt. A municipal credit default swap would be a derivative that pays off in the event of default by a specific state or a default on one of said state’s debt instruments. As reported in today’s Wall Street Journal, a handful of state treasurers are demanding information from Wall Street firms on who exactly is “betting against” these states. It should come as no surprise, except to state officials, that the major buyers of these CDS are the very bondholders investing in their state.  In fact the availability of municipal CDS will likely increase th... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3508166 Tue, 27 Apr 2010 19:11:41 +0100 3508166 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3118921&cid=t_226347_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F12%2F24%2F10-ways-to-bring-christmas-cheer-to-a-friend-in-the-hospital-for-the-holidays%2F Disease and trauma do not take a holiday. Many of us have loved ones in the hospital for all kinds of reasons. We want to do what we can for them, our brothers, sisters, friends, parents, children, who find themselves in strange surroundings during this supposedly most joyous of times. Fifteen years ago, a few weeks before Christmas, I was suddenly admitted to Women and Children’s Hospital. I was five months pregnant with my daughter and I was very sick. With my history of kidney disease and scleroderma, I chose a maternal-fetus specialist to be my OB-GYN. Trained in situations like mine, where the mother has chronic illness which makes the pregnancy high risk, I had every faith in Dr. Margaret McDonnell. My first pregnancy had gone off without so much as a cold. This time Margaret s... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3118921 Thu, 24 Dec 2009 14:37:27 +0100 3118921 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2382263&cid=t_226347_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fjt8ueD1mI9A%2F The welfare state has long been one of the most potent arguments for additional restrictions on our freedom.  For instance, you must wear a motorcycle helmet because if you splatter yourself all over the highway the rest of us will be paying your medical expenses.  One of the factors considered by New Zealand in ruling on applications from would-be immigrants is health.  If you are fat — and thus at risk for various health conditions — forget it! Reports the Daily Telegraph: The 51-year-old, who has not been named, argued that her 52 inch waistline was no obstacle to her work as a nurse, which involved 60-hour weeks. She was offered a job in a home and hospital for the elderly in a provincial town in New Zealand, documents from the country’s Residence Review Board said, and a... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2382263 Fri, 01 May 2009 11:55:08 +0100 2382263 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2313542&cid=t_226347_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F04%2F06%2Fhigh-risk-partner-high-risk-of-std%2F You’d think this much would be obvious — if you’re not particular who you sleep around with, don’t be surprised if one day you wake up with a sexually transmitted disease (STD). Yet, now we have research confirming the common wisdom (yay!). The study examined the sexual activities, partner characteristics and STD diagnoses of 412 subjects between the ages of 15 and 24. Among the subjects whose partners were categorized as high-risk, half were diagnosed with an STD. By comparison, about 40 percent of the young adults whose own behaviors were labeled as high-risk were diagnosed with an STD. So what’s the problem? Most health care providers — like your family doc — only ask about your sexual behavior, and so don’t catch folks who actually enga... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2313542 Mon, 06 Apr 2009 16:05:30 +0100 2313542 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1877200&cid=t_226347_165_f&fid=37959&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthskills.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F10%2F15%2Fcue-cards-for-coping%2F One problem people have when learning coping skills is remembering what to do and when to do it.   In the heat of the moment it can be really difficult to recall exactly what the new strategy is!  We also know that pain interferes with recall because of the disruptive effect on attention, and this effect is heightened when people are anxious about their pain.  One good measure for whether attention and thinking processes are disrupted is the Pain Anxiety Symptoms Scale (McCracken & Dhingra, 2002). There are a few techniques for helping people to remember what to do - including some of my favourites like a sticker on a doorframe, post-it notes on the computer or dashboard of the car, or reminders on a cellphone or computer.  But one way that has been helpful for several reasons is ... HealthSkills Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1877200 Tue, 14 Oct 2008 18:16:08 +0100 1877200 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=682805&cid=t_226347_87_f&fid=34866&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecardioblog.com%2F2007%2F06%2F18%2Fheart-surgery-outcomes-on-the-table%2F Filed under: Women Heart Health, Men Heart Health, SurgeryIn a handful of states it's now possible to access death rates and quality assessments of heart surgeons and hospitals where heart surgery is performed. Pennsylvania is one such area, and The Philadelphia Inquirer recently took a look at how this is impacting the surgeons themselves. So, what's the view like from the other end of the stethoscope? Will the possibility of public scrutiny encourage talented surgeons to base their careers elsewhere? The Inquirer profiles one surgeon who has just moved back to Pennsylvania from Virginia, and who did so knowing that his patient outcomes records would be on the table for all to see. His conclusion? He definitely took this openness into consideration in deciding whether or not to relocate. ... The Cardio Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=682805 Mon, 18 Jun 2007 04:00:00 +0100 682805