Anyone who works long hours knows that it can take a toll – burn-out, depression, career dissatisfaction, work-home conflicts. What if that toll is being taken on your surgeon?

A new Johns Hopkins-Mayo Clinic study, published in the November issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons, shows that the long hours and multiple night on-call are leading to personal and patients safety problems.

“Increasing hours and nights on call results in surgeon distress using every variable we have,” said Dr. Charles M. Balch, a professor of surgery at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the study's lead author, in a statement. “There's a strong correlation between workload and distress, which comes out in the personal and professional lives of surgeons.”

The researchers looked at data from a 2008 survey of 7,905 surgeons. Of those working more than 80 hours a week, half met the criteria for burnout, 39 were depressed and 11 percent said they’d made a significant medical error in the past 3 months. About 20 percent said they would have become a surgeon if they had it to do over.

The researchers, however, are not advocating for a shorter work week because it’s not clear that would satisfy doctors or lead to better care – doctors don’t like to punch time clocks, Balch said. Instead, he said, is better monitoring of doctors at risk for burn out. They could be referred for counseling or they could have their scheduled tailored to meet their needs, for example.

The American College of Surgeons also has begun another study of burnout to collect more information.

In the meantime, what would you want your doctor to do?

Posted by Meredith Cohn at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Health care professionals
        

It sounds a little like that movie Men in Black, where government operatives were able to zap people's memories. Johns Hopkins researchers say they may be able to permanently erase bad memories.  

And while they did use some government funding from the National Institutes of Health, it doesn't appear the work is for national security. The researchers say the work in mice holds promise for treating post-traumatic stress disorder.

They have figured out that removing a protein from the region of the brain responsible for recalling fear means they can permanently delete traumatic memories. A report appears this week in Science Express.

 “When a traumatic event occurs, it creates a fearful memory that can last a lifetime and have a debilitating effect on a person's life,” said Richard L. Huganir, professor and director of neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator, in a statement.

“Our finding describing these molecular and cellular mechanisms involved in that process raises the possibility of manipulating those mechanisms with drugs to enhance behavioral therapy for such conditions as post-traumatic stress disorder.”

That behavioral therapy involves “extinction training,” or easing the depth of the emotional response to the bad memories but not completely removing the memory. The researchers say that, combined with protein removal, may mean permanent removal of fear by erasing the memory itself.

They used sound cues to put fear in mice as a test.

“This may sound like science fiction, the ability to selectively erase memories,” said Huganir. “But this may one day be applicable for the treatment of debilitating fearful memories in people, such as post-traumatic stress syndrome associated with war, rape or other traumatic events.”

Erasing memories sound like a good thing or kind of scary?

Posted by Meredith Cohn at 2:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)
Categories: Mental health
        

The University of Maryland plans to announce today that its Celiac Research Center is getting a $45 million donation from the family of a grateful patient.

The disease has been notoriously hard to diagnose because its symptoms are not always gastrointestinal. And even when they are, doctors sometimes believe it's an allergy or other malady.

But awareness is up, and this money ought to help more, says Dr. Alessio Fasano, the director of the center, and the doctor who diagnosed Shelia Cafferty, whose family is making the donation. The money, though, will mostly be used to develop new treatments -- and maybe a cure -- for celiac disase and other autoimmune diseases such as diabetes and multiple sclerosis.

That should be good news to those with the disease -- an estimated 1 in 133 people.

Research is expensive, and Maryland isn't stopping with the $45 million. Officials are selling awareness bracelets. (see above) You can buy one at www.celiaccenter.org.  And read the full story about celiac disease at baltimoresun.com.

So, think the bands will catch on? You have celiac disease or know someone who does? How long until you were diagnosed?

Posted by Meredith Cohn at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: General Health
        

Halloween is coming, and thanks to celebrities – specifically Lady Gaga – many girls may want to extend their costumes to their eyes.

In her “Bad Romance” video, Lady Gaga appeared to have larger-than-life eyes. And while her eyes were computer generated, the “circle” colored contacts are available online from Asian manufacturers for about $20-$30, with or without vision correction.

But not only are they illegal, they can permanently damage your eyes and even make you go blind, said Dr. Elliott H. Myrowitz, an assistant professor and chief of Optometric Services at the Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute. He's joining a chorus of doctors, organizations and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in warning consumers off these products.

He specializes in complex contact lense fittings, and said he’s not seen an uptick in people coming in for treatment of infections and other problems from these circle lenses. But he has seen infections from people not caring properly for their lenses. He worries a dangerous trend may be emerging.

So, now seems like a good time to remind people to follow some basics of contact lense care:

+Do not buy your contacts online without a doctor’s prescription. The FDA considers them medical devices. Dr. Myrowitz said you need a doctor to make sure the lenses fit properly and won’t damage your eye.

+Do not share lenses, keep them for longer than the recommended length of time, sleep in the lenses or reuse cleaning or storing solution. Do wash your hands before handing the lenses, change your case periodically and rub them with disinfectant before storage – no matter what the bottle of solution says.

+If your eyes are red and sore or your vision is not normal for more than an hour after you remove your lenses or there is a discharge, get to your eye doctor as soon as you can. Infections caught early are easier to treat. Those allowed to fester can lead to tough infections and even permanent damage that requires a cornea transplant.

So, the message from Dr. Myrowitz is: Take proper care of your lenses. And Halloween lenses aren’t worth the risk.

Anyone have an experience with lenses that can drive his lesson home?

Associated Press photo 

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Categories: Consumer health
        

Constipation in most people's minds is a problem associated with the geriatric generation.

But researchers at Johns Hopkins Children's Center have found that more children are dealing with more serious and chronic bouts of the condition.

The researchers attribute the problem to kids who don't get enough exercise, don't drink enough water and don't have enough fiber in their diets.

The children's center will open a clinic this month to help provide medical and behavioral therapy for children with constipation.

Doctors don't know just how many kids suffer from the ailment, but said they have seen a 30-percent increase in related visits from 2008 to 2009. It's also unclear if it is a new problem or if children weren't diagnosed early enough and, therefore, didn't get the right treatment.

Young children often aren't diagnosed or people believe the condition will ago away on its own. Simply changing a child's diet isn't enough to treat the disease.

Signs of severe constipation are abdominal bloating and a feeling of fullness, straining with bowel movements, and lumpy or hard stools or small pellet-like stools. These symptoms are often accompanied by a sensation of incomplete emptying of the bowel.

Children may also refuse to go to the toilet or want to go in a private place. They may soil their underwear or wet the bed.

Constipation develops over time and often begins when kids hold back bowel movements, the researchers said. Holding the stool disrupts the brain colon signaling mechanism that tells a child when he or she needs to use the bathroom.

Chronic constipation may impact a child's quality of life, research has shown. Many will continue to have the condition as an adult.

 Treatment includes taking osmotic products which come in a powder form and work by increasing the amount of water in the colon to promote bowel movements. Parents can also make sure the child drinks plenty of water, exercises and eats high-fiber foods.

When using the bathroom children should have their legs propped on a stool or box with their knees at right angles to make it easier to let out a bowl movement.

Posted by Andrea Walker at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Pediatrics
        

In case you missed this, a vendor at Lexington Market called Healthy Choice was fined by the city for allegedly serving up trans fats, according to a story by my colleague Frank Roylance.

I thought it was worth pointing out because it was the first fine since the city's effort to curb use of the artery clogging trans fats in eateries.

About 100 restaurants have been caught using trans fats, but the Health Choice store, at 400 W. Lexington St., was the only one that was caught twice during inspections.

Tell us what you think.

Posted by Meredith Cohn at 12:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)
Categories: Healthy Living
        

It’s Respiratory Care Week, and Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center is hosting a high-tech mobile motion simulator to show people the effects of smoking and pollutants on the lungs.

The COPD, or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Shuttle will be open to the public on Tuesday  from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. offering a 5-minute virtual journey inside the human body. Afterward, there will be free screenings for lung disease, sponsored by the COPD Foundation.

The goal is to raise awareness and try and prevent COPD, the fourth leading cause of death in the United States and the only chronic disease growing in mortality. COPD, affecting 24 million around the country – half of whom are undiagnosed -- includes chronic bronchitis, emphysema and adult onset (refractory) asthma. Symptoms include breathlessness, wheezing and chronic coughing.

“Millions of Americans suffer from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease so it is important to educate people about its causes, symptoms, treatment and prevention,” said Dr. Robert Wise, professor of medicine and director of the pulmonary laboratory at the Johns Hopkins Asthma and Allergy Center, in a statement. “The Johns Hopkins Bayview respiratory department is proud to host the COPD Shuttle during Respiratory Care Week, so that we can inform more people in Baltimore about this disease.”

The shuttle will be parked outside of the Asthma and Allergy Center at Hopkins Bayview. Parking will be available in the Mid-Campus lot and parking garage. For more information go to copdfoundatio.org or call 866-316-COPD (2673).

Photo courtesy of the COPD Foundation

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Categories: General Health
        

The American Cancer Society is reporting that 7,000 people turned up for Sunday's Making Strides Against Breast Cancer event in Baltimore. The 4-mile walk raised more than $430,000 to benefit the society's screening and patient support programs, according to event publicists.

Are you a survivor who participated in the event? If so, share your photo here.

And as Breast Cancer Awareness Month draws to a close, check out our coverage.

Photo by Maximilian Franz, courtesy of Maroon PR

Posted by Kim Walker at 3:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Cancer
        

I thought I might take dedicate a little space to our pets' health: They, like us, are aging and may need a little more medical attention.

Dogs and cats are considered senior a bit earlier than we might think, according to a Kansas State University veterinarian. Susan Nelson, an assistant professor of clinical services, says cats are considered senior from ages 8-11 – 48-60 in human years. At 12 they are geriatric.

Small dogs, 0-20 pounds, become senior at 8 and geriatric at 11 – human equivalent of 50 and 62. Dogs that weigh 120 pounds or more are senior at 4 and geriatric at 6 – 49 and 69 in human years.

And when they age, they can get people-like illnesses, including diabetes, kidney disease, cancer, osteoarthritis, periodontal disease and heart disease.

Nelson recommends routine exams and tests to catch problems and routine vaccinations and preventative medicines such as heartworm pills. There are treatments for many of the maladies. And just as with people, she said exercise is important.

“Such actions obviously can't prevent all diseases, but when caught early, many diseases can be managed and extended good quality of life can be achieved,” she said in a statement.

Nelson also noted that behavior can change. Pets may eat and play less, sleep more or become disoriented. They may become more fearful of thunderstorms, separation and children and may not be able to run and jump like they used to. She said avoid those things if they bother your pet and seek advice from a vet on behavior modification. Try a walk or swim to go easy on the joints.

You may also  need a new soft place to sleep for worn joints and soft food if they have painful teeth. You may also need to move the litter box or turn on more lights. And, of course, she said make sure you give them lots of TLC.

Baltimore Sun file photo

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Categories: geriatrics
        

Who said women were the weaker sex? Johns Hopkins research out this week shows that when women are severely injured, they are more likely to survive than similarly injured men.

Specifically, women are 14 percent more likely to survive – maybe because of the negative impact of male sex hormones on a traumatized immune system.

The study, published in the September issue of the Journal of Trauma, looked at data on 48,000 women and men from the National Trauma Data Bank between 2001 and 2005.

Both men and women have estrogens and androgens, which are males sex hormones such as testosterone. But they have different amounts that change over time. The study could lead to new treatments for men, such as giving them drugs to block androgens when they are injured.

“Female sex hormones appear to give women better resiliency to extreme injury, while male sex hormones seem to worsen their survival after severe trauma” said Dr. Adil H. Haider, an assistant professor of surgery at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the study’s leader, in a statement. “And if we can come up with ways to manipulate those hormones in men, for example by temporarily blocking sex hormones, we may be able to improve their survival.”

During the study, the researchers discovered that there was little difference in survival among those 12 and younger and seniors – groups with undeveloped or diminished sex hormones. It was in the middle group with the highest levels of hormones where women showed higher survival rates.

The researchers said the link between hormones and an immune-enhancing effect has long been suspected. Those hormones, however, may also cause more auto-immune disorders such as lupus.

Posted by Meredith Cohn at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Women's health
        

The American Heart Association this week officially changed its guidelines for CPR.

Officials say chest compression should be done first by non-professionals and professional rescuers on victims of cardiac arrest – not breathing.

The guidelines were published in Circulation, the Journal of the American Health Association, and they are an update to 2005 guidelines. The guidelines now switch from ABC (Airway-Breathing-Compressions) to CAB (compressions-Airway-Breathing).

“For more than 40 years, CPR training has emphasized the ABCs of CPR, which instructed people to open a victim’s airway by tilting their head back, pinching the nose and breathing into the victim’s mouth, and only then giving chest compressions,” said Dr. Michael Sayre, co-author of the guidelines and chairman of the American Heart Association’s Emergency Cardiovascular Care Committee, in a statement.

“This approach was causing significant delays in starting chest compressions, which are essential for keeping oxygen-rich blood circulating through the body. Changing the sequence from A-B-C to C-A-B for adults and children allows all rescuers to begin chest compressions right away.”

Now, officials compressions should be started immediately on anyone who is unresponsive and not breathing normally. Breathing delays up to 30 critical seconds the compressions that get blood to the health and brain.

One note, this advice is for adults and children, not infants. Give compressions at a rate of at least 100 times a minute. Keep at it until help arrives.

Posted by Meredith Cohn at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Cardiovascular Health
        

Daycare can be a breeding ground for viruses.

For most kids this might mean they get sick and spend a couple of days at home.

For babies with a chronic lung condition caused by premature birth, it can put them at risk for serious respiratory infections, according to researchers from the Johns Hopkins Children's Center.

"Daycare can be a breeding ground for viruses and puts these already vulnerable children at risk for prolonged illness and serious complications from infections that are typically mild and short-lived in children with healthy lungs," said lead investigator Sharon McGrath-Morrow.

The results of the study, funded by the Thomas Wilson Sanitarium for Children and the National Institutes of Health, were printed in the October issue of Pediatrics.

Researcher interviewed the parents of 111 children age 3 and under with chronic lung disease of prematurity. They asked them about their child's daycare attendance, infections, symptoms, emergency room visits, hospitalizations and use of medications.

Children with chronic lung disease who attended daycare were nearly four times more likely to end up in the ER with serious respiratory symptoms than those who didn't attend daycare. They were twice as likely to need corticosteroids and twice as likely to need antibiotics.

The children in daycare were also three times more likely to have breathing problems at least once  week.

Investigators want pediatricians to make parents more aware of the risk because serious complications caused by these infections can land kids in the hospital. Repeated infections can lead to lifelong respiratory problems and chronic lung damage.

The researchers advise parents to keep children with chronic lung disease out of daycare for the first two years of life.

Chronic lung disease develops in about a quarter of babies born at or before 26 weeks of gestation, according to the researchers.

Posted by Andrea Walker at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Pediatrics
        

Insurance companies around the country have been dropping health insurance policies that would cover only children.

But in Maryland, two of the state's largest insurance companies are assuring people they will continue to offer child-only policies until healthcare reform takes affect in 2014.

Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic and CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield said this afternoon they will offer the policies, often used by parents who may not have coverage through work.

Healthcare reform made it illegal for insurance companies to deny coverage to children with pre-existing conditions after September of this year, but does not require all companies to offer policies.

Some insurance companies throughout the country have refused to sell child-only insurance policies because they think parents will only look for coverage when their children are sick.

The child-only policies only account for 2 percent of the individual insurance market but can be crucial to families who do not have access to family coverage. Parents whose employers don't offer insurance may want to buy an individual policy for their children so at least somebody in the household is covered.

The Maryland Insurance Administration said it is putting emergency regulations in place so that the child-only policies will be offered in two open enrollment periods in January and July until 2014.

CareFirst said in a statement that limiting applications to certain periods would discourage parents from waiting to enroll their children until they needed medical care, which runs up costs.

Posted by Andrea Walker at 2:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Health care reform
        

It’s Halloween season, but not all the blood is fake.

During pumpkin carving time, it’s not uncommon to cut more than the orange gourd. But the folks at the Greater Chesapeake Hand Specialists have some advice for staying out of the emergency room. 

“Most of us end up at the hospital at least once or twice in October repairing cut tendons and nerves from a pumpkin carving mishap,” says Dr. Chris Forthman, a surgeon at the practice’s Lutherville and Westminster offices. “These mishaps often result in three to four months of rehabilitation to restore function to the damaged hand and fingers.”

Here’s what the specialists say:

+Pick a Good Work Environment -- Carve a clean, dry, and well-lit area. Also make sure that your hands, the knife and the cutting surfaces remain free of excess liquid or other pumpkin grime. Moisture is often a factor in slipping and accidental injury.

+Have a Responsible Adult in Charge -- “I’ve seen far too many teens ruin their hands with accidental knife injuries,” said Dr. Forthman. “Pumpkin carving can be a fun and creative outlet for some adolescents, but there must be good oversight and a healthy respect for the blade. A split second error in judgment can alter the course of a promising kid’s athletic, musical, or other interests.”

+Involve Children in a Safe Way -- Never let children do the carving. Forthman suggests letting kids draw a pattern on the pumpkin and have them be responsible for cleaning out the inside pulp and seeds.

+Sharper is not better -- Use a Pumpkin Carving Kit. Sharp knives often become wedged in the thicker part of the pumpkin skin. “Yanking a sharp blade from deep in the pumpkin is a recipe for disaster,” Forthman said. “I also have taken care of patients with stab injuries from driving through the pumpkin and out the other side. Just be careful” Special pumpkin carving kits are available in stores and include small serrated pumpkin saws that work better because they are less likely to get stuck in the thick pumpkin tissue.

+Watch Where You Cut -- While using the pumpkin carving kits, always cut away from yourself. Also be sure to cut in small, controlled strokes.

+Don’t Drink and Carve -- “If you’re attending a pumpkin carving party (for adults) with alcoholic beverages, do not drink the alcohol until after you have finished carving,” said Dr. Michael S. Murphy, a surgeon in the Lutherville and Clarksville/River Hill offices. “You’d be surprised how many patients I’ve seen in the ER who harmed themselves carving while intoxicated.”

+Know When to Seek Medical Help -- If you do end up cutting yourself, 10 to 15 minutes of direct pressure to minor cuts often stops any bleeding. Large wounds, uncontrollable bleeding, numbness and loss of motion are all good reasons to consider an emergency room visit.

Baltimore Sun file photo/Gene Sweeney

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Categories: Consumer health
        

Nearly 3 out of 100 Americans have a food allergy, according to a new study believed to be the largest one conducted on food allergies.

The study of 8,200 people of all ages was conducted by Johns Hopkins Children's Center, the National Institutes of Health and other institutions. NIH funded the study. It found more than 2.5 percent of the population, or 7.5 million people, have at least one food allergy.

The most common allergy is peanuts antibodies, the proteins made by the immune system in response to allergens. Others big allergens were allergic to shrimp, eggs, milk. Many people had more than one allergy.

The use of antibodies allowed the researchers to see only those with actual disease and not a risk for allergies.

The findings are published in the October issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology and are based on blood samples and interviews.

In general, allergies were most common in children 5 and younger, followed by those 6 to 19. Black people were more likely to have allergies, as were men. The researchers also looked for links to asthma, eczema and hay fever, and found a allergies were more common in those with asthma.

“Our findings confirm a long-suspected interplay between food allergies and asthma, and that people with one of the conditions are at higher risk for the other,” says investigator Dr. Robert Wood, director of Allergy and Immunology at the Johns Hopkins Children's Center.

He said many children develop a food allergy first and later get asthma and then hay fever.

Associated Press photo

Posted by Meredith Cohn at 12:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Allergies
        

A new report in Men’s Health is not giving Baltimore much to smile about.

The report ranks the cities with the worst teeth. Baltimore came up as No. 4. Only St. Louis, Philadephia and Newark, N.J. were worse.

Considered for the rankings were the cities' community water fluoridation, the percentage of people who saw a dentist in the past year or have had their teeth extracted, the percentage of households using dental floss, money spent on oral hygiene products and the number of dentist offices per capita.

The best teeth were found in San Jose, Calif.; Fargo, N.D.; and Boise, Idaho.

The ranking may be surprising because the state really began paying more attention to the lack of care for poor urban kids in 2007, when 12-year-old Deamonte Driver from Prince George's County died after an infection in an untreated tooth spread to his brain.

Academic, industry and government leaders banded together to win aid for local health centers,  streamline the Medicaid program and send hygienists into the community to provide screenings. They won agreements from dentists to treat poor children.

But perhaps the adults aren't getting the messages, or the care they need? Maybe it'll take another generation of education and care? Maybe the economy has ended money for programs?

Maybe flossing just isn't Baltimore's thing?

See the full rankings, featured in the November issue of Men's Health on newstands Oct. 19, on the next page.

Posted by Meredith Cohn at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)
Categories: Consumer health
        

As Maryland enters flu season, state officials reported the first lab-confirmed case of swine flu, a Baltimore are adult with the H1N1 strain who is recovering at a hospital. 

As noted in today's article about flu season, public health officials say there is plenty of vaccine to go around -- unlike last year, when the H1N1 flu pandemic triggered a scramble for vaccine. And that's important because for the first time the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that everyone 6 months and older get a flu vaccination — not just vulnerable groups.

The H1N1 flu killed about 12,000 Americans and sickened millions last season. Maryland reported 45 lab-confirmed deaths, including five children, though many cases were not confirmed. The pandemic was officially declared over in August after a nationwide vaccination campaign.

This year, the H1N1 strain is included with two other seasonal strains into one vaccine so adults need only one dose, though some children younger than 9 still need a booster. Last year, the government commissioned and bought a separate H1N1 vaccine because the strain was discovered after manufacturers had begun producing seasonal flu vaccine.

Several state and Baltimore city officials, including Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and state Health Secretary John M. Colmers, headed to a public clinic today to get vaccinated themselves in an effort to encourage everyone else to do the same.  

Posted by Meredith Cohn at 1:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Swine flu/H1N1
        

Much attention was given to the physical well-being of the 33 Chilean miners as they were rescued throughout the day -- they were given oxygen masks, sunglasses and warm clothing for the 2,000-foot ride to the surface, and they were hurried to a medical tent for a check up.

But as important in the aftermath will be their mental health, said Dr. George S. Everly Jr., an associate professor of psychiatry at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and a faculty member at the Center for Public Health Preparedness in the Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Everly has studied disaster medicine for 30 years, authoring two books on the subject and a report for the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health on escape and rescue from mine disasters.

He said there are two issues – the immediate problems that can surface after rescue, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, and the longer-term problems associated with the let down the miners may feel when the euphoria and media attention fade.

“They’re a special lot to begin with,” Everly said in an interview about miners who agree to put themselves in such a confining and dangerous situation.

That should help many of them resist post-traumatic stress disorder. And the more they believe, rightly or wrongly, that their company did what it could to protect them, the better off they are likely to be -- same for the effort that the government put into their rescue.

The fact that no one died or was seriously hurt will also help them bond and be resilient. And it will mean they avoid survivor’s guilt, he said.

Still, he said, 25 percent of people involved in large disaster situations develop post-traumatic stress disorder or depression.

“It’s not just exposure, but something else,” he said. “That something else is the Holy Grail of the [disaster mental health] field. We don’t know exactly what it is. But it’s when the glue that holds our world together for us is gone; when our belief system is violated.”

And, down the road, 18 months or 2 years, there could be more problems. The miners could have trouble with the inevitable let down from the event. The euphoria of being rescued will be gone. The media, interviews, book deals will be over.

“Some people literally define their existence by one exposure,” he said. “’I’m a survivor of the Titanic.’ ...The degree of satisfaction outside their life as a miner will make the difference. The more they have the more resilient they will be.”

For each miner, the key will be watching for signs of trouble, early on or down the road. Just as family and friends of those returning from combat, the miners’ community will need to be on the lookout for such behavior as irritability and aggressiveness or withdrawal. And they will need to do it for a long time -- more than the 6 months the government has already promised.

But, he said, therapy, and medication, can be very effective.

Getty Images photo of the capsule used to rescue the miners

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Categories: Mental health
        

Maryland health officials said they have opened the first connections in the statewide health information exchange - a system that gives doctors and other medical professionals computerized access to patients' records.

The initial connections are among hospitals and other medical facilities in Montgomery County. But it is expected to spread rapidly through the state with 48 hospitals having signed up to join the system.

The system allows doctors immediate access to patient records. Advocates hope it will help cut down on medical mistakes, particularly during an emergency.

It links physicians, hospitals, medical laboratories and pharmacies.

Chesapeake Regional Information System for our Patients built the exchange. The organization is a nonprofit collaboration among Erickson Retirement Communities, Johns Hopkins Medicine, MedStar Health and the University of Maryland Medical System.

The Montgomery County hospitals and other medical facilities wired into the system are: Holy Cross Hospital, Suburban Hospital, Montgomery General Hospital, Quest Diagnostics, Laboratory Corporation of America, American Radiology Services and Community Radiology and Advanced Radiology.

Several other providers and services will connect in the next few weeks.

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Categories: General Health
        

Almost three quarters of people surveyed for Planned Parenthood Action Fund said that FDA-approved prescription contraception should be fully covered by insurance and not cost the user anything.

The pro-abortion rights group wants birth control pills and other contraception covered as a preventive health care service – those that are covered under the health care reform law such as mammograms.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services can decide what extra preventive care to cover under the Women’s Health Amendment to the health care law. A decision on benefits is expected next August.

The group’s survey – of 1,147 American voters completed in July -- also found that a third of women have struggled to pay for birth control at some point in their lives.
 
 “At Planned Parenthood, we see too many women choosing between birth control and basics like rent, tuition and childcare. Because our country leads the industrialized world in unintended and teen pregnancy, prescription birth control must be made available at no cost,” said Cecile Richards, president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, in a statement. “Making birth control available at no cost makes it possible for women to use the method that works best for them and will reduce the number of unintended pregnancies in America.”

Co-pays, the group says, for birth control pills range from $15 to $50 a month and co-pays and other expenses for other contraception cost more upfront.

The group says that the survey showed support from men (60 percent), Republican women (72 percent) and Catholic women (77 percent).

Do you support free contraception? 

Feature photo service

Posted by Meredith Cohn at 11:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
Categories: Women's health
        

Want to get a deal on a new designer outfit, and benefit the Greater Baltimore Medical Center HealthCare system?

Volunteers from GBMC will be modeling 25 casual and fancy outfits in a fashion show today from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. in the Civiletti Conference Center, in the lobby level of the Physician’s Pavilion East building. The clothes are for sale as part of the Fall Nearly New Sale.

The sale has gained a following over the decades, hospital officials say, with hundred of people lining up hours before the sale starts to get the discounts of all kinds of apparel.
 
All the proceeds go to GBMC system – some $250,000 annually. The sale will run Oct. 23-25, 27-28 and 30.

Posted by Meredith Cohn at 10:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Consumer health
        

It's Breast Cancer Awareness Month and everything seems to be pink, from yogurt containers to NFL football players' shoes to the flag on the Baltimore Sun website.

To be sure, one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. It's the second most deadly kind of cancer for women behind lung cancer.

But Dr. Barron Lerner, a medical historian at Columbia University Medical Center, wrote a column on the New York Times' Well blog about the fatigue and even backlash.

He writes that not everyone believes awareness is helping advance the cause. And at worst, some believe all the money raised is going to corporate interests that are not always aligned with prevention of breast cancer (some are polluters that may contribute to cancer's rise and others want only to develop treatment drugs and not a cure.)

What do you think of all the pink?

Baltimore Sun file photo

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Categories: Cancer
        

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health was awarded $38.6 million from the Department of Defense to expand the orthopedic trauma care research it began last year.

The money will go to the Major Extremity Trauma Research Consortium, METRC, which conducts studies on treatment and outcomes of major orthopedic injuries from the battlefield.

“The initial funding was critical to establishing the consortium and providing the resources to address some of the immediate research needs of the military in the acute management of severe limb injuries,” said Ellen MacKenzie, principal investigator and the Fred and Julie Soper Professor and Chair of the Bloomberg School’s Department of Health Policy and Management, in a statement.

The extra funding will allow the consortium to continue to determine which treatments work well, and also look into related issues, such as prevention of bone infection, chronic pain and overall disability, she said.

The number of civilian center that treat service member with major trauma also will expand from 12 to 24.

Some 82 percent of all service members injured in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom have suffered significant trauma to one or more limb.

Baltimore Sun file photo of a wounded service member

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Howard County is hosting the 2nd annual Men's Health Fair today with free health screenings, confidential HIV testing and healthy snacks.

The event is being held 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Long Reach High School, 6101 Old Dobbin Road in Columbia. The event aims to help men take the initital steps toward a healthier lifestyle.

The day will also include fitness demonstrations, nutritional counseling and tips on meal planning. The Long Reach Culinary Arts Program is providing the snacks.

The event is hosted by Howard County Council Member Calvin Ball, Congressman Elijah Cummings and the Howard County Health Department.

Posted by Andrea Walker at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Men's health
        

A couple of years ago, a coworker of mine, Stephanie Desmon, wrote a series about women with breast cancer who volunteered to receive a vaccine as part of a clinical trial. Sue Marangi was one of them.

Sue and the other women had hoped not only to save themselves, but to help others -- who had yet to even be diagnosed with breast cancer. Sue had fought cancer for three decades and survived two more years after Stephanie's series. But, recently, she passed away at 62.

Since it's Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I thought I'd share the official obit the Sun ran. And here's a moving tribute to the woman, written by Stephanie, who now works for Johns Hopkins.

And to learn more about breast cancer, cutting-edge treatments and some of the women living with the disease -- the second most diagnosed and the second most deadly kind of cancer for women -- look for a special section in your Sun or in Baltimoresun.com this weekend.

Baltimore Sun file photo of Sue Marangi

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Categories: Cancer
        

The West Cecil Health Center is getting a $3.3 million federal grant as part of an effort to improve community health centers under health care reform.

The money is part of $727 million the department of Health and Human Resources said today it is giving to 143 community health centers for upgrades and expansions.

Community health centers serve 19 million patients, about 40 percent of those people don't have health insurance, HHS said. They are often a life line for people who have lost coverage or are in between jobs. The expanded center will provide care to about 745,000 more patients.

The money is the first in a series of awards that will be made to community health centers under the Affordable Care Act. About $11 billion will go to health centers in the next five years under health care reform.

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Categories: General Health
        

Sports apparel company Under Armour said today that it has extended its sponsorship of the Baltimore Running Festival and Baltimore Marathon through 2012.

The company has been the title sponsor of the event since 2003, providing the free shirts runners get for participating.

The running festival, to be held Oct. 16, celebrates its tenth anniversary this year. It includes a marathon, half-marathon, 5k, team relay and a Kids' Fun Run. About 22,000 runners will participate this year.

The races have generated more than $135 million in revenue for the city and more than $5 million for local charities since its inception in 2001.

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Categories: Diet and exercise
        

Give a patient the wrong medication and it can have dire - even deadly - circumstances.

Dennis Quaid's newborn twins almost died when given an overdose of the blood thinner heparin.

Luckily, Maryland hospitals have improved on the number of mistakes they make when dispensing medication to patients.

A report by the Maryland Patient Safety Center found that Maryland hospitals increased their median safety each year for the last ten years. From 2005 to 2010 they increased it by 16 percent.

The report looked at 33 hospitals in the state.

It found that hospitals are doing a better job at keeping track of the medical history of hospitalized patients. This can help prevent complications from the wrong mixing of medications. They have also done better at checking and correcting errors before they happen.

The safety center said that technology, such as electronic records, can help prevent even more errors caused by medication mistakes.

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Categories: Drugs
        

Turns out two wheels are safer than four when it comes to off-road riding, a hobby that’s on the rise around the nation, according to new research from Johns Hopkins.

Those involved in four-wheel all-terrain vehicle (ATV) crashes are 50 percent more likely to die of their injuries than those riding off-road motorcycles, such as those used in Motocross, according to the research to be presented this week at the American College of Surgeon’s 2010 Clinical Congress.

The researched showed ATV crash victims were 55 percent more likely to be admitted to the intensive care unit and 42 percent more likely to be placed on a ventilator.

 “There’s a belief that four wheels must be safer than two,” said Cassandra Villegas, a research fellow at the Johns Hopkins Center for Surgery Trials and Outcomes, in a statement. “But we found the opposite. People involved in ATV crashes are more likely to die or suffer serious trauma.”

Because off-road riding, frequently on rough terrain, in on the increase, Villegas wanted to look at safety issues. She found injuries in general also are on the rise: 150,900 in 2007, versus 92,200 in 2000, Villegas said. Researchers looked at data on nearly 60,000 injured riders.

They weren’t sure lack of helmets was a huge contributing factor in the disparity of injuries, though more states have motorcycle helmet laws and more actually wear them. They said weight of the ATVs and the lack of protective clothes ATV riders wear could be factors. Researchers are hoping, in any case, that ATV makers use the data to design safer vehicles.

Do you ride? Wear proper protection?

Getty Images photo of an ATV

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Categories: Consumer health
        

Wonder how the brain creates, or responds to, art? Wonder why and how humans come to perceive beauty?

Some scientists are joining with artists, musicians, educators and historians to explore the topic during a series of lectures on sensory science and the arts Oct. 20 and 21.

The series was developed by the Johns Hopkins Brain Science Institute along with the Walters Art Museum, and it will be moderated by National Public Radio arts and science correspondent Jon Hamilton.

“The artifacts of early man suggest that our ancestors were moved by images, forms, sounds and movements, and in a world of subsistence, put effort and resources into their art,” says Dr. John “Jack” Griffin, director of the Brain Science Institute, in a statement. “For centuries, philosophers have speculated on the links between perception, beauty, creativity and pleasure, and in recent years, scientists have learned a great deal about sensory systems.”

He said the relevance in life is the ability, for example, to design classrooms that enhance learning or hospitals that facilitate greater healing.

The cost is $100 for the public, and free for students. For a complete list of lectures and information on registering, go to the Brain Science Institute website.

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Categories: Healthy Living
        

Among the big questions – and controversies – revolving around the new health care reform law, are how many people who can’t afford coverage will get subsidies and how much they will get.

A new report from reform advocates Families USA shows that more than 400,000 people in Maryland will get a tax credit in 2014 to help pay for health insurance. Collectively, their tax bill will be reduced by $1.5 billion.

Nationally, taxes are expected to be reduced by $110 billion in 2014, according to the report.

Among those slated to get a credit in the state, about 202,000 are uninsured and another 211,400 have insurance but have trouble paying for it. The majority, almost 361,000, are in families with a member working full time.

The credits will be awarded on a sliding scale, with lower income people getting more than middle income people. A family of four would be eligible, for example, if they earn between $29,327 and $88,200. Those with the even lower incomes will be added to Medicaid roles.

“This is the largest middle-income tax cut in history, and it will enable many hard-working Marylanders to afford health insurance premiums that have stretched family budgets,” said Ron Pollack, executive director of Families USA, in a conference call to reporters. “The tax cut will not only put significant extra cash in Marylanders’ pocketbooks, but it will also ease the burden of families’ growing health care costs.”

He refuted claims by Republicans that the reform law in general would increase the debt and end up costing other Americans more in insurance premiums. Pollack said more people with insurance will mean less uncompensated care and lower premiums for everyone. Efficiencies in the public health systems also will lower the overall cost of the program.

Many Americans still do not support the new health care law, however, and Republicans have vowed to defund it or repeal at least parts of it.

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Categories: Health care reform
        

Scientists from Johns Hopkins Children's Center and Morgan State University have joined forces to increase diversity in reproductive research using a $3.2 million federal grant.

The grant from the National Institutes of Health will allow five researchers from the institutions to partner on research projects. It will also be used to recruit and train minority students with interest in reproductive science research.

Race and ethnicity can play a crucial role in how people's bodies develop diseases and respond to treatment. Diversifying those who do the research will help strengthen the science, the researchers believe. And ultimately it could help better treat patients.

"Ultimately, diversity in research talent will help eliminate health disparities, whether they stem from socioeconomic gaps, from differences in access to healthcare or from purely biologic factors," Andrew Wolfe, director of research training in the Division of Pediatric Endocrinology at Hopkins Children's Center, said in a statement.

The grant will allow undergraduates to train alongside graduate and medical students and postdoctoral trainees in endocrinology.

Hopkins has already begun recruiting minority freshman and sophomores interested in careers in the field. Email Michael Summa at msumma1@jhmi.edu or Gloria Hoffman at Gloria.Hoffman@morgan.edu for applications.

The partnership between Hopkins and Morgan is one of two pairings between a major hospital and a historically black institution on this subject. Emory University and the Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta have a simliar partnership.

(Baltimore Sun file photo)

Posted by Andrea Walker at 11:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: General Health
        

For all you ladies looking for the fountain of youth, it may lie in the amount of sleep you get.

Getting just the right amount of sleep will help you live longer, according to a recent study.

Less than five hours a night is probably not enough. Eight hours is probably too much, according to the study by the University of California San Diego School of Medicine.

The scientists from the medical school looked at data gathered by a previous study looking at data from 1995 and 1999.

They looked for the 459 women to see if they were still alive and kicking. Of the 444 who were located, 86 had died.

The researchers found that those women who slept 6.5 to 7.5 hours per night had the best survival rate. The findings were published online in the journal of Sleep Medicine.

(Baltimore Sun file photo)

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Categories: Women's health
        

The University of Maryland School of Pharmacy today celebrated the opening of a new teaching and lab building.

The $62 million Pharmacy Hall building is located adjacent to Martin Luther King J. Blvd. on Baltimore's West side.

The seven-story building has lecture halls equipped with technology for distance learning, experiential learning facilities and research laboratories. The facility also includes a dispensing laboratory that uses robotics -- allowing pharmacists to spend more time on critical care patient duties such as medication management.

Four floors of the building will be dedicated to clinical and translational research in pharmacogenetics, nanomedicine and drug discovery.

The Maryland General Assembly approved funding for the building in 2008. The pharmacy school was looking to educate more pharmacists and "carry out more cutting-edge research."

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Categories: General Health
        

Anti-smoking advocates are crediting an indoor smoking ban and a cigarette tax for bringing down the rate of smoking in Maryland.

The advocates said in a press conference earlier today that there was a 32 percent drop in adult smoking from 1998 to 2009 – more than twice the national average.

They also announced $550,000 in U.S. Food and Drug Administration money to help enforce a ban on selling tobacco to minors. Inspections of retail outlets will begin later this month, they said.

The announcement came from a collection of Maryland health officials, including former city health commissioner Dr. Joshua M. Sharfstein, who is now the FDA’s principal deputy commissioner, and John M. Colmers, the secretary of the state’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

 “We've made significant progress in the battle against smoking and tobacco-related disease because our public and private partners are working hard to help adults quit smoking and keep children from starting,” Colmers said in a statement. “While we've done more with less in tough economic times to reduce tobacco use, we remain committed to doing more. The health and future life expectancy of Maryland's children and adults are at stake.”

At the heart of the drop in smoking, Colmers and others said was the 2007 smoking ban,  a controversial move that prohibits smoking in all public indoor places including bars, restaurants and workplaces, and the one-dollar a pack increase in the tobacco tax. They also cited the Maryland Tobacco Quitline, 1-800-QUIT-NOW, which has received calls from 50,000 people seeking help quitting.

Here are the stats they cited (from the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention & Health Promotion - Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System):

Maryland tobacco use average dropped to 15.1 percent in 2009 from 22.4 percent in 1998, or 32.6 percent. Nationally, the drop went to 20.6 percent from 24.1 percent in the same time frame, or 14.5 percent.

So, have you quit? Any of the reasons cited by authorities a factor?

Baltimore Sun file photo/Lloyd Fox

Posted by Meredith Cohn at 12:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Healthy Living
        

Maryland’s hospitals have already endeavored to get more doctors to wash their hands, and now they are moving onto another means of passing infection. The hospitals are joining a nationwide initiative to eliminate bloodstream infections.

Called On the CUSP (Comprehensive Unit-based Safety Program), the program is voluntary. It was developed by Johns Hopkins safety guru Dr. Peter Pronovost, and is administered in the state by the Maryland Hospital Association and the Maryland Patient Safety Center.

It’s based on checklists, staff education and expert consultation. The goal is to reduce central line-associated bloodstream infections. There are now some 250,000 of them occurring every year across the country.

“The program works,” said Pronovost, director for the Quality and Safety Research Group at Hopkins, in a statement. “On the CUSP will help ensure that Maryland patients received safer hospital care.”

The infections often result from a central line or central vascular catheter, which is the tube used to provide sick patients with medicine, fluids, nutrients or blood.

The Hospital Association points to a recent CDC report that shows Maryland had 222 preventable infections in the first six months of 2009 – an unacceptable number, officials say.

During a pilot program in Michigan, infections dropped by 60 percent. Maryland is among 30 states that have since signed on.

So, think a voluntary program is enough?

Here are the participating hospitals:

Adventist Rehabilitation Hospital of Maryland Anne Arundel Medical Center; Atlantic General Hospital; Baltimore Washington Medical Center; Calvert Memorial Hospital; Carroll Hospital Center; Chester River Hospital Center; Civista Medical Center; Doctors Community Hospital; Fort Washington Medical Center; Franklin Square Hospital Center; Frederick Memorial Healthcare System; Good Samaritan Hospital; Greater Baltimore Medical Center; Harbor Hospital; Holy Cross Hospital; Howard County General Hospital; Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center; Kernan Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation; Maryland General Hospital; Mercy Medical Center; Montgomery General Hospital; Northwest Hospital Center; Peninsula Regional Medical Center; Prince George's Hospital Center; Shady Grove Adventist Hospital; Shore Health System (Memorial Hospital at Easton and Dorchester General Hospital); Sinai Hospital; Southern Maryland Hospital Center; Saint Agnes Hospital; St. Joseph Medical Center; St. Mary's Hospital; Suburban Hospital; The Johns Hopkins Hospital; Union Hospital; Union Memorial Hospital; University of Maryland Medical Center; University Specialty Hospital; Upper Chesapeake Health (Harford Memorial Hospital and Upper Chesapeake Medical Center); Washington Adventist Hospital; Washington County Hospital; and Western Maryland Health System.

Chicago Tribune photo

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Categories: General Health
        

There are some 12 million nurses working in 125 countries, the largest group of healthcare professionals in the world.

Their job is to provide care, teach others to provide care and direct policies to better administer care, according to Johns Hopkins’ dean of the School of Nursing.

But Martha N. Hill says there is a shortage of nurses and it’s growing.

To address the needs of many nations, such as Haiti, where the earthquake 6 months ago destroyed a nursing school, Hopkins has opened a new international center that aims to share what they and others know.

“The world’s most serious health threats—maternal and infant death, new and resistant infections, cardiovascular and other chronic diseases, malnutrition, natural disasters, and man-made conflicts—call for this global nursing perspective,” she said.

Among other things, the center, Hill said, will partner with other academic institutions to help develop new curriculums, enhance the skills of practitioners and support research. It will help the United Nations meet its goals of improving the health of women and children.

It will also promote innovation and best practices in nursing, as well as help create global standards for nursing. It will encourage faculty and student exchanges and partner with international organizations to leverage resources.

Hill says all of this will be no small task. But nurses, she said, “are among the world’s thinkers, decision-makers, innovators, and trail blazers who are on the front lines in dealing with national and international health issues. And they are poised to address—and capable of resolving—the world’s most pressing health concerns.”

Baltimore Sun file photo of child waiting for medical care after the earthquate in Haiti/Kim Hairston

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Categories: Health care professionals