Vaccinations for Adults
You’re NEVER too old to get immunized!
Getting immunized is a lifelong, life-protecting job. Don’t leave your healthcare
provider’s office without making sure you’ve had all the vaccinations you need.

Source: immunize.org

Click here to see all the recommended immunizations

August 27, 2009

Know What to Do About the Flu Webcast – Pregnant Women and New Moms

On August 27, an expert panel discussed how pregnant women and new mothers can prepare for the H1NI flu. Email questions were answered by the panel during the broadcast.

Source:     flu.gov

Click here to watch the web cast

Swine Flu and Pregnant Women

Sacramento – Governor Schwarzenegger has signed Assembly Bill 83 (Feuer/Benoit), legislation which encourages individuals to act as “Good Samaritans” and voluntarily help rescue others in peril. The legislation goes into effect immediately.

Author of Good Samaritan Assembly Bill 83

Assembly Member Feuer was moved to introduce AB 83 by personal experience. While driving home from work on a Los Angeles freeway we witnessed the driver of a pickup truck swerve and lose control, overturning in traffic. Feuer helped pull the driver and his family from the overturned vehicle while others blocked traffic on the busy freeway.

Now Good Samaritans have no reason to hesitate to responsibly help someone in an emergency out of fear that they might be sued, ” Feuer said. “This legislation encourages Californians to look out for each other at a time when public resources are all too scarce. I’m proud of the broad coalition that came together to make this common sense law possible.” The bill garnered unanimous bi-partisan support in its passage through the Legislature, and it created a broad and unusual alliance of support from law enforcement and rescue agencies, as well as the plaintiffs and defense bars and the American Heart Association.

Assembly member Mike Feuer´s website: http://www.assembly.ca.gov/a42Read the rest of this article from californiachronicle.com

From the Wall Street Journal

By Jacob Goldstein

Here’s a quick roundup of swine (H1N1) flu news:

The feds put out guidelines today to help businesses prepare for a possible second wave of the H1N1 virus, which could come around this fall. Nothing particularly surprising here; mainly, be sure that sick employees don’t come to work, and have a plan in place in case things get really bad. One interesting detail: During a severe wave of flu, one option for healthy employees who can’t work from home is to come to the office and try not to come within six feet of another person. “This is not a simple or easy strategy,” the CDC notes dryly.

The public isn’t too worked up about swine flu, according to a new poll from the Washington Post and ABC News. More than 60% of respondents said they’re “not at all” or “not too” worried about the pandemic. Nearly three quarters said they believe that the government can respond effectively to an outbreak. And 65% said they’d get a swine flu vaccine for themselves or a family member if it were recommended by a doctor.

What’s the deal with the swine flu vaccine, anyway? As this useful WSJ swine flu primer noted yesterday, the feds are now predicting they will have 45 million doses of the vaccine by mid-October, with another 20 million doses a week coming off the assembly line after that, and a total of 195 million doses by December. Clinical trials now underway should make it clear whether two doses per person will be required to generate immunity. Orders from governments in the developed world now stand at over 1 billion doses, Agence France Presse reported yesterday.

Image of H1N1 swine flu by C. S. Goldsmith and A. Balish via CDC

Read the Article

Broken Heart Syndrome (BHS) also called stress cardiomyopathy, is triggered by extreme and sudden emotional trauma. Reported triggers have included unexpected news of a death, domestic abuse, armed robbery, and even a surprise party. The condition manifests with symptoms suggesting an acute heart attack (severe pressure-like chest pain, shortness of breath, and a sense of impending doom).

BHS has been written about for many years in Japan (where it is called “octopus trap cardiomyopathy” because of the peculiar shape of the ballooning heart muscle), but until relatively recently it has been poorly recognized in the rest of the world.

From: heartdisease.about.com

Click here to read the rest of the article from heartdisease.about.com

From: www.hopkinsmedicine.org

Now, researchers at Johns Hopkins have discovered that sudden emotional stress can also result in severe but reversible heart muscle weakness that mimics a classic heart attack.  Patients with this condition, called stress cardiomyopathy but known colloquially as “broken heart” syndrome, are often misdiagnosed with a massive heart attack when, indeed, they have suffered from a days-long surge in adrenalin (epinephrine) and other stress hormones that temporarily “stun” the heart.

Clcik for the rest of the article from hopkinsmedicine.org

From: takotsubo.com
Click here for more info and great illustrations
Tako-tsubo Cardiomyopathy or Syndrome is also known as:

* neurogenic myocardial stunning,
* stress cardiomyopathy
* stress-induced cardiomyopathy,
* transient left ventricular apical ballooning,
* “ampulla” cardiomyopathy
* “broken heart syndrome”.

Root cause of tako-tsubo syndrome: Stress appears to be the underlying root cause in many cases. Because of this, some have investigated an excessive norepinephrine release over the heart muscle. Because this mechanism is not yet proven scientifically to satisfaction, we are a bit helpless for the treatment of this syndrome (we really only have standard support measures that we give to other patients with standard heart failure). There are some attempts to give a calcium channel blocker to prevent coronary spasm, but there is no solid literature on that. Besides, patients often have low blood pressure, prevent us from giving a vasodilator such as a calcium channel blocker. Like everything else: better prevent and recognize tako-tsubo syndrome rather than wait for the full syndrome.

The Saga of “Crabby Craig” the Morton’s Neuroma Post op goes on.
Tonight Crabby Craig headed for the shower. A challenge indeed, as the post op dressing has to stay dry and intact until the stitches are removed. Hmm? What to do!
We did a “Dry Run” before there was any water involved to make sure that the patient could get into the shower safely. Hmm? How to get the patient safely in the shower? Use the bed side commode in the shower for stability, and to sit on. Crabby Craig is elevated on another shower stool. Used a walker to get the patient into the shower.
The PLAN:
Wrap the foot and dressing in a washcloth … then cover well with plastic food wrap and tape with micropore plastic tape. Next whole leg goes in the “waterproof” leg shower bag, and more tape goes on the top of that to make sure not water sneaks in. Patient was Estatic to have running water and be able to wash her hair without getting Crabby Craig Wet. Post Shower all the plastic coverings were removed… and the dressing was DRY not one drop of water near the foot!!
Yea! Crabby Craig was relaxed for the evening! Patient was Clean and safe, feeling better after a warm shower.