More than four out of five dentists surveyed by the Chicago Dental Society revealed that patients send and receive text messages on their cell phones while receiving dental care.

The survey was conducted between July 16th and July 25th via email and among dentists in the Chicago Dental Society’s Facebook Fan Page.

In addition to the dentists who said their patients regularly text in the dental chair, 46 percent said this habit hampers their ability to provide care. The high number of dental chair texters is also surprising, given that 32 percent of the dentists indicated they have a cell phone/mobile device policy posted in a visible location in their office.

“We have signs up in the waiting room and directly in front of where the patient sits stating that they need to turn off their phones but most simply ignore them,” said one respondent. Another dentist indicated texting or answering calls can be a real barrier to delivering care because “many times the patient sits up during treatment to answer a call or text.”

But not every dentist views texting as a societal evil. Dr. Cissy Furusho, a pediatric dentist in Chicago, said her young teen patients have mastered texting to the point that they don’t even have to look down at their phone keyboard during treatment.

“This may surprise people, but most of my younger patients are very polite about using their cell phones in the chair,” she said. “The kids never answer their phone while getting treatment.”

Even dentists who don’t have a stated policy against texting say it can still interfere with communication between dentist and patient.

“It’s more difficult to communicate with a patient about recommendations,” one respondent wrote.

Niles, Illinois dentist Dr. Alice Boghosian said that there is a time and place for most things but texting or talking in the dental chair is a breach of etiquette.

“I’m not militant about it because I know that there are parents with kids in school who need to be in touch with their kids at times,” she said. “However, one young patient of mine had to interrupt me when his phone was buzzing in his pocket.” Dr. Boghosian said she was also surprised when a member of the clergy kept answering his phone even though he admitted the calls were not urgent.

“When patients insist on answering their phone or sending a text message, it does interrupt dental care,” she said.

For those who must text or talk on their cell phone while in the dental chair, the Chicago Dental Society provides these tips:

– If a dentist has a written policy against texting, respect it. Doing so may be in the best interest of your oral health
– If no policy exists and you must text, ask the dentist if it will interfere with treatment.
– Arrange to have an agreed-upon signal with the dentist if you must respond to texts.
– Or, keep temptation at bay and leave your phone with the receptionist for safekeeping. Your messages will be there for you to reply to after your appointment is over.

Source: Chicago Dental Society


Blood Test May Predict Course of MS

  • Author: Health Informer
  • Filed under: Health News
  • Date: Aug 31,2009

Scientists have discovered a blood test that could predict the course of multiple sclerosis (MS), or even indicate who is likely to develop the condition after a first MS-like attack.

The results of the study suggest that differing antibody levels produced in response to the common virus Epstein Barr Virus (EBV), may predict the course of MS.

If proven in further studies, this would be the first credible biological indicator, or biomarker, identified for MS that could predict disability progression from a simple blood test.

The innovative work was carried out at the Institute of Neurology, UCL and the Institute of Cell and Molecular Biology, Barts and The London and was funded by the MS Society.

It is hoped the findings will aid the development of better ways to predict who goes on to develop MS after initial MS-like symptoms and help in identifying more effective therapies for the 100,000 people living with MS in the UK.

The paper’s lead author, Clinical Research Fellow Dr Rachel Farrell, said: “All the participants in our study had previous history of infection with EBV, which has been shown in other studies and is not surprising given that a large majority of the adult population is infected with EBV.

“What was surprising is that the levels of a molecule in the blood called anti-EBNA-1 IgG, induced by the virus, were associated with the activity of MS.

“The results of this work show that those participants who had new areas of MS damage in the brain also had high levels of the anti-EBNA-1 IgG molecule in their blood.

“In addition, participants with higher levels of EBNA-1 in the bloodstream were more likely to have an increase over time in the disability associated with MS.”

The researchers received funding of nearly GBP 35,000 from the MS Society’s Innovation Research grant scheme and looked at 100 participants, 50 of whom had a single MS-like attack but no diagnosis of MS, 25 people with relapsing remitting MS and 25 with primary progressive MS.

They tested participants for evidence of EBV infection in the blood and also looked for anti-EBNA-1 IgG and other EBV induced antibodies. MRI brain scans of each participant were taken over a five year period and the scientists also measured disability progression.

The authors of the study, published in the journal Neurology, concluded that anti-EBNA-1 IgG is a potential biomarker in MS that might be useful in predicting disability and progression.

They added that the work needed to be validated in larger studies and in combination with other as yet unidentified biomarkers.

Dr Susan Kohlhaas, Research Communications Officer at the MS Society said, “We’re delighted that such an interesting study has produced these valuable results that will give scientists a new avenue of MS research to explore.

“Identifying biomarkers of MS is a key area of research and this work is a stepping stone on the path to mapping out the course of the condition and potentially determining prognosis.

“People with MS find the uncertainty of what the future holds very daunting so more knowledge about what might lie in store could be a big help.”

Source: Multiple Sclerosis Society


Researchers find high-dose therapy for liver disease not effective

  • Author: Health Informer
  • Filed under: Health News
  • Date: Aug 30,2009

High-dose ursodeoxycholic acid detrimental for treatment of primary sclerosing cholangitis

A national team of researchers led by scientists at Mayo Clinic has found that a common treatment for primary sclerosing cholangitis, a chronic liver disease, is not helpful for patients, according to a study published this month in the journal Hepatology.

Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is a disease of the bile ducts. In this case, the term “cholangitis” refers to inflammation of the bile ducts, while “sclerosing” describes the hardening and scarring of the bile ducts that result from chronic inflammation.

“Primary sclerosing cholangitis is a serious liver disease lacking an effective medical therapy,” says Keith Lindor, M.D., Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist and the study’s lead researcher. “Some studies have shown that the use of ursodeoxycholic acid, a naturally occurring bile acid, may be a potential solution for patients. Our research, however, showed long-term use of this treatment in high dosages is not suitable for patients.”

In this six-year, multicenter trial, 150 patients were enrolled in the study to determine the effectiveness of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) in treatment of PSC. Seventy-six patients were treated with higher doses (28 to 30 mg/kg/day) of UDCA and 74 patients were given a placebo. Serious adverse events were more common in the UDCA group than the placebo group, which prompted researchers to halt the study. UDCA has been thought to be a possible treatment solution for PSC patients, but this trial indicates that the drug, used at this higher dose, is not helpful.

“All of us were surprised that the higher doses of UDCA did not help; in fact, the risk of developing even more liver problems increased with the higher dosages,” says Dr. Lindor. “While this was thought to be the best potential treatment for PSC, our study found that not to be the case.”

Dr. Lindor says that patients who are currently on higher doses of UDCA should consult with their doctors. He also points out that these study findings highlight the need for more research to look into better treatment options for PSC.

PSC is a progressive disease that leads to liver damage and, eventually, liver failure. Liver transplant is the only known cure for PSC, but transplant is typically reserved for people with severe liver damage.

PSC most often affects people in their 30s to 50s. The average age at diagnosis is 40. However, the condition can arise in childhood. About 60 to 75 percent of people diagnosed with the disease are men. Approximately 70 percent of people with PSC have an associated disease such as inflammatory bowel disease, osteoporosis, gallbladder disease and bile duct cancer or cholangiocarcinoma. However, only 1 to 5 percent of people with inflammatory bowel disease have PSC.

Mayo Clinic’s Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology has been ranked #1 in the U.S. News & World Report Honor Roll of Top Hospitals since the rankings began 20 years ago.

Source: Mayo Clinic


IBM scientists first to image the anatomy of a molecule

Imaging individual atoms within a molecule has been a long-standing goal of surface microscopy

IBM scientists have been able to image the “anatomy” — or chemical structure — inside a molecule with unprecedented resolution, using a complex technique known as noncontact atomic force microscopy.

The results push the exploration of using molecules and atoms at the smallest scale and could greatly impact the field of nanotechnology, which seeks to understand and control some of the smallest objects known to mankind.

“Though not an exact comparison, if you think about how a doctor uses an x-ray to image bones and organs inside the human body, we are using the atomic force microscope to image the atomic structures that are the backbones of individual molecules,” said IBM Researcher Gerhard Meyer. “Scanning probe techniques offer amazing potential for prototyping complex functional structures and for tailoring and studying their electronic and chemical properties on the atomic scale.”

The team’s current publication follows on the heels of another experiment published just two months ago in the June 12 issue of Science (Volume 324, Issue 5933, pp. 1428 – 1431) where IBM scientists measured the charge states of atoms using an AFM. These breakthroughs will open new possibilities for investigating how charge transmits through molecules or molecular networks. Understanding the charge distribution at the atomic scale is essential for building smaller, faster and more energy-efficient computing components than today’s processors and memory devices. These components could one day contribute to IBM’s vision of a smarter planet by helping instrument and interconnect the physical world.

As reported in the August 28 issue of Science magazine, IBM Research – Zurich scientists Leo Gross, Fabian Mohn, Nikolaj Moll and Gerhard Meyer, in collaboration with Peter Liljeroth of Utrecht University, used an AFM operated in an ultrahigh vacuum and at very low temperatures ( -268oC or – 451oF) to image the chemical structure of individual pentacene molecules. With their AFM, the IBM scientists, for the first time ever, were able to look through the electron cloud and see the atomic backbone of an individual molecule. While not a direct technological comparison, this is reminiscent of x-rays that pass through soft tissue to enable clear images of bones.

The tip that tipped the scale

The AFM uses a sharp metal tip to measure the tiny forces between the tip and the sample, such as a molecule, to create an image. In the present experiments, the molecule investigated was pentacene. Pentacene is an oblong organic molecule consisting of 22 carbon atoms and 14 hydrogen atoms measuring 1.4 nanometers in length. The spacing between neighboring carbon atoms is only 0.14 nanometers–roughly 1 million times smaller then the diameter of a grain of sand. In the experimental image, the hexagonal shapes of the five carbon rings as well as the carbon atoms in the molecule are clearly resolved. Even the positions of the hydrogen atoms of the molecule can be deduced from the image.

“The key to achieving atomic resolution was an atomically sharp and defined tip apex as well as the very high stability of the system,” said IBM scientist Leo Gross. To image the chemical structure of a molecule with an AFM, it is necessary to operate in very close proximity to the molecule. The range, where chemical interactions give significant contributions to the forces, is less than a nanometer. To achieve this, the IBM scientists were required to increase the sensitivity of the tip and overcome a major limitation: Similar to the way two magnets would attract or repel each other when getting close, the molecules would easily be displaced by or attach to the tip when the tip was approached too closely–rendering further measurements impossible.

Gross added, “We prepared our tip by deliberately picking up single atoms and molecules and showed that it is the foremost tip atom or molecule that governs the contrast and resolution of our AFM measurements.” A tip terminated with a carbon monoxide (CO) molecule yielded the optimum contrast at a tip height of approximately 0.5 nanometers above the molecule being imaged and–acting like a powerful magnifying glass–resolved the individual atoms within the pentacene molecule, revealing its exact atomic-scale chemical structure.

Furthermore, the scientists were able to derive a complete three-dimensional force map of the molecule investigated. “To obtain a complete force map the microscope needed to be highly stable, both mechanically and thermally, to ensure that both the tip of the AFM and the molecule remained unaltered during the more than 20 hours of data acquisition,” says Fabian Mohn, who is working on his Ph.D. thesis at IBM Research – Zurich.

To corroborate the experimental findings and gain further insight into the exact nature of the imaging mechanism, IBM scientist Nikolaj Moll performed first-principles density functional theory calculations of the system investigated. He explains, “The calculations helped us understand what caused the atomic contrast. In fact, we found that its source was Pauli repulsion between the CO and the pentacene molecule.” This repulsive force stems from a quantum mechanical effect called the Pauli exclusion principle. It states that two identical electrons can not approach each other too closely.

IBM and nanotechnology

Scientists have been striving to “see” and manipulate atoms and molecules to extend human knowledge and push the frontiers of manufacturing capabilities to the nanometer regime. IBM has been a pioneer in nanoscience and nanotechnology ever since the development of the scanning tunneling microscope in 1981 by IBM Fellows Gerd Binnig and Heinrich Rohrer at IBM Research – Zurich. For this invention, which made it possible to image individual atoms and later on to manipulate them, Binnig and Rohrer were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1986. The AFM, an offspring of the STM, was invented by Binnig in 1986. The STM is widely regarded as the instrument that opened the door to the nanoworld. A new facility for world-class collaborative nanoscale research, the Nanoscale Exploratory Technology Laboratory, will open in 2011 on the campus of IBM Research – Zurich. The nanotech center is part of a strategic partnership in nanotechnology with ETH Zurich, one of Europe’s premier technical universities.

The scientific paper entitled “The Chemical Structure of a Molecule Resolved by Atomic Force Microscopy” by L. Gross, F. Mohn, N. Moll, P. Liljeroth, and G. Meyer, appears in Science, Volume 325, Issue 5944, pp. 1110 – 1114 (28 August 2009).

Images are available at http://www.flickr.com/photos/ibm_research_zurich/sets/72157622092395070/detail /


Diabetic Foot Ulcers Leading to Amputation Often as Deadly as Many Common Cancers Excellarate Offers Potential for Simpler and Enhanced Treatment Opportunities within the Spectrum of Advanced Wound Care

Cardium Therapeutics  reported that a recent medical journal article highlights the challenges facing healthcare providers with respect to finding optimal treatments for patients with non-healing wounds.

As reported in the Journal of the American Academy of Physician Assistants, (JAAPA, August 2009), chronic wounds affect an estimated 5.7 million patients in the U.S. and cost the healthcare system approximately $20 billion annually. The article’s author further notes that optimal wound care requires a portfolio of treatments including the only FDA-approved protein-based topical gel Regranex (becaplermin), bioengineered skin substitutes, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, and subatmospheric wound therapy (also known as negative-pressure wound therapy), as well as institutional support from the growing number of nationwide wound-care centers that offer specialized, multidisciplinary approaches to the treatment of chronic wounds. The author also reports that the cost of treating non-healing ulcers of longer than one year’s duration is estimated to range from approximately $20,000 to $27,000, based on the level of advanced care.

As reported in the International Wound Journal, (December, 2007) “one of the most feared complications of diabetes is the lower extremity amputation.” Other studies report that diabetes is the leading cause of nontraumatic lower extremity amputations in the U.S., amounting to greater than 75,000 per year or over 200 per day. Limb amputation occurs 10 to 30 times more often in a diabetic person than in the general population. Among the patients with lower extremity amputation procedures, 5% to 17% will die during the operation and 2% to 30% will die within 30 days of surgery. Longer term survival is even worse. Mortality following amputation ranges from 13% to 40% at one year, 35% to 65% at 3 years and 39% to 80% at 5 years. These mortality rates are similar or worse than many common types of cancer including prostate, breast, colon and Hodgkin’s disease. Despite these grim statistics, many remain unaware of the very serious nature of non-healing lower extremity ulcers in diabetic patients.

Innovative Advanced Care DNA-Based Therapy

Cardium’s Excellarate(TM) product candidate is a collagen-based topical gel employing Tissue Repair Company’s (TRC’s) Gene Activated Matrix(TM) that is designed to locally stimulate the release of platelet-derived growth factor-B protein (PDGF-B), an important key in the human body’s wound healing process. Sustained, localized micro-release of PDGF-B by a patient’s own cells directly at the wound site is believed to stimulate angiogenesis and granulation tissue formation through the recruitment and proliferation of cells such as monocytes, fibroblasts and endothelial cells. These cell types are critical for the effective stimulation of a variety of wound healing processes.

Excellarate is an advanced care DNA-based biologic product candidate that is being developed to provide physicians and patients with a potentially simpler, easy-to-use treatment as compared to current therapies. Based on the positive data from a Phase1/2 study, the Company believes that the Excellarate topical gel provides a unique opportunity to: (1) improve patient compliance, based on a one or two physician administered treatment regimen, instead of current therapies which require multiple treatments by physicians or patients on a daily or weekly basis for up to 20 weeks, and (2) enhance acceptance by the medical community due to improved ease of use (as a pre-filled syringe, requiring only standard refrigeration and a 15-18 month shelf life), when compared to other treatment options.

With this targeted registration profile, Cardium believes that Excellarate offers the unique potential to become an important new therapeutic class that, in certain cases, may supplant the use of current healing agents and medical devices, and, in certain wounds and under various medical conditions, may be used in concert with other agents and current therapies within an expanding spectrum of advanced wound care solutions. The Company believes that, because of the complex nature of lower extremity diabetic ulcers, patients will benefit from the availability of a multitude of wound healing agents and therapies that can be tailored to appropriately address their specific medical conditions.

Benchmarks with Current Therapy

Regranex Topical Gel – As referenced in JAAPA, current therapy includes the use of a topical protein-based growth factor gel, Regranex (becaplermin; 0.01% recombinant platelet-derived growth factor-B). Regranex is currently the only FDA-approved advanced care biologic topical agent for the treatment of patients with lower extremity neuropathic diabetic foot ulcers. It was initially developed by Johnson & Johnson and is currently marketed by Systagenix. Regranex which is patient administered, requires daily application followed by a daily cleansing 12 hours after the drug treatment over a 20-week period. As a result, during the prescribed 20-week treatment period, Regranex patients are required to undertake approximately 280 interventions (drug administrations and cleansings) to achieve the potential maximum healing effect.

Bioengineered Skin Substitutes - In addition to protein-based therapy, the JAAPA article discusses other advanced wound healing approaches for the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers that include bioengineered skin substitutes, as well as medical devices that provide negative pressure wound therapy. Bioengineered skin substitutes represent an important class of products that include two FDA-approved dermal graft substitutes: Apligraf a combination of human fibroblasts and keratinocytes and Dermagraft , consisting of human fibroblasts alone. Based on product labeling and usage instructions, both products require multiple grafting procedures by physicians into the wound area (and may require the use of sutures) on a weekly or bi-weekly basis, by physicians over a 12-week period. Some products in this class require low temperature storage (-70 degrees Celsius) or need to be special ordered by a physician immediately prior to patient treatment because of a very limited shelf life (approximately 10 days).

Negative Pressure Wound Therapy – Negative pressure wound therapy for the treatment of diabetic ulcers consists of medical devices employing the use of specialized wound dressings connected to an air supply line linked to a microprocessor-controlled air pump to create a healing environment around the wound. These systems are designed to create a moist wound environment, reduce edema and promote formation and perfusion of granulation tissue. They have been proven to be safe and effective, accommodate a wide range of wound sizes, and are used in a broad range of other types of wounds including surgical as well as trauma wounds. However, effective therapy generally requires that these systems be used by patients on a 24/7 basis for up to 16 weeks (based on recently published studies). As a result, they are complex and challenging for patients to use over extended periods of time, impair patient mobility, and require repeated physician visits, equipment cleansings and dressing changes.

Wound Care Centers – Chronic wounds represent a significant unmet medical need as evidenced by the emergence and growth of wound care centers across the U.S. These centers were developed by healthcare providers to provide specialized treatment to chronic wound patients. There are an estimated 1,000 outpatient wound care centers across the U.S. Wound care centers offer a broad spectrum of specialized care as well as best clinical practices for managing wound healing. Many centers provide hyperbaric oxygen therapy and most have access to a multidisciplinary medical team. Usually associated with a hospital, these centers provide a focused approach to wound management with the goal of reducing the need for inpatient care and surgical procedures such as amputation.

Excellarate Product Candidate – Cardium’s Excellarate product candidate is initially being developed to facilitate wound closure in non-healing diabetic foot ulcers. The Company believes that the ability to achieve closure of chronic, non-healing wounds following the treatment of a simple-to-use, physician administrated topical gel offers the potential for considerable benefit to patient populations with chronic diseases such as diabetes. Currently available advanced wound care products for these patients have a number of limitations such as requiring a regimen of repeated wound cleanings and product re-administrations, multiple trips to a treatment center, or custom-produced and expensive skin substitutes. In addition, many patients, including approximately one in seven participants in the MATRIX clinical study, have wounds that do not close even after previous treatment with what are regarded as the most advanced wound care therapies currently available (i.e., repeat-administration therapies using becaplermin protein or negative pressure pumps, or “living-skin” equivalents).

Market Opportunity and Pharmacoeconomics

Diabetic foot ulcers affect about 15% of the almost 24 million diabetic patients in the United States, or 3.6 million people. Each year, over 1.3 million patients in the U.S. develop diabetic foot ulcers. Of these patients, 6 percent will be hospitalized due to infection or other ulcer-related complications. The cost of diabetic ulcers to the U.S. healthcare system is approximately $5 billion per year with treatment and subsequent lower limb amputations adding an additional $1 billion per year. Diabetes is the leading cause of non-traumatic lower extremity amputations and approximately 14 to 24 percent of patients with diabetes who develop foot ulcers eventually have an amputation. The three year survival rate after amputation is only 50 percent.

Emerging trends in wound healing and a growing market demand are evidenced by the recent success of negative pressure wound therapy products, such as those marketed and sold in the U.S. by Kinetics Concepts Inc. and Smith & Nephew, representing the first $1.0 billion product segment in the wound care market. Based on these trends and needs, agents designed to accelerate the rate of wound healing are expected to play a more prominent role in the future of advanced wound care. As reported by MedTech Insight, the wound care market is projected to experience double digit growth over the next 3 to 5 years, with advanced wound care products comprising the fastest growing segment of the total wound care market. There are an estimated 91.3 million wounds in the U.S., which include 67.0 million surgical wounds, 17.6 million trauma wounds including burn injuries and amputations, 2.5 million pressure ulcers, 3.6 million diabetic ulcers and 3.3 million venous stasis and arterial ulcers. The ability to effectively address even a small proportion of these wounds would represent major new market opportunities for the Company’s Gene Activated Matrix (GAM) technology.

Excellarate Phase 2b Clinical Trial Data

Earlier this week, Cardium announced that all patients enrolled in the Company’s MATRIX clinical study have completed their initial 12-week evaluation period and that it plans to provide detailed safety and efficacy data around the end of September 2009. The Phase 2b MATRIX clinical trial is a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of Excellarate for the potential treatment of chronic diabetic foot ulcers. This landmark gene therapy clinical study was designed to evaluate safety and efficacy in patients receiving the Excellarate drug candidate compared to placebo controls. A standard of care reference arm was also included in the study. The safety and key efficacy measures of the MATRIX study include complete wound closure, time to complete wound closure, absolute and percent change in ulcer area, and wound healing trajectories at various time points, as well as other safety and healing metrics, which will be used to develop the planned Phase 3 clinical study. In addition, following the initial 12-week efficacy evaluation period, patients whose wounds have successfully closed will be followed for three months to further evaluate wound healing durability.

To learn more about the Excellarate product candidate and the MATRIX clinical study, click here to view a television segment featuring an investigator of the study, Dr. Vickie Driver, D.P.M., Director of Research, Foot Care, Department of Surgery at Boston Medical University and Medical Center, and click here to view a segment featuring Dr. Peter A. Blume, DPM, FACFAS, of the Yale University School of Medicine, and their patients enrolled in the MATRIX clinical study. The MATRIX study media segments can also be accessed at www.cardiumthx.com.

Orthobiologics Initiative

Cardium recently announced its plans to develop a DNA-based orthobiologics product portfolio based on research and development that will initially focus on non-union bone fractures for medically-compromised patients, and spinal fusions for patients with degenerative disc disease. Orthobiologics is a rapidly growing segment of the orthopedics market and represents biologically-active products designed to enhance musculo-skeletal repair and regeneration. The initial orthobiologics focus will be on the development of Osteorate(TM), a DNA-based non-surgical injectable bone graft gel to repair bone fractures and regenerate tissue in certain medically-compromised patient populations. Osteorate will be based on reformulation of Cardium’s DNA-based Excellarate wound healing product candidate, which is designed to stimulate localized and sustained cellular production of platelet-derived growth factor-B (PDGF-B) protein, as a treatment for patients with non-healing diabetic foot ulcers. The Gene Activated Matrix technology allows for a broad spectrum of biocompatible matrix formulations which would include, but not be limited to, collagen, demineralized bone, allograft and synthetic graft materials.

Source: Cardium Therapeutics


7 secrets to successful caregiving of older adults

  • Author: Health Informer
  • Filed under: Health News
  • Date: Aug 28,2009

A longer life expectancy has led to an increased demand for family members to serve as caregivers for older adults.

Caregiving can be a demanding, stressful and seemingly thankless job, but really it is an amazing gift to allow a loved one to “age in place” rather than in a clinical setting. SCAN Health Plan Arizona, a private nonprofit Medicare Advantage Plan, offers these seven secrets to success for caregivers of older adults:

1. Learn about your loved one’s illness(es). As a caregiver you become the eyes of the physician and voice of the patient. Be sure that you can knowledgeably speak to the symptoms, challenges and changes of your loved one’s physical and mental health.
2. Seek support. Caregivers needn’t face their challenges alone. There are many resources and support groups to help you; the key is to find them. Some Medicare Advantage plans, like SCAN Health Plan, provide caregiver relief, in-home support, access to medical equipment, transportation options, and care coordination between the doctors and you.
3. Check the safety of your loved one’s home. With age comes an increased risk of falling, decreased mobility and other changes that affect the everyday lives of seniors. Perform an audit of your loved one’s home, and make modifications that make it a safer and more comfortable place to live.
4. Arrange for backup. Identify at least one other person who can provide care in the event that you become ill, injured or must be gone for an extended period. Keep your backup informed about the health challenges and needs of the senior.
5. Find other resources. Many complementary services are available to seniors and their caregivers in Maricopa County.
6. Seek financial and legal services. Gather the financial and legal documents for the senior in your care, and consult with an attorney and/or financial advisor to ensure that the senior’s financial and legal matters are handled appropriately.
7. Let others help you. You don’t have to do it by yourself. When friends, neighbors, family members or church congregants offer to pitch in, take them up on their offers.

“It is imperative that caregivers take care of themselves, which is why SCAN Health Plan has implemented programs aimed at caring for the caregiver,” said Tom Lescault, president of SCAN Health Plan Arizona. “We know that caregivers have higher stress levels, risk of depression and chances of developing health problems themselves. It is our goal to help make their loads a little lighter.”

As part of an ongoing commitment to improving the lives of seniors, SCAN Health Plan Arizona is an exclusive sponsor of “Healthy Tips for Successful Aging” with ABC 15. Each week, the station airs 30-second health tips provided by SCAN. The health plan also is the exclusive studio sponsor for KOY radio, which began broadcasting from SCAN Health Plan Studios in July.

Source: SCAN Health Plan Arizona


A new research study carried out by The Research Partnership reveals that living with diabetes can have a major effect on people’s lives, with just under half (44%) of type 2 patients reporting that the condition has impacted on either their ability or their desire to have sex.

The study was conducted online amongst 2,000 patients with type 2 diabetes living in the US, UK and Germany and investigated patients’ attitudes, feelings, health status, drug treatment programmes and needs for coping with life with diabetes. The findings reveal that living with diabetes can affect many areas of people’s lives. Whilst most people do feel in control of their condition, many do not feel that they are managing their diabetes well, with almost half of US patients (43%) reporting that they are sometimes or often unsuccessful in managing their condition.

In all countries investigated, as many as one in every two people feel that diabetes has an impact on their general mood. However, men and women were found to respond very differently to their condition. Men are significantly more likely to feel calm and confident, whilst women are more likely to feel challenged, frustrated or tired.

Many people with type 2 diabetes are in denial about how their lifestyle affects their health. Over half of patients are also receiving treatment for high blood pressure and high cholesterol and the majority are overweight. Over half claim to spend a lot of time thinking about their health, say they eat well and make sure they stay healthy, but many are clearly not managing to stick to a good diet and exercise regime. The vast majority in the UK and US are clinically obese, and around a third of patients from all countries never engage in any physical exercise. The survey found a clear correlation between those with a high BMI index and lack of exercise. Interestingly, whilst doctors in all countries mostly advise a better diet and more exercise, in the US a third of doctors are also likely to recommend vitamins and nutritional supplements.

On the whole, patients enjoy a good relationship with their doctor and the vast majority feel that their doctor takes their condition seriously. But a fifth sometimes feel as though their doctor is annoyed with them for not managing their diabetes, and this is particularly the case in the US. Just over one in ten feel that their doctor makes unrealistic suggestions about their lifestyle. An analysis of the survey revealed five segments of patients with similar attitudes and behaviours. Two of these groups (predominantly comprising younger people) had particularly negative feelings about living with diabetes and these groups also feel they have a poor relationship with their doctor. They are more likely to feel the doctor offers unrealistic advice and “nags” them to change their diet and exercise regime.

The majority of people surveyed would like to see better new treatments in the future, particularly ones that are easier to use, don’t involve the use of insulin and help patients control their weight.

Source: The Research Partnership Ltd


New precision radiation treatment system fights cancer

Kansas City Cancer Center Brings Technology To Its New Shawnee Mission Location

Kansas City Cancer Center (KCCC), an affiliate of US Oncology, Inc. which supports the nation’s foremost cancer treatment and research network, has treated its first patient with the new TomoTherapy radiation therapy technology at its new KCCC-Shawnee Mission office.

KCCC is the only healthcare provider in the greater Kansas City metropolitan area with a TomoTherapy treatment machine – a welcomed new treatment that combines CT imaging with conformal radiation therapy. Used to treat a wide variety of cancers, KCCC’s use of the TomoTherapy Hi Art treatment system is delivering radiation with pinpoint accuracy. According to Radiation Oncologist James Coster, M.D., this form of external beam radiation will protect patients from the harm that results from killing more than just the cancer.

“It’s so precise that radiation can be localized to the cancer itself while nearly eliminating the dose to the surrounding healthy tissues,” says Coster. “It completely changes the way we fight cancers of the head, neck, breast and prostate, and the impact we can make on overall patient health.”

Protecting the health of surrounding tissue and organs has long been the goal of oncologists. But until now, technological limitations have prevented oncologists from delivering highly precise treatment specifically tailored to the patient’s cancer, including the capacity to adapt the radiation to the cancer as it responds to treatment. With the Hi Art system, the equipment makes a 360-degree sweep of the patient, delivering intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) directly at the tumor. TomoTherapy treatment is performed with a patient lying on a special couch that moves through the center of the TomoTherapy unit as the radiation beam circles them. The result is a helical radiation treatment that delivers an optimized set of radiation beams to the tumor. Literally, the TomoTherapy process runs rings around cancer.

Before beginning a TomoTherapy treatment, KCCC uses 3D images from a combination of scanning technologies and special software to establish the precise contours for each tumor, and any regions at risk, such as sensitive organs or structures. The physician determines the radiation dose that will be given to the tumor, as well as acceptable levels for surrounding structures.

Each day before treatment, the Hi Art system allows doctors to take a CT scan to verify the position of the tumor. If necessary, the patient’s position is adjusted to make sure radiation is directed at the tumor. This is critical, as the tumor can move as the patient moves.

Until now, the availability of TomoTherapy has been limited in this region, says Coster. KCCC is proud to add this new technology and its benefits to patients to its comprehensive suite of cancer treatment services.

Source: US Oncology, Inc.


MythBusters: Dishing up food safety fact from fiction

The Partnership for Food Safety Education Tackles Four Common Food Safety Myths

Recipes can be handed down from generation to generation and so can myths surrounding food safety — sometimes with sickening consequences. September is National Food Safety Education Month and the Partnership for Food Safety Education (PFSE), in cooperation with the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is marking the occasion with an outreach to consumers aimed at debunking four common food safety myths:

Myth: Lemon juice and salt will clean and sanitize a cutting board.
Fact: Sanitizing is the process of reducing the number of microorganisms that are on a properly cleaned surface to a safe level to reduce risk of foodborne illness. Lemon juice and salt will not do this. An effective way to sanitize cutting boards and other kitchen surfaces, is with a diluted bleach and water solution — just 1 tablespoon unscented liquid chlorine bleach (not more) to 1 gallon of water. To clean your cutting board, first wash it with hot water and soap. After rinsing it off with clean water, sanitize by letting the diluted chlorine bleach solution stand on the cutting board surface for about a minute. Rinse and blot dry with clean paper towels. It is important to clean and sanitize – just because a surface looks clean, does not mean it is free of disease-causing bacteria!

Myth: Putting chicken in a colander and rinsing it with water will remove bacteria like Salmonella.
Fact: Rinsing chicken in a colander will not remove bacteria. In fact, it can spread raw juices around your sink, onto your countertops, and onto ready-to-eat foods. Bacteria in raw meat and poultry can only be killed when cooked to a safe minimum internal temperature, which for poultry is 165 F, as measured by a food thermometer. Save yourself the messiness of rinsing raw poultry. It is not a safety step and can cause cross-contamination.

Myth: Once a hamburger turns brown in the middle, it is fully cooked.
Fact: You cannot use visual cues to determine whether food has been cooked to a safe minimum internal temperature. The ONLY way to know that food has been cooked to a safe minimum internal temperature is to use a food thermometer. Ground meat should be cooked to a safe minimum internal temperature of 160 F, as measured by a food thermometer.

Myth: You should not put hot food in the refrigerator.
Fact: Hot foods can be placed directly in the refrigerator. A large pot of food like soup or stew should be divided into small portions and put in shallow containers for quicker cooling in the refrigerator. If you leave food out to cool and forget about it, then toss it! Bacteria grow rapidly in the “danger zone” between 40 F and 140 F. Always follow the “two hour rule” for cooked foods – eat them or refrigerate them within two hours at a refrigerator temperature of 40 F or below. And, if left out in a room or outdoors where the temperature is 90 F or above, food should be refrigerated or eaten within just 1 hour – or discarded.

“People want to do the right thing to reduce risk of foodborne illness to themselves and their families,” said Shelley Feist, PFSE’s Executive Director. “By highlighting common food safety myths, the Partnership hopes to raise awareness with consumers of the facts behind the four core Fight BAC!(R) messages of Clean, Separate, Cook, and Chill.”

Foodborne illness comes with an expensive price tag, not only in terms of human suffering, but also associated health costs and lost productivity.

Educational materials including a video, teacher materials, and other consumer-friendly tools are available for free download at www.fightbac.org.

Source: U.S. Food and Drug Administration


Data from 190 Healthcare Facilities in Nine States from California to Maine

A patient health and safety survey of 190 American hospitals from coast to coast compiled by registered nurses in eight different states finds that a disturbing number of our nation’s healthcare facilities are not prepared for the coming H1N1/swine flu pandemic, according to results released today by the California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee.

The data reflects a survey conducted over the past four weeks by RNs in hospitals in Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Maine, Minnesota, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Texas.

What the RNs reported are wide gaps in safety gear, infection control training, and post-exposure procedures. Among key findings:

– At more than one-fourth of the hospitals, nurses cite inadequate isolation of swine flu patients, increasing the risk of infection to others.
– Nurses at 15 percent of hospitals do not have access to the proper respirator masks, exposing nurses and patients to infection; at up to 40 percent of the hospitals, nurses are expected to re-use masks, in violation of Centers for Disease Control Guidelines.
– At 18 percent of the hospitals, RNs report that nurses have become infected; one Sacramento, Calif. RN has already died.

CNA/NNOC is calling on all hospitals to adhere to the highest standard of protection for patients and nurses to combat the expected onslaught of new cases this fall and winter, and urging legislators to strengthen public protections.

“These continuing problems increase the risk that many hospitals will become vectors for infection, with inadequate patient protections leading to a spread of the pandemic among other patients, their friends, family, and caregivers, and the surrounding community,” warned Deborah Burger, RN, CNA/NNOC co-president. “What we’re hearing from around the country is dangerous to patient health and safety, but with smart and clinically appropriate leadership we can fix policies in time for the upcoming pandemic.”

Among other findings:

  • At 19 percent of the hospitals all or some appropriate N95 respirator masks were not “fitted” to ensure their effectiveness against the virus.
  • More than one in five, 22 percent of the facilities, do not have enough masks, say nurses.
  • Nurses at fewer than half of facilities report that they have been adequately trained on H1N1 issues, including identification of infected patients, and procedures for caring for these patients.

To help combat these problems, CNA/NNOC called for:

  • Minimize infection of hospital patients and workers by strict adherence to the highest standard of infection control procedures, including identification and isolation with appropriate ventilation of infected patients.
  • All hospital workers and visitors must be provided with appropriate protection gear at the highest government standards, including N95 respirator masks or better for all who enter the isolation room of a confirmed or suspected H1N1 patient.
  • Any RN who is unable to work due to contracting a communicable or infectious disease identified or treated in his or her hospital/clinic shall be guaranteed sick leave, not face disciplinary action, and shall be presumptively eligible for workers’ compensation.
  • Implement a moratorium on any closures of emergency rooms, layoffs of direct healthcare personnel, and reductions of hospital beds.
  • Federal guidelines for protection must be developed that are consistent across agencies.
  • Disposable respirator masks must not be re-used. In the event of a demonstrated national mask shortage, facilities should adhere to government recommendations on mask conservation.

Source:  www.CalNurses.org


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