Cardiology

ECG Challenge: Dyspnea is painless, but progressive; lungs are clear, heart sounds normal, peripheral pulses strong. What does the tracing show?

In a potentially practice-changing finding, New York researchers found mammograms can predict coronary arterial calcifications and heart disease risk.

A Swedish trial found that weekly yoga was associated with higher quality of life, lower blood pressure and slower heart rates in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.

Researchers have identified several factors (including dementia, anemia, depression, and anticonvulsant use) that increase the risk of traumatic intracranial bleeding in older patients with AFib who are also on warfarin therapy.

New device recommended for patients who can't tolerate blood thinners.

Analysis of cardiovascular registry data comparing components of the CHA2DS2-VASc score and oral anticoagulant use also found that women and patients with vascular disease were less likely than other patients with atrial fibrillation to be prescribed anticoagulation that is now indicated by standard guidelines.

Compared to current guidelines for atrial fibrillation (AFib) detection in patients with ischemic stroke, 10-day Holter-ECG monitoring is superior for a-fib detection.

With the announcement of a new medical school thanks to a partnership between Seton Hall University and Hackensack University Health Network the two New Jersey institutions are working to address a growing shortage of physicians in a number of specialties across the country.

Hackensack University Medical Center can trace its roots back to a blizzard back in the late 1800's when residents in northern New Jersey could not get across the Hudson River to get the care they needed. Since that time it has grown into the flagship of one of the largest health networks in the metropolitan area.

The Affordable Care Act has had a significant impact on the health care landscape beyond patients having more access to health insurance. For hospitals and health care systems they have also had to adjust to provide a high quality of care for patients.

Even if you know what you’re doing, it can be hard to make good hires. Because doctors are trained to practice medicine, many receive little or no training in how to run a business—or how to make great hires for non-clinical positions. Here are some tried-and-true tips to help you make sure your next hire doesn’t turn into your next headache.

The practice of medicine moves pretty fast, leaving little time for doctors to involve themselves with insurance, paperwork and office business processes. Of course, quality doctors and nurses are critical to excellent patient care. But without the right office staff, your practice could quickly be sent into a tailspin.

Advanced age is not the only risk factor to consider when deciding whether a patient with atrial fibrillation should get anticoagulants.

Despite a considerable gap between the number of patients who require a transplant and the number of organs available those patients fortunate enough to receive the lifesaving organs are seeing greater success from the procedure.

With hundreds of thousands of people in the United States undergoing dialysis the field of nephrology is working hard to keep these patients as healthy as possible in hopes of getting them to the point of kidney transplant.

There is no shortage of people in need of a kidney transplant but a considerable shortage in the number of organs available to these patients. Despite that health care professionals in nephrology are determined to provide their patients the highest quality of life possible in spite of these challenges.

In my last post, I discussed the characteristics that good nurses possess that enable them to make a positive impact on a patient’s care experience. Unfortunately, bad nurses can make a significant negative impact on patient care—sometimes even more profoundly.

As with all areas of health care money is an important consideration for hospitals and other medical research institutions. Finding the most effective way to spend money to get the best results can be a difficult balancing act across the board.

For patients located near major medical centers their ability to receive the latest medical treatments is higher than those in more rural areas. Despite that the field of cardiology and others are working to make these treatments available to all patients in need.

As medical research makes progress in treating conditions like stroke prevention and atrial fibrillation new and smaller devices are being developed to help better treat these patients

For doctors who have been involved in the treatment of cardiovascular health for several decades a significant amount of progress has been made in the past few years helping to keep patients healthy through much less invasive measures.

In the years leading up to Hurricane Katrina striking New Orleans one of the leading health care providers in the city was working on finding its footing and direction heading into the 21st century. In the wake of the storm there was more flexibility to chart a new course into the future.

At major institutions like Tulane University there is a considerable amount of focus and work on finding better ways to diagnose and treat sarcoidosis.

As more is learned about the treatment of sarcoidosis there is little doubt that steroids are not the final step in the development process. Doctors and researchers are working to find what that next step is.

Sarcoidosis is a condition which can affect many systems across the body which can make the diagnosis process a difficult one for patients and doctors alike.

As part of a long family tradition of Tulane Graduates William Lunn has a special place in his heart for New Orleans. Having seen the destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina Lund said it has been that much more impressive to see the city rebuild in the decade since the storm.

Tulane Health System is one of the largest health care organizations in the State of Louisiana and part of an even larger health care network. Because of this they have the resources to provide top quality care to not only local patients but also people around the region and the globe who can use their help.

The MD Magazine editors rounded up the 10 best stories from the past month – did you read them all?

In a time when obesity and cardiovascular disease are growing problems doctors are also working to combat diabetes at the same time. This presents opportunities for care as well as challenges in addressing the various concerns of their patients.