Nanotechnology May Revolutionize Medicine

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Although you may not have heard of it, nanotechnology is set to revolutionize the entire field of medicine. Nanotechnology is based on the must cutting edge research and technology. Scientists are working to create machines that function on the atomic level. Scientists are using this technology to create everything from super strong building materials to the most complex computer chips. However, naonmedicne as a branch of nanotechnology has perhaps the farthest reaching implications.

The most basic and immediate advances possible in nanomedicine are in imagining and drug delivery. Traditional imagining is often done with a lightly radioactive isotope which the patient drinks and then it circulates through the body. It causes the targeted organ to light up when placed in the various imagining machines. However, a large concentration must be used to insure that the targeted area lights up and so much is wasted through other parts of the body. Pharmaceuticals function in a similar way. The medicine hits the targeted part of the body, but much is wasted throughout the rest of the body.

Nanotechnology can assist this. Imagining agents and pharmaceuticals can include nanomachines which are programmed to guide the substance to the appropriate part of the body. This targeted deployment not only reduces the amount of the substance necessary to achieve either imagining or an active dose, but also insures it doesn’t spread to other parts of the body which may complicate other conditions. These advances are just around the corner and could increase effectiveness and reduce costs of treatments.

However, the most startling advances of nanomedicine lie in the future. Through nanomachines, health experts will be able to target cancer and remove it with programmed machines. Scientists have already run experiments with using nanomachines to rebind two pieces of meat with a laser. This could entail the end of stitches and sutures because wounds could be instantly closed through nanomachines. Finally, they’re even working on nanomachines which rebuild cells which could directly target diseased cells and chemical or enzyme deficiencies.

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Filed Under: Hospital Technology, Medical Architecture, Medical Technology Tagged With: , ,

Inpatient Drug and Alcohol Treatment Center Basics

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Addiction to drugs or alcohol destroys lives. It can tear families apart, cause financial ruin, result in job loss, land a person in jail, and even end in the death of the addict or someone else because of the addict’s poor choices. For that reason, drug and alcohol treatment is crucial in helping a person overcome an addiction.

One type of drug and alcohol treatment is an inpatient center. This type of recovery center provides support, monitoring, and therapy by addiction specialists and professionals. Because the beginning part of recovery is frequently the hardest, inpatient centers are helpful for a number of reasons, including:

• Clean environment. Inpatient drug and alcohol treatment centers provide an environment free from temptation. When trying to recover on their own, addicts frequently face offers of drugs and alcohol from friends, dealers, and so forth. At an inpatient center, that access is removed.

• Professional help through the detox. The beginning phase of recovery is the detox period, which is physically and emotionally draining and taxing. Many people who attempt to recover on their own don’t get past this initial phase. With an inpatient center, trained professionals and doctors oversee the process, so it is gradual and occurs in a healthy manner.

• Monitoring. Assistance and monitoring through the recovery process is available to residents of inpatient centers at all hours of the day. This can range from doctors to therapists.

• Coping techniques. At inpatient facilities, addicts learn how to cope with and deal with their addictions so they know how to handle temptation should they face it once they are released. They essentially get a new outlook on life in a program that promotes healing and is free from distractions. They learn about healthy ways to deal with stress. Instead of turning to a substance for comfort or escape, they will have new techniques for dealing with their anger or frustration.

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New Medical Technology May Reduce the Amount of Liver Biopsies

Generally speaking, identifying liver damage entailed an invasive biopsy where a piece of the liver was taken and then analyzed by a medical lab. Most liver diseases increase the complications of any surgery or biopsy further increasing the danger to the patients. Until recently, that was simply the cost of searching for liver disease. However, there are some exciting new possibilities for identification and treatment of liver disease.

Most damage to the liver creates fibrous tissues known as fibrosis. This scar tissue impairs the functioning of the heart and can ultimately lead to complications and death in some cases. However, a new technology known as a Fibroscan may allow better identification of liver damage in the future.

The Fibroscan is an ultrasound machine set to image the liver. As with all ultrasound machines, it sends out a specific carrier wave which is then slowed and reflected by the various tissue within the body. The ultrasound machine itself then processes the return signal through a complex computer algorithm to determine the exact amount of fibrous tissue by calculating the return time relative to a normal return time. This can all be done without the invasive procedures needed for a biopsy.

The Fibroscan is not yet available to wide spread use, but there are some positive signs that make it likely this will soon appear on the market. First, it’s approved and has met with general success and approval in the European Union and the United Kingdom. Secondly, it has been cleared for clinical trials within the United States. The initial results compared to traditional biopsy have been quite successful and it’s likely that we’ll soon see a wider authorization of clinical trials if not approval.

The most obvious benefit to this technology would be patient comfort. However, it has the added bonus of reducing the costs to both the hospital and the patient since they’ll be able to avoid costly biopsies in most cases.

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Everything Electronic

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These days, technology is changing almost everything, even the ways you can get nicotine. An electronic cigarette is just the latest and greatest when it comes to an old addiction. Who would have guessed that paper cigarettes might become out-dated, not because people decided to get healthy and kick the habit. No, there’s just a cooler way to get your fix. Actually, this invention should not be surprising, since the whole world seems to be going electronic. Even now, most people can’t imagine a world without the Internet, cell phones, or hand held devices. More and more people are finding that their interests and need for information can be met in the palm of their hands–they can socialize, play games, access data, communicate, recreate, and more with just the touch of a few buttons. Now the question is, can people ever stop using electronics or lessen their dependency on them? They are a powerful drug. Some would say they’re more powerful than nicotine. Instant gratification, feedback, and pleasure can all be heady temptations. Things that require work become less tantalizing with the passing of each day. Having the attention span to read a challenging book of 200 pages or so is becoming rare. (Even 200 page books are available on electronic hand-held devices.) Having the energy to run a mile seems like a distant dream. It seems like there are highly addicted people who are zoned out from reality and are tuned in to the virtual world of texting, social networking, watching videos online, and playing computer games. Who knows what kind of world the future will be, whether this trend will continue or whether people will wake up and begin to pull the plug on the electronics that surround them? It’s anybody’s guess, but it looks as if it’s a habit that’s here to stay.

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The Energy Crisis May Increase Costs for Hospitals

Most Americans have experienced increasing prices at the pump because of the high level of energy consumption and the difficulties of keeping a large supply of energy available. The wider problem threatens more than just the transportation sector which includes cars and trucks. It threatens the economy with numerous problems. Medical institutions are not immune to the energy crunch and they’ll soon be facing two major hurtles to sustaining economic viability. However, there exists numerous solutions to help avoid these obstructions.

The most pressing concern for medical institutions regarding the energy crisis is the cost of electricity. Medical institutions, especially hospitals, have an incredibly high rate of energy consumption. The expansion of demand for oil and coil arises not only out of developed economies of Europe, North America, and Australia, but also the emerging economic powerhouses like China and India. This sky rocketting consumption will continue to drive prices higher and higher. These increasing costs can force institutions to reduce services in the attempt to deal with massive upkeep costs.

Secondary concerns exist for the production of medical equipment. A great deal of medical equipment has been constructed out of plastics. Plastics are, of course, formed of petroleum. While certain plastic products like MRI machines persist after they’re produced, the key supplies of modern medicine from plungers to intervention bags depend on plastic production. These supplies wouldn’t disappear overnight, but the increasing cost would force most medical institutions to cut services in order to cover the higher price. Nevertheless, there remains way to combat these price increases.

Recycling and conservation are not simply social responsibilities, but practical business sense. For medical institutions, one can receive tax credits for purchasing green energy. This can offset the high costs of energy consumption. Any additions to existing medical institutions should strive for the lowest carbon impact, not out of any sense of social responsibility, but because it will ultimately reduce energy costs over time. Finally, recycling can secure a host of tax credits along with lower energy costs for the vital supplies for hospitals.

Filed Under: Hospital Technology, Medical Technology