2010 July | Hospital and Medical Technology

Alcohol and Drug Treatment Centers

Many studies over a number of decades have determined that in recent years, the number of persons incarcerated in the United States due to drug and alcohol addiction has increased dramatically. Between 1985 and 1996, the number of people in state prisons increased by an average of 7.8 percent. The number of regular drug users in state and federal prison is staggering. For example, 62.2 percent of them were incarcerated in state prisons, and 42.1 percent of them were in federal prisons.

The growing prison population of drug users and addicts has caused lawmakers and correctional officials to take notice. Over the years, these people have requested increased funding for alcohol and drug treatment centers in prisons and local communities. As a result, local and prison-based Alcohol and drug treatment centers have increased dramatically across the country.

Types of Addictions

There are many different types of addictions, but the most prominent ones are drugs and alcohol. Some addictions, like alcoholism are legal, while others, like drugs aren’t. But despite the legalities of both addictions, both alcohol and drugs often give people a one-way ticket to prison or jail. Although addictions like gambling and alcohol are socially acceptable in some circles, they still lead to personal and social destruction. Illegal or immoral addictions like gambling are still legal, but often lead to destruction.

Why Quit?

Quitting addiction or remaining addicted is a personal choice. People who are addicted claim emphatically that drugs and alcohol bring relief, so they obviously don’t want to quit. They enjoy it because it brings them some sort of relief. Since many people lose control with their addiction, some type of treatment often becomes a necessity for them. Undoubtedly, addicts pay a high price for their addiction in terms of damaged relationships, jobs, finances, social functions, and more. When under the influence, reality becomes distorted, and addicts get into trouble. On the brighter side, however, help is available from alcohol and drug treatment centers to those who seek it.

Filed Under: Hospital Technology Tagged With: Centers and Counseling Services, Drug addiction, Health

Medical Institution Should Account for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

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Post-traumatic stress disorder arises out of those who have suffered a traumatic experience such as an accident, a loss, or an act of violence. These sorts of traumas are all to common within the medical field. The post-traumatic stress disorder has numerous effects both short and long term. In the short term, post-traumatic stress disorder can cause numbness, anxiety, disorientation and dizziness. In the long term, it can cause flashbacks, insomnia, extreme reactions to stimuli, and a host of other symptoms which degrade a patients quality of life. These symptoms can persists for months or even years. However, a prompt response by a primary or emergency care provider can help alleviate many of the symptoms.

One of the keys to treating post-traumatic stress disorder is identifying it quickly and providing treatment. Many patients don’t show immediate symptoms. In this case, it’s extraordinarily helpful for the medical institution to prepare a checklist for possible cases of post-traumatic stress disorder. In this case, any patient showing signs of post-traumatic stress disorder should either meet with the in house mental healthcare provider and if there is no in house mental healthcare provider then they should be refereed to one. Even so, identifying Post-traumatic stress disorder can remain difficult. Nevertheless, it seems likely that there will soon be some technology to help in the identification of post-traumatic stress disorder.

A new report has been released in the Journal of Neural Engineering where the researchers have used a magnetoencephalography (MEG) to examine post-traumatic stress disorder. Magnetoencephalography measures minute brain signals and gives a good picture on when those signals are stimulated. They used the MEG on veterans suspected of having post-traumatic stress disorder and they found that the machine matched 97.3% of the people diagnosed with it through other means and only returned 12.4 % in false positives. Soon enough, we could see medical technology able to positively identify post-traumatic stress disorder.

Filed Under: health Equipment, Hospital Technology, Medical Technology Tagged With: disorder, Health care, Post-traumatic Stress

The E-Cig: A Healthy Alternative to Smoking Cigarettes

Smoking is a hard habit to break. There are several products that promise to help people quit, but many people go back to their habit eventually. Whether it is gum or a patch, the use of these sometimes becomes inconvenient while the person still craves the cigarette that they had easy access to before. Something like an e-cig, however, has none of the dangers of the real thing, and also poses no danger to anyone else nearby.

Tobacco smoke has long been known to have many health risks, some that don’t show up for many years or even decades. It does not only affect the smoker, but people who are exposed to the smoke. Those who never smoked themselves can have problems later on if they are regularly exposed. The smell it adds to the breath or even people’s clothes can be very undesirable, and cigarette butts and ashes are quite unsightly when thrown around.

An electronic version tastes and feels like the real thing, without the harmful compounds that are inhaled from regular cigarettes. It looks like the real thing too. While a dose of nicotine is provided with each smoke, there is no smell or a single chemical that is harmful to the person using it or to anyone nearby. You can use at home, at a movie theater, or in clubs while socializing.

Don’t expect this to make you want to quit anymore, but it does have some nicotine to avoid withdrawal symptoms. You will at least have a healthy alternative, and if you like the look of having something to smoke, as some people do, then you can do so without inconveniencing, or even jeopardizing the health of, other people. E-cigs are sold in brands that come in kits with colored cartridges, batteries, cases, chargers and more.

Filed Under: Electronic, Health Tips Tagged With: Cigarette, Health, Tobacco smoking

Medical Technology: Moving at Lightning Speed

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Surgery done through small incisions or tiny holes is an example of this kind of technology. If it wasn’t for this development, people would still need to be cut open in order to handle these procedures. Of course, the procedures that require large incisions are still needed in some circumstances. Eventually, however, they may become a thing of the past as laparoscopic procedures continue to evolve and be perfected. It’s not just surgery that has changed, either. The diagnostic tools have improved greatly, meaning that people have a higher rate of survival now, thanks to early detection and treatment.

There are certainly still problems that can’t be fixed, and medical technology can’t save every person who gets sick. People still die, but they are living longer overall. Some of that extended lifespan can be traced back to the evolving technology that these people are offered. New and experimental procedures are being used on some of these individuals in the form of clinical trials. While they don’t always work, there are many that have provided hope and healing to at least some of the patients who participate in them. That gives the field of medicine a direction to take in the future and encouragement to keep working toward better health for everyone.

Because technology in general is moving so fast, it’s no surprise that medical technology is also growing and changing by leaps and bounds. Diseases that were fatal not long ago are now curable in many cases. Cancer, heart disease, and a host of other illnesses can be fought and treated – often very successfully – with new medications and procedures. Just a few years ago, some of the things that are being done today would have been completely unheard of. The advances in medical technology are great news for people who struggle with illness, though. Many of them have hope today specifically because of the technology out there. This can include everything from new kinds of scans to detect disease all the way through the innovative procedures that are used to treat problems that are found.
Surgery done through small incisions or tiny holes is an example of this kind of technology. If it wasn’t for this development, people would still need to be cut open in order to handle these procedures. Of course, the procedures that require large incisions are still needed in some circumstances. Eventually, however, they may become a thing of the past as laparoscopic procedures continue to evolve and be perfected. It’s not just surgery that has changed, either. The diagnostic tools have improved greatly, meaning that people have a higher rate of survival now, thanks to early detection and treatment.
There are certainly still problems that can’t be fixed, and medical technology can’t save every person who gets sick. People still die, but they are living longer overall. Some of that extended lifespan can be traced back to the evolving technology that these people are offered. New and experimental procedures are being used on some of these individuals in the form of clinical trials. While they don’t always work, there are many that have provided hope and healing to at least some of the patients who participate in them. That gives the field of medicine a direction to take in the future and encouragement to keep working toward better health for everyone.

Filed Under: Hospital equipment, Medical Technology Tagged With: Clinical trial, Laparoscopic surgery, Medicine

Aspects of the Food Dehydrator

Consumers put variety and options at the top of their shopping list. Normally they want the opportunity to choose color, style, size, features, etc. The food dehydrator shopper would be pleased with the options that are on the market for this product. One consumer may want the dehydrator for one purpose and the next consumer wants it and uses it for a different purpose. Since 1920 when the first food dehydrator was sold, the ingenuity of the American inventor and the need of health conscious people have forced options.

There are the electric dehydrator models and the solar powered dryers using solar energy to create a flow of warm air through the tray. There is the plastic dehydrator and there is the upscale stainless steel model. Home-food dehydrators fall into two structure categories: stackable trays or a rigid box with removable shelves.

Most dehydrators fit on a counter top but the larger models are free-standing. The food dehydrator can be square, round or rectangular. That makes a difference according to what food is processed. The wattage is 500, 600 or 700 because if the food is particularly wet or thick, the high wattage would be attractive.

Then there is fan drying, or convection drying, which relies on heat to accomplish the same end. Convection drying eliminates the possibility of contaminating foods because the fan could pull in dust or other contaminants. Another advantage to convection heating is that it creates a silent operation besides using less electricity. All positive, except that it requires twice the time to dry so the keeping quality lessens. If the dehydrator has levels and only a heater in the bottom for drying purposes, the layers have to be rotated consistently in order to have dried food that is evenly processed. However, if there is a heater and a fan system, the process of rotating trays is eliminated.

Filed Under: General, Health Tips Tagged With: Drying (food), Energy, Food dehydrator

Diabetes Remains a Serious Challenge for Medical Institutions

It’s unclear how the new medical legislation will directly affect medical institutions like hospitals. However, diabetes will continue to remain a serious challenge baring any comprehensive plan to address the disease. This presents several challenges and opportunities for any institution. This includes dealing with diabetes directly, dealing with it indirectly, and working to minimize cost to the institution while maximizing care for patients.

The first challenge comes from dealing with those who have diabetes directly. According to the American Diabetes Association, there are more than 1.6 million new cases of diabetes a year. Certainly, some of these cases will be caught by a patient’s regular doctor, but many people learn of diabetes from seeking emergency treatment for its symptoms without the knowledge of the illness itself. These people often require emergency treatment and it’s vitally important that one keep staff on hand that can identify and manage new cases of diabetes.

Also, it’s important to have a strong diabetes management system for any in patient care. Any institution must ensure both that regular diabetes treatment doesn’t interfere with any special inpatient treatment, and they must also make sure that the patient still receives their regular diabetes treatment. The importance of the proper management of diabetes cannot be stressed enough. Improper management of diabetes can lead to dangerous and costly complications in patient treatment.

Certainly care remains the core service provided by any medical institution, but the biggest challenge remains cost. Every service increases the cost for the institution and prevents it from offering other services. A strong diabetes management program helps protect patients, but it may ultimately reduce costs. One can spend extra to help train medical service professionals to deal with diabetes effectively which may reduces costs associated with inefficiencies of less skilled treatment. In addition, one must evaluate effectiveness of diabetes supplies when considering cost. Slightly more expensive diabetes equipment my reduce your institutions costs over time.

Filed Under: Health Tips, Medical Technology Tagged With: Conditions and Diseases, Diabetes, Diabetes mellitus, Health care

Need A Boost in Your Finances?

Everyone needs extra cash now and again and it is getting easier and easier to find sources for accessing that cash. There are plenty of resources out there, but you need to be savvy about how to find them and use them. When emergencies happen, people often ask family members or friends for money, because they know this is one of the easiest ways to obtain the finances they may need. But sometimes friends and family members are as hard pressed as you are for funds and in these tough economic times it can be difficult to ask them to sacrifice for you and hand over their hard earned money.

However, if you are willing to look around a bit you can find some reliable and wise sources for quick cash on the web. These web sites can explain to you everything you will need to know about their policies and such things as their interest rates, late fees, and any other information you may want before you make a decision. It’s good to research several of these companies before you decide on one. That way, you can find the one that most closely matches your needs, as well as your financial style. You will want to make sure that the web site is safe in terms of obtaining personal and financial information from you and that they will be well protected from hackers and their ilk. When you need emergency cash, you don’t need to feel guilty or desperate, instead just be well informed and find a great source for you to obtain the funds that you need. Nowadays there are so many companies who will bend over backwards to get your business, that you are fortunate enough to have a lot of options to choose from.

Filed Under: General Tagged With: Business, Financial services, Investing

Prescription Drugs and Recall Scares

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Trying to balance the need for these medications against the perceived dangers of them can be very difficult. Each person is different. Most people who take a medication will not experience any serious side effects. Many will have no problems at all. For those who do experience serious problems, though, it can be difficult to catch the danger before the damage is already done. There have been statements that the FDA isn’t doing what it should. There have been arguments made that the drug manufacturers know of the dangers and just want money. It’s very difficult to tell whether any of that is true, or whether mistakes just happen and the dangers only become apparent at a later date.

No matter which side of the argument you’re on, taking prescription medication can be both very important and a little bit frightening. Trusting doctors is becoming harder for some people, and they could be compromising their health by choosing not to see a doctor when they have, or suspect they have, a medical problem. Talk to your doctor about your concerns with prescription medication, and make sure you do your research before deciding whether to take a particular pill.

While technology in medicine has come a very long way, it’s still impossible to completely predict everything that will happen in the future. Even with the best of intentions to help people, something can still go wrong. Such is the case with some prescription medications. Though they were approved to help people, they are harming some of them – and lawyers are advertising all over the television about joining a class action lawsuit in order to get money for your injuries from these medications. Whether they should be doing this isn’t really the issue. The concern is that these people who were injured thought they were doing the right thing. They were following the advice of their doctor and believed that the drug they were taking was safe. In many instances, the medication did what it should and helped the patient – it just also caused unwanted side effects.
Trying to balance the need for these medications against the perceived dangers of them can be very difficult. Each person is different. Most people who take a medication will not experience any serious side effects. Many will have no problems at all. For those who do experience serious problems, though, it can be difficult to catch the danger before the damage is already done. There have been statements that the FDA isn’t doing what it should. There have been arguments made that the drug manufacturers know of the dangers and just want money. It’s very difficult to tell whether any of that is true, or whether mistakes just happen and the dangers only become apparent at a later date.
No matter which side of the argument you’re on, taking prescription medication can be both very important and a little bit frightening. Trusting doctors is becoming harder for some people, and they could be compromising their health by choosing not to see a doctor when they have, or suspect they have, a medical problem. Talk to your doctor about your concerns with prescription medication, and make sure you do your research before deciding whether to take a particular pill.

Filed Under: General, Health Tips, Hospital medicine Tagged With: Medicine, Pharmaceutical drug, Prescription drug

Microchips and Medicine

Micro chip The same technology that brings us computer chips and electronics is also used to improve prescription drugs. Scientists use microfabrication to shrink laboratory experiments and tests onto chips as small as a ladybug. These so-called labs-on-chips are tiny, but they have big implications for the future of medicine.

Computer chips are made by taking a silicon wafer, etching channels for microcircuitry, and coating it with metal to form wires. Successive steps of removing old material and then adding new can make a very complicated circuit. Etching and adding can also be used to make tiny chambers for cells and tiny tubes to add test chemicals. In this way, we can use a microchip both as an electrical device and as an environment for medical testing. Combining electricity, biology, and low cost means that doctors and scientists can perform difficult and expensive electrobiological tests with ease.

A great example of a lab on a chip is the chip-based patch clamp. Before microchip technology, the patch clamp was a wired syringe with an opening small enough to capture just a patch of the cell’s membrane. When a scientist put current through the syringe, she could figure out whether the cell’s membrane was resisting electricity. This helped her to figure out whether the cell was allowing certain chemicals, like calcium ions, to pass through its membrane. Calcium flow issues cause heart problems—this is why the painkiller Vioxx was recalled.

If the cell was immersed in a drug that made calcium pass abnormally, the scientist would find out without endangering patients. But syringe patch clamps are slow—it takes a scientist hours to catch a single cell on the syringe. By contrast, chip-based patch clamps can capture and test 20 cells at once.

By borrowing manufacturing techniques from the computer industry, scientists and doctors are making experiments faster and cheaper—and thus making medicine faster and cheaper for everyone.

Filed Under: Electronic, Hospital Technology, Medical Technology Tagged With: Electronics, Integrated circuit, Prescription drug

The Switch to Electronic Health Records May Reduce Costs and Improve Care

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Most patients imagine huge color coded shelves with a host of labeled manilla files when they think of doctors records. For the most part, they’d be right. However, there’s an initiative coming down the line that’s really gathering steam. Many medical institutions are switching to electronic health records. The basic idea behind the program is that rather than having paper records which are difficult to transfer, update, and cross reference, one has an electronic record that can be easily accessed and shared between medical institutions.

His provides numerous benefits both monetary and in patient care. The transfer to an electronic system saves a great deal of money in paper, support costs, and labor hours necessary to keep the records updated. However, there are serious costs to setting up the system initially, training employees, and keeping the system updated. Nevertheless, the government has been known to offer incentives to institutions who move towards these systems and that can help reduce the overall costs.

The benefits for patient care are numerous and obvious. The regular healthcare provider and any necessary specialists can easily share information between each other through a unified patient profile. This can also reduce the risk of complications from allergies or medicine interactions because the shared profile can inform each healthcare provider can see any current treatments and proscription history.

In addition, many of these system are linked to databases of the most advance clinical research. This provides the doctor with a whole host of treatment options he might not otherwise consider. In addition, it can raise warnings about information from other records who have had a similar situation and any possible failure or harms that treatment might have experienced.

Although it might not be as exciting as the newest laser surgery technology, advances in medical records will help bring significant improvement to patients care and help reduce the difficulties in treatment.

Filed Under: Health Tips, Hospital medicine, Infrastructure Tagged With: Health care, Medicine, Technology