Health | Hospital and Medical Technology

Phone applications for medical professionals

Advances in technology are now making their way into the medical field. One current technology appearing in the medical field is phone applications for medical professionals. Several applications are available and useful for medical professionals; however there are eight specific applications that are free.

These free phone applications include Medscape, Epocrates Rx, iRadiology, MedPage Today Mobil, MedicalRadio, MedCalc, NeuroMind, and Drug Trials. The applications provide physicians, surgeons, and medical students and residents with access to a variety of resources.

Resources available with these applications range from information on drug interactions and medication identification to radio topics that address news and current issues in the medical field. Additional resources include clinical trial information, current medical research, published medical articles, medical calculators, drug references, radiology case studies, information on practicing and improving skills in reading film, CT, and MRI results, and finally basic information and surgery checklists for neurologists and neurology surgical residents.

Additionally, this new technology allows doctors and medical students to have access to a wealth of medical information right at their fingertips. Moreover, applications such as these can provide current and updated information for all medical professionals quickly, which can increase efficiency and decrease patient wait time.

Although not expressly designed for the general populations, some of these applications such as Medscape and Epocrates Rx can be beneficial for patients who seek additional information about prescriptions, drug interactions, and information on over the counter medications.

As technology advances, new resources will become available both to medical professionals and the general public. Applications such as these are only the beginning and provide a wealth of information to access quickly, easily, and instantly. Future developments may allow not only medical professionals but also the general public to access the medical information they need to understand conditions, courses of treatment, and medication treatments.

Filed Under: Hospital Technology, Medical Technology Tagged With: Clinical trial, Drug interaction, Epocrates Rx, Health, Health care provider, Magnetic resonance imaging, MedCalc, Medscape

Next Generation of MRI Machines Will Ease Patients Minds

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An MRI has an important place in any hospital. It doesn’t use ionizing radiation like CT scans and so there’s much less chance of complications for patients. The MRI provides especially good imagining of different tissues and proves useful in brain scans, cardiovascular scans, and oncology. MRI machines are incredibly expensive. Traditionally insurance and federal funding have supported MRIs, but the Federal Deficiet Reduction Act has reduced payments for an MRI. This economic reality colors any institutions consideration in regards to an MRI. However, there are several different advances and avenues to consider in regards to MRIs.

The first question concerns the resolution of the MRI. Currently, there are both 1.5 and 3.0 Tesla MRIs. The 3.0 Tesla MRIs have a much higher imaging resolution. This allows them to pick up a wider range of phenomena when scanning the patient which will aid in diagnosis. However, they’re much more expensive and they’re currently all close bore which can cause discomfort especially to patients with claustrophobia or anxiety.

One can find a wide range of different models and advances when considering a 1.5 Tesla model. Some of the newest models can maintain the magnetic field even with an open side. This allows patients to have an open experience will still maintaining the imagining level. This level of comfort for patients might be worth the trade off in resolution especially if one can refer them to a nearby hospital with a more powerful MRI.

One should consider cost as well as comfort. A higher resolution MRI may garner referrals for difficult cases from other local hospitals and clinics even if they have their own. However, it might make sense to go with a cheaper and more comfortable MRI if the area is already saturated by a high level of high imagining MRIs. One should always factor in cost to the purchase of large equipment or it can quickly become a drain on the hospital or clinics finances and reduce resources for patient care.

Filed Under: Artificial Blood, Hospital Technology, Medical Technology Tagged With: Health, Medical Specialties, Radiology

Swimming In Pools Increases Chances of Lung Cancer

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The next time you go for indoor swimming, take note of the water you are swimming in because it can impact your health seriously by giving rise to diseases and lung cancer. The new medical technology study was published in the Environmental Health Perspectives journal. The study showed that the reason for the cause of diseases and cancers is due to the byproduct formed from the disinfection solutions used in the indoor swimming pools.

This medical technology study was carried in two parts. In the first part, healthy people who swam in the indoor pool for more than 40 minutes were called for blood, urine, and exhaled air sample tests. The tests revealed a high amount of toxic presence. The toxic matter forms due to the combination of excessive chlorine in the pool and other organic matter present. This byproduct enters the human body through skin and sweat. This exposure to the byproduct increased the exposure to toxic elements by seven times in the human body. The water samples contained more than 100 toxic products, some of which were never seen before.

In the second part of the test study, the same healthy individuals who swam for more than 40 minutes were found to be exposed to serious respiratory illnesses. The individuals were exposed to short term cellular damage in the lungs and continued exposure to the toxic elements has the potential to lead to severe health problems like bladder cancer and asthma. This is the reason swimming pool users and healthcare agencies are rooting for changing the disinfection means of swimming pools and reduce the threat to human lives.

Till the time any changes are made, medical technology researchers suggest that swimmers should go for swimming pools disinfected with ultra violet rays. Ultra violet treated pools require minimal chemicals for purification. The ultra violet treatment rids the pools of dangerous pathogens and pollutants without creating any toxic byproduct without causing any harm to the swimmers.

Filed Under: Hospital Technology Tagged With: Cancer, Disinfectant, Environmental Health Perspectives, Health, Research, Swimming pool, Toxicity, Ultraviolet

Save Kids from Becoming Drug Addicts by Anti-Drug Vaccination

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It is common knowledge that children are vulnerable to drug abuse. Drugs like cocaine, nicotine and heroin can ruin the life of such children. Now how would you feel if an anti – vaccination drug could be made available that will immunize them from the effects of drugs. This anti – vaccination serums kills the reactionary metabolism of the body. Through this new medical technology, people who take drugs will not undergo the brain alternation effects that happen normally.

The medical technology is currently in the initial stage of research. Studies need to be conducted to see whether the immunizing vaccine has any negative effect on the user and at what interval should they be taken. Moreover, if the research results come out clear, this medical technology advancement that needs to be made available globally. In other words, every person, a kid or adult, should be immunized with the immunizing vaccine. Currently, the immunization research is discussed in the UK and sooner, this scenario will shift to the USA as well.

If approved, the advantages of this vaccination could be –

•Reduction of healthcare costs and improvement in the lifestyle of people
•No illegal drug trafficking because it won’t have any use
•100 percent chances of eliminating smoking with one generation and as a result, people will be saved from chronic diseases like cancer, heart problems and nervous system disorders.
•Complete eradication of drug addicts from the world scenario

As said earlier, the immunization medical technology needs to be carefully reviewed and researched. Only if it guarantees safe and effective result, they should be made a mandatory requirement all over the world. No costs should be charged; probably the taxpayers’ money should go into funding the vaccine.

Maybe a wishful thinking right now, but won’t it be great if similar vaccines can be created for other health problems like weight gain and other chronic problems. Of course, one cannot expect the medical technology to happen until another few decades.

Filed Under: Hospital Technology Tagged With: Health, Immunization, Medical technology, Substance abuse, Substance dependence, United States, Vaccination, Vaccine

Whom Do You Turn To When Your Doctor Is Ignorant?

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Wouldn’t it be a health risk when the doctor who is “supposed to know” about health disorders and offer solutions appears as clueless as you are and to top it, such doctors try to avoid accepting the fact?

We have advanced so much in medical technology field that we have more solutions to diseases than was present even a century before. But does this mean that the doctors whom we go for health checkups are correctly informed? The United States, a country considered as having the best of healthcare facilities, displays widespread disparity when you note the health and nutritional illiteracy of its doctors.

Such doctors are not even aware of the basic knowledge of food and nutritional medical technology like:

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) were responsible behind funding illegal medical technology experiments on human prisoners.
There is unawareness in the knowledge of the distinction between Dead Food and Live Food, and what constitutes each.
Processed meat products can contribute to the development certain types of cancers – lung and brain – because it contains sodium nitrate.
Referring to ‘organic foods’ and ‘natural foods’ synonymously is wrong.
Soy proteins, recommended for several types of health cure, actually contain hexane – an explosive chemical.
Unawareness with the knowledge that chocolate, celery and cabbage really contain anti – cancer nutrients.
The carmine food coloring used in drinks is made from smashed red beetles.
Processed milk product can actually increase the obesity level in teenagers.
Flu vaccines that are given in every season do not have any real effect because they cannot fight real flu breakout.
Eating food cooked in non – stick cookware actually means consuming deadly toxic chemicals. When you heat the pan, the fumes that are emitted are toxic enough to kill a parakeet instantly.

These were just minor examples of the ignorance doctors have with medical technology. And imagine, when you go to such doctors, how much health risk to you put yourself in!

Filed Under: Hospital Technology Tagged With: Business, California, Health, Medical technology, Medicine, Patient, Technology, United States

Breakthrough in Medical Technology – Better Cardiovascular Disease Detection

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A research study published In the Radiology journal issue of September 2010 has reported the development of a new medical technology that will help medical professionals diagnose cardiovascular diseases earlier than previously thought. The new cardiac imaging device developed by the Mount Sinai School of Medicine takes into consideration the coronary artery plaques that are rapturous using the multicolor CT (Computerized Tomography).

How does this medical technology work?

70 percent of heart attack cases are due to the atherosclerotic plaque ruptures. The ruptures take place when the “good” cholesterol (HDL) is drawn towards the plaques and because of their vulnerability; they are removed from the artery wall. What the Mount Sinai team of researchers did was to harness the HDL with tiny gold particles. The researchers then injected the captured HDL into mice and when the CT scanner was used, the HDL particles could me easily seen on the image screen. This was helpful in locating the position of the vulnerable plaques and thus, by this technology, radiologists can quickly detect cardiovascular problem onset.

If the multicolor CT medical technology is made available, it will help better the diagnosis process and ensure medical help to every patient. Mount Sinai researchers believe that the same technology could be also used for imaging other diseases and biological problems such as kidney diseases, bowel problems and several types of cancer. David Cormode, the lead research author of the work commented that the technology will provide for a “significant unmet need for imaging technology that visualizes plaque vulnerable to rupture”.

If this imaging medical technology can be used for early cancer detection, it will undoubtedly be a boon for people. We know that cancer is most of the time diagnosed in the last stage, which significantly decreases the chances of survival for patients and leads to costly medical services. If the disease is detected at the earliest, the person and medical professionals will have time to use the correct combative measure and thus, save precious lives.

Filed Under: Hospital Technology Tagged With: Atheroma, HDL, Health, Heart disease, High-density lipoprotein, Medicine, Radiology, X-ray computed tomography

Common Medical Technology Practices

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Diagnosis of diseases and efficient medical care is incomplete without better medical technology practices. These technological advancements not only help save time due to their working efficiency, they are responsible for providing excellent medical facilities. In the last decade or so, there has been immense advancement in medical technology. Some of them are explained below in brief:

Bar Coding

It is a medical technology that allows for tracking the medications by printing unique bar codes at the back of each medicine. This way, not only the manufactured medicines are recorded but also there is reduced cost of lost medications.

Infrared Technology

It is the system of tracking the medical supplies and personnel details within the hospital. Each member of the staff are given infrared badge and sometimes, if the need be, patients are also bound in infrared sensors to help track them. Moreover, since the supplies are marked too, there is less chance of medical supplies theft.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

This medical technology allows for disease diagnosis by using visual cross sections of the human body. The MRI machine creates a 3-D image by combining the water molecules present in the body with the radio waves that is turned into cross sectional images.

Computerized Tomography (CT)

A powerful computer program and rotational x-ray machine is used to create the CT scan. Unlike the traditional x-rays, the CT scan’s are more detailed, providing an intrinsic image of the body internal structures and organs. Usually, the CT scan is advised for locating internal injuries, muscle or bone disorders, and location of tumors.

Positron Emission Tomography (PET)

The PET medical technology scans are used for molecular detection of brain disorders, heart related problems and cancer diagnosis. The areas in which higher chemical activity is detected, the radioactive material accumulates there and the image is shown in the scan. Both the CT scan and PET scan are used together for disease diagnosis.

Filed Under: Hospital Technology Tagged With: Cancer, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Health, Magnetic resonance imaging, Medicine, Positron emission tomography, Radiology, X-ray computed tomography

How Medical Technology is Improving Heart Problem Treatments

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Having a heart attack or other heart issues is a very scary thing to deal with. Often, these problems occur out of nowhere and, while you may have thought you were perfectly healthy, are now facing an entirely different reality. When you first begin noticing the heart abnormalities, you will likely be rushed to an emergency room to undergo a variety of tests to determine the problem. However, the tests you can expect to receive now are much different than the ones you would have received just a few years ago. These test changes are a result of advancing medical technology and are greatly improving not only the accuracy of the results but also the speed with which the tests can be completed. The following are just a few of the improvements you may experience.

Better Accuracy

Heart tests that once required a catheter camera to search your arteries for trouble spots are now being replaced by heart scans. These heart scans require no insertions into your arteries and are typically much more accurate than older test versions. This means you will receive better answers regarding your heart problems and will then be prescribed an appropriate treatment course or taken in for immediate surgery depending on the severity of your condition.

Faster Results

Because older test versions required the insertion of a catheter into arteries to search for the cause of the heart problems, these tests were often cumbersome and painful for patients. However, the new heart scans are completed very quickly and cause no harm to patients. This is a welcome change for patients who, in the past, were already experiencing chest pains and then had to undergo painful tests to determine the cause of their health issues.

Improved Recovery Time

Since heart specialists are now able to quickly determine the cause of heart problems thanks to medical technology improvements, they can treat their patients faster. This not only improves the recovery time for patients but also improves the chance that they will make a full recovery from the heart problems.

Filed Under: Hospital Technology, Medical Technology Tagged With: Cardiovascular Disorders, Catheter, Conditions and Diseases, Health, Heart disease, Medicine, Myocardial infarction, Patient

How to Find a Quality Rotation Location in Medical Technology

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Going to college to become a medical technology specialist is a wise idea because it can be a well-paying and rewarding career field to pursue. While working as a medical technologist, you will handle a wide variety of duties including evaluating samples to check for disease and other tasks that can help improve the lives of patients. During your last year of classes, you will need to begin thinking about where you want to complete your rotations. While you may sometimes be placed into a rotation location, you may also have the opportunity to choose where you want to go. Here are a few things to consider when you are deciding where you want to complete your rotations to ensure you make the best decision.

Choose a Quality Location

The main point of completing medical technology rotations is to learn as much as you can while working in the field. As such, you will want to choose a high quality location so that you will learn as much as possible. Some locations that offer rotation opportunities simply don’t provide enough hands-on experience and, as such, you will finish your year there without gaining the knowledge you need to excel in your career.

You can research quality locations in a variety of ways. First, you can speak with your professors to inquire if they have any recommendations on the best locations that you can apply to. If you know any students that have already graduated, you can also ask them about their rotation experience and if they have any recommendations. You can also do some research online to learn more about each place you are considering.

Apply to Several Programs

If you have to submit applications before you will be accepted into a rotation program, then you should send out as many as possible. This way, even if you don’t get into your top choice, you will still have backup plans so that you don’t end up with any options.

Filed Under: Hospital Technology, Medical Technology Tagged With: Education, Health, IPhone, Medical technology, Medicine, Optics Express, Rotation, United States

How New Medical Technologies are Helping Treat Childhood Illnesses

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If you have children, you know how scary it can be when they just get a common cold. However, many parents are currently dealing with the stress that comes along with having a seriously ill child. The heartache and worry that comes along with such a situation is unimaginable and it something that no parent or child should have to go through. Thankfully, recent advances in medical technology are improving the chances that more children will make full recoveries from serious illnesses and there are even things you can do to protect your child in case they are ever diagnosed with a serious disease.

Proactive Measures

Having a child with a serious illness is something no parent wants to experience. Therefore, it is also something that no parent wants to think about unless it is a situation you are currently going through. However, childhood diseases are something you should begin thinking about before your child is even born because the more prepared you are for something like this happening, the better chance you will have of treating the child and helping them make a full recovery.

One new medical technology that many parents are beginning to utilize is saving the cord blood from the umbilical cord after the child is born. This cord contains vital substances that can be extremely useful for treating the child in the future in case they ever experience a serious illness.

Monitor the Child

Even if your child seems to be extremely healthy from the moment they are born, you should regularly monitor them for suspicious health symptoms. Your doctor can tell you what things to look for so you will have a better chance of catching a disease early. It is also imperative that you take the child in for their regular doctor checkups so that the doctor will be able to monitor their health and check for signs of illness.

Filed Under: Hospital Technology, Medical Technology Tagged With: Child Health, Common cold, Cord blood, Disease, Health, Illness, Parent, Umbilical cord