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Emergency Medical Services (EMS) are not only responsible for providing prompt and efficient medical care to many different types emergencies, but also for fully documenting each and every event. Unfortunately, the vast majority of EMS events are still documented by hand. The documents are then further processed and entered manually into various billing, research, and other databases. Hence, such a process is expensive, labor intensive, and error prone. There is a dire need for more research in this area and for faster, efficient solutions. We present a solution for this problem: Prehospital Patient Care Record (PCR) for emergency medical field usage with a system called iRevive that functions as a mobile data base application. iRevive is a mobile database application that is designed to facilitate the collection and management of prehospital data. It allows point-of-care data capture in an electronic format and is equipped with individual patient sensors to automatically capture vital sign data. Patient information from the field is wirelessly transmitted to a back-end server, which uses Web service standards to promote interoperability with disparate hospital information systems, various billing agencies, and a wide variety of research applications.
EMS in Dubai - India
Who doesn't want that perfect smile with all those white teeth flashing and intact? Unfortunately, as we age so does our teeth hence we do not remain in possession of the same teeth condition for long. Or along the way we meet a periodontal disease or some sort of injury due to which we have to bid farewell to one or more of our teeth. However, many thanks to technology and the advancement in the dental field, the loss of teeth has become a situation which would not cause more embarrassing moments for you any longer. If at any point in your life you feel the need to replace your unfortunate tooth/teeth, do not hesitate to visit your best dentist and inquire about dental implants.
A substitute to your original teeth, a dental implant is an artificial root that is integrated into your gum to hold a customized tooth made for you in place. Although the dental procedure involves drilling holes into your jawbone but once you have accomplished getting the dental implants, you will most definitely not feel any difference between your original or artificial teeth. It is a stupendous dental discovery due to which a lot of people who have had some misfortune concerning their dental health can eat, speak, smile and talk with complete confidence and aplomb. They are so natural looking that you never even feel the difference. No longer do you have to be conscious in a poster session or a social event concerning that empty slot in the row of your teeth.
If you have good oral health and you have had a secure dental history so far then this dental procedure would be more than suitable for you. Make an appointment and get the best dental advice possible concerning the dental implants. Your dentist would be able to help you out and advise you on your next dental approach. You would also get to know that dental implants are a safe and easy to opt for option as you do not have to worry about its effects on the neighboring teeth. Since your adjacent teeth are not used in the procedure to support your dental implant, they are left intact and are in no way sacrificed. Moreover, dental implants help in making your jaw look complete. Unlike dentures and bridge work, the worry of bone loss or gum recession is completely eliminated in dental implants giving you an aesthetically pleasing end result. And last but definitely not the least, the success rate of dental implants is comparatively a whole lot higher than dentures and bridges.
Dental implants come with so many advantages; improved eating, improved talking, improved self esteem, improved oral health, improved comfort, durable and convenient. Completely discarding the issue of removing the dentures, the permanency in dental implants assures you a convenient jaw and something that would last forever. Between you, your dentist and you periodontist, you can decide the best location for your dental implant depending upon your oral health and the number of teeth missing. Hence depending on these criteria your periodontist will come up with the best treatment plan for you. After the surgery is complete, you will be working closely with both your dentist and periodontist following their after treatment plans drawn up for you. Since the dental implants are more or less like your original teeth, you would need to look after them just the same way; by daily brushing and flossing. Not much fuss is required in taking care of them as long as you are vigilant in your oral hygiene regime and periodic dentist visits.
Medical tourism travel for Dental Treatment to India. HI Flying.
Development of Vaccines, the awareness of oro-feacal hygiene, and development of anti-biotics in the past has virtually eradicated a number of infectious diseases that were known to decimate populations at one time. This indeed has caused a big impact on mortality and morbidity of mankind in the last century.
With the control of infectious diseases,ATHEROSCLEROSIS, that is, deposition of lipids in the arterial wall and its resultant damage and complications, through Heart attack and stroke has become one of the major cause of mortality and morbidity.
With the understanding of the immune-mediated inflammatory mechanism of development of atherosclerosis, it is very exciting to think about that this disease can also be controlled by induction of antigen specific immune responses against atherosclerosis by vaccination.
When we think about the vaccination, we first need to understand the mechanism of inflammation and its role in atherosclerosis.
Both innate immunity which does not require an antigenic stimulation and antigenic specific or adaptive immunity plays a major role in development of the atherosclerosis.
Many researchers have dedicated themselves to study the immune mechanism in Atherosclerosis and the possibility of identifying a stimulus for creating a vaccine. Some of these are as follows:-
Given that immune-mediated inflammation is a cardinal feature of atherosclerosis, it is tempting to consider specific strategies to target immune or inflammatory components whereby we can develop a vaccine for atherosclerosis. Some go the studies have focused on this only.
The consistent reduction of atherosclerosis after p210 immunization, regardless of how and which form was delivered, strongly suggests that p210 is a promising candidate antigen for potential vaccine formulation for possible future human application.
The heart attack and stroke which are the major killer and are the manifestation of atherosclerosis is going to be controlled by vaccination is going to be the major development of the 21st century and like that of the development of antibiotic in past.
Given the potential of atherosclerosis as a Giant Killer today, it will be most logical to peruse the atherosclerosis vaccine at the fastest pace. Hoping it comes soon.
Researchers are likely to have uncovered a novel mechanism behind the ability of the common diabetes drug metformin to inhibit the progression of pancreatic cancer.Diabetic patients taking metformin have a reduced risk of developing pancreatic cancer. Among patients who develop the tumour, those taking the drug may have a reduced risk of death, the study revealed.
Metformin — a commonly used generic medication for type 2 diabetes — decreases the inflammation and fibrosis characteristic of the most common form of pancreatic cancer, the researchers said.This beneficial effect may be most prevalent in overweight and obese patients, the findings indicated.
Rare Abdominal Pregnancy.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Zepatier (elbasvir and grazoprevir) with or without ribavirin for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotypes 1 and 4 infections in adult patients.
Hepatitis C is a viral disease that causes inflammation of the liver that can lead to diminished liver function or liver failure. Most people infected with HCV have no symptoms of the disease until liver damage becomes apparent, which may take several years. Some people with chronic HCV infection develop cirrhosis over many years, which can lead to complications such as bleeding, jaundice (yellowish eyes or skin), fluid accumulation in the abdomen, infections or liver cancer. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 3 million Americans are infected with HCV, of which genotype 1 is the most common and genotype 4 is one of the least common.
"Today's approval provides another oral treatment option for patients with genotypes 1 and 4 HCV infections without requiring use of interferon," said Edward Cox, M.D., director of the Office of Antimicrobial Products in the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.
The safety and efficacy of Zepatier with or without ribavirin was evaluated in clinical trials of 1,373 participants with chronic HCV genotype 1 or 4 infections with and without cirrhosis. The participants received Zepatier with or without ribavirin once daily for 12 or 16 weeks. The studies were designed to measure whether a participant's hepatitis C virus was no longer detected in the blood 12 weeks after finishing treatment (sustained virologic response or SVR), suggesting a participant's infection had been cured.
The overall SVR rates ranged from 94-97 percent in genotype 1-infected subjects and from 97-100 percent in genotype 4-infected subjects across trials for the approved treatment regimens. In order to maximize SVR rates for patients, the product label provides recommendations regarding length of treatment with or without ribavirin specifically tailored to the characteristics of the patient and their virus. It is recommended that healthcare professionals screen genotype 1a-infected patients for certain viral genetic variations prior to starting treatment with Zepatier to determine dosage regimen and duration.
The most common side effects of Zepatier without ribavirin were fatigue, headache and nausea. The most common side effects of Zepatier with ribavirin were anemia and headache.
Zepatier carries a warning alerting patients and health care providers that elevations of liver enzymes to greater than five times the upper limit of normal occurred in approximately 1 percent of clinical trial participants, generally at or after treatment week eight. Liver-related blood tests should be performed prior to starting therapy and at certain times during treatment. Zepatier should not be given to patients with moderate or severe liver impairment.
Zepatier was granted breakthrough therapy designation for the treatment of chronic HCV genotype 1 infection in patients with end stage renal disease on hemodialysis and for the treatment of chronic HCV genotype 4 infection. Breakthrough therapy designation is a program designed to expedite the development and review of drugs that are intended to treat a serious condition and preliminary clinical evidence indicates that the drug may demonstrate substantial improvement over available therapy on a clinically significant endpoint.
Zepatier is marketed by Merck & Co. Inc. based in Whitehouse Station, New Jersey.
Euthanasia for the Terminally ill patient - A Controversy or Solution by HI Flying - Air Ambulance International.
Everything you want to know about Euthanasia
Euthanasia means physician assisted suicide, this basically done for people who are very ill and want to end their life, will fully, this is also called mercy killing in some countries. This term has come from Greek word which is called euthanatos that means simple death. In some regions of the world where this is allowed, but not permitted in some. This is a way for many people who are suffering and living for them is very difficult, and they want a very fast and dignified way of dying and getting rid of the pain and misery they are going through. This happens by stopping them the supply of the life saving medicines. Things have changed and this subject is getting discussed in lots of place all over the world. There are lots of people who are against it, while of some them still in favour, but is a delicate subject and needs to be given lots of thoughts.
Doctors are bound with a moral responsibility to keep their patients alive. They are bound with a Hippocratic Oath and this is a very serious issue which one needs to keep in mind. Hence by making this legal it can become or slip from euthanasia to murder, this is something very serious and needs to be paid serious attention too.
The misuse of this could be many, like killing people who are poor and disabled. This will also create lots of incentives for insurance companies, who can save big amount of money by promoting this as insurance may not be applicable and hence it is a serious issue and lots of thought process needs to go in to avoid any kind of misuse of this as it could be a disaster for many people. Though some people need this badly to put an end to the misery they are going through. Even in the present time most place in Europe and USA this is still an illegal practice and in not supported. It is a very serious issue which requires lots of thinking and only then can be brought into force and even after that lots of reforms, should be put out as an how needed. Even in countries like India, lots of debates have happened on this issue, but not many people are still convinced on making this legal, but to lots of misuse that is possible in this case.
Switzerland is a country which supports this and hence many people who are just not able to take their pain any more go there and take advantage of this law. As this is a country which is one of the most liberal in implementing this rule. But this is still a serious issue. But this service is governed by lots of rules. Everything needs to be done with a process to avoid any kind of problems. The total cost for this is around 7000 Euros. This includes the suicide costs, death certificate, presence of doctors and funeral expenses. Hence people need to have that much money even after getting here to complete the process.
A person may only think about Euthanasia, when he or she is fed up with the quality of life they are going through. Some people suffer from some diseases which are incurable, like Parkinson which reduces the daily mobility of the person and makes him depended on others at all times and there is no treatment available for curing it in the market even till the present time as this is a case of Euthanasia and people , may want to opt for this. But with lots of caution as any kind of misuse may b nothing but murder. In some cases even the family member can request it when then patient is in no position to request for the same. But this has to be done with great caution and should be done only for right reasons which are a very important thing for most of the people.
There are lots of important question which need to be answered before applying Euthanasia
1) Is right for a terminally ill patient to end life?
2) When should ne euthanasia permitted?
3) What is the difference between killing someone and let them die?
4) Should human being have right to decide whether to live or die?
These are very serious issues and will require lots of different perspectives. Many people have different views. Lots of people are still not in favour of this as there are lots of dangers involved and this is something which will need to be really though over well before applying.
How is Euthanasia carried out?
This is done with the help of a lethal injection. Or by doing something that will be required to keep the person alive. This is done in a way based on the procedure of the country where it is done. In most cases this is done to relive the patient from his or her suffering which is just too much for them. But is illegal in most of the countries and hence, it cannot be done at the present time in most countries of the world irrespective of the situation.
In certain cases there is a fine line, which is basically giving a patient some medicines to reduce pain, but that is going to reduce the life span of the patient and hence cannot be termed as Euthanasia. Hence this is basically confusion. This is a practice which is followed by some but cannot be termed as Euthanasia, but is it ethical? That is question asked by many and hence needs to be though over. Lots of countries have different laws governing these things and based on that the people need to follow it. But one thing is for sure that this is a very serious issue and needs to be dealt with lots of caution as it can cause some major harm to people if misused in any way anywhere.
More information on Air Ambulance travel for Terminally ill patients - call or email us.
Self induced abortion.
Self induced abortions have been known since historical times. The methods commonly used in ancient times included use of abortifacient herbs, heavy physical labour, introduction of sharp instruments, different forms of physical abuse such as throwing themselves down the stairs, blows to the lower abdomen, etc. Most of these methods were barbaric and resulted in severe damage to the mother.
In the modern times, many women still try these methods to induce abortion. They seek these methods as a result of desperation, where they cannot seek medical help for legally inducing abortion. However, with drugs such as mifeprestone and misoprostol being approved by the FDA, it has become easier for the women to carry out self induced abortion.
Mifeprestone, also known as RU-486 is endorsed by the World Health Organization for abortion up to 63 days of gestation (9 weeks of pregnancy). It works optimally when taken between 4-6 weeks of gestation. Misoprostol is another drug which is taken in combination with mifeprestone. This combination is considered more effective than use of Mifeprestone alone. According to the WHO, Mifeprestone 200mg should be taken as a single dose medication followed by Misoprostol within 1-3 days. Misoprostol is administered in a dose of 800µg through the vaginal route. Vaginal route has lesser risks of adverse effects than the sublingual route, though sublingual route can also be used for administering the drug.
It is important to note that both Mifeprestone and Misoprostol are prescription drugs and should be used only under the guidance of a registered medical practitioner. It is important to get examined by a doctor and give complete medical history to the doctor, including what medications the woman is currently taking. They can adversely react with various drugs and can cause life threatening side effects. They are used as medical methods of terminating pregnancy and all the legalities apply. In India, the drugs can be obtained only after consultation with a registered gynaecologist who supervises the procedure. These drugs cannot be used in ectopic pregnancy. Ectopic pregnancy occurs when the fetus is implanted outside the uterine cavity, most commonly in the fallopian tubes. Women who seek to induce abortion at home by using these pills are often unsure if there is an ectopic pregnancy. Taking these drugs in such cases causes life threatening adverse effects like haemorrhage. Incomplete abortion can also occur with these drugs, though the chances are low if taken before nine weeks. Many women are unaware of the symptoms of incomplete abortion. Prolonged and heavy bleeding is a symptom of incomplete abortion which is ignored by the women. As a result, the products of conception remain within the uterus, which later on get infected. Fever is the earliest symptom. If medical help is not sought at this stage, the subsequent complications endanger the life of the woman.
Though these drugs have made medical abortion more accessible, it has to be remembered that there can be several adverse effects. Therefore, it is important to take these drugs only after consulting a doctor.
Abortion for women in India.
Abortion travel for safe abortion
Zika again - by HI Flying.
By now, it has become routine to learn of one impending health scare or the other.
HI Flying does some new Zika updates. Zika in India.
Even as Ebola seems to have been bested in Africa, terrifying reports of the outbreak of the Zika virus are coming in from South America. Closer home in India, the growing spectre of lifestyle diseases threatens large populations, especially in urban areas. And the just-released National Family Health Survey data reveals, among other things, that India has miles to go in ensuring health insurance coverage for its people.
However, amidst all the gloom and challenges associated with public health, there are also areas where India has been achieving commendable successes. One such area has been the fight against Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs).
Amidst all the gloom and challenges associated with public health, there are also areas where India has been achieving commendable successes. NTDs refer to a group of bacterial and parasitic diseases that are spread by insects like mosquitoes and flies, or by contact with contaminated soil or water. A key characteristic of NTDs is that they disproportionately affect the poorest of citizens, and hinder their access to economic, educational, and social opportunities. An example of an NTD is lymphatic filariasis (LF)—or, elephantiasis (or hathipaon in Hindi) as it is commonly referred to.
It is against LF that India has been conducting a demonstrably successful campaign for a while now. The flagship part of this effort has been the National Filaria Week (NFW), during which free and safe medication that both prevents and treats LF is distributed to people living in those districts that are still identified as endemic for the disease.
In the 2015 edition of the NFW, the number of such districts was 137—a huge drop from the 255 such districts when the consolidated campaign first began a decade ago. Improvements are also evident at the state level. In my home state of Odisha, the population that has been estimated to be at risk has dropped from 26.2 million people across 20 districts in 1996 to 11.9 million people in 10 districts in 2015.
Without doubt, credit is due to the many people who are responsible for this success: Civil servants in the union ministry of health and family welfare, the state filaria programme managers and teams, and the ASHA workers who undertook the door-to-door distribution of medication. That strong leadership at the highest levels, combined with coordinated action at the grassroots, can achieve this advancement in public health is an inspiring signal at a time when many concerns about the future of healthcare in India abound.
Of course, recognising this remarkable progress should not detract from redoubling efforts to achieve the complete elimination of this disease. After all, the last mile is usually the hardest. To grasp the ever-so-close goal of total eradication of LF from India, there are three things that should be kept in mind.
Lymphatic filariasis can lead to lifelong disability that limits a patient's ability to engage in a productive livelihood. First, sustained progress toward LF elimination depends not just on achieving health-related goals, but is also linked to environmental and sanitation goals. For example, LF is transmitted by mosquitoes that breed in stagnant water. Thus, water, sanitation, and hygiene initiatives like theSwachh Bharat (Clean India) campaign should also form an integral part of the discussion on tackling NTDs in a sustainable manner.
Secondly, as India nears the curbing of transmission of new LF infections, the focus must turn to providing support and rehabilitation for those living with advanced stages of the disease. LF can lead to lifelong disability that limits a patient's ability to engage in a productive livelihood. Given that the disease mostly affects the poorest of the poor, the disfigurement associated with advanced stages of LF keeps patients and their families locked in a cycle of poverty, and discrimination. Thus, a crucial component of India's victory over LF would be adopting and implementing a robust morbidity management plan to support those who are already suffering from the disease.
The National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme has already started taking steps to address the issue of the ongoing pain and disability resulting from the disease. However, constant vigilance is required to guard against the possibility that, in the jubilation over halting infections, those who are already infected are forgotten.
Thirdly, the mass administration of the filaria drug is important not just because it controls LF, but also because it helps fight soil-transmitted helminths (i.e. intestinal worms). This is a critical intervention to secure a healthy generation of children. It must be ensured that similar programmes continue even after India's anti-filaria programmes achieve success and are ceased.
Kidney transplant in India.
The state police in Telangana have arrested a diagnostic lab manager, based in Ahmedabad for his alleged involvement in the international kidney racket from Telangana.
As reported by TOI, the assistant commissioner of police, crime branch, K N Patel said that while the kingpin of the kidney transplant scam, Dhaval Daruwala of Mumbai, is still absconding, a team of Telangana Police, accompanied by Prajapati and Chauhan had conducted a search at Sanya Diagnostic Centre were medical check-ups of the supposed donors had been done.
As further implied by the city crime branch this accused use to sent the donor to Sri Lanka after a primary health check at his diagnostic centre. Sri Lanka is the alleged hub for the illegal kidney transplant operations. Most of these donors were searched in Delhi, AP and Tamil Nadu by the accused.
Perceived to be on an aggressive drive to crack down the racket from the state, only recently the Telangana police had arrested two accused. Now, the hunt is on for the suspected donors from Ahmedabad.
It has been alleged by the police confirming further details on the case that the donor's blood tests have been conducted in the Sanya Diagnostic Centre, to test the fitness for kidney transplantation.
As reported by TOI earlier, City crime branch sleuths and a Telangana police team nabbed two persons -Dilip Chauhan and Suresh Prajapati -in connection with a multi-crore international kidney transplant racket. The Telangana police had busted the racket in February 2015.
The arrested persons have admitted to getting medical check-up of over 100 people done at a diagnostic laboratory referred to them by one Dhawal Daruwala who has a visa and travel business in Mumbai. Those who underwent medical check-up belong to Delhi, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
Illegal kidney transplant is a bane to Modern Medicine. It reflectes the exploitation of poor by the rich in modern society. It has to be condemned.
All transplant surgeries is needed to conducted in the right manner following proper protocols of treatment at Government recognized Transplant centers
More information - call or email us.
Women and Heart Attack.
Report by HI Flying India.
A woman's heart attack may have different underlying causes, symptoms and outcomes compared to men, and differences in risk factors and outcomes are further pronounced in black and Hispanic women, according to a scientific statement published in the American Heart Association's journal Circulation.
The statement is the first scientific statement from the American Heart Association on heart attacks in women. It notes that there have been dramatic declines in cardiovascular deaths among women due to improved treatment and prevention of heart disease as well as increased public awareness.
"Despite stunning improvements in cardiovascular deaths over the last decade, women still fare worse than men and heart disease in women remains underdiagnosed, and undertreated, especially among African-American women," said writing group chair Laxmi Mehta, M.D., a noninvasive cardiologist and Director of the Women's Cardiovascular Health Program at The Ohio State University.
Heart attacks caused by blockages in the main arteries leading to the heart can occur in both men and women. However, the way the blockages form a blood clot may differ. Compared to men, women can have less severe blockages that do not require any stents; yet the heart's coronary artery blood vessels are damaged which results in decreased blood flow to the heart muscle. The result is the same – when blood flow to the heart is decreased for any reason, a heart attack can occur. If doctors don't correctly diagnose the underlying cause of a woman' heart attack, they may not be prescribing the right type of treatments after the heart attack. Medical therapies are similar regardless of the cause of the heart attack or the severity of the blockages. However women are undertreated compared to men despite proven benefits of these medications.
Women face greater complications from attempts to restore blood flow because their blood vessels tend to be smaller, they are older and have increased rates of risk factors, such as diabetes and high blood pressure. Guideline recommended medications are consistently underutilized in women leading to worse outcomes. Also, cardiac rehabilitation is prescribed less frequently for women and even when it is prescribed, women are less likely to participate in it or complete it.
While the most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort for both sexes, women are more likely to have atypical symptoms such as shortness of breath, nausea or vomiting, and back or jaw pain.
Risk factors:
Risk factors for heart attacks also differ in degree of risk in men compared to women. For example, high blood pressure is more strongly associated with heart attacks in women and if a young woman has diabetes her risk for heart disease is 4 to 5 times higher compared to young men.
Racial differences:
Compared to white women, black women have a higher incidence of heart attacks in all age categories and young black women have higher in-hospital death rates. Black and Hispanic women tend to have more heart- related risk factors such as diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure at the time of their heart attack compared to non-Hispanic white women. Compared to white women, black women are also less likely to be referred for important treatments such as cardiac catheterization..
Understanding gender differences can help improve prevention and treatment among women. "Women should not be afraid to ask questions – we advise all women to have more open and candid discussions with their doctor about both medication and interventional treatments to prevent and treat a heart attack," Mehta said.
"Coronary heart disease afflicts 6.6 million American women annually and remains the leading threat to the lives of women. Helping women prevent and survive heart attacks through increased research and improving ethnic and racial disparities in prevention and treatment is a public health priority," she said.
The Heart attack scene in India is no different. About half million women have been reported to have Acute Myocardial infarction most of them reported to be in the urban population. The incidence of heart attack is slightly more in the working women compared to housewives. The incidence is higher in urban population because of stress of living. However the incidence is still lower compared to men maybe because of hormonal protection. says Medical director - Hi Flying aviation - Air Ambulance International.
ASTANA, KAZAKHSTAN: An air ambulance helicopter carrying a baby girl with suspected leukaemia to hospital has crashed in Kazakhstan, killing all five on board, the emergency ministry said today.
The bodies of the pilot, a doctor, paramedic and the baby and her mother were recovered Thursday after the plane went missing in the Almaty region of southern Kazakhstan at around 5:00 pm local time (1100 GMT) on Wednesday, a spokesman for the emergency ministry told AFP.
Kazakh media reported that the baby girl was two months old and had been hospitalised on Monday but required treatment at a larger regional hospital after receiving a preliminary diagnosis of leukaemia.
Air traffic control lost contact with the helicopter about 15 minutes before it was due to land.
The search for the helicopter was hampered by snow and strong winds, the emergency situations ministry said in a statement.
The McDonnell Douglas-600 helicopter was taking the baby from the town of Usharal to hospital in the regional centre of Taldykorgan, a distance of around 240 kilometres (150 miles).
Air Ambulance News by HI Flying India
No. 1
2000: University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (Houston)
2015: University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (Houston)
No. 2
2000: Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (New York)
2015: Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (New York)
No. 3
2000: Johns Hopkins Hospital (Baltimore)
2015: Mayo Clinic (Rochester, Minn.)
No. 4
2000: Mayo Clinic (Rochester, Minn.)
2015: Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center (Boston)
No. 5
2000: Duke University Medical Center (Durham, N.C.)
2015: Seattle Cancer Care Alliance/University of Washington Medical Center (Seattle)
No. 6
2000: University of Chicago Hospitals
2015: Johns Hopkins Hospital (Baltimore) and UCLA Medical Center (Los Angeles)
No. 7
2000: Massachusetts General Hospital (Boston)
2015: N/A due to the tie for No. 6
No. 8
2000: UCLA Medical Center (Los Angeles)
2015: Massachusetts General Hospital (Boston)
No. 9
2000: Roswell Park Cancer Institute (Buffalo, N.Y.)
2015: UCSF Medical Center (San Francisco)
No. 10
2000: Clarian Health Partners (Indianapolis)
2015: Stanford (Calif.) Health Care - Stanford Hospital
No. 11
2000: University of Washington Medical Center (Seattle)
2015: Hospitals of the University of Pennsylvania - Penn Presbyterian (Philadelphia)
No. 12
2000: Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia)
2015: Cleveland Clinic
No. 13
2000: Stanford (Calif.) Health Care - Stanford Hospital
2015: City of Hope (Duarte, Calif.)
No. 14
2000: Fox Chase Cancer Center (Philadelphia)
2015: Barnes-Jewish Hospital/Washington University (St. Louis)
No. 15
2000: University of Michigan Medical Center (Ann Arbor)
2015: University of Colorado Hospital (Aurora)
No. 16
2000: UPMC (Pittsburgh)
2015: Northwestern Memorial Hospital (Chicago)
No. 17
2000: Cleveland Clinic
2015: Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
No. 18
2000: University of Kentucky Hospital (Lexington)
2015: Moffitt Cancer Center (Tampa, Fla.)
No. 19
2000: University of Virginia Health Sciences Center (Charlottesville)
2015: Mayo Clinic (Phoenix)
No. 20
2000: F.G. McGaw Hospital at Loyola University (Maywood, Ill.)
2015: NewYork-Presbyterian University Hospital of Columbia and Cornell
No. 21
2000: Allegheny General Hospital (Pittsburgh)
2015: Fox Chase Cancer Center (Philadelphia)
No. 22
2000: H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center (Tampa, Fla.)
2015: Emory University Hospital (Atlanta)
No. 23
2000: University of Alabama Hospital at Birmingham
2015: UC San Diego Medical Center
No. 24
2000: Barnes Jewish Hospital (St. Louis)
2015: Ohio State University James Cancer Hospital
No. 25
2000: Brigham and Women's Hospital (Boston)
2015: UPMC (Pittsburgh)
No. 26
2000: Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital (Columbus, Ohio)
2015: USC Norris Cancer Hospital-Keck Medical Center of USC (Los Angeles)
No. 27
2000: Vanderbilt University Hospital and Clinic (Nashville)
2015: Duke University Hospital (Durham, N.C.)
No. 28
2000: University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics (Madison)
2015: University of Michigan Hospitals and Health Centers (Ann Arbor)
No. 29
2000: Yale-New Haven (Conn.) Hospital
2015: Thomas Jefferson University Hospital (Philadelphia)
No. 30
2000: Fairview-University Medical Center (Minneapolis)
2015: Seidman Cancer Center at UH Case Medical (Cleveland)
No. 31
2000: Henry Ford Hospital (Detroit)
2015: University of Kansas Hospital (Kansas City)
No. 32
2000: University Hospitals of Cleveland
2015: University of North Carolina Hospitals (Chapel Hill)
No. 33
2000: University of Cincinnati Hospital
2015: Vanderbilt University Medical Center (Nashville, Tenn.)
No. 34
2000: New York Presbyterian Hospital
2015: University of Chicago Medical Center
No. 35
2000: Shands Hospital at the University of Florida (Gainesville)
2015: University of California, Davis Medical Center (Sacramento)
No. 36
2000: University of Utah Hospitals and Clinics (Salt Lake City)
2015: Houston Methodist Hospital
No. 37
2000: Lutheran General Healthsystem (Park Ridge, Ill.)
2015: Oregon Health and Science University Hospital (Portland)
No. 38
2000: University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics (Iowa City)
2015: University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics (Madison)
No. 39
2000: North Carolina Baptist Hospital (Winston-Salem)
2015: University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics (Iowa City)
No. 40
2000: University Hospital of Arkansas (Little Rock)
2015: Rush University Medical Center (Chicago)
No. 41
2000: University of North Carolina Hospitals (Chapel Hill)
2015: NYU Langone Medical Center (New York)
No. 42
2000: Cook County Hospital (Chicago)
2015: Yale-New Haven (Conn.) Hospital
No. 43
2000: Rush-Presbyterian - St. Luke's Medical Center (Chicago)
2015: Cedars-Sinai Medical Center (Los Angeles) and Roswell Park Cancer Institute (Buffalo, N.Y.)
No. 44
2000: Strong Memorial Hospital-Rochester (N.Y.) University
2015: N/A due to tie for No. 43
No. 45
2000: Georgetown University Hospital (Washington, D.C.)
2015: University of Maryland Medical Center (Baltimore)
No. 46
2000: St. Louis University Hospital
2015: UF Health Shands Hospital (Gainesville, Fla.)
No. 47
2000: University Hospitals and Clinics (Columbia, Mo.)
2015: IU Health Academic Health Center (Indianapolis)
No. 48
2000: Providence Hospital (Southfield, Mich.)
2015: Mayo Clinic (Jacksonville, Fla.)
No. 49
2000: Temple University Hospital (Philadelphia)
2015: Mount Sinai Hospital (New York)
No. 50
2000: Summa Health System (Akron, Ohio)
2015: UT Southwestern Medical Center (Dallas)
Patients don't expect this!
Medication errors. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality calls medication errors "one of the most common types of inpatient errors," as nearly 5 percent of hospitalized patients are affected by adverse drug events annually. New evidence uncovered in 2015 shows that medication errors are not just a problem for inpatients: They abound during surgeries as well.
In fact, medication errors occur in some form in nearly half of all surgeries, according to research from Massachusetts General Hospital published in October. Mistakes in labeling, incorrect dosage, neglecting to treat a problem indicated by a patient's vital signs, and documentation errors were the medication errors that occurred most frequently.
"We definitely have room for improvement in preventing perioperative medication errors, and now that we understand the types of errors that are being made and their frequencies, we can begin to develop targeted strategies to prevent them," said Karen Nanji, MD, lead author of the study.
Diagnostic errors. Diagnostic errors were thrust into the spotlight late in 2015 thanks to an Institute of Medicine report titled "Improving Diagnosis in Health Care." The report asserts that diagnostic errors account for 6 to 17 percent of hospital adverse events and roughly 10 percent of patient deaths, indicating definite room for improvement in this space.
"The report launched an important conversation about a serious patient safety issue with broad impact across the continuum of care," Tejal Gandhi, MD, president and CEO of the National Patient Safety Foundation, wrote in a December blog.
The new year provides an opportunity for hospitals to focus efforts to improve this serious patient safety issue. The IOM report outlines several possible solutions to remedying diagnostic errors, including partnering with patients and their families, as well as fostering teamwork between and among healthcare providers.
Discharge practices to post-acute, home care. Hospital discharge can be a critical moment in a patient's care. A study from the early 2000s found nearly 20 percent of patients experience an adverse event within three weeks of discharge, and many of those events could be prevented.
This important safety issue necessitates more attention in 2016 thanks to the launch of the Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement model in April. The CCJR will make hospitals responsible for the care quality and cost of joint replacement patients for a full 90 days post-discharge, giving hospitals a financial incentive to focus on this important patient safety issue.
Workplace safety. It is hospitals' duties to keep patients safe, but some experts argue patients cannot be safe unless healthcare workers feel safe themselves.
"If healthcare providers are safe, then we will have safer patients," says Deborah Grubbe, a healthcare consultant with DuPont Sustainable Solutions. "Because healthcare providers won't have to focus on their own safety and thinking they'll get hurt, [they'll] be able to spend all their energy and alertness in providing good care for the patient."
This sentiment applies to a myriad of worker safety issues, from needlestick injuries to injuries from lifting patients to fear of being assaulted by a patient.
Unfortunately, these staff safety issues are still a problem moving into 2016. To that end, the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety & Health Administration launched a webpage in December 2015 providing information and strategies for healthcare workplace violence awareness and prevention.
Hospital facility safety. Issues with hospitals' facilities can sometimes put patient safety at risk. Several times in 2015, the safety of hospital patients was compromised or nearly compromised because of building or maintenance problems. For instance, a Florida Agency for Healthcare Administration report released in April cited one Florida hospital's handling of a sewage leak as a patient safety issue, including its failure to ensure the sewage was cleaned up properly and failure to conduct an infection control risk assessment. The investigators also reported finding live rats above the affected ceiling tiles and air conditioning supply vents leaking condensation over food prep tables.
Legionnaires' disease is another issue tied to the structure of a hospital, as Legionella outbreaks "are commonly associated with buildings or structures that have complex water systems, like…hospitals," according to the CDC.
In 2015, several organizations from the healthcare, construction and engineering industries formed a task force to create uniform guidelines for the heating, ventilation and air condition of operating rooms, sterile processing departments and endoscope procedure rooms to ensure patient safety.
In light of these issues and events, hospitals may wish to consider re-evaluating the maintenance protocols for their facilities to ensure patient safety this year.
Reprocessing issues. The issues surrounding certain medical scopes and their link to infections resurged in 2015 and are sure to carry over in to 2016 as healthcare providers hone best practices to prevent further scope-related incidents. In fact, the ECRI Institute listed "inadequate cleaning of flexible endoscopes before disinfection" and the resulting risk of infection at the top of its 2016 Top 10 Health Technology Hazards list.
Experts have emphasized the importance of using the right tools and following protocol to the letter to prevent infection, while some hospitals have begun culturing scopes after reprocessing to check for bacteria. Meanwhile, some members of an FDA advisory panel recommended mandatory sterilization of duodenoscopes to prevent spread of infection.
Sepsis. According to the CDC, more than 1 million cases of sepsis occur each year, and up to half of people who get sepsis will die, making it the ninth leading cause of disease-related deaths. While sepsis is not a new patient safety concern, it gets a new spotlight for 2016 thanks to CMS: The agency added the Severe Sepsis and Septic Shock Early Management Bundle to the fiscal year 2016 Inpatient Prospective Payment System Final Rule.
"What's driven much of CMS' response to sepsis is the gradual increase in sepsis across the nation," Edward O. Blews III, MD, assistant professor of infectious disease and associate medical director of hospital epidemiology at Loma Linda (Calif.) University Medical Center, said in a December webinar on sepsis protocols.
Hospitals that meet compliance with the sepsis early management bundle can help lower sepsis mortality as well as costs associated with treating sepsis (which, according to Mike Abrams, president and CEO of the Ohio Hospital Association, can reach anywhere from $22,000 to $57,000 per case).
"Super" superbugs. Superbugs — defined by Brian K. Coombes, PhD, of McMaster University in Ontario as bacteria that cannot be treated using two or more antibiotics — continue to pose a threat to patients, and they appear to be getting stronger: A CDC report published in December revealed a particularly dangerous set of CRE strains is cause for public health concern in the U.S. "Newly described resistance in Enterobacteriaceae…highlight[s] the continued urgency to delay the spread of CRE," the report reads.
The strains have been named the "phantom menace" by some scientists, and they aren't the only superbugs infectious disease specialists and healthcare providers will be keeping an eye on in 2016 — researchers in China published data on a bacteria found in pigs, broiler chickens and humans that contains a gene that makes it resistant to all forms of antibiotics, including "last resort" drugs used to beat the toughest antimicrobial resistant bugs. The gene responsible for resistance is called mcr-1, and has also been identified in Denmark. The gene has been found in E. coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteria, according to the Chinese study.
Small steps — like boosting the focus on antibiotic stewardship — can be taken this year to help combat the spread of these surreal-sounding organisms.
The cyber-insecurity of medical devices. In July 2015, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an official warning to hospitals asking they reconsider using the Hospira Symbiq Infusion System, a computerized pump that is widely used to deliver general infusion therapy, after it became apparent that with some ease, hackers could remotely access the device and alter dosages.
But experts have been sounding the alarm on the cybersecurity of medical devices for some time now. In 2011, Jay Radcliffe, senior security consultant and researcher for security data and analytics company Rapid7, wowed audiences at the Def Con hacking conference in Las Vegas when he hacked his own Medtronic insulin pump.
Cybersecurity concerns have graduated from a health IT-specific worry to one that carries patient safety risks serious enough to be on everyone's radar. Many medical devices connect to and operate on hospital networks that are already rife with vulnerabilities, and even if the goal isn't to hurt patients who may be connected to the devices, hackers can hopscotch onto the network from the device's entry point, gathering protected health information and exploiting vulnerable data.
In the next year, there will likely be some organized pushes to secure those devices — or at least a push to put manufacturer, federal and healthcare providers' feet to the fire to start drumming up solutions.
Going transparent with quality data. Most health systems query patients about their experiences and satisfaction with physicians during their hospital stays. But few opt to put those ratings online for all to see, although there's reason to believe the practice can improve patient safety.
"When everyone — physicians, patients, institutions, and the press — is privy to data on performance, physicians will develop a greater sense of accountability to deliver quality care," Ashish K. Jha, MD, a patient safety researcher at Harvard University's School of Public Health in Cambridge, Mass., wrote in a post on Harvard Business Review in October.
Aggregated ratings can be helpful learning tools for reviewing individual employee performance, and they also incentivize medical staff to double check their work and pay more attention to areas where slip-ups can impact their ratings, and ultimately the safety of those in their care. At some institutions, ratings are displayed internally, enabling side-by-side comparisons that might produce insights into best practices or encourage a healthy sense of competition.
In the future, this kind of openness could become a necessity for hospitals and health systems who want to compete in a market with an increasing focus on transparency.
In addition to fostering quality improvement, facilitating this kind of feedback and discussion has the capacity to highlight low points in patient care of which administration may not have previously been aware.
Common things - Patient do not deserve in a Health care system - By HI Flying
Defense Proteins and Cancer
A team of Swiss and Russian scientists has decoded how a defence protein that fights viral infections in our body takes advantage of a weakness in our DNA replication process to induce mutations in our genome, leading to cancer.
The defence protein called "APOBEC" is a useful yet dangerous, intrinsic cellular protein.
The researchers have observed that mutations induced by APOBEC can be found in many tumourous cells throughout the genome.
How can APOBEC – which can affect only single-stranded DNA – be the cause of so many cancers in human beings?
"We were very surprised to observe that in APOBEC cancers, the mutation rate is equally distributed in all regions. When APOBEC is involved, mutations occur early during replication, and affect important genes," explained Vladimir Seplyarskiy from the Russian Academy of Sciences and fist author of this study.
These mutations tend to be more deleterious than other kind of mutations, Seplyarskiy added.
Since the scientists knew that APOBEC can only mutate single stranded DNA, they needed to identify in what direction the replication fork was going in order to identify the DNA regions that stay single-stranded for longer period of time.
"For the first time ever, we managed to do so in human cells. We were able to identify the direction of the replication fork for about 20 percent of the genome, and found twice as many mutations," informed Sergey Nikolaev, geneticist at University of Geneva (UNIGE), Switzerland, in a paper appeared in the journal Genome Research.
The scientists will continue their research to better understand how tumorous cells replicate their DNA differently from healthy cells.
Cancer patient transport in India
A dedicated aircraft for transport of organs. This is what the state government has now committed itself to, thanks to dna expose on how non-availability of air transport and its high cost resulted in seven life-saving organs getting wasted in a recent incident.
he dna report, on January 20, laid bare how logistics and air plane charges killed seven organs in a January 14 incident, that could have given new lease of life to seven patients waiting for cadaver organs in Mumbai.
According to doctors, the exorbitant cost quoted by aircraft operators lead to the derailing of this inter-state organ transplant plan. While a 30-year-old brain dead woman's family was ready to donate her heart for a patient in Mumbai, the aircraft operators quoted Rs 13-14 lakh for the transport. The health authorities and doctors tried their best to negotiate, but failed.
Acting on dna report, the state health ministry on Wednesday held a preliminary investigation at LTMG Sion hospital, which was attended by state health authorities, zonal transplant coordination committee (ZTCC) authorities, representatives of four private hospitals – Fortis, Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani hospital, Global and Jupiter – and three aircraft operators – Sai Craft Ltd, Aviators Air Rescue and ICATT (international critical care air transfer team).
The aircraft operators, during the two-hour long investigation, claimed that at least 50 aircraft were busy flying to Tirupati on the occasion of Makar Sankranti, on January 14, the reason why the fare was exorbitantly high on the day. "With all stake-holders under one roof, we also got to know version of both the hospitals and aircraft service providers. Everyone agreed that it's a social responsibility to make organ transplant feasible for the needy," said Dr Gauri Rathod, nodal officer, human organ transplant programme of Maharashtra.
According to sources, the aircraft operators also revealed that it would be difficult at this point of time to have a standard air fare for transporting organs, but once the transport of donor cadavers goes up, they can have a fixed fare.
Currently, the cost of a heart transplant procedure is between Rs 20-22 lakh. If the air ambulance is used to bring the donor heart from one state to another, then a patient has to shell out Rs 7-10 lakh extra. This amount directly goes to the provider of air ambulance service.
Dr Rathod said that following the Wednesday's discussion, the state government has decided to ink an MoU with private aircraft operators to have a dedicated air service for organ transport. "With the intra and inter-state transplants gaining momentum and the Bhuj episode gaining attention, we are in process of identifying dedicated organ transplant programme that will make commercial airline cost feasible," said Dr Rathod. She said the ZTCC will be submitting the report to the state health minister on the same.
The government is considering signing an MoU (memorandum of understanding) with private aircraft operators, to enlist their service in case of inter-state or intra-state organ transplant
Dr Guruprasad Shetty, liver transplant surgeon at Global hospital, who was present in the meeting, said that with inter-state organ transplants gaining momentum, it is good to see government taking initiative. "Inter or intra-state organ transfer is still at nascent stage in India. You need a high number to bring down the air fare. But with the government intervening, we are hopeful that air transport of organs will soon be an affordable affair," said Dr Shetty.
Air transport cost will decrease significantly if the no of transplants increase. Moreover most hospitals get in touch with us only at the last moment when an organ transplant organ needs to be transported . There are no tie ups or no formal agreements between our Air Ambulance company - Hi Flying or their hospitals. It is pretty unplanned. This makes everything every expensive. Says Dr Nitin Yende. Director of Hi Flying aviation - Air Ambulance International from Mumbai Office.
Two months after the surgery, Thakur returned to Amalner to resume a completely normal life.
Rahul Thakur (21) from Jalgaon district, who was the first person in Maharashtra to get a heart and lung transplant 10 months ago, died on Saturday, after his body rejected the transplanted lungs. Thakur, who was suffering from end stage heart and lung diseases, was operated upon at Fortis Malar hospital in Chennai on March 7 last year.
Amalner-based Thakur had a hole in his heart since birth. The defect changed the normal flow of blood, bringing extra blood into his heart's right side and putting added pressure on his lung's blood vessels, leading to breathlessness. His heart's efficiency had dropped from 60 to 10-15 per cent. Several parts of his body had become swollen, and he was barely able to walk. Frequent bouts of breathlessness sent him to Mumbai and elsewhere for medical aid.
After exhausting their options in Mumbai, Thakur's family decided to go to the Fortis Malar hospital in Chennai, where his name was put on a waiting list for organ donation. Thakur and his relatives lived in a rented room for 10 months, waiting for a match. Finally, they received the news that the required organs were available from a 20-year-old brain dead accident victim in Andhra Pradesh's Guntur.
Two months after the surgery, Thakur returned to Amalner to resume a completely normal life. "Three months after he returned home, Thakur came to Chennai for a follow up, and we found that he was doing very well. But later I came to know that he had gone to some place and did not take immunosuppressive drugs for those 10 days. Gradually, he developed a problem in his lungs," said Dr KR Balakrishnan, director of cardiac sciences at the Hospital.
"A transplant patient needs to take medicines to suppress the immune system and fight off rejection the entire life. This is a very unfortunate incident. I am in touch with the family," added Balakrishnan.
The life-saving transplant had changed Thakur's life completely. He had gained 8kg and did not suffer from breathlessness any more. His uncle Tushar Thakur, however, said, "In the last two months, he had developed the problem of breathlessness again. The problem became so severe that while on way to Chennai, we were forced to admit him to a Thane hospital. When he felt a little better, we decided to take him to Chennai. But none of the airlines allowed us to fly due to his serious condition. So we were planning to take an air ambulance when his condition worsened on Saturday and he died."
Transplant Transportation - needs - Hi Flying India.
The US Government has known since 1974 that Cannabis cures Cancer. In '72 Richard Nixon wanted a larger budget for his war on drugs. He thought that if he proved Cannabis caused lung cancer like cigarettes do, he would get the support he needed. He gave the Medical College of Virginia 2 years to do a study on the effects of THC on the body. In '74 the study was completed. It turns out, THC when ingested in highly concentrated forms (such as eating Cannabis oil) will attack any mutated cells in your body while strengthening and rejuvenating the healthy cells. They found the PERFECT cure for Cancer. It worked fast, it worked well, it worked on many different forms of Cancer in ALL stages and it had ZERO harmful side effects. (Unlike Chemo which deteriorates your entire body and kills 1 in 5 patients. Not only that, but it dissolves ALL forms of tumors and can even combat super-bugs like MRSA.) When Richard Nixon saw the results of the study he was FURIOUS. He threw the entire report in the trash and deemed the study classified. In 1976 President Gerald Ford put an end to all public cannabis research and granted exclusive research rights to major pharmaceutical companies, who set out — unsuccessfully — to develop synthetic forms of THC that would deliver all the medical benefits without the "high."We only found out about the study a few years ago thanks to dedicated medical and law professionals who filed Freedom of Information Requests. The Govt lied for many reasons.. One of the main reasons is Pharmaceutical Companies. They spend billions every year lobbying to keep Cannabis illegal because they make TRILLIONS off Cancer drugs and research. They are already well aware that Cannabis cures Cancer. They have a great con going at the moment. Cancer patients and their loved ones will spend their entire life savings or even sell their houses and businesses in order to pay for Chemotherapy and other Cancer treatment drugs. From "The Mind Unleashed".
ICU in Trauma unit in Raipur
The Trauma building of the prestigious All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Raipur will soon have in-premise Intensive care unit.
In order to beef up its trauma care infrastructure and facilities, the existing Casualty/Emergency/Trauma ward of Trauma building of the hospital will have its own ICU.
Besides this recent news of AIIMS, there is another trauma care unit being established in the Government District Hospital of Kanker district headquarters. In addition, Raipur-based Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar Hospital and Bilaspur-based Chhattisgarh Institute of Medical Science (CIMS) will also be equipped with trauma care unit each, it was announced.
This development can be considered as a part of the larger initiative by the state government, after the Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh had earlier announced a grant approval of Rs 12.88 crore for three trauma units in the state run hospitals of current financial year 2015-16..
As reported by the Pioneer, Union Health Minister JP Nadda during his visit to Chhattisgarh earlier had also announced that the Central government has plans to invest heavily in Chhattisgarh for improving health services in the State.
The Minister had announced of establishing various key hospitals including two medical colleges in the State.
Nadda during his Chhattisgarh visit had also announced that district hospitals in Rajnandgaon and Surguja will be upgraded into medical colleges. We have already sanctioned `14 crore for starting medical colleges, Nadda had told reporters.
He further had informed that a special Cancer Institute will be opened at Bilaspur.
"The State Cancer Institute will be established in Bilaspur and for this purpose, budget of 150 crore will be provided by the Central government," he said adding, out of the total budget sanctioned,20 crore will be provided by the State government.
Hi Flying plans to provide the Air Ambulance services to the ICU in Raipur.
The Padma awards in 2016 saw selection and conformation given to few notable personalities from the medical fraternity in India, for their impeccable contribution and excellence in the field of healthcare services.
This year saw Dr Vishwanathan Shanta selected for her contribution in the field of oncology. The Cancer specialist has been applauded with India's second highest civilian award Padma Vibhushan. Dr Shanta is a prominent cancer specialist and the chairperson of the Adyar Cancer Institute in Chennai.
Her career spans across many decades of experience starting from 1950's, and majorly includes her professional interest in organizing care for cancer patients and research in the prevention and cure of the disease. Her commitment and dedication for the cause has won her many recognitions and awards. The list includes the Magsaysay Award, Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan and now the Padma Vibhushan, the second highest civilian award by Government of India.
The second similar pride moment for the medical community comes with gastroenterologist Dr D Nageshwar Reddy selected for Padma Bhushan, the country's third highest civilian award. He is the Chairman of the biggest gastroenterology hospital in the world i.e. Asian Institute of Gastroenterology located at Hyderabad. This is his second recognition for his contribution in the field after having received the Padma Shri award in 2002.
This year also saw several more selections for Padma Shri, with notable doctors including few names like Cardiothoracic surgeons Dr Gopichand Mannam and Dr T K Lahiri; cardiac surgeon Dr Alla Gopala Krishna Gokhale.
Pre pregnancy obesity is strongly linked with infant mortality and compliance with weight-gain guidelines during pregnancy have limited impact on that mortality risk, warns a new study.
"The findings suggest that primary care clinicians, OB-GYNs (Obstetrics and gynaecology) and midwives need to have conversations about weight as part of well-woman care and when women are contemplating getting pregnant," said lead author Eugene Declercq from Boston University School of Public Health in the US.
"There is a need for more open, honest discussions about avoiding the possible risks of maternal obesity on infant health," Declercq added.
The study, published online in Obstetrics and Gynecology, claims to be the largest study to date of the relationship between pre-pregnancy obesity, prenatal weight gain and infant mortality.
It used birth and death records of more than six million newborns in 38 states from 2012-2013, which included information on the mother's height and pre-pregnancy weight, needed to compute BMI (Body Mass Index).
The researchers examined overall infant mortality in three major categories: Infants who died from preterm-related causes, congenital anomalies and sudden unexpected infant death.
Infant mortality rates from preterm causes increased at higher BMIs, with rates twice as high for obese women than for normal-weight women, the study found.
Ontario Air Ambulance networking
This is to inform that H.E Mrs. Kathleen Wynne, Premier of Ontario, Canada is visiting Hyderabad on 4th February 2016 with a business delegation consisting around 50 members. Mr. Michael Chan, Hon'ble Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and International Trade, and Mr. Brad Duguid, Hon'ble Minister of Economic Development, Employment and Infrastructure, will accompany the Premier on the Mission. Mr. Jupally Krishna Rao, Hon'ble Minister for Industries, Government of Telangana will also be present.
The objective of the visiting delegation is to explore trade and business opportunities drawing on Ontario's expertise primarily in sustainable development and urban infrastructure. The delegation will also showcase Ontario's world class reputation for innovative technologies, services and products. It will also help lay the foundations for future business deals and strengthen ties between Indian States and Ontario. The Industry members from both the sides will share their perspectives in the areas of Energy, Environment and Infrastructure during the Hyderabad Session on 4th February 2016.
UNITED NATIONS: Union Health Minister J P Nadda was named by UN chief as a member of the first high-level UN advisory group of a global movement, that will address the major health challenges faced by women, children and adolescents.
The high-level advisory group of 'Every Woman Every Child' will be co-chaired by Michelle Bachelet Jeria, President of Chile and Hailemariam Dessalegn, Prime Minister of Ethiopia.
The advisory group will help provide leadership and inspire ambitious action for women's, children's and adolescents' health during the transition from the Millennium Development Goals to the universal Sustainable Development Goals agenda, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon said in a statement.
The two alternate co-chairs are Tarja Halonen, former President of Finland and Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, former President of Tanzania.
"Women, children and adolescents are at the heart of the 2030 Agenda. Continued commitment, leadership and action will be critical to achieving our goal of ending all preventable deaths of women, children and adolescents by 2030 and enabling them to reach their full potential," Ban said.
The initial members announced will be expanded with additional key leaders to make up to 15 members, the statement said.
With initial appointments lasting for one year, the group will meet twice yearly to report on progress, key challenges and provide recommendations on issues such as financing, accountability and implementation of Every Woman Every Child and the Global Strategy for Women's, Children's and Adolescents' Health.
Air Ambulance for Pediatrics
Air Ambulance Worldwide
Updates about Air Ambulance Transportation information
March 2017


text: Your Sheboygan County, Wisconsin, Geothermal Authority In Sheboygan County, Wisconsin, geothermal heating and cooling is rapidly gaining ground. It's easy to see why. Ground conditions are ideal here. Consider, too, our changing temperature extremes. They make geothermal installations the perfect choice for year-round heating and cooling comfort. If you'd like to see how much a geothermal system could reduce your costs in Sheboygan County, just fill-in your information into our handy Geothermal Savings Calculator. It's a breeze. And the amount you could save might well shock you. Then follow the lead of so many others in Sheboygan County Contact Professional Geothermal Systems. Let us administer our professionalism to the installation of your very own geothermal system. We'll make sure its properly installed and properly serviced – for outstanding heating and cooling.

subset: commoncrawl


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The Car Connection Pontiac Grand Prix Overview
The Pontiac Grand Prix has been through a lot of iterations over the years, from a personal-luxury coupe to a muscle car, to a rather mainstream coupe model; but the versions that used-car shoppers are most likely to encounter today will either be of the most recent 2004-2008 generation, or the previous 1997-2003 iteration.
Within that era, the Grand Prix was offered as a coupe or sedan, with a range of several different V-6 engines and a slight bit more sportiness—in styling and performance—than most other mainstream sedans.
With an overall length of up to 198 inches, the Grand Prix was longer than most mid-size sedans of the time; although it wasn't as roomy inside as Pontiac's full-size model, the Bonneville, which was about six inches longer.
The 1997-2003 Grand Prix, as well as the 1988-1996 version before it, was offered in either coupe or sedan body styles. There wasn't a significant difference in length or cabin legroom, although getting in and out was considerably more difficult in coupes, and headroom was maybe a little more restricted in those two-door variants due to the roofline.
Nearly all of these models are powered by V-6 engines, which for the most part move the Grand Prix along quickly enough but with more coarseness than other V-6s of the time. The 3.1-liter that was probably the most common by number produced has a reputation for having gasket issues with age, whether the mileage is high or not. GT models (or some SE models) with the 3.8-liter V-8 (3800) are the way to go on the used-car market, if you must have a Grand Prix, but avoid the supercharged GTP. In any case, you get a four-speed automatic transmission that's uninspiring but quick enough to downshift when needed.
These models used essentially the same platform, from the time they were made front-wheel drive in 1988 all the way to their discontinuation in 2008, although GM did make some significant changes with each refresh. The 2004 through 2008 Grand Prix was only offered as a sedan, as GM moved to sell a separate two-door, rear-wheel-drive GTO.
Throughout all of these front-wheel drive versions of the Grand Prix, interior materials were cheap, and the dash displays were cluttered with buttons. By the time they went out of production their cabins were up to a higher standard, however.
The highlight of those later years—on a spec sheet—was a version of the GXP that packed a 303-horsepower V-8 engine, plus various suspension, wheel, and tire upgrades to match, as well as GM's head-up display. This version wasn't as drivable as V-6 versions however, and it brought out the inadequacies of the then-aged W-body platform.


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As you work your way thru the social media experience, you finally reach a point where you may need some help with managing your social accounts.
In the last year, I've put my effort on getting better visibility with my Twitter account (@patrickballeux) as it is a great tool to promote my project ScreenStudio (and other stuff I do).
When I started this process, I had around 500 followers, coming mainly from my previous project WebcamStudio. That means that each time I was announcing a new version of ScreenStudio, 500 people would be notified of my new release. That's great, but not that much is we considered that my tweet could be buried by other tweets for each account.
I eventually build up my network on Twitter, G+ and also Facebook to get more visibility and I am now around 1400 followers on Twitter. Then I realized that it was a bit too much to handle...
It's not about getting too much attention, it's about ensuring that my followers are real followers and that those I follow are not just bots. It's a jungle out there, more than you think...
I've seen from time to time, promotion about Unfollowers.com. Essentially, they provide you with stats about who followed you, who un-followed you, inactive accounta you are following, etc.
If you didn't know, there is a limit on the amount of accounts you can follow on Twitter. Mine was at 2000. I was stuck and could not follow more people... I decided to give a try to Unfollowers.com and see what it could do for me.
I found out that I was following accounts that were deadly inactive. Some accounts were completely inactive for several years. Time for a clean-up! Some other accounts were identified as "fake" or "zombie" which ended-up on my clean-up list.
It's not just about cleaning up your following list, it's also about improving your visibility on the web. You can automate "Welcome" tweets, DM invitation and so on. You have to be careful not to overuse their features to avoid falling into the spammer category. But nevertheless, it does help a lot.
I do not easily promote services about social networking but Unfollowers.com got my "Seal-Of-Approval". Well used, it is an asset to your social media network.
Have fun today!
Note: Follow me and let's share great posts!


text:
From Coney Island to The Sunset Strip,
Somebody's gonna make a happy trip
To - night, while the moon is bright.
He's gonna have a bag of crazy toys
To give the groanies of the boys and girls;
So dig, Santa comes on big.
He'll come a callin' when the snows the most,
When all you cats are sleepin' warm as toast;
And you gonna flip when Old Saint Nick
Takes a [Bm7-5]lick on the peppermint stick.
He'll come a flyin' from a higher place
And fill the stocking by the fire place
So you'll, have a yule that's cool.
Have a yule that's cool!
Veldu hljóðfæri
Veldu nýja tóntegund


text:
Easter is upon us, which means more time to have fun. Top of my to-do-list this Easter would be going to Copenhagen Zoo's new, larger and much improved facilities for polar bears and seals, The Arctic Ring, that is if I had not already been.
Ivan and Noél are almost dancing in the water, swirling and rolling around, weightless. You have to see it to believe how amazing it truly is to be this close, face to face with only a thick glass between you and these two highly dangerous, but cuddly, polar bears. And now you can, in the Zoo here in Copenhagen.
The much anticipated Arctic Ring in Copenhagen Zoo opened 5 February this year, and it is the first of its kind in Europe; where the audience can come face to face with the polar bears above and below the water surface. The facilities measure 3,200 square metres and consist of a large outdoor area where the large predators can play, dig and search for food on land, and a big indoor area, where you can watch them swim in a big pool that holds 1,900 cubic meters of salt water.
What is really unique is that above ground you are at the same eye level as them, instead of looking down upon them like one had to do before. Following a ramp going underground, you enter the North Atlantic. Walk through a glass tunnel that goes right through Ivan and Noél's pool and watch them swim beside and above you. Indoors you will also find an exhibition on the life of polar bears, and you can experience a remake of the Northern Lights.
The Arctic Ring also houses seals and North Atlantic birds.
Thank you, Miss C (o: Read more from my amazing guest blogger Miss Copenhagen at www.misscph.com
Blog Love
Ps. On the blog tomorrow – famous Danish comedian Casper Christensen & Co:Miss Copenhagen's Easter egg: The Arctic Ring,