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Community Info Health News
 How To Reach Us: St. Louis Front Page Community News P.O. Box 1354 St. Louis, MO 63188 http://www.slfp.com Voice: 314-771-0200 Fax: 314-771-0300 To submit news, contact: editor@slfp.com  |
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ST. LOUIS, (Newstream), February 25, 2003 - One week before his 60th birthday, Robert Crawford had a stroke. That's when doctors told him he had a hole in the upper chambers of his heart that needed to be closed. "I was surprised - most of all," says Crawford. "I've never been sick in my life." Fortunately for Robert, Dr. Ziyad Hijazi and his team at the University of Chicago Hospital are making this procedure quick and reliable using a closure device inserted with guidance from the Acunav diagnostic ultrasound catheter and the Cypress echocardiography system from Siemens. "Holes between the upper chambers of the heart are pretty common holes and we do every year in our lab over 150-200 patients with this condition so the availability of the Cypress and the Acunav allows us to close such holes without general anesthesia," says Dr. Hijazi. Robert was awake for the procedure with his wife at his side, plus recovery was faster and easier. "So the patient is awake, alert, even children 4 or 5 years old, they are awake, and able to watch the procedure," says Dr. Hijazi. This technology is also used to guide procedures for treating patients with irregular heartbeats who are at risk of stroke. "There's about 100 institutions in the U.S. that offer the Acunav imaging capability for these procedures," says David Bruce of Siemens. "It's growing steadily. We've doubled the number of sites in the past year and usage is up dramatically as well." Weighing just under 20 lbs, the Cypress echocardiography system and the Acunav catheter are so small, doctors can take them to developing countries -- where patients with health problems have limited access to healthcare.
ST. LOUIS, (Newstream), February 18, 2003 - The National Eczema Association for Science and Education (NEASE) is urging anyone who currently has or has ever suffered from eczema or atopic dermatitis not to receive the smallpox vaccine unless they have been exposed to smallpox, because of a heightened risk of life threatening reactions. In an announcement, issued February 18, the Association cautioned that the smallpox vaccine contains a live virus that can be harmful or even fatal to those with eczema or atopic dermatitis. NEASE also said that family members of eczema sufferers should not take the vaccine unless they have been exposed to smallpox, because the live virus in the vaccine can harm the afflicted family member on contact. "People with eczema or atopic dermatitis tend to have a mild immune defect in their skin that can allow certain viruses such as vaccinia (the live virus used in the smallpox vaccine) to spread both over the skin and internally, sometimes causing a lethal infection," stated Dr. A. Paul Kelly, chief of the Division of Dermatology of King/Drew Medical Center, Los Angeles, and a member of the NEASE Scientific Advisory Committee. Any eczema sufferer who has come in contact with another's vaccine site or believes they have come in contact with the live virus should immediately and thoroughly wash with soap and warm water and alert their physician. Eczema and atopic dermatitis, which affect an estimated 17 million Americans, causes an itchy red, scaly rash that often comes and goes. If the live virus from the vaccine site gets into broken skin, it can cause a rash in that area. Most people recover from the rash with treatment, but in those with eczema it can be quite severe, sometimes leading to scarring or even death. Exposure includes touching the vaccination site before it has healed or coming into contact with the live virus in any way, including contact with towels, clothing, washcloths, or bandages used by a person who has received the vaccine. The danger period of transmission lasts from three weeks to one month. NEASE recommends that those who have been vaccinated cover their smallpox vaccine site with special bandages that will markedly reduce, if not eliminate, the risk of transmitting the virus to others. Life threatening reactions that can occur from the vaccine include serious skin rashes caused by widespread infection of the skin or ongoing infection of the skin with tissue destruction that frequently leads to death. Serious reactions include a vaccinia rash or outbreak of sores limited to one area, or a widespread vaccinia rash that spreads from the vaccination site throughout the blood. In this case, sores break out on parts of the body away from the vaccination site. About Eczema and Atopic Dermatitis Eczema is a general term for any type of dermatitis or "inflammation of the skin." Atopic dermatitis (AD) is the most severe and chronic kind of eczema. AD is a disease that causes itchy, inflamed skin. It typically affects the insides of the elbows, backs of the knees, and the face, but can cover most of the body. AD falls into a category of diseases called atopic, a term originally used to describe the allergic conditions asthma and hay fever. AD was included in the atopic category because it often affects people who either suffer from asthma and/or hay fever or have family members who do. Physicians often refer to these three conditions as the "atopic triad." AD almost always begins in childhood, usually in infancy. Its symptoms are dry, itchy, scaly skin, cracks behind the ears, and rashes on the cheeks, arms, and legs. It alternately improves and worsens. During "flare-ups," open weeping or crusted sores may develop from the scratching or from infections. The hotline to reach The National Eczema Association for Science and Education is 1-800-818-7546 or by email at info@nationaleczema.org Archived Stories: Health Care Cost Continue to Rise Hopeful Wishes Teddy Donations to Help Breast Cancer Foundation Americans Underestimate the Consequences of Allergies Says Survey American Heart Association Launches Program to Help Women Improve Their Health Health Officials Issue Hot Weather Tips Use of Internet for Health Care Information Increases, Says Harris Interactive Poll West Nile Virus Underlines Threat From Mosquito-Borne Diseases McDonnell Foundation Awards Grants for Research Linking Brain and Behavior St. Louis Ranks 24th in Spring Allergy Cities St. Louis is Ranked Ninth Fattest City Kids Not as Healthy and Fit as They Could Be Asthma Is A Growing Concern in St. Louis More Americans Change Their Eating Habits Due to Heath and Nutrition Concerns TFTC Challenges Comfrey Products Promoted via Internet What's the Difference Between Heat Exhaustion and Heat Stroke? 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