Archive for the 'Cardiology' Category
Controversial “Beating Heart” Method Proves Better than Standard Procedure
September 29, 2004 — Patients needing second-time or ?re-do? heart surgery have a new safer alternative. New findings show that an ?off-pump? surgical procedure is performed safely and has improved outcomes for patients than traditional methods.
Due to a newly standardized approach and enhanced technology, doctors can perform this controversial surgery and eliminate the damaging effects of using a heart bypass machine. Off-pump surgery, also known as the ?beating heart? method, is performed while the heart is still beating without foreign support, such as the heart-lung machine, used in cardiopulmonary bypasses.
99% of the 86 patients undergoing re-do surgery in this study had the procedure initiated off-pump, out of which five were later converted to using a heart-lung machine. There were no deaths of those five patients and 81 procedures were successfully completed without a bypass machine. Of the 6.7% predicted deaths based on past on-pump redo operations, use of the beating heart method in this study resulted in just 2.2% deaths.
Reintroduced in the mid-1990s, off-pump surgery in this study was reviewed to determine ?safety, efficacy, and technical challenges in beating heart reoperative CABG (coronary artery bypass grafting).? According to the study, redo surgery is characterized by increased deaths and disease when compared to first-time operations. The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) National Database reports that operative mortality in redo heart surgery for the first six months in 2002 was 5.02%, twice as high as first-time CABG (2.3%).
This study is published in the Journal of Cardiac Surgery. Media wishing to receive a PDF of this article please contact medicalnews@bos.blackwellpublishing.net.
About the Author
Dr. Michael Mack received his MD in 1973 from theSt. Louis University and currently practices in Dallas, Texas. Dr. Mack presently sits on numerous editorial boards and committees worldwide including the editorial board for The Annals of Thoracic Surgery and as chairman of the Workforce on Annual Meeting Tech-Con Task Force for The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. He is a reviewer for The Annals of Thoracic Surgery, the Journal of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, Circulation, and the American Journal of Cardiology. He has authored and co-authored more than 175 peer-reviewed journal articles and over 75 books or book chapters within the field of cardiothoracic surgery. Dr. Mack is available for questions and interviews and can be reached through his assistant Sherry Mullins-Hill at 972-566-4866.
About the Journal of Cardiac Surgery
Journal of Cardiac Surgery has over 20-years of history as an important professional resource. Edited by Bernard S. Goldman, MD, editorial coverage includes biologic support, mechanical replacement of thoracic organs, and surgical techniques, and features current material on topics such as xenotransplantation, immunobiology, bridges to transplant and to recovery, and other minimally invasive cardiothoracic procedures.
About Blackwell Publishing
Blackwell Publishing is the world?s leading society publisher. The company remains independent with over 900 staff members in offices in the US, UK, Australia, China, Denmark, Germany, and Japan. Blackwell publishes over 700 journals in partnership with more than 550 academic and professional societies.
New Millenium Signal Processing Algorithms for Stethoscope Heart Auscultation
August 3, 2004 — ?Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. It affects men and women of every age and race. More than 64 million Americans suffer from one or more forms of cardiovascular disease, including high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, congestive heart failure, stroke, and congenital heart defects?, indicated President G.W. Bush in his proclamation devoted to the American Heart Month 2004. President encouraged all Americans ?to join the fight against heart disease and to learn more about how to prevent it?.
Joining this fight, Biosignetics Corporation (www.bsignetics.com), the world?s leading provider of biosignature and dynamic energy signature analysis software and consulting services, announces the availability of BSignal 1.0. This first commercial release of the software brings many new possibilities in the sound based characterization of auscultatory documented human heart conditions (stenosis, regurgitation, splits, clicks, gallops, snaps, rumble, valve prolapse, murmurs, septal defect, patent ductus arteriosus, atrial septal defect).
BSignal incorporates a newly developed revolutionary technology to establish unique dynamic Heart Energy Signature (HES) and to track its evolution over time. This software allows converting complex multi-component non-gaussian heart sounds into simple and self-referencing X-ray-like images.
http://www.bsignetics.com/photo_galleryAortic.htm
HES has a great potential to become de-facto standard to record, store, compare and track sound based heart diagnosis data. It can be especially effective in heart disease related research and in educating medical students and doctors to perform auscultation more effectively.
Present release incorporates user-friendly GUI with the powerful signal simulation tools that include signal processing filters, data reduction techniques with wavelets, spectrum, joint time frequency transformation, image manipulation techniques and the database of various heart sounds.
Availability
BSignal is available for PC windows NT, Win2000 and XP platforms. It is available in several versions.
http://www.bsignetics.com/products.htm
Light version BSignal - Phonocardiograph is a Class I medical device. It is presently available only in educational versions; clinical release is scheduled for Fall 2004. Full-featured BSignal ? Heart Energy Signature version is only presently available for educational purposes and for non-clinical research applications.
It can also be effectively utilized in other non-clinical applications such as ?brain fingerprinting? and various analyses related to EEG and brain wave interpretations. Special version of BSignal?MHM is available for machine health monitoring and diagnosis, helicopter gearboxes, and joint-time frequency domain based signal processing. It contains set of specialized criteria for automatic mechanical failure detection.
References:
1. American Heart Month 2004, By the President of the United States of America, A Proclamation
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/02/20040202-8.html
ABOUT BIOSIGNETICS
Our company’s philosophy is that early detection requires instant availability of testing tools, intrinsic ability to detect weak signs of silent diseases, safety and simplicity of interpretations.
Biosignetics has developed and commercialized patent pending Heart Energy Signature format and method. Company continues its research and regulatory efforts to prepare 510(K) FDA application for clinical diagnosis version. Biosignetics is aggressively engaged in early detection research focusing on reliable detection of weak multi-component signals and patterns in otherwise noisy environment and is actively looking for clinical research partners in the medical community.
No commentsCardionics introduces the E-Scope EMS Electronic Stethoscope for ambulance and high noise areas
August 15, 2004 — Cardionics, Inc., a manufacturer of medical electronics in Webster, Texas, has announced the introduction of a new electronic stethoscope designed for paramedic use in an ambulance. The paramedic has always had difficulty hearing soft breath sounds of patients being transported in an ambulance due to road noise and sirens. Now, for the first time an effective electronic stethoscope has been introduced that overcomes these problems. The E-Scope EMS Electronic Stethoscope allows the paramedic to hear heart and breath sounds in this very noisy environment.
The E-Scope EMS allows finger tip control over volume. Powered by a single, off-the-shelf AA battery, the E-Scope EMS provides exceptional sound quality in a very difficult environment.
Contact Keith Johnson at Cardionics, 1-800-364-5901 or email us at keithj@cardionics.com
No commentsBill Clinton Has Quadruple-Bypass Surgery - Coffee May Be The Culprit
New York, NY September 13, 2004 — With former-President Clinton recovering from open heart surgery a lot of Americans are taken a closer look at their own health concerns. Heart disease can occur when you least expect it and heart attacks may happen if the disease if left unchecked.
“We send out prayers to Mr.Clinton for a speedy recovery” says Marina Kushner, President of Soy Coffee. “We will be sending the Clintons a care package of soy coffees to help during these difficult times.” Soy has been proven to lower cholesterol and fight heart disease.
Studies have been shown that coffee can raise blood pressure by 14% and has been linked to heart disease. Coffee and teas contain tannic acids which can also cause upset stomach and heartburn. Tannic acid reduces the body’s ability to aborb iron by up tp 87%. “It’s a must that the use of caffeine be stopped so that the healing process begins” replied Kushner.
Soy coffee, makers of Soyfee, uses only certified organic soybeans in its coffee replacements. It comes in 8 flavors and is brewed like coffee. Its available at www.soycoffee.com or at select health food stores.
No commentsFourth annual New Cardiovascular Horizons Conference attracts record attendees
NEW ORLEANS?About 5,000 medical professionals attended the fourth annual New Cardiovascular Horizons and Management of the Diabetic Foot & Wound Healing conference in October in New Orleans. The attendance was the largest the conference has seen since its founding in 2000.
Cardiovascular Institute of the South hosted the three-day conference, which attracted leaders in healthcare worldwide to discuss the latest advancements in cardiovascular and peripheral vascular care and to allow professionals to earn continuing education credit. It is the fourth largest cardiology conference in the nation.
Renowned physicians from around the world served as guest lecturers for the seminars, including CIS Drs. Craig Walker and David Allie, who serve as co-chairs for the multidisciplinary conference. CIS has spearheaded New Cardiovascular Horizons since its beginning to educate and train medical professionals, including physicians, podiatrists, nurses, physician assistants, pharmacists and medical technologists.
?The goal of New Cardiovascular Horizons is to share visions and to educate,? Dr. Craig Walker said. ?The conference is an extension of CIS?s mission to couple compassionate care with the most modern technology in the world. New Cardiovascular Horizons imparts that mission of forward-thinking to other medical centers worldwide.?
CIS has consistently positioned itself at the forefront of technology. Providing the most up-to-date technology with compassionate care has been the institute?s guiding mission during its 20 years of service to south Louisiana. CIS is comprised of one of the most respected groups of cardiologists, cardiovascular surgeons and thoracic surgeons, representing every specialty in heart and circulatory medicine. With a team of more than 400 dedicated staff, CIS serves communities throughout the state, as well as attracting national and international patients to its 12 centers.
In addition to offering education, New Cardiovascular Horizons honored interventional cardiologist Martin Leon with the third annual Achievement Award. Dr. Leon?s work has had a worldwide impact by helping to unite the once-disparate worlds of American, European and Asian cardiovascular medicine.
For more information about New Cardiovascular Horizons or CIS, please contact Summer Freeman by calling (800) 425-2565 or visit www.newcvhorizons.com or www.cardio.com.