"Paint Coatings"

High-risk surgery patients have shorter stays in hospitals when seen by general internists trained specifically in managing medical complications, says a study carried out by the Loyola University Health.

The study published in the Orthopedics journal, also reveals that patients who underwent high-risk orthopedic surgeries with the co-management program, experienced more courtesy and respect from doctors.

Lead author of the study, Dr. Michael Pinzur, Professor, Department of Orthopedic Surgery and Rehabilitation, Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine said, “We accomplished significant improvements in efficiency and quality in the care of complex surgical patients. Our cost of care also was significantly less than that of other academic medical centres. The sicker the patients, the greater the savings.”

The study, compared observation of 86 of Dr. Pinzur’s high-risk surgical patients, co-managed by hospitalists from the Division of General Internal Medicine, with that of 54 similar patients who underwent surgery before starting the co-management program.

Patients followed for the study included those who underwent complex surgical procedures like foot reconstructions and had high-risk conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure and heart and kidney problems.

Patients’ average stay ratio was 0.86 before the co-management program started while the program caused the ratio to drop to 0.69. This meant that hospital patients would now stay an average of 3.8 days as opposed to the usual expected stay of 5.5 days.
Under the co-management program, 76% of the patient group said doctors communicated well with 90% saying they were feeling courtesy and respect.

Impaired kidney function is a risk factor for cognitive decline in old age says a new study published in the medical journal Neurology.
The study found that poor kidney functions were linked with cognition related to memory functions. Any kind of damage to these functions, episodic memory and other contextual knowledge is the earliest sign of Alzheimer’s disease.

Further research to comprehend the link between kidney function and the brain would be conducted, as this study has important public health implications. Further research also may provide new strategies for preventing memory loss in elders. The research findings indicate that common disease processes affect the brains and the kidneys in the elderly. Therefore, it is possible to hypothesize that underlying vascular problems like diabetes and hypertension could account for the link between kidney problems and cognitive decline. Data from 886 older adults was analyzed for this study annual for a period of 6 years to track changes in cognition over time. Visuospatial ability, perceptual speed, semantic memory, working memory and episodic memory were the individual cognitive systems assessed.

The study also revealed that poor kidney function assessed at the beginning of the research period was linked with a higher rate of decline in cognition over the next few years. This was identified now in visuospatial ability or perceptual speed, but in episodic, semantic and working memory. Researchers also said the rate of decline in cognition was equal to that of a person seven years older at baseline.

Poor posture not only causes one to lose inches in height but can put unnecessary stress on the back and therefore the rest of the body. To improve your posture, you need to learn how to sit and stand tall and you must concentrate on toning both the back and abdominal muscles.

Improve Your Posture - Sit Up Straight

Sit or stand tall while imagining your spine is a straight rod and your head is balanced on the tip of it. Slightly pull in your stomach muscles. Pull your shoulders back and let your arms hang on the sides of your body. Do not pull your shoulders up as many are tempted to do, just gently pull them back and let them relax down. If you are standing, make sure your legs are about shoulder width apart and relaxed at the knees. Practice good posture several times a day and whenever you become aware that you are slouching.

Improve Your Posture with Exercise

Two or three sets of 12 reps of abdominal exercises every day will tone your tummy muscles to help support the spine. There are a variety of DVD’s and books on the market that illustrate exercises for strengthening the back. Practicing yoga is one of the best ways to improve your posture and contrary to popular belief, it is not always necessary to turn yourself into a pretzel to perform yoga exercises.

Improving posture is not difficult but it does take discipline. With regular practice you will see a measurable difference in just a couple of weeks.

THAI Rak Thai’s universal health insurance policy, a major campaign plank that contributed to the party’s landslide victory, could also trigger a backlash amid high public expectation and concerns about its administration.
While it is unclear whether the policy will result in the merging of the government’s entire health-insurance scheme, some critics have already voiced concern over such a possibility, saying the plan could become a logistical nightmare in terms of financial management. (more…)

Why should we wait for the medical lobby to give its nod to a proven model for health care in Ontario communities?

Let’s not kid ourselves. The Ontario Health Networks, including the “failed” pilot projects, have never been about primary health-care reform.
Usually, these primary-care projects are physician-led group practices that largely reflect a change in the way physicians are funded, rather than a change in how the public receives comprehensive health care, by whom and when. So, it is even more distressing that the Ontario Medical Association (OMA), as the negotiator for physicians within Family Health Networks, is dragging its feet on this baby-step reform. (more…)