Tag: doctors
Doctors raise safety fears at Birmingham hospitals
New Alzheimer’s drug slows decline in memory – fuelling hope doctors will one day cure dementia
Doctors Treated a Deadly Genetic Disease Before Birth for the First Time
A team of doctors in the U.S. and Canada are reporting a medical first. They were able to start treating a child’s rare and often deadly genetic condition while she was still a fetus in the womb—the same condition that claimed the lives of her siblings. Now 16 months old, the child, named Ayla, appears to be…
The World Is Running Out of Helium. Why Doctors are Worried
A global helium shortage has doctors worried about one of the natural gas’s most essential, and perhaps unexpected, uses: MRIs.
Strange as it sounds, the lighter-than-air element that gives balloons their buoyancy also powers the vital medical diagnostic machines. An MRI can’t function without some 2,000 liters of ultra-cold liquid helium keeping its magnets cool enough to work. But helium — a nonrenewable element found deep within the Earth’s crust — is running low, leaving hospitals wondering how to plan for a future with a much scarcer supply…. [F]our of five major U.S. helium suppliers are rationing the element, said Phil Kornbluth, president of Kornbluth Helium Consulting. These suppliers are prioritizing the health care industry by reducing helium allotments to less essential customers.
Hospitals haven’t canceled patients’ MRIs or shut down machines yet. They have seen helium costs rise at an alarming rate, though — possibly up to 30%, guessed Phil Kornbluth, president of Kornbluth Helium Consulting. But without an end in sight for the helium shortage, the future of MRI remains uncertain…. The problem is that no other element is cold enough for the MRI. “There’s no alternative,” said Donna Craft, a regional construction manager for Premier Inc. who contracts with helium suppliers for some 4,000 hospitals. “Without helium, MRIs would have to shut down….”
GE and Siemens are both developing MRIs requiring less liquid helium. Siemens recently introduced one requiring just 0.7 liters, and, according to Panagiotelis, GE rolled out a machine that’s “1.4 times more efficient than previous models.” These technologies aren’t widely available, though, and replacing the country’s 12,000 MRI machines — each weighing up to 50,000 pounds — is anything but a quick fix. Meanwhile, hospitals keep installing additional conventional MRI machines to meet demand for diagnostic scans.
The article notes some scientists are already shutting down research projects that require helium.
Thanks to long-time Slashdot reader Wildbear for submitting the article!
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Sheryl Underwood Unveils 95-Pound Weight Loss: “I Worked So Hard With My Doctors”
Check out Sheryl Underwood!
The comedienne and host unveiled a 95-pound weight loss on the latest episode of ‘The Talk.’
Rocking a figure-hugging purple dress and heels, the star was the centerpiece of the episode ‘Sheryl’s Ultimate Surprise House Party’ in celebration of her birthday.
Full story below…
Speaking to the audience,
The post Sheryl Underwood Unveils 95-Pound Weight Loss: “I Worked So Hard With My Doctors” appeared first on ..::That Grape Juice.net::.. – Thirsty?.
YouTube Is Making It Easier to Tell the Difference Between Real Doctors and Quacks
In its latest effort to limit health misinformation, YouTube is trying to make it easier for users to identify and differentiate reliable, factual videos made by certified healthcare professionals from those made by wellness gurus and their ilk. Starting today, the platform will let doctors and nurses apply for…