For women with peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM), diagnosis soon after giving birth leads to better outcomes than for women whose symptoms are not recognized or treated by their physician. During the 2019 Scientific Sessions sponsored by the American Heart Association (AHA), participants discussed the danger of PPCM and the elevated risk to African-American women during the … Continued

Our brain is the center of our identity and ability to function.  Any injury to the brain is an emergency. One of the most serious types of brain injury occurs when the brain is partially or fully starved of oxygen for any period of time.  The resulting injury can be devastating and deadly. Our legal … Continued

For parents of premature or critically ill babies, time spent in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is priceless.  Yet, germs passed from mom and dad or from the NICU environment to baby can lead to dangerous infections in a newborn.  Trial research from Johns Hopkins University describes a new protocol to interrupt transmission of … Continued

It is apparently an open secret that some medications prescribed to individuals suffering heart failure may actually worsen their condition. Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a relatively common condition in the US.  Heart failure results when the heart muscle weakens and causes symptoms of fatigue, shortness of breath, and swelling of the limbs.  CHF results … Continued

Recent research reveals that burnout and depression are common in the medical profession. Physicians who are depressed are more likely to make medical errors. In a survey by Medscape of more than 15,000 physicians across the US, 44 percent reported they were “burned out,” 11 percent agreed they were “colloquially depressed,” and four percent agreed … Continued

When staff assumes the alert is false, the high number of medical equipment alarms in hospitals puts patients at risk. According to The Joint Commission, the accrediting agency for hospitals in the United States, the number of alarms that sound for patients who need critical care can be several hundred each day.  Another study estimates … Continued