By Daniel P. Sims

1.) Collateral Ligaments

The collateral ligaments stabilize your knee when you are making a side to side movement. When they have suffered a tear, it is usually because you have been struck from the side. For instance, football players, who get tackled from the side, are at a high risk of suffering from collateral ligament damage. The pain usually originates from the side of your knee, and will be tender to the touch. Swelling, pain and a weakness in the knee joint are common symptoms of collateral ligament damage.

There are three grades of collateral ligament damage. They are:

Grade 1

Grade 1 is a minor stretching of the ligament, and can be classified as a sprain.

Grade 2

The ligament is partially torn

Grade 3

The ligament has been completely torn

2.) Mechanism of Injury

Stepping in a hole, being hit while your foot is firmly planted on the ground or twisting your foot sharply to the side can all lead to collateral ligament damage. There are a number of things you can do to treat collateral ligament damage, and in some cases, you can help treat it yourself (speak with your physician about definitive treatment methods).

The first thing you must do is rest the knee. Do not engage in any activity that aggravates or strains your knee. Elevate it when possible, and apply ice to the area frequently. Ice will hasten the healing process, and bring down the swelling and inflammation that are the root of the problem.

3.) Knee Braces For Support

Bracing is also an effective means of helping to treat collateral ligament damage. A knee brace helps provide stability to the knee, which will help promote healing. It also can provide gentle compression to the area, and this has been know to stimulate nerve fibres, which makes the area feel better. It is similar to when you stub your finger. When you stub your finger, your first reaction is to grab hold of it, which makes you feel better. A knee brace will do this for your knee.

Often times people will refer to these knee braces as a football knee brace, basketball knee brace, or a running knee brace. Yes, you can use a knee brace for these sports, but it is wise to help concentrate on the injury level first and then the sport.

You can prevent collateral ligament damage by warming up before you do anything strenuous. You should also stretch properly. If the pain persists, you should consult a physician to make sure that there is not something else wrong with your knee.

4.) The Knee Brace Store

If you would like to take your knee stability to the next level (affordably) then visit us online today at http://www.drbraceco.com Dr. Brace Co. is an education based site, created by true brace specialists, that can provide helpful information and meaningful support for your knee. If you have questions come to our site and let us know, or call toll free 1-888-564-4888. We will respond.

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By Patton Andres

Unhealthy habits and lack of exercise continues to progress in our society. We are more seeing health issues in people who are of an age thought to be “young and healthy”, and this includes circulation issues. Problems with circulation often plague the legs and other lower extremities. It is commonly though that only older individuals suffer from this, however this is not the case. With the increase in obesity in children and teens, circulation problems are on the rise in youth as well. If you or someone you know has this issue, there are tips you can follow to help get it under control and avoid expensive surgery or serious illness.

Here’s the number one tip- exercise. I know that one word can conjure up feelings of doubt and apprehensiveness, but it is really much easier than you think. A simple walk or jog during your favorite time of day can help a lot with circulation and get the blood flowing. Walk with your pet or family member to make it more enjoyable. Or, if you have a workout regimen of your own, that’s great too. Exercising the body parts that have issues will stimulate blood flow to that area, bringing helpful oxygen and nutrients to the area for rejuvenation.

If you are a smoker with circulation issues, it is advised that you either quit or reduce use. Over time, smoking can harden the arteries which can further the negative effects of poor circulation and increase blood pressure.

When laying down for the night, or sitting in a chair, put your legs up on an elevated surface. Your legs lie at a low elevation in your body, which means that blood can have a hard time being pumped out. Elevating the legs helps ease the load and prevents blood from pooling. Pooling of the blood can cause pain, aching and deterioration of tissue, which should be avoided.

Frequently eating foods high in fat or sugar can have noticeable changes in your chemical makeup. The most significant effect is the thickening of the blood. Thickened blood is obviously harder to pump around the body, and can reduce circulation. Take charge of your diet and eat foods high in fiber to thin the blood to healthy, manageable levels.

Another healthy addition to any regimen is taking herbal supplements. With the wide variety of supplements out there, it can be confusing. There are a few key supplements that have proven to be effective in reducing poor circulation. These include pycnogenol and hose chestnut.

A great way to help with circulation with minimal work is to wear compression socks. These socks are specially designed to lightly “massage” the feet and calves to move blood around. They can be worn at any time and are an easy way to do something healthy for your legs.

Patton writes articles about circulation issues that plague adults and youth alike. One of his favorite ways to prevent tissue damage is the use of compression socks. You can find out more information at his compression socks guide which offers helpful tips and information.

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Physical Therapy For Herniated Disc – Invigorate Spine Wellness
By Adam Webster

It is not uncommon to hear anything like a slipped disc or a ruptured disc. In fact, most have the misconception of back pains associated to this illness. A ruptured nucleus pulposus is more common among middle-aged people. It rarely happens in children. Degenerative changes of the spine are one of the contributing factors that cause a herniated disc. It is when the insides of the disc bulges out or stick through its outing covering.

Discs get ruptured after some pressure that is too much to handle, like bending, sitting down or standing up and other spine related injuries. If a strong force is exerted in the spine area or back, a vertebra may break or a disc can rupture. A damaged disc will not be made known by the condition alone, but the irritating effect it has on the nearby nerves will generate the symptoms. The protruding disc can irritate the sciatic nerve and its nerve roots sending through a shooting pain down to the leg area, and then foot. Other symptoms include weakness, numbness and loss control of bladder and bowel.

Because of the painful effects of a herniated disc, comforting methods and techniques were formulated to ease the pain and for an individual to breeze through the ordeal. Medications and treatments come in two forms: surgical and non-surgical. There are also several ways in which the treatments were conducted, either conservative or aggressive. Treatments and pain relievers include prescribed drugs, massage, chiropractic care and physical therapies or inversion therapies. Each of this is applied depending on the person, and his or her condition and the degree of the herniated disc.

Physical therapy for herniated disc is mostly recommended on most patients. A rehabilitation program is prepared to serve persons with the condition. The program helps in calming the pain and the inflammation, therefore, improving strength and mobility. This way, you may return to your normal function and physical activities in no time.

Physical therapy for herniated disc aims to guide in enabling you to resume to your normal activities, and helps in controlling the symptoms. Exercises work on improving coordination and strength of the abdominal and low back muscles. The goal there is to abide you in taking care of your back by practicing safe exercises and knowing how to manage symptoms when they arise. Physical therapy for herniated disc sessions may be done twice or thrice every week for approximately six weeks.

The objectives of physical therapy for herniated disc are: maximize energy and stamina; learn proper posture and bodily movements to put off any back strain; begin again normal activities; and learn how to handle the condition and its symptoms.

Spine injuries or any back-related conditions and problems might be improved by muscle strengthening exercises and therapies. A licensed physical therapist can guide you and teach you the correct techniques to minimize, if not eliminate, your anguish. Your full cooperation is then vital and of great importance. In a physical therapy for herniated disc session, you tell your therapist or doctor anything related to your condition, where you hurt, how long have you been into the pain or thing like, when did the pain start?

A careful consideration of the condition will be made. To undergo physical therapy for herniated disc, expect to be asked about your overall health condition. After some thorough evaluation, the doctor may order some series of tests to ensure your condition and what other exams you need to take. You may be asked for posture check, range of motion (ROM), nerve tests, palpation, ergonomics, manual exam, and nerve tests.

A physical therapy for herniated disc is one good way to deal with spine problems, in the present or even in the future. You will be carefully guided how to handle yourself should the pain persists, and in the long run, you will be greatly benefited from the good causes and effects that physical therapies offer. Your pain will be alleviated and comfort will be more dominant. Continuous therapy treatments may be advised for more added benefits.

Adam Webster is the author of numerous health related articles and books. His latest back related Inversion therapies articles can be found here: http://www.squidoo.com/InversionTables

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Using Technology to Manage High Blood Pressure Health
By Aurther Shoko

A growing number of western households today posses a home blood pressure monitoring kit of some sort. This was hardly the case in the last twenty years even though digital blood pressure technology had been pioneered. Just as technology is taking center stage in different aspects of our lives so has bp health related technology.

By all means this is a very welcome development. Most importantly it has significantly and positively impacted blood pressure health especially mortality related to hypertension. Digital home bp monitors for example can stand in the way of imminent danger such as heart attacks, heart failure and other related organ damage.

Today’s technologically advanced bp monitors can detect irregular heartbeat and morning hypertension. Irregular heartbeat is a sign of imminent or forthcoming cardiovascular problems. This is detected by digital blood pressure monitors by analyzing a person’s pulse rate. This information provided by advanced technology will help doctors diagnose and cardiovascular diseases picked up by the irregular pulse.

It is no small matter that modern day bp equipment can also detected morning hypertension. Morning high bp as it is also known is extremely difficult to detect f one is to rely on the doctor’s office measurements. This is because it occurs pretty much in the early hours of the morning when the doctor is still asleep at home. Home bp monitoring makes it possible for home individual users to gather data via advanced monitors which doctors can download into a computer for analysis.

There are other technological developments related to blood pressure monitoring. Recently, the American Heart Association (AHA) commissioned a successful project which involved about 350 subjects who submitted their home blood pressure readings via the internet. The readings were interpreted by professionals on the other side who then prescribed certain changes to bp medications being taken by participating patients.

The subjects never had to leave their homes. BP readings taken from home were analyzed remotely and experts managed hypertension in these patients via the internet. This role of technology is fighting high bp is promising especially in the developing countries where it’s most needed. In Africa and other parts of the world that are poorer, mobile phones are more prevalent than electricity.

Using technology it will be possible to reach these remote communities to access and promote bp health. BP readings can be submitted to doctors via SMS from remote locations to which doctors can prescribe the correct medications. The future is not only bright for bp health with the continuing development of advanced technologies, it is certainly possible to lower the high mortality rates for bp using technology in developing countries.

You may read more on different home blood pressure equipment by going to Omron blood pressure monitors

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Becoming an Obstetrician Gynecologist (OB GYN)
By Avinash Kabra

Like an OB GYN nurse, the first step in creating a career as an Ob Gyn doctor is completing a bachelor’s degree. Most of those who intend to enter or go into the medical school take science related course as their pre medical requirements. Such science related courses may include anatomy, physics, chemistry, biology, humanities or even nursing. By having these courses completed by someone who aspires for ob gyn jobs, he/she may already be eligible to go the medical school but that is of course after being able to pass the qualifying admission examination. The qualifying examination is called as the Medical College Admission Test. The result of this exam together with the General weighted Average is given greater consideration in being accepted in a medical school. Individuals who aspire to enter to a medical school are also advised to have their application as early as their senior year in college due to the competitiveness present in the admission to the said school. The first two years in the medical school mostly comprise of lectures and discussions while the last two years are focus on the hospital or clinical settings including practical skills and demonstration.

After completing and passing the needed grade requirement in the medical school, an aspirant should then pass the licensure examination given by the National Board of Medical Examiners. After which and one has passed the examination, he/she must do internships which usually last a year. But in the case of those who want to specialize in a specific area or field like in the case OB gyn doctor. They must complete a residency in a hospital institution that usually lasts for three years. After having completed the three year residency, the doctor may decide to undergo subspecialty training programs in their field or area of specialization. In the case of OB GYN, subspecialty in oncology, maternal fetal and reproductive endocrinology is some of the choices available.

And the last step of course is being licensed and certified by the state you want to practice what you have finished which is medicine. In the United States of America, a doctor specializing in the Obstetrics and Gynecology field of medicine may be certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ABOG). Being certified by this American Board is not actually mandatory but is highly recommended for ob gyn careers advancement and recognition. For those doctors who aspire of being promoted and having higher positions, they may join career advancement programs. Through this advancement, they have greater chances of being promoted as head of the OB Gyn department or its director.

Author: Avinash Kabra
Email: avinash@hi-techwebmaster.co.cc
Mobile: +91-09929981828

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Heart Valve Surgery to Repair the Mitral Valve
By Lawrence Reaves

Blood flows to your heart in order to pick up more oxygen from your lungs. It comes into your right atrium before moving into your right ventricle. It then flows to your lungs before returning to the left atrium. From there, it moves into the left ventricle before leaving your heart and flowing into the aorta on its way to your other organs.

This blood flow between the four chambers of your heart and your lungs is made possible by a series of valves. One of them is called the mitral valve (MV). It controls the passage of blood between your left atrium and left ventricle. Below, we’ll describe two disorders that can prevent the MV from working properly. We’ll also explain the most effective mitral valve repair techniques in use today.

Stenosis And Prolapse

Stenosis is defined as a narrowing of the diseased valve. The MV’s two leaflets harden or stiffen, and fail to open wide enough to allow a sufficient amount of blood to flow from the atrium to the ventricle. The root cause of this disorder is usually rheumatic fever experienced by the patient as a child. Infection triggers the body’s immune system, which attacks the leaflets. Due to widespread use of medications, few people in the U.S. suffer from rheumatic fever today. As a result, mitral stenosis is rare when compared to prolapse.

Prolapse is defined as an inability to close effectively. In cases where it affects the mitral valve, one or both of the leaflets flap back into the left atrium when the left ventricle contracts. This causes blood to flow back into the atrium, a condition known as regurgitation. It can lead to infection, arrhythmias, clotting, and other complications.

Mitral Valve Repair Techniques

A stenotic MV is usually repaired through a procedure called balloon valvuloplasty. A balloon is placed on the tip of a catheter and guided to the stenotic valve. It is positioned between the stiffened leaflets and expanded to widen the opening.

Prolapse is treated based on which of the two leaflets is affected: posterior or anterior. The posterior leaflet can be repaired with a procedure called triangular resection. The surgeon will remove abnormal sections by cutting a small triangular area into the leaflet. Once the sections have been removed, the edges of the leaflet are sewn together.

Mitral valve repair performed on the anterior leaflet is more complicated. It requires the surgeon to either transfer supporting chords from another piece of the MV or to create new chords using a synthetic material. In the latter case, there are rarely complications.

What To Expect After Surgery

Mitral valve repair was once performed exclusively through open heart surgery. A long incision was made into the patient’s chest and the breastbone was separated to give the surgeon access to the heart. It was an invasive operation that required a long recovery period.

Today, surgery to repair stenosis and prolapse is performed with minimally invasive methods. These techniques can be done without opening the patient’s chest. This introduces several key benefits.

First, the recovery period following surgery is much shorter than in the past. Second, the likelihood of infection, bleeding, and other complications is much lower. Third, doctors used to replace the MV rather than attempt to repair it. This usually required the patient to take anticoagulant drugs for the remainder of his or her life. With mitral valve repair, anticoagulants are no longer necessary. Lastly, these minimally invasive techniques preserve more of the heart’s natural ability to circulate blood throughout the body.

If you suffer from symptoms stemming from stenosis or prolapse, mitral valve repair surgery may be a viable solution. Ask your physician whether the procedure makes sense given your condition and circumstances.

Finding the right doctor for cardiac surgery or vascular surgery is crucial. Visit a specialist for proper diagnosis and treatment

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Medical Transcription – Code of Ethics
By Renee Kelly

Healthcare is an essential service along with the other basic necessities like air, water, food, clothing and housing. Therefore the practice of healthcare requires that healthcare professionals and other entities associated with healthcare come under a strict code of ethics.

Medical transcription is a profession closely associated with the healthcare industry in both the commercial and operational aspects by documenting the patient-healthcare professional encounter.

The Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI) has come up with the guidelines for code of conduct for healthcare documentation professionals. The code of ethics for medical transcription professionals are as follows:

1. Maintain confidentiality of all patient information including but not limited to peer reviews, quality improvement and risk management protocols with special effort to maintain data security in electronic communications.
2. Implement and maintain standards of professional transcription practice. Respect the rights and dignity of all individuals.
3. Continue professional growth enhancing knowledge and skills, including continuing education, networking with colleagues, professional reading and certification.
4. Strive to provide accurate and timely information
5. Exercise integrity in professional practices including work or professional experience, credentials, affiliations, productivity reporting, billing charges and payment practices.
6. Comply with all laws, regulations and standards governing the practice of patient documentation.
7. Foster environments of employment that facilitate integrity, professionalism and protection of patient information.
8. Strive to advance the goals and purposes of the Association and work for the advancement and good of the profession.

These are code of ethics laid by the AHDI for the members of the association as guidelines. But these code of ethics can be used as guidelines by all entities who are in the business of medical transcription.

Based on the code of ethics a medical transcription service provider has to run its operations:

• Maintaining confidentiality of patient information: Confidentiality of patient information should be maintained at all levels. The confidentiality of the data needs to be maintained at all the stages, during transmission, during usage and during storage using appropriate measures
• Implementing and maintaining professional standards of transcription: The service provider should maintain and implement professional standards of transcription by training the transcriptionists rigorously in one or two specialities enabling them to meet standards of accuracy and turnaround time.
• Continuously enhancing the skills of medical transcriptionists through education: The service provider should educate their team of medical transcriptionists by constantly updating their knowledge base on the latest developments in the field of medicine.
• Provide timely information: Timely information should be provided by the service provider whenever required.
• Exercising integrity in billing practices: The method of billing should fulfill all the billing method principles of being verifiable, measurable, definable, consistent and fair & honest.
• Complying with the laws of patient documentation: The service provider needs to be aware of and comply with all the laws that apply to patient documentation
• Foster the right atmosphere for professionalism and ethics: The service provider needs to create an atmosphere which enables an atmosphere of professionalism.

While outsourcing medical transcription care should be taken to source a service provider who can not only provide accurate transcription services, in a timely manner, using the right technology, through secure means and at reasonable prices, but also follows the code of ethics as recommended by AHDI.

TransDyne, a leader in the outsourced medical transcription industry offers customized medical transcription solutions tailored to suit the needs of healthcare facilities. Visit http://www.transdyne.com for more details. Click http://www.transdyne.com/html/contactus.aspx to avail medical transcription services from TransDyne.

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Outsourcing Medical Billing Creates Value For Money
By Sanjana Singh

Medical billing is a complex process which demands specialist knowledge and operational expertise in this field. It is not advisable to leave medical billing processes to untrained or semi-skilled staff. Outsourcing medical billing to an experienced and professional set up may prove to be just the strategic step one needs to flourish his/ her medical practice as it creates value for money.

According to recent healthcare reforms and coverage policies of Medicare reimbursements are going to reduce while the numbers of claims are expected to increase exponentially. This will create pressure on the administrative staff to handle excess billing volumes which are to be seriously anticipated by all healthcare units. Outsourcing organizations plan for these updates in advance and are well equipped to make sure that the provider’s reimbursement grows from time to time.

Apart from strategic savings from outsourcing, providers can also capitalize on the following advantages.

1. Resolve most Human resources issues

Skilled Manpower Shortage is the most compelling reason why provider’s need to outsource their medical billing to a specialist who provides these services. Medical Practices are often challenged by employee turnover and practice growth.

Attrition and shortage of skilled staff are no secrets in the healthcare Revenue Cycle Management industry. Once an in-house medical billing specialist leaves, the practice is forced to fill the vacant place right away or the revenue may be compromised with any level of resource capability. Each incoming resource comes in with prior experience and tries to implement his/ her practice which may or may not be acceptable to every practice. Outsourcing partners are in a better position to tackle this situation as they operate with bench strength and have set procedure to handle attrition.

“There is an 18% shortage of coders nationwide and this shortage is increasing in the upcoming years” – AAPC (American Academy of Professional Coders)

Practice Growth:

As the volume of the business increases, revenues must also grow but with most in- house billing processes the claims are just not managed appropriately. In order to increase collections one has to increase the team size which adds to fixed costs and does not guarantee results. But outsourcing companies give the option of ‘pay as you earn’ linking their own income with performance.

2. Revenue Cycle Optimization:

The question that arises before any provider today is, ‘What is the current Billing cycle?’ When the answer to the above question is anything more than 60 days, it’s time to overlook your medical collection services. Outstanding revenues and a disorganized revenue cycle – these are two major factors that pull down the financial efficiency of Providers. Effective Outsourcing Partners must deliver the

• Faster revenue realization with efficient denial management.
• Constant monitoring of account receivable (AR) days.
• Get unpaid claims tracked for payments on a daily basis for regular payouts.
• Accelerate your cash flow by timely follow up with the payers and subsequently with patients for unpaid claims.

3. Better financial controls with timely reports:

Outsourcing partners usually provide detailed reports for provider reference; they provide daily, weekly and monthly reports explaining the status of collections and the efficiency of their services. Some of these reports are further segregated by provider wise, payer wise and also the monthly outstanding.

These reports help providers to take better decision and plug issues before they become messy. Some outsourcing partners also provide consultancy on payer contracts and get better negotiation for providers.

4. Leverage sophisticated technologies with inexpensive IT support:

Medical billing outsourcing gives you the freedom from dealing with costly software and hardware maintenance contracts. You don’t have to pay for or install software updates or server upgrades and also eliminates the need to back up your data each day. Depending on the size of the operation to be handled an IT support can be employed or can be called as per need. But the latest technology can be utilized by using outsourcing partner’s system as they would invest with only the best in class technology.

5. Structured and organized operations:

Outsourcing medical billing and coding processes carried out by certified and expert professionals are much more reliable. They process claims electronically but have various levels of audit before the claim reaches the final payers.

If any claims are rejected, the cost of correcting the error is borne by the outsourcing partners and they also thoroughly analyze the error to avoid such errors in the future. Rejected claims are resubmitted after correction. The speed of the claims submission is usually faster with them as the denial management report is generated almost immediately. This problem resolution ultimately results in faster reimbursement.

6. Tax benefits:

In- house staff invariably requires a lot of time, effort and resource from the practice’s end when compared to outsourced staff. The amount invested in an in-house staff member’s contribution towards insurance and welfare fund is very high.

It is now a proven fact that outsourcing is a way to reduce tax liabilities because with the expenses being incurred with the outsourcing process, the medical practice can sometimes be assessed for a lower income tax. Outsourcing medical billing services provides you the tax benefits as you don’t have to directly employ people for this process and therefore you can minimize staff expenses and maximize possible efficiency, this can prove to be a winning edge in a very competitive arena.

7. Supports the core function while enhancing growth:

The core function of a medical practice is to care for its patients and all other support functions which are just as critical to the process must be taken care of by just as much precision as the basic function. Thus partnering experts of those functions is always a viable option. Outsourcing companies understand your concerns and thus provide you with all tools to manage your finances. They provide regular reports; keep track of the financial position of the medical practice. It mainly provides advice on various areas of improvement, resulting in overall positive growth. All this at lower costs and schemes where you ‘Pay as you earn’, this surely seems like a win-win situation for both parties. Outsourcing sure creates value for all parties and truly justifies business decisions!

MedDataCarePro is a national provider of healthcare outsourcing services and healthcare data management services like medical billing, coding, transcriptions, rcm and more in the U.S. MedDataCarePro has been providing impeccable service and quality to its growing family of clients since the year 2000.

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Medical News You and Your Family Can Finally Use!
By Dr. Joshua Fink

Welcome to Monthly Medical -News with Josh. Every month I am going to share with you some of the most talked about Medical stories and how they can affect you. For February some of the topics I will touch upon are- New Hope for Hepatitis C, Morning Sickness, Treatment for Cold Sores, and Hormone Vaccine against Breast Cancer. Enjoy Monthly Medical -News with Josh and don’t forget the Doctor is always in!

1. Hormone Vaccine against Breast Cancer?

Researchers are pursuing a vaccine that could trick your body into thinking it’s pregnant. It is well known that short-term exposure in early adulthood to the hormones of late pregnancy and to the hormones of lactation offers a life long risk reduction against breast cancer. Early in the 1700’s, Dr. Bernardo Ramazzini described breast cancer as an “occupational disease of nuns”. Even if we got rid of the “risk factors” for breast cancer, such as obesity, excess alcohol and hormone therapy, we would drop the incidence of breast cancer from 180,000 cases a year to 140,000. That’s not much! What about genetics? In a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine, in a study that looked at “SNP’s”, which are changes in genes that can cause disease, these changes only elevated the risk by 1.5 fold, which is truly not much, as compared to those without single gene mutations. What is it about pregnancy that decreases risk? No one really knows, but the bet is against it being estrogen and progesterone’s.

2. Wounds that Won’t Heal: WARNING

Poorly healing wounds are a major problem, and it’s often seen in diabetics and people with poor circulation. Negative Pressure devices have been used to aid in the healing of these chronic wounds. Now, the FDA has issued a warning AGAINST these devices. Deaths have been reported, and have been associated with bleeding, infection and other problems. Negative pressure is appropriate for the right type of wound, however. Some of the problems may have arisen because most wound dressings are changed every day, but negative pressure bandages are not. These are the wounds in which Negative Pressure Devices are NOT appropriate:

1. Exposed nerves, or exposed vessels

2. Untreated infections of the bone [osteomyelitis]

3. Dead tissue present

4. Fistulas

5. Wound Infections

3. Morning Sickness Alert:

Don’t take Nzu, also sold under the names of Calabash clay, Calabar stone, Mabele, Argile, and La Craie. These are sold in health food stores for morning sickness, and have been found to contain high levels of Arsenic and Lead. My Advice: Acupuncture and Ginger.

The Long QT syndrome:

This is a genetic disease that seems to occur more commonly, maybe due to better patient education about it. The story is “a young athlete that died while training.” The family is devastated and lives are ruined. The truth is that we can screen for this. This disease affects the potassium or sodium channels in the heart. These patients may develop symptoms of fainting, tachycardia and eventually sudden death. In general, in addition to the EKG on the patient, we believe it is important to screen the first degree relatives as well, as this is a genetic disease. A “QTc” longer than 450 msec in men and 470 msec in women is considered worthy of more investigation. It is caused by 12 separate genes. WE call these “LQT 1-12″. The “causative mutation” can be seen in 70% of high-probability cases…not “100%”…so a negative gene test at this point in time does not rule out Long QT syndrome. The arrhythmia, or abnormal heart beat, is typically brought out by swimming, exercise and emotions. Those with a mutation of LQT1 are the highest risk for exercise or emotion-induced rhythm problems, and a group of medications called Beta Blockers are used to treat it. Those with mutations in LQT3 are at a higher risk of getting an arrhythmia when they are at rest or sleeping. In addition to drug therapy, certain drugs must be avoided and these can be seen at http://www.qtdrugs.org.

4.New Hope for Hepatitis C?

No vaccine. Not yet. But at least there is some drug therapy. Telaprevir [VX 950: Johnson and Johnson] is a protease inhibitor, something that emerged as a result of HIV research. When it is added to the standard drug therapy for Hepatitis C, it leads to a sustained Virological response [less virus] in those who previously failed drug therapy. This study looked at those with HCV 1 and was called the “PROVE3″ study. Another weapon in the war against Hep C has been added!

Acne: Which is Better?

Adapalene 0.1% gel or BenzaClin? In a recent study, BenzaClin won. 43% vs. a 20% response. Wow….we have been using this for years already. Keep in mind that Adapalene is a retinoid and may prevent you from having other aesthetic procedures performed!

5.New Treatment for Cold Sores?

Combining a 5% acyclovir cream, with a steroid cream can prevent recurrent herpes ulcers. This product was recently approved, but not yet named. This product, however, seems to prevent cold sore development and would be the first topical to do so.

Be in touch next month for some more medical news you and your family can use!

Dr. Fink has over 20 years of experience and he is a Fellow of the American Society for Lasers in Medicine and Surgery as well as a Fellow of the American College of Chest Physicians, and is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Pulmonary Disease.

He maintains an active clinical practice in multiple areas of specialization, including Internal Medicine and Pulmonary Diseases as well as Wound Care in both Westchester and Manhattan. He is published in peer-reviewed medical journals and he is Chief Clinical Instructor in programs that teach the proper use of Dermal Fillers, Botox and Aesthetic Lasers throughout the US, Asia, and Australia and he was recently awarded the Prestigious Clinical Instructor award that recognizes his excellence in teaching Botox, Restylane and laser technology throughout the world.

Dr. Fink is also a recognized expert in the cosmetic use of lasers and laser technology. Dr. Fink has been extensively involved in aesthetic research, acting as the Principal Investigator for numerous laser and cosmetic trials over the past several years. Dr. Fink’s Westchester’s practice is conveniently located in Mt. Kisco, NY with availability in his NYC office as well.

For more information about Dr Fink and his practice go to his web site at http://www.drjoshfink.com/. Suscribe to his blog to get great insider tips in the Aesthetics as well as the Internal and Pulmonary Medicine Industry. Sign up now at http://www.drjoshfinkblog.com/.

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Starting OB GYN Salaries
By Nathan M Webster

Most doctors are paid generous yearly salaries, and these salaries are different depending on each different type of doctor. Pay scales for doctors are also different depending on what state that doctor practices in. An obstetrician gynecologist, makes a different salary depending on where they live and practice, but on average the yearly salary for an obstetrician gynecologist is between $150,000 and $250,000 a year.

One of the great benefits of being an OB/GYN is that as a obstetrician gynecologist, the hours of business can be set by the doctor. The doctor can take a vacation when the time is right for them because they are working for themselves. A new OB/GYN may work for another more experienced doctor who owns their own practice after they are done with school. However, after that period of time, obstetrician gynecologists can work on their own schedule.

This benefit of working on one’s own schedule is matched by the great pay for the hours worked and the convenience of choosing a schedule designed to meet one’s own needs. Most doctors do not work 7 days a week, or even 6. Some doctors work 3 1/2 or 4 days a week in their practice to make a salary of $200,000. There are also different types of gynecology which one can be certified to work in. If an OB GYN is certified in more than one area, there is an opportunity for that obstetrician gynecologist to make a higher annual salary because they are working in more than one field. This is why the ability to choose one’s own schedule is such a great benefit. An OB GYN who is certified in more than one area can work 3 1/2 or 4 days in one field and spend 1 or 2 days working at a different practice where they are certified which provides an opportunity for that doctor to make more money as well.

When considering salary, it is also dependent upon experience. More experienced doctors in any field make a higher annual salary than doctors who are just starting out or who have less experience in the field. As an obstetrician gynecologist works more and gains experience and certifications in other areas, the annual salary of that OB GYN will increase considerably with the procedures they can preform and the amount of different patients they can see.

If you are already in the OB GYN career you can visit with a specialist recruiter to find your perfect OB GYN Jobs This firm specializes in find careers for OB GYN specialists.

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