It’s hard to believe that turbulence could be a good thing for the heart. Consider how the word turbulent is defined: “characterized by conflict, disorder, or confusion; not controlled or calm.” Those traits don’t sound very heart-healthy. But when it comes to the heart rhythm, it turns out that a turbulent response—to a premature beat—is […]
Category: General Cardiology
My iPhone vibrated with an urgent message that read: Please call…The INR on your atrial fibrillation patient scheduled for cardioversion is too low. He is on that new blood thinner, Pradaxa. What do you want to do?” I responded, sounding like an expert: “It’s Ok. Pradaxa thins the blood adequately, it just doesn’t change the […]
To celebrate women’s health, our office was awash in red today. It’s true, despite the vigor of the pink-ribbon campaign, heart disease remains the number one cause of death for women. That stinks, because like in men, death from heart disease is so preventable. Notwithstanding my free socks, in promoting heart health, I am redder […]
For those who choose athletic training as an avocation there was important medical news released this week. It has to do with which medicines we use to relieve our aches and pains. Sadly there are few good options. The report was a huge (116,000 patient) meta-analysis (a statistical review of previously published trials) published in […]
I want an iPhone 4. I need an iPhone 4. Doctor Wes reported it first, but this futuristic gem shines bright enough for another look. Here is the 4 minute video outlining how an iPhone can be converted to a real-time ECG event monitor. If this works in the real-world–and it looks encouraging–it would be […]
This evening, it was around dinner time when I finished seeing the last patient on the card that said, “Morning Rounds.” On the way out, I ran into an old colleague. Back in the 1990s, he was the experienced real-world clinician and I the youngster just out of fellowship. As it often does with old […]
The end of the year marks a time for list-intensive posts. Recently, Larry Husten, from Cardio-Exchange and Cardiobrief, asked for my opinion on the three most important cardiology-related news stories of 2010. Additionally, he also wanted three predictions for 2011. (I assume cardiology predictions.) Here goes… My top three cardiology stories of 2010: —By far, the […]
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ECG Quiz…
This one fell in the bucket: “John, you had better go check this out.” The septuagenerian presented to the emergency department because of repeated bouts of syncope. (Syncope is medical speak for temporary loss of consciousness.) Â As Indiana electrophysiology fellows, we had two categories of passing out: “he passed out…cold,” or “he passed out…stone cold.” […]
It beats 100,000 times per day. It pumps liters of blood per minute. If it stops, you stop, in about six seconds. For the human heart to contract this reliably, without hiccups, it requires a steady stream of nutrients. A healthy heart has clean pipes. There are two ways to keep pipes clear of blockage. […]
It hurts…a bunch. Nothing punches the heart harder than grief can. And few things in life cause more grief than suicide. In my professional life, I have seen suicide cause the ‘broken heart syndrome,’ and unfortunately, in my personal life I have felt the awfulness of grief’s tug on my own heart, at the funeral […]
A first for me: a clinical quiz. The patient has had seventy birthdays. He presents with shortness of breath and constant chest pressure. These symptoms began abruptly 24 hours before presenting. He describes feeling “dreadful.” Past history is remarkable for an implanted device 8 years ago. A thorough physical exam is… you guessed it…normal. Here […]