What is pediatric extracorporeal membrane oxygenation? An ECMO system works by drawing blood from the patient’s body to artificially oxygenate the red blood cells in the blood and removes carbon dioxide from the blood. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), also called extracorporeal life support (ECLS), is a technique of providing prolonged cardiac and respiratory support to...
A doctor listens to a patient’s chest with a stethoscope for signs of heart issues, breast problems, and reproductive health.Source: Getty Images Symptoms of 12 serious diseases and health problems facts When is a cough "just" a cough, or a headache a symptom to be concerned about? Listed are signs and symptoms that could indicate...
Porphyria facts* A health care provider diagnoses porphyria with blood, urine, and stool tests. *Porphyria facts medically edited by William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR Porphyria is a group of diseases that are due to the deficiency of one of the enzymes needed to make an important substance in the body called heme. Porphyrias...
TMR is a new procedure used to treat inoperable heart disease in people with persistent angina that isn’t relieved by any other method. Most people with coronary artery disease are treated with angioplasty and stenting or, coronary bypass surgery and medications to improve blood flow to the heart muscle. If these procedures do not eliminate...
Introduction If you’re like most Americans, you plan for your future. When you take a job, you examine its benefit plan. When you buy a home, you consider its location and condition so that your investment is safe. Today, more and more Americans are protecting their most important asset–their health. Are you? Stroke ranks as...
What are the techniques of programmed stimulation and entrainment? These techniques help to gather information about the conduction system of the heart, which can further be used to guide the treatment of heart rhythm disorders (arrhythmias). Programmed stimulation and entrainment techniques are methods of setting the rhythm and rate of the heart. These techniques help...
The survival rate for a heart valve replacement surgery depends on which valve is involved. The survival rate for a heart valve replacement surgery depends on which valve is involved. This was analyzed in a large study in which the lifespan of a large population, who went ahead with the surgery, is observed for a...
How to measure blood pressure Low blood pressure is a reading of 90/60 or lower. Low blood pressure is treated with home care and medications. A reading of your blood pressure is taken to estimate its pressure as it flows through your arteries. There are two numbers associated with blood pressure: Systolic: This is the...
What is anemia? Anemia describes a condition in which you have a low red blood cell count and low hemoglobin levels. This is a serious condition as red blood cells and hemoglobin carry oxygen to all your cells, allowing them to burn energy. If you’re anemic, you’ll likely feel fatigued and short of breath, lacking...
What Is an LVAD? Readers Comments 2 Share Your Story The left ventricular assist device, or LVAD, is a mechanical pump that is implanted inside a person’s chest to help a weakened heart ventricle pump blood throughout the body. Unlike a total artificial heart, the LVAD doesn’t replace the heart. It just helps it do...