Birth of Baby

ECG Scanning

An electrocardiogram (ECG) is a record of the electric activity of the heart. A standard ECG is produced by sensing electric potentials in six leads from the limbs and six leads from the chest.

Electric signals of the heart spread in all directions. However each standard lead can accurately represent only a small spatial sector around its axis (axes are shown as green arrows). When projected onto an imaginary sphere surrounding the heart, such a conic sector would look like a small circle or an oval.

When an ECG is taken, twelve standard ECG leads may produce normal tracings (gray ovals) while a pathologic focus (black spot) may remain unnoticed. This happens, because electric signals (red arrow) from the pathologic focus do not propagate along (are not collinear with) the axes of any of standard ECG leads and therefore their magnitude does not reach diagnostic thresholds to be properly detected. In such cases a correct diagnosis is missed.

Atrial Fibrillation

AF is the most common type of serious arrhythmia. It’s a very fast and irregular contraction of the atria. AF occurs when the heart’s electrical signal begins in a different part of the atrium than the sinoatrial (SA) node or when the signal is conducted abnormally. When this happens, the electrical signal doesn’t travel through the normal pathways in the atria, but instead may spread throughout the atria in a fast and disorganized manner. This causes the walls of the atria to quiver very fast (fibrillate) instead of beating normally.

AF and other supraventricular arrhythmias can occur for no apparent reason. Most of the time, however, they are caused by an underlying condition that damages the heart muscle and its ability to conduct electrical impulses. These conditions include high blood pressure (hypertension), coronary artery disease, heart failure, or rheumatic heart disease.

Other conditions also can lead to AF, including overactive thyroid gland (too much thyroid hormone produced) and heavy alcohol use. AF also becomes more common as people get older.

Melanoma

Melanoma is the most serious type of skin cancer. Often the first sign of melanoma is a change in the size, shape, color or feel of a mole. Most melanomas have a black or black-blue area. Melanoma may also appear as a new mole. It may be black, abnormal or "ugly looking."

Thinking of "ABCD" can help you remember what to watch for:

* Asymmetry - the shape of one half does not match the other
* Border - the edges are ragged, blurred or irregular
* Color - the color in uneven and may include shades of black, brown and tan
* Diameter - there is a change in size, usually an increase

Melanoma can be cured if it is diagnosed and treated early. If melanoma is not removed in its early stages, cancer cells may grow downward from the skin surface and invade healthy tissue. If it spreads to other parts of the body it can be difficult to control.

Healthcare

The term ‘healthcare communications’ describes a part of the marketing mix which is complementary to, but separate from sales, advertising and direct mail. There is a wide range of activities that will fall within the remit of healthcare communications. Broadly speaking these range from ‘public relations’ such as working with the media or disease awareness campaigns to ‘medical education’ such as clinical meetings, symposia and education resources for healthcare professionals.

Healthcare communications plays a part in most of the activities that support a drug through its lifecycle:

* Strategic planning
* Clinical trial recruitment
* KOL development
* Professional relations
* Product launches
* Conferences and symposia
* Data dissemination
* Disease awareness
* Issues and crisis management

Healthcare communications is a marriage of three areas: science; business and art. It is the combination of these three disciplines that often appeals to people and makes this career path a challenging and rewarding one.

Medical Device Safety

Medical devices include instruments, machines or implants used in medical care. Some, like X-ray machines or thermometers, diagnose diseases or conditions. Others, like pacemakers or inhalers, are used for prevention or treatment.

In the U.S., the government's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) must approve any device before it can be sold. The FDA also monitors safety for approved devices. If a device is defective or causes a health risk, the FDA can issue a recall.

If you use a medical device at home, make sure that you understand how to use it and follow the directions carefully.
The decision whether or not to dispose of a potentially contaminated medical device is usually made by the pharmacy owner in consultation with appropriate federal, state, and local authorities. In determining which medical devices should be discarded, the owner must assess each product’s current condition and potential safety risks. For additional information, see FDA advice about medical devices that have been exposed to unusual levels of heat and humidity.