Friday, June 29, 2007
How to tattoo your finger
Recapping is a bad idea. For needles, anyway.
Apparently it's also a bad idea for certain types of very pointy gel-ink pens.
Yes, it hurt. It's been over a week and it isn't going away just yet.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Learning the Language
The pediatric resident was in his mid 40's. He'd been a professor of pediatrics in his home country, but had to repeat his pediatric residency in order to be board certified in the US. He was a very gentle man and quite knowledgeable about pediatrics, but his grasp of English idioms was somewhat imperfect. He carried a notebook in which he recorded each new idiom and went around singing Christmas Carols he'd learned in his English as a Second Language class. He was determined to be fluent in English before he completed his residency.
After being paged to the ER one evening, he returned to the NICU. He had a question for us. He'd learned a new phrase and wanted to know what it meant. "What means 'f*ck you'?" he asked.
While the rest of us tried to compose ourselves, one of my co-workers took him aside and explained the phrase. He grasped it rather quickly and offered the following explanation.
"I keep getting confused between passed out and passed away."
After being paged to the ER one evening, he returned to the NICU. He had a question for us. He'd learned a new phrase and wanted to know what it meant. "What means 'f*ck you'?" he asked.
While the rest of us tried to compose ourselves, one of my co-workers took him aside and explained the phrase. He grasped it rather quickly and offered the following explanation.
"I keep getting confused between passed out and passed away."
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Today is National HIV Testing day
Depending on where you live, local organizations may be offering free testing today. Of course, depending on where you live, that may be true every day. Check with your local health department, Planned Parenthood, etc for details.
HIV testing can help to stop the spread of the disease. One would hope that adults would do what they could to avoid spreading the virus if they knew they were positive, but testing of pregnant women, in particular, can significantly decrease the risk of vertical transmission (mother to baby).
A woman who takes antiretroviral drugs while pregnant significantly decreases the probability of transmission to her baby. Prior to the use of antiretrovirals in pregnancy, the transmission rate was nearly 30% for term babies and much higher for preemies. Now, with antepartum treatment of the mom, followed by six weeks of antiretroviral therapy for the baby, the transmission rate in term infants is 2-7%. This can be reduced to about 1% with elective C-sections prior to labor. Even when the mom doesn't know she's HIV positive until she presents in labor (women with no or very limited prenatal care), transmission rates can be decreased by treating the baby for 6 weeks after birth.
HIV testing can help to stop the spread of the disease. One would hope that adults would do what they could to avoid spreading the virus if they knew they were positive, but testing of pregnant women, in particular, can significantly decrease the risk of vertical transmission (mother to baby).
A woman who takes antiretroviral drugs while pregnant significantly decreases the probability of transmission to her baby. Prior to the use of antiretrovirals in pregnancy, the transmission rate was nearly 30% for term babies and much higher for preemies. Now, with antepartum treatment of the mom, followed by six weeks of antiretroviral therapy for the baby, the transmission rate in term infants is 2-7%. This can be reduced to about 1% with elective C-sections prior to labor. Even when the mom doesn't know she's HIV positive until she presents in labor (women with no or very limited prenatal care), transmission rates can be decreased by treating the baby for 6 weeks after birth.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
I hope they were just waiting for the pediatrician's office to open
Found this in the referral listings today:
Doesn't much matter. Either way the toddler needs to be seen by the pediatrician. I hope everything is OK.
| Search Words | how do i know if my toddler has a spider bite or mrsa |
Doesn't much matter. Either way the toddler needs to be seen by the pediatrician. I hope everything is OK.
Masche sextuplet update
MSNBC has an on-line article and a 7 minute video update about the Masche family on their web site. It gives more information about Jenny's medical problems and some fascinating footage of the babies and the equipment still in use.
Watch the tops go up on the special intensive care beds being used for some of the babies. Unless you're driving a luxury car, you paid less for it than the sticker price on just one of those beds. They're worth it, though. They save lives. You can maintain a precise level of humidity to protect fragile skin in a micropremie. As demonstrated, you can raise the top for instant access if you need to perform a procedure -- and it converts automatically to radiant warmer mode, so the baby won't get cold while you're working. There are many more features that make life easier for baby, parents, and - of course - NICU staff.
According to the article, some of the babies' nutrition is coming from breast milk banks. We've had a few moms of multiples who could pump enough breastmilk for them - and, we joked, the rest of the unit. That's uncommon with higher order multiples, especially when mom is seriously ill in the immediate postpartum period. Formula is also being used - and will doubtless be a necessity in the future as well.
The neonatologist mentions an "unexpected complication" with one of the babies which will require surgery before discharge, but doesn't elaborate. Overall, mom and babies look really good. It's going to be a long road over the coming years, but the family seems to have lots of support from their extended families and their church.
I'm happy for them and I wish them well. I hope that the 2 additional sets of sextuplets expected to deliver later this summer will be so fortunate. These higher order multiples, even with good outcomes for mom and baby, are considered a failure in infertility treatment, though. The goal is always one healthy baby. Selective reduction isn't the answer either. It's a choice no one should have to make. What is needed is more research and optimum management of infertility treatment.
Watch the tops go up on the special intensive care beds being used for some of the babies. Unless you're driving a luxury car, you paid less for it than the sticker price on just one of those beds. They're worth it, though. They save lives. You can maintain a precise level of humidity to protect fragile skin in a micropremie. As demonstrated, you can raise the top for instant access if you need to perform a procedure -- and it converts automatically to radiant warmer mode, so the baby won't get cold while you're working. There are many more features that make life easier for baby, parents, and - of course - NICU staff.
According to the article, some of the babies' nutrition is coming from breast milk banks. We've had a few moms of multiples who could pump enough breastmilk for them - and, we joked, the rest of the unit. That's uncommon with higher order multiples, especially when mom is seriously ill in the immediate postpartum period. Formula is also being used - and will doubtless be a necessity in the future as well.
The neonatologist mentions an "unexpected complication" with one of the babies which will require surgery before discharge, but doesn't elaborate. Overall, mom and babies look really good. It's going to be a long road over the coming years, but the family seems to have lots of support from their extended families and their church.
I'm happy for them and I wish them well. I hope that the 2 additional sets of sextuplets expected to deliver later this summer will be so fortunate. These higher order multiples, even with good outcomes for mom and baby, are considered a failure in infertility treatment, though. The goal is always one healthy baby. Selective reduction isn't the answer either. It's a choice no one should have to make. What is needed is more research and optimum management of infertility treatment.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)