An estimated 70-80 percent of heart attacks occur at home, often suddenly and without warning. While cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) can buy some time as families wait for paramedics, the only way to actually re-start the heart with a jolt of electricity is by using a defibrillator. Experts estimate that every minute spent waiting for a defibrillator lowers the chance of survival by 10 percent, so the sooner it can be used after a cardiac arrest, the better. Last week, the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) approved for the first time, sale of a defibrillator specifically designed for home use.
HOLIDAYS AND DEPRESSION -- MENTAL HEALTH EXPERTS AT CEDARS-SINAI SHED LIGHT ON SEASONAL AFFECTIVE DISORDER Although the holidays are supposed to be a time full of joy, good cheer and optimistic hopes for a new year, many people experience seasonal "blues". Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a mood disorder associated with depression episodes and related to seasonal variations in light. As Seasons change, there is a shift in our "biological internal clocks" or circadian rhythm due partly because of changes in sunlight patterns. These changes combined with the stresses of Holiday travel, sensitive family dynamics and managing expectations can build a recipe for depression during the winter months. Andrea Rogers, Supervisor for Intensive Outpatient Programs in the Department of Psychiatry at Cedars-Sinai, offers warning signs and suggestions to combat seasonal affective disorder this Holiday season.
BABY BOY FROM COMPTON UNDERGOES COMPLEX 10-HOUR OPERATION TO CORRECT PRUNE BELLY SYNDROME, A VERY RARE DISORDER OF THE URINARY TRACT SYSTEMPrune Belly Syndrome is very rare, occurring in just one in 80,000 births. Of those, approximately 20 percent are stillborn and another 30 percent die within two years of birth. The remaining 50 percent often suffer from urinary system disorders, cardiovascular problems, and/or musculoskeletal problems, including hip dislocation, scoliosis and clubfoot. Treating this disorder requires complex and highly sophisticated pediatric surgical intervention. For Jalen Brown, Compton, CA, this involved two highly complex procedures (one at five days of age, and one at 17 months) to reconstruct his urinary system. Four months after his second surgery (10 hours in length,) his prognosis is good, says his surgeon, pediatric urologist Andrew Freedman, M.D. "He may never be a sit-up champion, but he'll be able to ride a bike and play Little League."
SURGEONS AT CEDARS-SINAI PERFORM NATION'S FIRST ZEUS(r) ROBOTICS SYSTEM-ASSISTED GASTRIC BYPASS SURGERYAlthough a casual observer in the operating room at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center on Oct. 8 could have been pardoned for initially believing that the surgeon was playing high-tech video games, he was actually performing the nation's first Zeus(r) robotic system-assisted gastric bypass surgery. Zeus, manufactured by Computer Motion, is a multi-armed, highly evolved robotic system for computer-enhanced surgery. The patient, Kim Kishi, was released from the hospital on Friday, Oct. 11, just three days after surgery, and went back to work the following Monday, Oct. 14. The surgery was performed by Theodore Khalili, M.D., a general surgeon and director of research for Cedars-Sinai's minimally invasive surgery unit. Just two weeks after her surgery Kim, a floral designer says, "I can't believe how good I feel. I had the operation on Tuesday, went home on Friday and was back to work on Monday. My face is already slimmer and my clothes are very loose. I could be the poster child for this type of surgery."
ADVANCES IN BRAIN MAPPING, ULTRASOUND AND MAGNETIC RESONANCE GUIDANCE ENABLE NEUROSURGEONS TO REMOVE CHILD'S BRAIN TUMOR AND FULLY PRESERVE HIS VISIONInstead of birthday gifts this year, 9-year old Philip Iacono asked friends and relatives to make donations to the research program at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center's Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute. Why? Because it was there, in June of this year, that neurosurgeons using advanced brain mapping, ultrasound and magnetic resonance guidance technology, were able to remove 95 percent of Philip's brain tumor while fully preserving his vision. As recently as seven years ago, when his "dizzy spells" started, this technology was not available. It is unlikely that the tumor will recur.
CEDARS-SINAI NUTRITIONIST OFFERS HOLIDAY WEIGHT MANAGEMENT TIPS"Even if you're working to manage your weight, you can enjoy the wonderful foods of the holiday season as long as you do so in moderation," says Cedars-Sinai Medical Center dietitian, Netty Levine, MS, RD. "The key to successfully navigating the holiday season," says Levine, "is to plan ahead," outlining for yourself a practical weight management strategy that doesn't leave you feeling deprived during the holidays, but will also help you avoid weight gain. To help combat against the "battle with the bulge" during the holidays, Levine offers her "baker's dozen" holiday weight management tips.
CEDARS-SINAI DOCTORS OFFER ADVICE ON STAYING HEALTHY DURING THE FLU SEASON AND OUT OF THE E.R.As winter approaches, health care providers are gearing up for the onset of influenza or "flu" season. "Not only are more people are admitted to the hospital during these flu periods, they are hospitalized for longer periods of time," says Joel Geiderman, M.D., co-chair of the department of emergency medicine. For those patients visiting the E.R., this means that more beds are filled and there may be a longer waiting period for health services. At Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, emergency department administrators are considering ways to prepare for increases in winter admissions activity. Because people who are 65 years old or older, pregnant or have other medical conditions are at high-risk for flu-related complications, health care providers want to treat high-risk populations first. "We have a "quick care" area with a dedicated staff of nurse, physician and clinical partners to triage ambulatory patients. We try to operate this during peak hours to fast track these cases through the emergency department. This program allows us to see many patients with viral syndromes who do not have significant complications," says Paul Silka, M.D., associate director of the department of emergency medicine.
A WEDDING POSTPONED - BUT NOT ABANDONED - AFTER NEAR FATAL MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENTOn September 27, 2002, two weeks before his wedding, Jimmy Louis, 35, nearly died in a motorcycle accident. While running errands for work, Jimmy was struck by a car in the mid-Wilshire area. Thrown 27 feet into the air, Jimmy shattered his femur and pelvis; and sustained major soft tissue damage. Given the nature of his injuries Jimmy was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center's Level 1 trauma center. In the event of a trauma or other medical emergency, minutes or seconds make the difference between life and death. For Jimmy, his injuries were life-threatening and doctors told his family to hope for the best but to prepare for the worst. "He sustained massive trauma, but thanks to the work of the entire surgical trauma team, we were able to repair his injuries," says Dan Margulies, M.D. and Director of the Trauma Program at CSMC. Jimmy spent one-month in the hospital as part of his recovery, and is currently completing rehabilitation. Jimmy and his fiance, Tose, are looking forward to rescheduling their postponed wedding in the coming year. Los Angeles County trauma centers maintain a higher level of service than other community hospitals for victims.
P. K. SHAH, M.D., NAMED TO EUROPEAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES FOR OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTIONS TO CARDIOLOGY AND FOR ATHEROSCLEROSIS DISCOVERIES Prediman Krishan (P. K.) Shah, M.D., Director of the Division of Cardiology, Director of the Atherosclerosis Research Center, and holder of the Shapell and Webb Family Endowed Chair in Cardiology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, has been elected as a member to the European Academy of Sciences in the section of Biomedical Sciences. According to the Academy, which is located in Brussels, Belgium, Dr. Shah was elected "for outstanding contributions to cardiology and fundamental discoveries in the field of atherosclerosis and genetically engineered human mutant proteins to prevent the build-up of plaque in arteries."
GENE ENGINEERING AND DIABETES: NEW RESEARCH SHOWS GLP-1-BASED GENE TRANSFER CAN PROMOTE GLUCOSE-DEPENDENT PRODUCTION OF INSULINResearchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center have engineered a man-made gene that promotes the production of insulin in response to glucose in vitro. The gene, called GLP-1 functions to "push" existing cells to produce more insulin only when glucose levels indicate a need for it. Further, the research has shown that GLP-1 may also increase the number of insulin-producing cells by regenerating new ones from other cells present in the adult pancreas. Because GLP-1appears capable of making the insulin-producing cells work more efficiently while promoting their regeneration, a GLP-1 based therapy of diabetes may have a very significant impact on the treatment of both type 1, where insulin producing cells are no longer present; and type 2, where the body does not produce enough or properly use insulin.
RESEARCHERS TRACK ELUSIVE BRAIN TUMOR CELLS IN MICE WITH NEURAL STEM CELLS MODIFIED TO DELIVER INTERLEUKIN 12 AND BOOST IMMUNE RESPONSENumerous studies are underway to develop effective methods for treating stroke and degenerative brain diseases using neural stem cells. Now the "cancer-tracking" ability of neural stem cells is being investigated as a potential weapon against malignant brain cancers. In an animal study, researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center's Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute used neural stem cells that were modified to secrete interleukin 12 in the treatment of gliomas, extremely aggressive brain tumors that are highly resistant to therapy. The study is the subject of the cover article of the Oct. 15 issue of the journal Cancer Research
KEITH L. BLACK, M.D., NAMED TO EUROPEAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES AND SELECTED TO RECEIVE MOREHOUSE COLLEGE'S "CANDLE AWARD IN SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY"Keith L. Black, M.D., Director of the Cedars-Sinai Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute, has been elected as a member to the European Academy of Sciences in the section of Biomedical Sciences. He was also recently selected to receive Morehouse College's prestigious "Candle Award in Science & Technology."
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