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1. Author : Scheer Med
Top Medical News and Services
Importance of MRI Scans
It is really important for any person to maintain good health. This means exercising
correctly, eating healthy food and taking enough sleep every night. But at times doing all
these things is really not enough that is why an individual should visit doctor once in a
year at least.
A preventative scan like MRI Scan is being used so as to know what the medical
condition of any person is. MRI stands for magnetic Resonance Imaging which is the
best to see the body for numbers of irregularities with no use of dyes or potentially
harmful radiation which traditional x rays have.
An MRI can make the use of computer
technology and radio waves in order to scan
the body and creates pictures. These pictures
are very detailed and help the technician and
doctor to determine if there are any
irregularities exists. In terms of technology
MRI Scan is progressing like anything
however it’s important to know that for some
kind of people this scan can be really harmful.
For instance people with pacemakers must
avoid this type of scan as magnetic field
which scan creates can origin pacemaker to
malfunction. Moreover this scan should also
be avoided by the people who have different
types of implants particularly which contain
metal, exactly for the same rationale.
Therefore in order to prepare effectively for this process, the patient needs to reach the
facility wearing which is fully metal free. This is also true in case if a person is wearing
any accessory having metal in it like hearing aids or may be glasses. These things
should be removed before going for the MRI Scan. The interesting part is that no person
should have credit card during the scan procedure as there are chances that magnetic
field might corrupt it.
The scan takes 15 to 45 minutes to get complete. The design of the scanning machine
have now become more advance so as to eliminate the biggest problem. The thing
patient is normally unaware is that they can have accompany any person for the scan;
they can be helpful in case they need any support.
Well that person will also go through the same magnetic field process just like the patient
so it is very important that person should also avoid anything which is related to metal.
They should also not wear anything which can get in contact with magnetic field and
harm them in the end.

2. Amniocentesis – The Baby’s Test
No, the baby’s test does not mean its very easy, rather, it is the baby’s test which is
inside the womb of the mother.
Amniocentesis test is the prenatal test that can determine the baby’s health from the
fluid it floats in, in the womb, in simple laymen terms. This test is better known as an
“amnio”.
This test is done in the 15th to 20th week of a woman’s pregnancy, usually to check the
baby of certain infections, disorders or genetic problems or chromosomal abnormality.
There is always an option between Amnio and other medical service CVS. The
amniocentesis test poses certain threats like increased risk of genetic and chromosomal
problems and miscarriage or leaking of amniotic fluid or vaginal bleeding.
Amniocentesis may also be done
to diagnose uterine infection, to
check on the good health of the
baby if there is a complex situation
like blood sensitization, such as
Rh sensitization, or to assess the
maturity of baby's lungs when
considering an early delivery for
medical reasons.
The simple process consists of firstly
finding the exact location of the baby
using an ultrasound, and then the
anesthesia is injected. The doctor then
inserts a long, thin needle through the
abdomen and into the womb (uterus).
A small amount of fluid is taken from
the fluid-filled sac that surrounds the baby.
Amniocentesis can detect various Neural tube defects such as spina bifida and
anencephaly, which is done by measuring the level of a substance called alpha-
fetoprotein (AFP) in the sac fluid of the uterus, nearly all chromosomal disorders,
including Down syndrome, trisomy 13, trisomy 18, and sex chromosome abnormalities
(such as Turner syndrome and Klinefelter syndrome). Amniocentesis is almost perfect in
diagnosing these conditions. Also several hundred genetic disorders may be detected,
such as cystic fibrosis, sickle cell disease, and Tay-Sachs disease.
However, this test cannot detect other structural birth defects — such as heart
malformations or palate or a cleft lip, but that may be picked up with ultrasound. Not only
amniocentesis, but DNA test is also available for many of the diseases that may be
detected.

3. With this advanced technology, it has become very much possible to treat the baby off
its all disorders before it comes out into this world. Amniocentesis helps provide a
healthy life to a newborn!
Complications in Pregnancy
Amniocentesis is the word which is alone very daunting for any pregnant lady as the test
itself. If multiple marker screening tells that your baby have some risks related to the
chromosomal abnormalities then the doctor will give you option of doing amniocentesis.
Then you can do things from here?
When you will get to know that there are some complications with your pregnancy then it
can be really scary. But abnormal screening only tells that levels of unconjugated
estriol (uE3), Human chrionic Gonadotropin (HCG) and Alphafetoprotein (AFP) in
blood are not is what considered to be normal range for such stage in pregnancy. There
are lots of women who get abnormal results from multiple makers screening and from
amniocentesis, will result in healthy pregnancies.
The levels of HCG, uE3 and AFP in your blood through out your pregnancy also
indicates a increased risk for chromosomal disorder down syndrome as well as Trisomy
18 in fact for neural tube defect like spinal bifida. Discuss multiple marker screening
actually results with your gyane and complete make you aware of the disorders that why
your baby is at a risk. Well genetic counseling is also a valuable resource.
If you have enough knowledge about each and every disorder then you can better judge
your feelings on pregnancy and decide how you need to proceed. In case abnormal
results would actually not be worth risk incurred by invasive test such as amniocentesis.
If test results would importantly impact your decision so as to continue with the
pregnancy, then test like amniocentesis may ease your mind or give more conclusive
information along with which you will have to make the decision.
Once you decide for further testing then you need to discuss this thing with your doctor
that which test is going to benefit you. Well amniocentesis is actually the most common
one but few other tests like chorionic villus sampling can also be put in use.
Through the process of Amniocentesis a fluid is extracted directly from amniotic sac
between 15th and 20th pregnancy week. It laos allows lab to the test fetal cells straight for
the chromosomal abnormalities. As the test needle actually punctures amniotic sac,
there is risk of miscarriage, amniotic fluid leakage and infection also. However this risk is
considered minimal.
Just like amniocentesis there is chorionic Villus Sampling, however this tests is actually
a perfect sample of placental tissue.

4. Electrocardiogram – Electrical Heart Graph
The most commonly heard word when talking about heart diseases is the
‘electrocardiogram’ and more commonly, it is known as ECG or EKG. The phobia of this
long medical jargon can be prevented by calling it an electrical heart graph. Medically, it
is the non-invasive procedure to record the electrical activity of the heart.
The term electrocardiogram was coined by Willem Einthoven in 1893 at the Dutch
Medical Society meeting. In 1924, Einthoven received the Nobel Prize for his life's work
in developing the ECG.
The ECG test is test is very common because it helps to screen many cardiac
abnormalities and the machines are mostly available in all medical facilities and the test
is very simple to perform, inexpensive and risk-free. An EKG is generally performed as
part of routine physical exam, part of a cardiac exercise stress test, or part of the
evaluation of symptoms of palpitations, fainting, shortness of breath, dizziness, fainting,
or chest pain.
The procedure of ECG tracing is that electrodes are attached to arms, legs and chest
and they detect the electrical impulses generated by heart and transmit them to the ECG
machine. The ECG machine produces a graph (the ECG tracing) of those cardiac
electrical impulses, which helps to check the abnormalities.
All those squiggly lines on the machine or the paper readings are actually the heart
beats which doctors read and find out the abnormalities. The ECG tracing can determine
the heart rhythm, rate, conduction abnormalities if any, whether there has been a prior
heart attack or a coronary artery disease or has the heart muscle abnormally thickened.
An evolving heart attack can also be predicted. Adverse effects on heart from lung
conditions or inflammation of heart or its lining may also be known.
But ECG also has certain limitations like it reveals the rate and rhythm of heart only
during that given time. The ECG can often be normal or nearly normal in patients with
undiagnosed coronary artery disease or other forms of heart disease and many
"abnormalities" that appear on the ECG turn out to have no medical significance after a
thorough evaluation is done.
The ECG has evolved over the years with new advancements in technology. The
standard 12-lead ECG is the one introduced in 1942 and used throughout the world. It is

5. called 12-lead because it checks the electrical activity of the heart from 12 different
contexts. Technology, truly and literally, has reached our hearts today!
Knee Arthroscopy Surgery
If you are undergoing knee arthroscopy then it involves use of miniature camera,
together with many other surgical instruments in order to see as well as asses knee
joints tissue. Knee arthroscopy is also known as synovectomy, patellar
debridement, arthrospic laternal retinacular releases and knee scope.
A miniature camera is less than fourth of inch in diameter, when inserted in to incision
within the knee. Well it is attached to the monitor and allows the surgeon to see the knee
tissue. In most of the cases patient can also choose to observe surgery from the
monitor. It’s a simple surgical process needing only regional or local anaesthesia in
order to numb operation site. During the surgery patient remains responsive and lucid.
But extensive surgery may require general anaesthesia, making the patient to take sleep
without any pain.
To expand the size of the joint and stop excessive bleeding then saline solution is
actually pumped with lot pressure following the camera insertion. Well tourniquet will
also be needed or applied to avoid bleeding.
After prying knee to considering the
damage, surgeon will make up nearly four
additional cuts in order to insert few other
instruments such as:
1. A shaver- which is meant for removing or
smoothening the uneven and damaged soft
tissues.
2. A heat probe: this is used to eradicate
the synovitis from the joints
3. A blunt hook: for pulling the cartilage as
well as knee tissue
4. A burr: this is used to remove the jagged
or uneven particles of the bone
After the completion of the Knee Arthroscopy, saline solution is actually drained from
patient’s knee, incisions are stitched closely and dressing or bandage is applied.
Maximum number of surgeons documents this process from the pictures shown by the
video monitor so that the patient can also see the number of steps involved in this
surgery.
There are number reasons for this kind of surgery. Arthroscopy is normally undertaken
for knee disorder that includes:
1. Mild form of arthritis
2. removal or repair of the torn meniscus
3. removal of the loose fragments of cartilage or bone floating under the knee joint
4. repairing torn or broken posterior cruciate or anterior cruciate ligament
5. alignment of skewed Patella

6. 6. damage or inflammation of synovium (joint lining)
You can do some internet research to know more about this kind of surgery. You will get
all the information related to this surgery on various websites.
Pap Smear Test – Cervical Smear Test
The Pap smear test is a crucial way to detect sexually transmitted diseases like
gonorrhea, Human papilloma virus, Chlamydi and the cervical cancer that is on an
expansion spree since last few decades. Due to the mounting risk of getting affected by
any one of such diseases it is important to get oneself checked annually. It helps in
detection of any abnormal cells that may lead to cancer or any other disease. As per The
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Cancer Society,
the Pap test and especially the cervical smear test are important for women who have
reached 21 years of age.
The critical reason for cervical cancer is HPV and some of the precise strains. The
introduction of Pap smear test and its growing popularity in United States has led to the
decline in cervical cancer cases throughout the country. However, this technique is not
so popular in other countries which increase the probability of people getting affected by
this disease. The Pap Smear Test or the Cervical Smear Test provides substantial
safety against risky HPV strains. In fact, there are insurance programs coming up that
cover this disease.
Due to various social stigmas attached to it, many patients try to ignore this test. Though
the mind set of people have changed a lot and there is an increasing awareness about
the necessity of this test all over the world, especially United States. The patients can
also go through nervousness during this test, which may affect the test procedure.
Therefore, it is important to keep the patients calm. If patient is tensed it can tighten up
the pelvic muscles making test even more complicated. Your doctor may help out of this
condition if you are afraid of the test. Breathe deeply when you get tensed as it may help
you come out of this situation.
The irregular vaginal bleeding is one of the most common symptoms of cervical cancer.
You may have bleeding:
- During or after sex
- Between periods
- Vaginal discharge with an unpleasant smell
- At any time if you are post-menopausal
- Discomfort or pain during sex itself

7. There are two types pep smear tests - 'ThinPrep Pap Test' and the "glass side". Get
yourself checked every year. This should be noted as the danger of having sexual
intercourse. In short, when you are in a sexual relationship get yourself checked.
Digital Mammography - Get Yourself Checked For Breast Cancer
Breast cancer is not something that can be taken or dealt lightly. Women in their 40’s or
higher age have the greater possibility of contracting this disease. Therefore, it is
recommended that women get themselves screened every year or so to check its
possibility. Especially, people who have breast cancer in their family history should never
hesitate to set up an appointment with a mammography viewer.
The digital mammography is the latest techniques that are being widely used across
the country. Now, one would like to know how digital mammography works. This new
technology works by taking an x-ray image and saves it electronically through the use of
RIS PACS on a computer. Digital mammography stores images on a simple PACS
viewer or PACS web viewer, allows altering of an image and transmission much more
proficiently. One most significant advantage of digital mammography is that it doesn't
use nearly as much radiation as traditional film mammography.
This type of mammography is
beneficial for not only women above
40 but for women of all age groups.
Especially, a woman with dense
breast tissue can benefit the most
from it. The working of digital
mammography is similar to that of
traditional one. Here too the
positioning and compression of the
breast are same in both the
methods. It feels fundamentally the
same as getting a traditional film
mammogram.
There are two pictures taken of each
breast in this type of mammography
workstation. First, the patient is faced
toward the platform and the RIS PACS
image is shot down at the breast. The
second image is a side view and then is
repetitive on the other breast. Some of the techniques include magnification
mammography which permits an image to be zoomed in to a definite area of interest and
then transferred to a PACS viewer to be analyzed later on. Most of the doctors
recommend having self examinations in every few months and a yearly breast examine
by a practitioner. Also, one can have a good idea about the process through online
healthcare services.
There are certain recommendations before scheduling for a mammogram.

8. 1. Schedule for the mammogram after a week of your monthly period. This is the time
when the breast tissues are least tender.
2. Before going through mammography, women should cut down on their caffeine
consumption and should start having vitamin E for few weeks.
3. If you are pregnant or are breastfeeding, inform the mammography workstation
technician. Implants generate problems on the PACS web viewer by making it more
complicated to see all the essential breast tissue.