March 2017 – RRMCH

March 30, 2017

All You Need To Know About Blood Donation In India

It’s been a daunting task for a long time for the blood banks to meet the ever rising demands of blood in India. Figuratively, the need for blood in India arises every 2 seconds and is a mammoth 5 crore units in all. This makes for a requirement of around 40K blood donations every single day. Obviously, forget meeting the requirements, even coming to terms with these figures isn’t easy.

So, apparently, India is in need of donors all the time, 24×7. However, cliche or preachy it may sound, but donating blood is a moral responsibility, each one of us should take up if not regularly atleast occasionally during blood donation camps in your area or blood donation day or week may be!

Here are a few facts about blood donation to clear off any doubts or queries on the same –

BLOOD & TYPES
You can’t make blood, but what you can do is donate. It forms 7% your body weight.

O -ve donors blood cells can be used by patients of all blood groups, but has a low shelf life, hence is in high demand.

AB positive plasma can also be used by patients of all blood types, and has good shelf life.

Due to the short shelf life of blood components, a constant supply has to be provided, thus increasing the use of auto-transfusion methods.

Platelets need to be used up within 5 days, RBC’s in around 40 days, while plasma can be stored for almost a year, under refrigeration.

Due to a drastic shoot up of cancer cases and patients opting for chemotherapy, the need for blood has also gone up. Even accident cases are in dire need of high quantities of blood.

BLOOD DONATION
Blood donation is not only good for others but good for you too because it reduces the risk of heart diseases in men other than glucose and pressure reduction. It also helps patients with iron overload prevent toxic accumulation.

The blood banks, hospitals or social service organizations organize blood donation camps and are involved in associated procedures. From the whole blood donated, red blood cells, plasma, platelets and cryoprecipitate components can be transfused, thus a blood bottle is worth many lives.

Potential blood donors have to undergo physical examination before donating blood. The basic requirements include minimum weight of 50 kg and age of 18 years.

Blood donation is extremely safe and either sterile needles or disposable needles are used for the purpose.

You can donate only 1 unit of red blood cells at a time at an interval of 56 or 112 days and as for platelets only 24 times a year that too only once in 7 days.

If you start donating blood at 18, once every three months by the age of 60 years, you would have saved over 500 lives – being a super hero is sure an extraordinary feat, but you can achieve it buy donating blood regularly, thus saving their lives.

Donate Blood and Save Life – Best Blood Banks in Bangalore

March 24, 2017

KARRADCON 2017 – 33rd Annual State Conference of IRIA

KARRADCON 2017 – 33rd Annual State Conference of IRIA Karnataka State Chapter
Today, with so much advancement in the field of medical science and much more in the offing, a question that arises time and again is whether Medical Science is the ultimate savior of humanity.

Well, Karradcon 2017, the 33rd Annual State Conference of IRIA Karnataka State Chapter, was apparently and effort to throw light in the regard. Inaugurated by the guest of honor Prof. Dr. B M Hegde, Former Vice Chancellor, MAHE, the conference witnessed the auspicious presence of many notable delegates and dignitaries from the field of medical science namely Shri A C Shanmugam, Chairman RRGI, Dr Bhupendra Ahuja, National President, IRIA, Shir C N Seetharam, CEO, RRGI, Dr Amarnath, National secretary General, Dr Umesh Krishnamurthy, Organising Chairman, Karradcon 2017, Dr H V Shetty, Dean RRMH and Dr Umesh Krishnamurthy, Organising Chairman, KARRADCON 2017, to name a few.

The conference not only cleared the fog on potential of medical sciences, it also was a booster dose for the curious minds of medicine, encouraging them towards a systematic approach in the field. The highlights of the event included a book release on the biography of Roentgen, the man behind X-rays, authored by Dr Pravin G.U Prof. and HOD of Radiology at RRMCH and the go green initiative for awareness on living a greener lifestyle.
It was followed by the felicitation ceremony of Prof. Dr H T Narayana, HOD, Siddhartha Medical College for his contribution in taking Karnataka State Chapter of the IRIA to greater heights as well as that of Prof. Dr. H.S Ballal, Prof. Dr. S.R Hegde, Professor and former Head of Department of Radiology at JJMC, Prof. Dr. Saroja, Professor of Radiology and Prof. Dr. H.T Narayan.

The award winning scientists and speakers from the medical fraternity, also threw light on the future of radiology at the scientific sessions on KARRADCON 2017 – Musculoskeletal and small parts, organized across different venues.

Altogether, it was an enlightening and insightful event for all one and all.
Last but not the least the credit for the success of this conference goes to the participating delegates, dignitaries and all the team members of the organizing committee for their enthusiasm and efforts. Read More

click to Download the KARRADCON 2017 – Medical Colleges in Bangalore

March 23, 2017

Pediatric Serum Sickness – Causes, Symptoms, treatment

Apparently, serum sickness is nothing but a delayed response to certain anti-serums or medications that is more common with children, a type of hypersensitivity reaction to certain medications, you may say. Well, Pediatric serum sickness is a rare possibility these days primarily due to the limited use of antitoxins, but it is still seen amongst children taking the antibiotic of penicillin and others like fluoxetine, cephalosporings, to name a few.

Causes and Symptoms
Pediatric Serum Sickness is like any other allergy you get which occurs when the body misinterprets the protein of the serum as something harmful to t he body and activates the immune system to battle it out and commonly occurs in children. Symptoms vary from individual to individual though initial ones include redness and itching around the injected area. These could be followed by joint pain, malaise, swollen lymph nodes, flushing, wheezing, diarrhea and more.

Diagnosis and Treatment
The diagnosis is based on the symptoms primarily and if the doctor suspects it to be a drug reaction, medical tests are not required. In case of doubt lab tests are considered and in rare cases biopsy. The diagnosis is positive if the lab tests show increase in WBC, proteinuria on UA, ESR and CRP while positive results for biopsy include perivascular neutrophils and eosinophils invasion as well as lymphocytic vasculities with decrotic debris.

A medical treatment is needed when such a conditions occurs even though it is said to subside within a week or 10 days, in rare cases it could cause serious nervous system disorders anaphylaxis, a life threatening allergic reaction.

In order to subside the symptoms or reduce them, medications like analgesics, medications to relieve you from the itching caused and corticosteroids like prednisone only in serious cases are prescribed by the consulting doctor.

Home remedies – Do’s and Don’ts
The traditional acupuncture therapy could be tried as it is known to be an effective means of decreasing the body’s sensitivity towards the allergic reactions.

Generally, intake of food rich in vitamin B, iron, anti-oxidants and avoiding meats, cold water fish, refined foods, coffee, to name a few, is a good idea. Drinking around 8 glasses of water and exercising for 30 minutes daily also helps a lot. But, you need to talk to your health consultant before trying out nutrient and supplement intakes.
A massage is a strict no no as a treatment for serum sickness because it not only aggravates the inflammations, but might lower the blood pressure as well.

Well, Pediatric serum sickness is generally considered to be a self limited disease that usually gets cured automatically on stopping the respective drug intake. Having said that, consulting your doctor is still highly recommended for avoiding complications, pain relief and speedy recovery of your child.

Know about best child specialist In Bangalore

* Disclaimer – Sourced from the internet. Verification required

March 16, 2017

Essay on Managing Diabetes – Pumps v/s Injections

Diabetes is one of the most common diseases in India. Apparently, it is growing at alarming rate in India compared to the world and the day is not far when it could be included in the list of epidemics, as it has be predicted that India might as well cross the 100 million mark by 2030. No wonder, India is already listed amongst the top 3 countries worldwide, with highest diabetics.

With a mammoth diabetes count of over 60 million as on day, the preliminary plan is to help diabetes patients deal with it, effectively enough. We all are aware that there are two types of diabetes namely type 1 and type 2.

DIABETES TYPES – OVERVIEW
The most common type is the Type 2 diabetes wherein the body is not able to use insulin or make it while in type 1, the body is not able to make insulin. The insulin hormone works to provide glucose to the body cells. Without insulin the glucose remains in the blood, thus harming the kidneys, eyes, nerves and heart. At times it may cost you your limb as well. So, in order to avoid health issues arising due to diabetes, it is important maintain your blood sugar levels through a healthy lifestyle that includes a balanced diet, minimize sugar intake and exercise regularly. That is for the non diabetics, pre-diabetics and the ones who have already had gestational diabetes.
But, people who are already living with diabetes, particularly the ones who are dependent on insulin intake have two options available for them. One, is taking insulin injections on a daily basis and the other alternative is using insulin pumps. Let us go through the pros and cons offered by both this insulin intake procedures

INSULIN INJECTIONS
As painful as they can get insulin injections are more common with diabetes patients in India for a reason that they come really cheap and also require less training compared to Insulin pumps. Though, there are some negative side effects of the injections as well. Primarily, the idea of taking injections on a daily basis is stress injecting already, inspite of the fact that you get used to it in no time. Secondly, due to the regular use or daily use of needles for injections, some of the body areas lose their ability to absorb it. Conditions called Hypoglcemia also might occur due to the use of different insulin types.

INSULIN PUMPS
Insulin pumps are not quite common in India even though their accuracy is much better than injections. A certain study has also shown an improvement in A1C amongst pump users. It also tends to reduce the sudden blood glucose level changes, low or high, by keeping the blood glucose levels under control and balanced. These pumps make way for a more flexible lifestyle whether its about eating habits or daily workouts. The best part of it all is that you’ve dont have to take those painful injections every single day but only once in three days. Rest of the days you could use the insulin pumps. On the flip side, insulin pumps increase the risk of developing diabetic Ketoacidosis, though it can be prevented through regular blood sugar checks. Training is required before you start its use and it might require you to stay for a day at the hospital. Above all, the two main negatives that pumps come with are that they are tugged to the body all the time, which could turnout to be a source of worry for the patient and that they are quite expensive compared to injections.

Well, the choice ultimately is yours, all depends on your comfort and convenience as both have their own pros and cons.

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March 14, 2017

A Little Brain Resides Inside Your Little Heart

It has been centuries since it is a known fact that the heart and brain inter communicate with each other and that the heart sends far more signals to the brain than otherwise. Well, may be this point was never really explored much earlier as neo-cardiology is a relatively newer field. But, now after substantial research in the field it has been established that our heart does have its own little brain and that is is apparently a sensory organ. It is also proved that it is an encoding and processing center that’s highly sophisticated enough to designate it as a heart brain.

The heart brain

A LITTLE BRAIN RESIDES INSIDE YOUR LITTLE HEART The heart brain or the hearts nervous system is made of ganglia which in turn consists of sensory neurites spread all over the heart and different types of circuit neurons. The findings about the little brain residing within the heart are startling. The nervous system of the heart is a self organized but convoluted system. The demonstration of its ability to reform new neural connections on a short term and long term span in order to reorganize itself is demonstrated clearly. The extrinsic cardiac ganglia in the thoracic cavity is indirectly linked to many organs, arteries and skin through the spinal cord and directly linked to organs like esophagus and lungs. The processing and integration of the information from sensory neurons in the heart and the extrinsic nervous system is carried out by the intrinsic nervous system.

Heart brain & Brain communication
The heart generates powerful rhythmic information patterns for continuous communication with the brain while the brain receives the information sent by the heart via the nodose ganglion and the vagus nerve to the medulla. After reaching the medulla, the signals further commute to the cortical and sub-cortical areas. Studies and research have found that heart communicates with the brain on a continuous basis via different modes be it biochemical, neurological, energetic or biophysical. It also has a vital role to play in synchronization of the body.

Thus, the heart is apparently at the heart of regulation of dynamics of processes due to its high influence on physiological, emotional as well as cognitive systems, all this because of its little own intrinsic brain.

Know More Best Neuro Hospital in India and Vagus Nerve Stimulation

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March 10, 2017

5 Important Health Screenings For Indian Women

A woman of the family is like the backbone of the family, that cornerstone of strength on whom every family member in one way or the other is dependent personally and emotionally. She is the one who ensures that all the needs of each member are met, be it food, finance or fitness. As a care giver, she becomes the umbrella for family, shielding them through the tough times and the sun that shines and provides warmth otherwise. While doing so, many a times she tends to turn a blind eye towards her own health issues.

Apparently, she needs to take more care of her health as the link that holds the family into one because if something happens to her, the family is in a mess. So, it is advisable that every women like she takes care of her family, takes care of her own self. Here is a run down certain important tests to be undertaken as preventive measures to avoid the risk of life threatening conditions that are common in Indian women.

BREAST CANCER – As per studies, breast cancer tops the list of most common cancers in women in India. India sadly also has the highest number of women losing their lives due to this dreaded disease, mostly due to late diagnosis. They also reveal that the reasons include ignorance in the first place and lack of awareness about screening as well. The age group that seems to be affected the most is 35-60 years. Hence is advisable to go for regular screenings atleast post 40 years of age. The screenings include self examination as well as medical examination thru mammogram which need to be taken after consultation only. Cancer related test becomes necessary if there is a genetic history of the disease.

CERVICAL CANCER – Cervical cancer is the second most dreaded condition that Indian women suffer from. For the younger lot, vaccines are available already. Though nonavalent vaccine that offers 90% protection against cervical cancer has not yet come to India, but bivalent and quadravalent vaccines offering around 70% protection are available in India and can be given to young girls of 9-13 age-group. For elders, preventive checkup called PAP test is advisable every 3 to 5 years so that you can catch hold of the cancer in its infancy stage itself. Read more

COLON CANCER – Not a common cancer to hear off, the fact apparently is that it is one of the most dreaded cancers in women in India after breast, cervical and lung cancer. But, the good news is that if detected at its early stage it is 90% curable. The age group that is affected by this condition is mainly 50-85 years. Hence, it is advisable to start taking colonoscopy after age 50, every 10 years. It there is a genetic family history, then it is better to go for it 10 years before the age at which the member was diagnosed with it and repeat it every 5 years. The test that confirms the presence of cancer is known as the gold-standard diagnostic test to check for polps and other growth.

UTERINE CANCER – This is also a common form of cancer in Indian women. This cancer mostly occurs after menopause and obese women with irregular menstrual cycles are more at the risk of this cancer besides the genetic risk. Preventive tests include pelvic examination, CT scans, MRI or Transvaginal ultrasound.

HEART DISEASE – Heart disease is one of the most common conditions women in India suffer from. A study has revealed that 3 in 5 women here at a high risk of developing heart disease at early young age of 35. The reasons primarily include high blood pressure, sedentary lifestyle, stressed work life, diet issues, diabetes and smoking. Both housewives and working woman in the age group of 35-45 are known to be at the risk of this disease. Therefore it is advisable to check heart health atleast on a yearly basis post the age of 30-35 years, besides following a healthy lifestyle by staying away from addictions, walking, exercising and sports, diabetes and obesity control. Many hospitals in India are nowadays providing cardiac packages age-wise. So, you may go for an age appropriate cardiac test that includes tests like Blood Pressure, cholestrol, sugar and more to check for associated risks.

Well as a women, don’t neglect health issues and go for a health checkups as mentioned depending upon your age and take your step towards healthy life.

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March 9, 2017

Cervical Cancer Spreading At Alarming Rates In India

Cervical cancer cases in India are increasing at an alarming rate, so much so this monster is known to take 200 lives of women in India, on a daily basis. Over 60,000 deaths have been accounted during the year 2015 itself. It is thus, one of the most common cancers in women in India alongside breast cancer.

FACTS ABOUT CERVICAL CANCER
Human Papolloma virus or HPV causes Cervical cancer. It usually effects women in the age group of 40-65, but 55-65 is the age group with highest associated risks. The virus is easily transmitted through skin to skin contact and not just sexually, which is a myth many of us believe in. In 90% of the cases, the immune system takes care of clearing the virus. The remaining 10% whose bodies are not able to create the antibodies needed to kill these invaders get affected by Cervical cancer. Also, no test is still available for knowing whether your body has the ability to create the antibodies required to defeat the cervical cancer virus or not. The rural areas bear the brunt more so due to failure in doing checkups and ignorance.

Well, it has been also found that women don’t really seem to be willing to take the vaccine available for cervical cancer. In India, its majorly because most of them don’t know about it or because of the cost factor. Well, the side effects also are a major concern for people with numerous myths surrounding the condition doing rounds, already. One such myth is infertility. Though, against the myth about the side effects of cervical cancer, lies the fact sheet of over 200 vaccinated cases that proves no serious long term side effects of the vaccine. Another fact being that over 65 countries have included this vaccine as a part of their health program already. The awareness levels are also less, even though there has been a lot of effort in the area for the past three decades.

TREATMENT & PREVENTION
As mentioned vaccines for cervical cancer are already available and as per experts one of this vaccines is 99% effective in prevention in young women. It’s the nonavalent, but it has yet to see the light of day in India. But, the bivalent and quadravalent vaccines are readily available and provide around 70% protection against the earlier mentioned nonavalent which offers 90%. The world health organization has recommended the vaccine for age groups of 9-13 years old girls due to its immunogenic ability at this age.

In a nutshell, cervical cancer is a deadly condition in women and India needs to have an action plan against it. Each one of us is responsible for our family and kids. So, go ahead and shield your girls against this deadly disease by vaccinating them early on. The HPV virus has the ability to stay in the body of a woman for a decade before it turns cancerous therefore it is advisable to do a pap smear test on a regular basis for detection of any symptoms, early on. For women not eligible for vaccination it is advisable to take up the Pap smear test after a certain age on a recommended basis.

RRMCH conducted Cervical Cancer awareness programs

March 8, 2017

Career in Physiotherapy in India – Promising or not?

With pollution clogging up the air and chemicals degrading the quality of vegetables and greens, increased stress levels due to constant workloads, early age strokes, accidents while commuting, lifestyle diseases like obesity and more are taking a toll on people. Rehabilitation is slowly and steadily gaining importance in the healthcare sector. These days most of the multi-specialty hospitals have a rehabilitation centre with qualified Physiotherapists for treatment and therapy.

Experts are already forecasting the immense possibilities for expansion and growth of Physiotherapy. The career is definitely a promising one, considering the fact that even people have realized the potential of physiotherapy in significantly improving quality of life by working on body mobilization.

But, before you decide to take your plunge into this field which for sure offers total work satisfaction and is miles away from being monotonous in nature, you need to sit down and think about flip-side of the coin. You need to be aware that this career involves working with people of all ages and mental as well as physical disabilities or challenges. From kids to elderly, mentally challenged to accident victims, general populace to criminals, anyone for that matter could be your patient. Dealing with all kinds of people also means dealing with their tempers. So, primarily you need to have loads of patience and ability to keep calm during stressed times. It is a bit of physical work also because you need to demonstrate the exercises or body moves to the patients. This could be physically draining at times as well. So, take your decision about pursuing the career only after contemplating on these facts.

After giving it a thought, if you still feel passionate about pursuing the career, go ahead. Depending upon your interest you may either go for a Bachelors in Physiotherapy, Masters in Physiotherapy or you many are interested in doing research of taking up teaching as a profession. A doctorate is always advisable. In the US and UK, there is a high demand for Physiotherapists compared to India where the sun seems to be shining on this profession though its only into its initial growth phase. So, taking up a doctorate or a specialization in the field in an overseas university definitely would open doors to umpteen opportunities overseas for this profession. Even the payscale oversees is significantly high compared to India.

In India as a physiotherapist you may get to work in private hospitals, rehabilitation centres, defence establishments, sports and fitness centres, as private consultant to corporates, private practice at your own clinic or with the government hospitals, old age home, mental healthcare centres and more. The work timings are generally good and flexible to an extent. The good part is this profession does not require working during odd hours of the night, etc. So, you get ample time to spend with your family.

Well, Physiotherapy is a challenging field but it is interesting and self satisfying as well. If it interests you a lot and you want to work for serving people and augmenting their health and fitness levels, then this profession is the right choice for you.

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March 7, 2017

Vagus Nerve Stimulation Technology For Limb Rehabilitation Post Stroke – The Possibilities

Vagus Nerve Stimulation or VNS has already got a green signal from the Food and Drug Administration of USA for conditions like epilepsy and depression but the latest reports confirm its utilization in rehabilitation of the limb for stroke patients. Many of us are aware of the fact that over 80% of people who’ve recently got a stroke find significant difficulty or weakness on one side of their body. With Paralysis or Hemiparesis, there is high possibility that the patients have to live with it for the rest of their lives. It has also be observed that oral drugs have not been so effective in reducing the impairments. This is when VNS technology experiments were carried out on patients with significant arm weakness post stroke.

The test include 20 patients randomly divided into two groups and observed over a period of six weeks in Glasgow, Scotland. One group was kept entirely under rehabilitation while the other was provided VNS treatment alongside rehabilitation.

VNS treatment for stroke patient involves implanting a device surgically below the collar bone of the patient. It does the task of delivering stimulation to the vagus nerve.As per the experimental data available, VNS activates structures in the brain stem, thus causing a release of neurotransmitters like norepinephrine or acetylcholine. This temporary activation of the neurotransmitters in turn helps the brain to be more receptive with the physical therapy exercises during physiotherapy rehabilitation sessions.

The results where encouraging because the latter group that was provided the VNS treatment seemed to show an average 9% improvement. Individual variation did persist but overall it proved to be effective as it improved the motion and strength of their stroke affected limb. Thus, the results of VNS for limb rehabilitation of stroke patients seems to be quite promising and has also received a positive response from the doctors as well. It looks like, the coming times will definitely shed light on its full fledged utilization in limb rehabilitation of stroke patients.
None the less, it is a ray of hope in the direction of improvement of quality of life of the stroke patients who live through the fear of arm weakness and dependency for their lifetime.

Contact to best neurologist in Bangalore India

Source : http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/876351#vp_1

March 3, 2017

Health Checkups in India – The Good, The Bad and Beyond

RRMCH - Master health check ups — photo courtesy: Indus Health Plus

We the people of India have undergone a significant change, particularly speaking about the way we deal with personal healthcare. The changing times have brought about a transformation that is apparently a necessity to stay informed about self health. Well the proverb, Prevention is better than cure, holds true and the good news is – today, people are taking preventive steps in order to stay in the pink of their health, It includes preventive measures like regular or routine health checkups as well, though it usually around 35-40 years of age that they start doing checkups. Contemplating this news, how good it really is, depends upon a few points, actually. As we come across different multi-specialty hospitals offering health packages of different types and costs, we also come across the variety of tests that need to be carried out. While some of the tests are mandatory or rather relevant, we might not be aware that some of them may cause bodily harm due to radiations. Therefore the statement.

The responsibility here lies on the hospitals and healthcare setups that offer such tests or packages. Scan through the health packages and you will find tests including X-rays, mammograms, CT Scans and more. The fact is that the tests need to be more targeted based on age, gender and need. International guidelines need to be followed but the truth of the matter is that Hospitals and healthcare centres are already showing a blind eye to the these guidelines. Here is India, there are a lot of fallacies about helathcare checkups. One of them being, the more the number of tests under a healthcare checkup list, the more is the reliability of the hospital and better the service. Beyond managing the health of the people, the hospitals also seem to have turned the so called community service affair into a full fledged business.

Internationally though, the norms, regulations and guidelines are highly stringent. The type of tests to be included in health checkup plans, the people to be targeted based on gender, agegroup and more, the repetition of the tests, etc. needs to be in accordance to the guidelines put in place. As mentioned before one of the common example of the same would be inclusion of X-rays and CT Scans under routine tests in India. On the flip side, internationally asymptomatic tests like X-rays or CT scans are not advisable at all due to the radiation harms they present to the people.

Even tests like mammography and pap smear are listed under healthcheckup plans for women in India. Apparently, visit the webpages of the best hospitals in India and to your surprise of shock, you would see these tests listed under their health checkup packages already. Even children are not spared. Routine X-rays on the name of wellness checks have become a common sight at pediatric clinics and hospitals. This is not just bad news, but sad news and is definitely putting to risk the lives of common people.

Master health checkups or any other checkups need to be devised for the benefit of the people and not for business sake. Undeniably, looking after your health and taking preventive measures through checkups is always a good idea, but to be informed about the procedures and the tests that are actually required is undoubtedly need of the hour. We always have trusted the doctors and hospitals on issues related to health, but times have changed and its high time to be well educated and informed about individual health checkups.

So, go for routine health checkups but at the same time check everything you need to know about health checkups before you do. Stay informed. Stay healthy

Rajarajeswari Hospital in Bangalore provides master health checkups with affordable prices