The need for heart transplants is on the rise. Yet, a shocking number of usable hearts go to waste in North America. More than two-thirds of viable hearts are discarded. This is a huge problem. It's not just about the numbers. It's about the lives that could be saved. The situation calls for a fresh look at how donor hearts are accepted and used. A group of experts ...
The idea of a social contract is not new. It is a concept that has been around for centuries. It is the idea that people agree to certain behaviors for the good of the whole community. This concept can be applied to many aspects of society. One area that could greatly benefit from this idea is healthcare. The current healthcare system is not working for everyone. It ...
Liver issues are serious business. They often show up without clear warnings. One type, steatotic liver disease, is quite widespread. Doctors have been using ultrasound scans to identify it. However, a new approach is gaining attention. It's called ultrasound attenuation coefficient measurement. This method uses sound waves to gauge the amount of fat in the liver. It...
Healthcare workers use medical tools every day. These tools can spread infections if not cleaned correctly. This is a big problem that needs fixing. Let's look at how one area in Murcia, Spain, improved their cleaning processes. The main aim was to improve the cleaning of medical devices in primary care centers. The plan was to use a method called an improvement cyc...
In the United States, a significant health issue is high blood pressure. It affects a staggering 119. 9 million adults. Of these, about 92. 9 million people have blood pressure readings of 130/80 mmHg or higher. These numbers are alarming and highlight the need for effective strategies to manage this condition. The Million Hearts initiative is a joint effort by the ...
Severe aortic stenosis is a serious heart condition where the aortic valve narrows, making it hard for the heart to pump blood. This can lead to major health issues if not treated properly. Traditionally, doctors have relied on their expertise to decide the best course of treatment. However, a shift is happening. More and more, healthcare providers are realizing the ...
Doctors performing laser treatments are always on the lookout for ways to make procedures safer and more effective. Six Sigma's DMAIC method offers a structured approach to achieve this. Imagine a doctor aiming to enhance laser resurfacing and tattoo removal. They start by defining clear objectives and assembling a team. The real magic happens when they measure and a...
Tuberculosis (TB), causing countless cases and deaths yearly, needs better diagnostic tools. Traditional measures have limitations, so we turned to aptamers. These super-specific single-stranded DNA or RNA molecules can detect TB biomarkers with precision. We did a deep dive into research to see how they're used in TB diagnosis, checking both their successes and chal...