- Senior CareGeneral Page Tier 3BlogNo one wants to think about getting sick or hurt on vacation. But if this does happen, being prepared can make the experience much better—and safer. Here’s a safety checklist for your pre-trip planning. If you’re older or have chronic health issues, see your doctor four to six weeks before your trip to make sure it’s safe for you to travel. Tell your doctor where you’re traveling, for how long and what activities you might do. Check to make sure your vaccinations are current, including a flu shot. Make a list of your current medications and allergies and take the list with you on your trip. Include the names and phone numbers of your doctors and your pharmacy. If you have a history of heart disease, ask your cardiologist to give you a wallet-sized version of your latest electrocardiogram (EKG). This will give emergency department (ED) doctors something to compare if you have heart troubles while away. It’s also a good idea to bring over-the-counter medicines: Ibuprofen, acetaminophen, Benadryl and a thermometer should be part of your travel health kit. Remember to bring a note on your doctor’s letterhead if you are taking controlled substances or injectable medications. For older travelers with health conditions, be careful about your amount of activity —going to graduations, weddings, reunions and other parties on top of sightseeing can be stressful and make health issues worse. Try to build in rest time so you stay safe and healthy. What to expect in the ED If you do end up in the ED, a nurse will assess your symptoms, measure your vital signs (blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, temperature and oxygen level), and gauge any pain you may be having. This process helps define how severe your condition is, so that the most urgent patients are seen first. The ED has an expert team led by emergency physicians to assess and treat problems. Other team members may include registered nurses, physician assistants, registered nurse practitioners, ED technicians, respiratory therapists, care managers and social workers. Most EDs, like ours, have specialists such as orthopedists, cardiologists and surgeons on call 24/7. We can call them in to provide care when needed. After your care team reviews all necessary treatments and procedures, your provider will determine whether you can leave the hospital, or if it’s necessary to stay. If you require follow up while you’re still in town, a doctor will refer you to a local primary care provider or specialist. In some instances you may need to return to the ED for a final checkup. While you may not be able to prevent an illness or injury while traveling, planning ahead can make it easier to deal with. Author Mike Remoll, MD, is the medical director of the Emergency Department at Anne Arundel Medical Center. Originally published June 29, 2016. Last updated May 21, 2019.0
- OrthopedicsGeneral Page Tier 3BlogAs the weather warms up, you may be packing up the little ones and heading to the playground more often for some outdoor fun. But it’s important to keep safety top of mind as your kids play. From 2002 through 2015, there were more than 350,000 playground slide injuries involving children younger than six years old, according to a 2017 University of Iowa study. The study looked at a national database of injuries treated in U.S. emergency rooms. You might think it’s safer to go down the slide with your child, but it actually puts them at risk for a leg fracture. “Unfortunately, we see too many of these fractures every year. We don’t see this happening in children who go down the playground slide alone,” says Dr. Edward Holt, an orthopedic surgeon with AAMC Orthopedics. More than a third of the children in the University of Iowa study broke a bone. Those breaks usually involved the child’s lower leg. Typically, these injuries occur in children between the ages of 8 months to two years, Dr. Holt says. “The weight of the parent behind the child twists the child’s leg if his toe touches the sliding board,” Dr. Holt explains. If you don’t want to let your toddler go down the slide alone, then make sure the child’s feet don’t touch the slide, Holt says. “In this case, it’s best to remove the child’s rubber-souled shoes before going down the slide,” he says. Beyond the playground Some backyard toys can be every bit as dangerous as those on your neighborhood playground. Trampolines, for example, cause thousands of injuries every year in the U.S. and the American Academy of Pediatrics even warns parents not to buy them. Dr. Holt says the most common injuries he sees are sprained ankles, wrist and leg fractures, arm and elbow injuries, and head and neck injuries, which tend to be the most serious. “Before you buy a trampoline, set up rules for the use of it. Then go over those rules with your kids and get their buy-in. You should also look at your homeowners’ insurance and liability policy to make sure that backyard trampolines aren’t excluded from your policy,” he says. Children under the age of six should not play on an adult-sized trampoline, Dr. Holt adds, though there are child-sized trampolines available for younger kids. If you do buy a trampoline, Dr. Holt says place a net around the trampoline so children can’t fall off. And make sure the trampoline has a ladder to prevent children from trying to jump off of it. You should also place the trampoline on a level surface with padding on the springs and frame. Dr. Holt also urges parents to avoid having the trampoline next to a tree or second-story deck. He says children could run into those things or worse, be tempted to jump off of them onto the trampoline. Author Edward Holt, MD is an orthopedic surgeon with AAMC Orthopedics who specializes in foot and ankle problems. Originally published May 24, 2018. Last updated April 26, 2019.0
- Behavioral HealthGeneral Page Tier 3BlogMany of us have had a Snickers bar or two and could probably eat the candy bar every day. But, we know it’s not nourishing. A candy bar is not a hearty meal with vegetables, protein and fruits. Instead, it’s a quick sugar fix that wears off. Then, we want more and more of it. If we only ate candy bars – as tasty as they are – our health would deteriorate. Digital devices are very similar. The constant connection to others, and even the sound of a ringtone, give us instant gratification. But that gratification quickly wears off – just like a sugar fix – only to leave us wanting more. As a result, our health is impacted in more than just one way. We are spending more time than ever before watching videos, browsing social media and swiping screens on tablets and smartphones. Research shows the average American adult spends more than 11 hours per day interacting with media on digital devices. We are developing a digital addiction. Technology can have a negative impact on our mental and physical health. When we are constantly connected, it can cause psychological issues, such as distraction, expectation of instant gratification and even depression. Physically, it can cause vision problems, hearing loss and even neck strain. Here are a few steps you can take for a digital detox to recharge your mind and improve your quality of life: Plan quality time with others. Before sitting down at the dinner table, put your phone away and ask others to do the same. This will make room for conversation and, if practiced frequently, it can improve your relationships and quality of life. Change your ringtones. If you have to keep your phone around due to your work or profession once you get home, change the tone of your notifications to distinguish work-related calls over calls that can wait until later. Delete unnecessary apps. You’re likely hoarding apps. You need your phone for calls, texts and emails. Do you really need all those other apps? Be selective. Keep one or two that you absolutely need. Schedule some offline time. Make sure to put your phone down to relax for a couple of hours, especially before bedtime. Multiple studies have shown that blue light from screens suppresses melatonin, a hormone responsible for controlling your sleep-wake cycle. Set your phone on sleep mode and disable any buzzing, as that could also lead to distracting emotions and thoughts. It can even cause anxiety that can interrupt your sleep. Set the example. Don’t forget, if you’re a parent or have young children around, they’re paying attention to your every move. If you put your phone down, this will teach them to do the same. If you treat your phone as a luxury item instead of a necessity, you’ll soon realize that it’s meant to be enjoyed sometimes but not lived by. And just like you wouldn’t eat a candy bar every day, you should consider putting your digital devices away more often. This will help you build meaningful relationships and take care of your physical and mental health. Plus, it’s good to detoxify once in a while! Visit Luminis.Health/BehavioralHealth to learn more about Luminis Behavioral Health Care or to schedule an appointment.0
- Men's Health, Women's Health, Heart CareGeneral Page Tier 3BlogA heart attack sounds scary, and with good reason. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. But life after a heart attack doesn’t have to be fraught with fear. Chuck Raines, who survived a heart attack in August thanks to the cardiac catheterization team at Anne Arundel Medical Center, is discovering that life goes on. Life-Saving Intervention In August 2015, Chuck, a 53-year-old experienced marathoner, felt some chest pain after a routine run. The next morning, the pain returned with sweating and nausea. His wife Trang called 911. An ambulance rushed Chuck from his home in Owings to AAMC, where the cardiac catheterization team was ready. The team was ready because Chuck’s electrocardiogram (EKG) results arrived wirelessly from the ambulance directly to the emergency room. Interventional cardiologist Elizabeth Reineck, MD, placed a catheter through Chuck’s wrist to the blocked artery in his heart and inserted a stent, opening the artery and ending Chuck’s heart attack. “They saved my life, so I was pretty excited,” says Chuck, who returned home after a week in the critical care unit. But at the same time, the shock of what had happened led to a sense of depression. “I thought, ‘I’m never going to be able to do the things I like again,’” he says. A Common Feeling “A lot of people can develop depression after a heart attack,” says Baran Kilical, MD, Chuck’s cardiologist. In fact, studies show that up to 33 percent of heart attack patients develop some degree of depression. “Patients typically were doing something when the heart attack happened, so now they’re afraid that their heart is delicate and they’re afraid to do common activities,” says Dr. Kilical. “I tell them, ‘You’re going to go back to your usual life, as long as you take the right steps.’” Those steps include faithfully taking prescribed medications, eating a healthy diet and exercising. All these steps can be aided by cardiac rehabilitation. Cardiac rehab provides a safe, monitored environment to begin increasing physical fitness. AAMC’s Outpatient Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Program includes counseling to help patients improve their health and reduce the risk of future heart problems. “Patients who choose to participate in cardiac rehab do better than those who don’t,” says Dr. Kilical. A Healthy Future Chuck is motivated to take the right steps by Trang, who is his marathon partner, and his three young children. “Now I’m running again,” says Chuck. “Not as much as before, but I’ll get there.” He hopes to run the Big Sur Marathon with Trang in April. “Don’t feel like your life is over just because you had a heart attack,” Chuck advises. “You can get back.” Read more about Chuck in Quick Heart Attack Treatment Saves Runner. Find out your heart age and heart disease risk factors with our free online heart health profiler. Learn more about AAMC’s commitment to quick heart attack treatment. Contributor Baran Kilical, MD, is a cardiologist and cardiac electrophysiologist with Anne Arundel Medical Center.0
- TelehealthGeneral Page Tier 3BlogChances are you’ve experienced episodes of coughing, congestion and sniffles in recent weeks. Hospitals are currently busy treating patients who need care for respiratory infections such as COVID, flu, and RSV. If you visit an Emergency Department (ED) for treatment, you might experience longer than normal wait times. Luminis Health Doctors Community Medical Center (LHDCMC) in Lanham has successfully improved wait times by revamping its patient triage process: When you arrive at the ED, you will register with the clerk, and a triage nurse will assess your needs to determine the priority of care. A patient liaison staff member promptly engages and will explain and expedite the next steps in your care. This change has decreased the amount of time you wait by 40-50 minutes. If you are discharged to go home, our caregivers will ensure you have appropriate follow-up with your primary care provider, or they will connect you with a Luminis Health Primary Care Provider. Parents will be glad to know that at LHDCMC, physicians from Children’s National are available seven days a week to treat pediatric cases in the ED. You can also take several steps to ensure you receive timely care. Here’s what you can do: Make sure you bring everything you need for emergency care Your time in the Emergency Department will go faster by bringing important items for our care team, such as the following: Driver’s license or identification card Insurance card List of medications and allergies List of contacts, including primary physician, specialists, friends and family Discharge instructions and notes from recent ED visits or hospital admission Cell phone chargers Keep your cool Dealing with an emergency is stressful, and emotions are often heightened for everyone. Getting upset or mistreating your care team won’t speed up your visit. It’s important to remember that doctors, nurses, receptionists and other staff members in the ED are on your side — and working their hardest to give you the care you need as quickly as possible. At Luminis Health, we believe in a culture of mutual caring: We provide the best care possible in a healing environment and we always treat each other with respect and dignity. Caring for and protecting patients, families, employees, and our community, is important to us. “We have to treat patients in order of priority, seeing patients with life-threatening illness or injury first,” said Dr. Reginald Brown, emergency department chair at LHDCMC. “Your patience is very important and appreciated, as we prioritize care for those who need it urgently.” Urgent care is another option There are many situations in which the ED is the best place to go for care, such as life-threatening injuries or conditions. In other cases, urgent care centers are a convenient option for treatment. Urgent care can address the following conditions and symptoms: Cough and cold symptoms Minor cuts that may need stitches Eye problems, like pink eye Mild abdominal pain Mild illnesses, such as strep throat or the flu Sprains and strains Vomiting or diarrhea Telehealth visits are refreshingly easy If you have a minor medical issue, consider connecting with a medical provider virtually. This often allows for a quicker appointment, most patients are able to schedule same-day care. With the availability of after-hours and weekend virtual visits, we aim to accommodate your schedule. Luminis Health’s CareConnectNow is available for Maryland residents by calling (443) 951-4270 from your smart phone or making an online appointment. Thank you for your patience, support, and your own efforts as we strive to improve emergency care for every patient. Author Dr. Reginald Brown, is the emergency department chair at Luminis Health Doctors Community Medical Center.0
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