fuckyeahcardiology

[fuckyeahcardiology]

Do you know, is there a term for the fascination with the heart? I know about Cardiophiles, but I was under the impression that that included sexual arousal as a result of heart related things. What if you just really love hearts and there's no sexual stimuli attached to it?

Wait, is that a real fetish? Wouldn't that be called cardiophilia?

Cardiophile would be fine I think.

[fuckyeahcardiology]

Scientists turn skin cells into beating heart muscle:

Scientists have for the first time succeeded in taking skin cells from patients with heart failure and transforming them into healthy, beating heart tissue that could one day be used to treat the condition.

The researchers, based in Haifa, Israel, said there were still many years of testing and refining ahead. But the results meant they might eventually be able to reprogram patients’ cells to repair their own damaged hearts.

“We have shown that it’s possible to take skin cells from an elderly patient with advanced heart failure and end up with his own beating cells in a laboratory dish that are healthy and young - the equivalent to the stage of his heart cells when he was just born,” said Lior Gepstein from the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, who led the work.

The researchers, whose study was published in the European Heart Journal on Wednesday, said clinical trials of the technique could begin within 10 years.

Heart failure is a debilitating condition in which the heart is unable to pump enough blood around the body. It has become more prevalent in recent decades as advances medical science mean many more people survive heart attacks.

At the moment, people with severe heart failure have to rely on mechanical devices or hope for a transplant.

Researchers have been studying stem cells from various sources for more than a decade, hoping to capitalize on their ability to transform into a wide variety of other kinds of cell to treat a range of health conditions.

There are two main forms of stem cells - embryonic stem cells, which are harvested from embryos, and reprogrammed “human induced pluripotent stem cells” (hiPSCs), often originally from skin or blood.

Gepstein’s team took skin cells from two men with heart failure - aged 51 and 61 - and transformed them by adding three genes and then a small molecule called valproic acid to the cell nucleus.

They found that the resulting hiPSCs were able to differentiate to become heart muscle cells, or cardiomyocytes, just as effectively as hiPSCs that had been developed from healthy, young volunteers who acted as controls for the study.

The team was then able to make the cardiomyocytes develop into heart muscle tissue, which they grew in a laboratory dish together with existing cardiac tissue.

Within 24 to 48 hours the two types of tissue were beating together, they said.

In a final step of the study, the new tissue was transplanted into healthy rat hearts and the researchers found it began to establish connections with cells in the host tissue.

“We hope that hiPSCs derived cardiomyocytes will not be rejected following transplantation into the same patients from which they were derived,” Gepstein said. “Whether this will be the case or not is the focus of active investigation.”

Experts in stem cell and cardiac medicine who were not involved in Gepstein’s work praised it but also said there was a lot to do before it had a chance of becoming an effective treatment.

“This is an interesting paper, but very early and it’s really important for patients that the promise of such a technique is not over-sold,” said John Martin a professor of cardiovascular medicine at University College London.

“The chances of translation are slim and if it does work it would take around 15 years to come to clinic.”

Nicholas Mills, a consultant cardiologist at Edinburgh University said the technology needs to be refined before it could be used for patients with heart failure, but added: “These findings are encouraging and take us a step closer to … identifying an effective means of repairing the heart.”

#big news!

[fuckyeahcardiology]

[fuckyeahcardiology]

u wave?

Are you asking what causes it? What it means? Or do you just want information?

U waves come from the ECG picking up repolarization of the Purkinje fibres. It can be seen during electrolyte imbalances too.

It's not very common and fairly easy to miss. A lot of the time it's covered up by the T wave or it's hidden in artifact.  

[fuckyeahcardiology]

Echocardiography

This is a type of diagnostic medical imaging that produces a sonogram/ultrasound of the heart.

There are two methods of performing the procedure, one involves a transducer being positioned on the chest of a patient (transthoracic) - similar to pregnancy scans but on the chest - and another which produces a clearer image, requiring a probe/transducer being passed into the patient’s oesophagus (transoesophageal).

Echocardiograms are used to help identify and diagnose a range of cardiac conditions, providing visual images of the shape and size of the heart, stroke volume, atrioventricular valves, anatomical and/or congenital abnormalities and tissue damage (such as that associated with ischaemia and coronary heart disease).

[fuckyeahcardiology]

my heart glows for you… 

[fuckyeahcardiology]

[fuckyeahcardiology]

I wish all my patients ECG's looked like this.

My ekg ( I was holding my breath so I could get unusual polarity)

[fuckyeahcardiology]

This great blog entry by Kate Williams talks about her reason behind supporting The Blood Bag Project and describes just one of the reasons why blood donation is so important.

[fuckyeahcardiology]

A heart in good condition is shown at the left, and a heart from an alcoholic is shown at the right. Excessive alcohol consumption can cause a condition known as alcoholic cardiomyopathy, in which the heart becomes enlarged and weakened.

[fuckyeahcardiology]

How many of you are in EMS/the medical field?

Hey guys, 

I'm just wondering what you all do? 

#ems #emt #paramedic #md #rn #fire fighter #police

[fuckyeahcardiology]

Yeah, not liking the rhythm but the idea is really cool.

[fuckyeahcardiology]

Katey, 21, Huddersfield.

[fuckyeahcardiology]

The blood bag project has a tumblr!

http://thebloodbagproject.tumblr.com/

http://thebloodbagproject.tumblr.com/

http://thebloodbagproject.tumblr.com/

For real go follow this wonderful project. Learn about a rare disease and lean what you can do to help this cause! 

The blood bag project is a way for people who are unable to donate blood help! Follow the tumblr and go here to get all the information you need about participating in the project! This is a really awesome fundraiser for crafty people or anyone interested in helping.

Seriously go check it out!

If you can please consider donating blood. It takes less than 30 minutes and you can save up to 3 peoples lives with just one donation! Blood supplies are almost always critically low, especially for 0 type patients. 

#check this out #thebloodbagproject

[fuckyeahcardiology]

#STEMI #warning signs

[fuckyeahcardiology]

The blood bag project!

I know I haven't been great about updates lately. Bear with me and if anyone wants to help please contact me! I would love another set of hands! But really, let me tell you about this wonderful project.

The blood bag project aims to raise awareness��of a rare blood condition known as Diamond Blackfan Anaemia. Diamond–Blackfan anemia is characterized by anemia with decreased erythroid progenitors in the bone marrow. This usually develops during the neonatal period. People who suffer from it need bone marrow transplants but until they are old enough for one they need constant blood transfusions!

The blood bag project was set up in honor of twenty-one month old Chloe who suffers from it. You can help by donating blood or participating in the project. Please please please take the time to visit the website, read up on this condition and donate blood!

Now for a little blood donation information you may not know:

One donation can save up to three lives

Only 8% of the eligible population donate

Every 3 seconds someone in the USA needs a blood transfusion

Less than 30% of people who give blood will ever donate a second time

Donated blood lasts 42 days (though it doesn't usually stay in stock long enough to expire

You can donate up to 6 times a year (you can save up to 18 lives with only 20 minutes of your time)

http://www.redcross.org/

#donate blood #the blood bag project #red cross #save lives #diamond blackfan anaemia

[fuckyeahcardiology]

Self-generated electricity and muscle contraction in one amazing organ.