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Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Little Nemo mural makes big difference for kids

He has spent the past few weeks transforming the center’s echocardiogram room into an under-the-sea adventure, featuring the Disney character Nemo and a few of the fish’s friends. Beaulieu, who owns CMB Interiors, decided to donate his time and talent toward the effort after his daughter, Mya, was born with a heart block.Carpentersville painter and muralist Chris Beaulieu is using his creativity to diffuse the stress of pediatric patients in the Heart & Vascular Center at Sherman Hospital in Elgin.

She underwent several ablations (catheters inserted into the heart), insertion of a pacemaker and other tests. Mya, the granddaughter of a cardiovascular technologist at Sherman, now is 7 years old and thriving.

Twenty-five percent of Sherman’s echocardiogram patients are pediatric, younger than age 17.

Beaulieu’s wife, Terry, began a local chapter of Mended Little Hearts, a nationwide support program for parents of children with heart defects and heart disease. Chris, a high-end Venetian plasterer and painter, took a more artistic approach.

“It’s kind of my way of giving back,” he said.

A graphic artist who became smitten with decorative painting 10 years ago through Cape Designs Ltd. in Cary, Beaulieu believes he has found his niche.

“I originally studied graphic design, but it was very impersonal and stifled my creativity. I have a tremendous amount of control this way. If someone is hiring me they are hiring me for my talents and creative ability,” he said. “And I feel I’m very good at it. ... I also found there is more money in high-end interior design and decorative finishes such as mystical forest scenes in kids’ rooms.”

Kara Aalfs, manager of the Heart & Vascular Center, decided to make the room more kid-friendly due to her own personal experiences. Aalf’s son was born with a congenital heart defect and required open-heart surgery when he was only 7 days old.

“As a result of my own experiences, and our echocardiogram team’s passion for children who have different needs than our adult patients, we decided to add some art on the walls in the pediatric echo room,” Aalfs said. “We were then approached by Chris, who is making this room more amazing than we had ever imagined. We are extremely grateful for his work.”

BARRINGTON ART FESTIVAL

Amdur Productions presents the Barrington Art Festival 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the intersection of Cook and Station streets in Barrington.

The fair will feature the work of 140 juried artists in a variety of mediums – including ceramics, fiber, glass, jewelry, metal, photography, watercolors and wood. Musicians will perform throughout the weekend. Tasty summer fare from local vendors will be available at the festival. There will also be plenty of activities for children.

For information, email Anne Garrette at agarrette@barrington-il.gov.

ST. CHARLES FINE ART SHOW

The St. Charles Fine Art Show celebrates its 13th year Saturday and Sunday at Riverside Avenue, between Route 64 and Illinois Avenue in St. Charles. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

The award-winning show has expanded this year to include the juried work of more than 100 artists in various mediums including watercolor, oil, sculpture, photography, jewelry, ceramics, fiber, wood and glass, which are exhibited and available for sale during the event. Other activities include artist demonstrations and music by Dennis O’Brien, the Andy Schlinder Trio, Train Company, Mark Prieve, Sheryl & Tom, and Last Night’s Fun.

For information, call 630-513-5386, e-mail info@dtown.org or visithttp://downtownstcharles.org/fine_art_show.html.

‘CAPTURING THE LIGHT’

The Geneva Lake Art Association 2011 Summer Exhibition, “Capturing the Light,” opens June 3 and will run through Aug. 28. A reception is planned from 6 to 8 p.m. June 3.

Original art will showcase works in several media including drawings, paintings, lithographs, photographs and multi-media by GLAA members showing how each artist uses their own medium to demonstrate how light can infuse art.

Also, GLAA member Doris Ann Hayes will display her work during June at M & I Bank, 410 Broad St. in Lake Geneva.

Hayes said she has been a photographer since receiving her first Brownie camera at about age 9. After teaching in Chicago’s inner-city for almost 30 years, she took early retirement and moved to Burlington, Wis., where she started teaching again at Salem Grade School until her second retirement in June 2009. The photography student at Triton College in River Grove now is devoting more time to work with her photography and writing.

The Geneva Lake Art Association will participate in three more art walks this summer, 5 to 8 p.m. Friday and July 1 and Sept. 2. Local galleries are providing food, entertainment and an evening out. The GLAA gallery, 647 W. Main St. in Lake Geneva is open 1 to 4 p.m. Fridays.

For information, visit www.genevalakeart.org.

INVITATIONAL FINE ART FAIR

McHenry watercolorist Lori Indovina-Valus will be among about 50 artists participating in the Des Plaines Art Guild 58th annual Invitational Fine Art Fair June 4 and 5 inside the Prairie Lakes Community Center, 515 E. Thacker St. in Des Plaines. Hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

For information visit www.dpag.org/.

SNEAK PEAK

The second and third floors of the Dole Mansion, unique architectural wonders that still await restoration, will be open to the public as part of a First Friday collaborative exhibit by artists Erin Coleman-Cruz of DeKalb and Christina Gregor of Palatine. Both are art instructors at McHenry County College.

Dubbed, “I’m thinking of changing my smile,” the installation features knitted pieces, cut paper, plastic drop clothes, melted plastic bottles, string, tape and found clothing; an unconventional use of the conventional.

“We wanted something that was a different experience, something outside the every day,” Gregor said. “It’s not unlike what you might do as a child when you built a fort with blankets, recreating the living room into a space that is your own. That naive, childlike wonderment is sort of what we wanted to recapture.”

And working in historic setting only added to hands-on impact they hope vistors embrace.

“What we try to do is creatively use the space while we’re waiting to restore it,” said Erin McElroy, advancement coordinator fo the Lakeside Legacy Foundation. “This will be an opportunity for the people to see the space in a totally artistic realm. These artists have taken a totally modern look.”

The public is invited to attend an open house event 5 to 9 p.m. June 3 at the mansion, 401 Country Club Road, Crystal Lake. View work by oil painter Lori Kiergaard. Kiergaard will be filing the lobby with examples of her work, including a new work in the “Blinding Light” series of oil paintings, as well as charcoal portraits. The Sage Gallery features artists from the Johanna Gullick studio, another Lakeside Legacy Foundation resident partner. More than 20 students will be exhibiting watercolor, oil, and acrylic paintings. The Dole Gallery features the works of the Northwest Area Arts Council members.

First Friday also features a cash bar, refreshments and music by guitarist and Lakeside Arts Center guitarist Jake Lizzo. He will be joined by jazz pianist Ben Heroux.

Lakeside Legacy Arts Park is home to the Dole Mansion, 24 resident partner artists/musicians and a aculinary studio. For information, visit www.lakesidelegacy.org or call 815-455-8000.

PAPERBACK WRITER

McHenry County residents 19 and older are invited to participate in the first McHenry County Fair Writing Contest. Original short stories, essays, poetry and personal vignettes are eligible. The deadline is June 10.

First, second and third place ribbons for the competition will be awarded by a panel of judges. As they evaluate the submissions, judges will be considering the writer’s skill and the entry’s ability to express a thoughtful understanding of life in McHenry County.

Entries must be typed, double-spaced, on one side of white 8-by-11-inch paper with title at the top and pagination on each sheet. No author name on the writing. Each entry must be accompanied by a separate cover sheet containing the author’s name, address, phone numbers, title, number of pages and a signed statement that the work is original to him/her and unpublished. No previously published work will be considered. A maximum of two entries will be accepted per person. Enclose $1 per entry.

Two non-returnable copies of each entry, complete with cover sheet, should be sent in care of Lynn Carlson, P.O. Box 61, Crystal Lake IL 60039-0061. One copy should be sent as an e-mail attachment to rtxprt@comcast.net.

CHURCH GETS ARTSY

The First Congregational Church, 11628 Main St. in Huntley, will host its inaugural Artfest Aug. 20 and 21 on the “field of dreams,” to the east of the church. It is being marketed as a “celebration of inspiration, creativity and the human soul through music, song, drama, dance and artistic displays.”

Organizers anticipate at least 3,500 people will attend to view the work of about 100 artists. Media include ceramics, drawings, fiber (non-functional and wearable) non-functional paper, glass, jewelry, paintings, sculpture, mixed media, creative writing, photography, and printmaking, original-design candles, and furniture designed and crafted by the artist. .

About echocardiogram

About echocardiogram
An echocardiogram is used to check the structure of your heart and how well it's functioning. The procedure uses an ultrasound probe, which is moved over your chest to get a moving picture of your heart.
Echocardiograms can be done on babies, children and adults.
The test can also be carried out when your heart is under stress, for example after you have been exercising. This is called a stress echocardiogram and is used to see how your heart copes with stress.
Reasons for having an echocardiogram include:
to see how well your heart is pumping (for example, after a heart attack)

to look for damage to your heart valves

to check for heart defects in newborn babies and young children

to look for heart defects in unborn babies (fetal echocardiogram)

What happens during an echocardiogram

The test normally takes around 40 minutes. At the hospital, you will be asked to undress to the waist. The doctor or technician will then ask you to lie on your left-hand side and will rub a clear gel over the left side of your chest. This is to make sure there will be a good, airtight contact between your skin and the probe. As the probe is moved across your chest, ultrasound waves will pass into your body and bounce off the different structures in your heart, and back into the probe. The test shouldn't hurt but it may feel uncomfortable when the probe is being moved over your skin.

The echocardiogram machine creates a moving image of your heart on a screen. If a doctor is doing the test, he or she may be able to tell you straight away how your heart is functioning and whether everything looks normal.

Stress echocardiogram

This is carried out in exactly the same way as a standard echocardiogram, except that your heart will be examined while it's under stress. This is achieved by:

asking you to take exercise, such as walking on a treadmill, and then doing the echocardiogram afterwards
injecting increasing amounts of medicine into your vein, which makes your heart work harder while the echocardiogram is carried out

A stress echocardiogram takes about an hour. Your blood pressure and heart will be monitored throughout the test.

Your doctor will discuss with you what will happen before, during and after your procedure, and any pain you might have. This is your opportunity to understand what will happen, and you can help yourself by preparing questions to ask about the risks, benefits and any alternatives to the procedure. This will help you to be informed, so you can give your consent for the procedure to go ahead, which you may be asked to do by signing a consent form.

What are the risks?

Echocardiogram is commonly performed and generally safe. However, in order to make an informed decision and give your consent, you need to be aware of the possible side-effects and the risk of complications.

An echocardiogram is a safe test. There are no known risks associated with having it. Stress echocardiograms that use a drug to increase your heart rate can occasionally cause rhythm problems, headache or chest pains. The staff at the hospital will be fully trained to deal with problems such as this. There is also a small risk of bruising in the area where you have the injection, and a very small chance that you may be allergic to the medicines used during the test.

The exact risks are specific to you and differ for every person, so we haven't included statistics here. Ask your doctor to explain how these risks apply to you.

Echocardiogram

What is Ultrasound?
What is an Echocardiogram?
What is Doppler?
What information does it provide?
How safe is it?How long does it take?
How quickly do I get the results and what do they mean?

What is Ultrasound: Sound is made up of several different frequency waves. The very high frequency range is inaudible to the human ear and is known as ultrasound. Ultrasound was used by the Navy during World War II to detect submarines, and is widely used by fisherman to help find schools of fish.
In each case, an ultrasound machine is used. With the help of a microphone-shaped device (known as a transducer) ultrasound waves are created and beamed through water. When the beam encounters a boundary or interface between liquid (water) and a solid (submarine or fish) with a different density or compactness, part of the beam is reflected back to the transducer. The remaining waves move through the object and reach the back boundary between solid and water. Here, some more of the ultrasound waves are reflected back to the transducer. In other words, the transducer transmits ultrasound and constantly receives waves that are reflected back every time the beam travels from one density to another.
The reflected ultrasound waves are collected and analyzed by the machine. Determining the amount of time it took for the beam to travel from and to the transducer (plus the the consistency and changes in position of the different structures that it passed through), the ultrasound machine can determine the shape, size, density and movement of all objects that lay in the path of the ultrasound beam. The information is presented "real time" on a monitor screen and can also be printed on paper or recorded on tape, a CD or a computer disk. That is how warships detect submarines, fishermen identify choice fishing spots, an obstetrician evaluates the fetus of a pregnant woman, and a cardiologist examines the heart of a patient.

What is an Echocardiogram: An echocardiogram is a test in which ultrasound is used to examine the heart. The equipment is far superior to that used by fishermen. In addition to providing single-dimension images, known as M-mode echo that allows accurate measurement of the heart chambers, the echocardiogram also offers far more sophisticated and advanced imaging. This is known as two- dimensional (2-D) Echo and is capable of displaying a cross-sectional "slice" of the beating heart, including the chambers, valves and the major blood vessels that exit from the left and right ventricle

An echocardiogram can be obtained in a physician's office or in the hospital. For a resting echocardiogram (in contrast to a stress echo or TEE, discussed elsewhere) no special preparation is necessary. Clothing from the upper body is removed and covered by a gown or sheet to keep you comfortable and maintain the privacy of females. The patient then lies on an examination table or a hospital bed

Sticky patches or electrodes are attached to the chest and shoulders and connected to electrodes or wires. These help to record the electrocardiogram (EKG or ECG) during the echocardiography test. The EKG helps in the timing of various cardiac events (filling and emptying of chambers). A colorless gel is then applied to the chest and the echo transducer is placed on top of it. The echo technologist then makes recordings from different parts of the chest to obtain several views of the heart. You may be asked to move form your back and to the side. Instructions may also be given for you to breathe slowly or to hold your breath. This helps in obtaining higher quality pictures. The images are constantly viewed on the monitor. It is also recorded on photographic paper and on videotape. The tape offers a permanent record of the examination and is reviewed by the physician prior to completion of the final report.

What is a Doppler Examination? Doppler is a special part of the ultrasound examination that assess blood flow (direction and velocity). In contrast, the M-mode and 2-D Echo evaluates the size, thickness and movement of heart structures (chambers, valves, etc.). During the Doppler examination, the ultrasound beams will evaluate the flow of blood as it makes it way though and out of the heart. This information is presented visually on the monitor (as color images or grayscale tracings and also as a series of audible signals with a swishing or pulsating sound)..

What information does Echocardiography and Doppler provide?
Echocardiography is an invaluable tool in providing the doctor with important information about the following:

Size of the chambers of the heart, including the dimension or volume of the cavity and the thickness of the walls. The appearance of the walls may also help identify certain types of heart disease that predominantly involve the heart muscle. In patients with long standing hypertension or high blood pressure, the test can determine the thickness and "stiffness" of the LV walls. When the LV pump function is reduced in patients with heart failure, the LV and RV tends to dilate or enlarge. Echocardiography can measure the severity of this enlargement. Serial studies performed on an annual basis can gauge the response of treatment.

Pumping function of the heart can be assessed by echocardiography. One can tell if the pumping power of the heart is normal or reduced to a mild or severe degree. This measure is known as an ejection fraction or EF. A normal EF is around 55 to 65%. Numbers below 45% usually represent some decrease in the pumping strength of the heart, while numbers below 30 to 35% are representative of an important decrease.

Echocardiography can also identify if the heart is pumping poorly due to a condition known as cardiomyopathy (pronounced cardio-myo-puth-e), or if one or more isolated areas have depressed movement (due to prior heart attacks). Thus, echocardiography can assess the pumping ability of each chamber of the heart and also the movement of each visualized wall. The decreased movement, in turn, can be graded from mild to severe. In extreme cases, an area affected by a heart attack may have no movement (akinesia, pronounced a-kine-neez-ya), or may even bulge in the opposite direction (dyskinesia, pronounced dis-kine-neez-ya). The latter is seen in patients with aneurysm (pronounced an-new-riz-um ) of the left ventricle or LV. It must be remembered that LV aneurysm due to an old heart attack does not usually rupture or "burst."

The top diagram on the monitor shows an ultrasound beam (gray triangular area) traveling through the right (RV) and left (LV) ventricle. You can also see the aorta (Ao), left atrium (LA), aortic valve (AV) and mitral valve (MV). Please note that you can review cardiac anatomy and physiology by clicking here. The two pictures on the bottom of the monitor were taken from actual patients. The arrows point to the septum or partition between the RV and LV. The lower left picture demonstrates normal movement of the septum as it moves towards the opposite wall of the LV when the heart contracts. In contrast, the patient on the bottom right has had a heart attack involving the septum. Note that the septum moves sluggishly. Also, it is thinner and "shriveled" as a result of the heart attack.

Valve Function: Echocardiography identifies the structure, thickness and movement of each heart valve. It can help determine if the valve is normal, scarred from an infection or rheumatic fever, thickened, calcified (loaded with calcium), torn, etc. It can also assess the function of prosthetic or artificial heart valves.
The additional use of Doppler helps to identify abnormal leakage across heart valves and determine their severity. Doppler is also very useful in diagnosing the presence and severity of valve stenosis (pronounced stee-no-sis) or narrowing. Remember, unlike echocardiography, Doppler follows the direction and velocity of blood flow rather than the movement of the valve leaflets or components. Thus, reversed blood direction is seen with leakages while increased forward velocity of flow with a characteristic pattern is noted with valve stenosis.
Echocardiography is used to diagnose mitral valve prolapse (MVP), while Doppler identifies whether it is associated with leakage or regurgitation of the mitral valve (MR). The presence of MR frequently prompts the use of antibiotics prior to any dental or non-sterile surgical procedure. Such action helps reduce the rare complication of valve infection.

Volume status: Low blood pressure can occur in the setting of poor heart function but may also be seen when patient's have a reduced volume of circulating blood (as seen with dehydration, blood loss, use of diuretics or "water pill.", etc.). In many cases, the diagnosis can be made on the basis of history, physical examination and blood tests. However, confusion may be caused when patients have a combination of problems. Echocardiography may help clarify the confusion. The inferior vena cava (the major vein that returns blood from the lower half of the body to the right atrium) is distended or increased in size in patients with heart failure and reduced in caliber when the blood volume is reduced.

Other Uses: Echocardiography is useful in the diagnosis of fluid in the pericardium (the sac that surrounds the heart). It also determines when the problem is severe and potentially life-threatening. Other diagnoses (plural for diagnosis) made by Doppler or echocardiography include congenital heart diseases, blood clots or tumors within the heart, active infection of the heart valves, abnormal elevation of pressure within the lungs, etc.

How safe is echocardiography? Echocardiography is extremely safe. There are no known risks from the clinical use of ultrasound during this type of testing.

How long does it take? A brief examination in an uncomplicated case may be done within 15 to 20 minutes. The additional use of Doppler may add an additional 10 to 20 minutes. However, it may take up to an hour when there are multiple problems or when there are technical problems (for example, patients with lung disease, obesity, restlessness, and significant shortness of breath may be more difficult to image).

When can I expect to receive the results? If a doctor is present during the test or reviews it while you are still in the office, you may be able to get the results before you leave. However, the doctor is not routinely present during the test and you may have to wait from one to several days before the images have been reviewed by a physician and the results are sent to you by phone or mail. Some physicians will discuss your case before the study is performed and will contact you if there are significant unexpected findings. For example, if you are expected to have a finding or known to have a given disease, your physician may indicate that he or she will call you only if there are significant unexpected findings. You may also be contacted if echocardiography reveals a finding that influences a change in treatment. For example, the presence of a distended inferior vena cava (discussed above) may result in increasing the dose of your diuretic or water pill, if it is indicated by other aspects of your condition.

Electrocardiogram, EKG or ECG: An EKG is an important part of the initial evaluation of a patient who is suspected to have a heart related problem. Small sticky electrodes are applied to the patient's chest, arms and legs. However, with some systems, the electrodes may be applied to the chest, shoulders and the sides of the lower chest, or hips . Wires are used to connect the patient to an EKG machine. You will be asked to remain very still while a nurse or technician records the EKG. The electrical activity created by the patient's heart is processed by the EKG machine and then printed on a special graph paper. This is then interpreted by your physician. It takes a few minutes to apply the EKG electrodes, and one minute to make the actual recording.

The EKG is extremely safe and there is no risk involved. In rare cases, some people may develop skin irritation from the electrode adhesive, but no serious allergic reactions have been reported.

The only preparation for an EKG to wear clothes that allow easy access to your chest. Thus, a blouse or shirt with buttons down the front is a lot more practical than a pantsuit or dress. Once you arrive in your doctor's office or in the hospital, your chest may be cleansed with alcohol to ensure good electrical contact with the EKG electrode. In men with hairy chest, small areas may have to be shaved to allow adequate skin contact with the electrode. This avoids interfering artifacts from being recorded on the EKG and produces a technically satisfactory study.
The EKG can provide important information about the patient's heart rhythm, a previous heart attack, increased thickness of heart muscle, signs of decreased oxygen delivery to the heart, and problems with conduction of the electrical current from one portion of the heart to another. For example, the EKG tracing shown above demonstrates an acute or ongoing heart attack involving the bottom (or inferior portion of the heart). An example of an EKG of a patient with a heart attack is shown below.

It is important to remember that EKGs are not 100% accurate. Normal recordings can be obtained in patients with significant heart disease, or some "abnormalities" may exist in the presence of a normal heart.

Heart Electrical Activity

The heart has a natural pacemaker that regulates the pace or rate of the heart. It sits in the upper portion of the right atrium (RA) and is a collection of specializes electrical cells known as the SINUS or SINO-ATRIAL (SA) node.

Like the spark-plug of an automobile it generates a number of "sparks" per minute. Each "spark" travels across a specialized electrical pathway and stimulates the muscle wall of the four chambers of the heart to contract (and thus empty) in a certain sequence or pattern. The upper chambers or atria are first stimulated. This is followed by a slight delay to allow the two atria (atria is plural for atrium and pronounced ay-tree-ya) to empty. Finally, the two ventricles are electrically stimulated.
In an automobile, the number of sparks per minute generated by a spark plug is increased when you press the gas pedal or accelerator. This revs up the motor. In case of the heart, adrenaline acts as a gas pedal and causes the sinus node to increase the number of sparks per minute, which in turn increases the heart rate. The release of adrenaline is controlled by the nervous system. The heart normally beats at around 72 times per minute and the sinus node speeds up during exertion, emotional stress, fever, etc., or whenever our body needs an extra boost of blood supply. In contrast, it and slows down during rest or under the influence of certain medications. Well trained athletes also tend to have a slower heart beat.

   The sequence of electrical activity within the heart is displayed in the diagrams above and occurs as follows:
As the SA node fires, each electrical impulse travels through the right and left atrium. This electrical activity causes the two upper chambers of the heart to contract. This electrical activity and can be recorded from the surface of the body as a "P" wave" on the patient's EKG or ECG (electrocardiogram).
   The electrical impulse then moves to an area known as the AV (atrio-ventricular) node. This node sits just above the ventricles. Here, the electrical impulse is held up for a brief period. This delay allows the right and left atrium to continue emptying it's blood contents into the two ventricles. This delay is recorded as a "PR interval." The AV node thus acts as a "relay station" delaying stimulation of the ventricles long enough to allow the two atria to finish emptying.

   Following the delay, the electrical impulse travels through both ventricles (via special electrical pathways known as the right and left bundle branches). The electrically stimulated ventricles contract and blood is pumped into the pulmonary artery and aorta. This electrical activity is recorded from the surface of the body as a "QRS complex". The ventricles then recover from this electrical stimulation and generates an "ST segment" and T wave on the EKG.

In summary, the heart constantly generates a sequence of electrical activity with every single heart beat. This can be recorded on paper or displayed on a monitor by attaching special electrodes to a machine that can amplify and record an EKG or ECG (electrocardiogram). The animation (above) shows the sequence of electrical activity throughout the heart. Note how the chambers of the heart contract when they are electrically stimulated. This in turn makes the heart valves open and shut.

Physical Exam

After obtaining a history, the physician proceeds to perform a physical examination. Depending upon the patient's condition and suspected medical problem, a physician may include one or more of the following four phases of the physical examination:Inspection
Palpation or "hands-on" examination
Percussion or "tapping" examination
Auscultation or use of stethoscope

Inspection: During this portion of the examination, the physician inspects or looks at different parts of the patient's body. For example, while inspecting the eyes, the physician could obtain a clue about an overactive thyroid that could be responsible for the patient's rapid heart beat. A characteristic growth on the eyelids could point to a high cholesterol level that is a risk factor for coronary artery disease.
Inspection of the neck veins and its prominence could be indicative of heart failure and an excessive load on the right side of the heart. A bluish discoloration of the tongue and nail beds could point to a low oxygen level in the blood, while pallor or a pale appearance could indicate a low level of hemoglobin. Additionally, inspection of the chest may provide information about enlargement of the heart. Thus, a physician obtains an enormous amount of information even before touching the patient.

Palpation or "hands-on examination": During palpation, the physician uses his or hands to examine the patient. During this phase, the physician can feel the heart beat and diagnose enlargement. Loud heart murmurs may also be felt without the use of a stethoscope. This is known as a "thrill." Palpation of the belly could help diagnose liver enlargement, find the tenderness of an active ulcer, or help uncover an aneurysm.
The patient's pulses are also felt to help determine if there is disease of the blood vessel accounting for calf pain when the patient walks. Pressing the legs and feet with the fingertip can diagnose the presence of edema or excess fluid.

Percussion or Tapping: During percussion, the examiner places one hand on the patient and then taps a finger on that hand, with the index finger of the other hand. Since hollow and solid areas generate different vibrations, the physician or other examiner uses this technique to determine if various organs (heart, liver, etc.) are enlarged or not. Percussion is also used to diagnose fluid in the abdominal and chest cavities or make one suspect the presence of pneumonia.

Auscultation or listening with a stethoscope: During auscultation, the physician listens to the patient's heart beat, lungs and blood vessels of the neck and groin. Abnormal heart sounds, known as gallops, are a clue to heart disease. Also, the location, character and timing of a heart murmur (this is a prolonged sound that is created by turbulent blood flow across heart valves) are used to diagnose various valve diseases. However, it should be recognized that murmurs may also be heard in many normal individuals.
Certain characteristics of the murmur and other portions of the examination help the physician diagnose specific forms of heart diseases. Similarly, blockages in the arteries of the neck and those that supply the legs may also produce a turbulent flow. This can be heard with a stethoscope and is known as a "bruit" (pronounced broo-ee). Listening to the lungs, when integrated with the history and other portions of the physical examination, can diagnose such conditions as heart failure, accumulation of fluid, asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia, collapsed lungs, etc.

Blood test can instantly diagnose depression

Psychology & Psychiatry

(Medical Xpress) -- Backed by the medical research group Human Metabolome Technologies (HMT), researchers at Keio University have developed a test which measures the concentration of phosphoric acid in the blood as an indicator of depression.

In a previous study, HMT made the connection between phosphoric acid and depression and found that those patients with depression have lower concentrations of ethanolamine phosphate. Researchers are able to use the blood test to diagnose patients with depression and have an 82 percent success rate.

Researchers presented the new test at the Japanese Society of Biological Psychiatry in Tokyo. They hope to make the new test available to physicians within the next two years.

This is not the first blood test created for the diagnosis of depression and there are many others under development. However, most of these other tests look at white blood cell DNA and are very time-consuming. HMT is currently developing a reagent that will be able to determine the level of ethanolamine phosphate in only minutes.

"Blood test can instantly diagnose depression." May 31st, 2011. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-05-blood-instantly-depression.html

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Robert Karl Stonjek

Bilingualism no big deal for brain, researcher finds

Psychology & Psychiatry

How do people who speak more than one language keep from mixing them up? How do they find the right word in the right language when being fluent in just one language means knowing about 30,000 words?

That's what science has wondered about for decades, offering complicated theories on how the brain processes more than one language and sometimes theorizing that bilingualism degrades cognitive performance.

But University of Kansas psycholinguist Mike Vitevitch thinks that complicated explanations of how the brain processes two or more languages overlook a straightforward and simple explanation.

"The inherent characteristics of the words — how they sound — provide enough information to distinguish which language a word belongs to," he said. "You don't need to do anything else."

And in an analysis of English and Spanish, published in the April 7 online edition of Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, Vitevitch found few words that sounded similar in the two languages.

Most theories of how bilingual speakers find a word in memory assume that each word is "labeled" with information about which language it belongs to, Vitevitch said.

But he disagrees. "Given how different the words in one language sound to the words in the other language, it seems like a lot of extra and unnecessary mental work to add a label to each word to identify it as being from one language or the other. "

Here's an analogy. Imagine you have a bunch of apples and oranges in your fridge. The apples represent one language you know, the oranges represent another language you know and the fridge is that part of memory known as the lexicon, which contains your knowledge about language. To find an apple you just look for the round red thing in the fridge and to find an orange you just look for the round orange thing in the fridge. Once in a while you might grab an unripe, greenish orange mistaking it for a granny smith apple. Such instances of language "mixing" do happen on occasion, but they are pretty rare and are easily corrected, said Vitevitch.

"This process of looking for a specific piece of fruit is pretty efficient as it is —labeling each apple as an apple and each orange as an orange with a magic marker seems redundant and unnecessary."

Given how words in one language tend to sound different from words in another language, parents who speak different languages should not worry that their children will be confused or somehow harmed by learning two languages, said Vitevitch.

"Most people in most countries in the world speak more than one language," said Vitevitch. "If the U.S. wants to successfully compete in a global economy we need people who can communicate with potential investors and consumers in more than one language."

Provided by University of Kansas

"Bilingualism no big deal for brain, researcher finds." May 31st, 2011. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-05-bilingualism-big-brain.html

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Robert Karl Stonjek

Parkinson’s can start in bed

THE UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY

"Parkinson patients have been known to start acting out in their dreams, often punching or kicking the person sharing their bed."

Image: pixdeluxe/iStockphoto

Neurologists at the University of Sydney's Brain and Mind Research Institute warn 'those things that go bump or kick in the night' may be signalling early onset of Parkinson's disease.

Parkinson's disease (PD) affects 80,000 Australians and while the causes of the condition remain largely unknown, Dr Simon Lewis, neurologist and senior lecturer in cognitive neuroscience says people don't realise that the disease can have many different early manifestations.

"Interestingly, although best known for its physical symptoms like slowness and tremor, Parkinson's disease is often preceded by a host of seemingly unrelated symptoms like mood change, loss of smell, constipation and sleep disorders.

"Possibly the most dramatic of its symptoms, however is known as Rapid Eye Movement Sleep Behaviour Disorder. Parkinson patients have been known to start acting out in their dreams, often punching or kicking the person sharing their bed.

"For some Parkinson patients it comes as a revelation and relief, not to mention their spouses, that the condition may be responsible for things that go 'bump' or 'kick' in the night," says Dr Lewis.

Problems with thinking and memory are also common in Parkinson's diseases with patients being six times more likely to be diagnosed with dementia.

While researchers continue to investigate causes of the disease the Brain and Mind Research Institute is trialling memory training.

"We believe the disease spreads slowly through the brain and these non-physical symptoms can often predate the disease by many years, potentially offering an early way of recognising the condition," says Dr Lewis.

In conjunction with Parkinson's NSW, the Brain and Mind Research Institute have launched the First Steps program. This program is intended to deliver information to people who have recently been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.

"As part of our efforts to find early detection and better prevent strategies for the disorder we are offering memory training to patients with Parkinson's through our research program at the Brain and Mind Research Institute. At the time of diagnosis over 50 percent of patients have some cognitive impairment and therefore early intervention must be a priority," says Dr Lewis.