Keeping Your Lungs Healthy During Natural Disasters
This year’s Hurricane season has been one for the record books. Those with chronic health conditions, including lung disease, may look at the news and wonder what they can do to maintain health and stay safe during times of natural disaster. The American Lung Association even put out guidelines ahead of Hurricane Milton, as almost half a million people in the Tampa Bay area live with conditions like asthma, COPD, and other forms of lung disease. Steven Riddle, Executive Director of the Tampa division of the American Lung Association, announced, “People who rely on supplemental oxygen are extremely vulnerable during a power outage, which is why we recommend securing a backup power source.”
Embracing Innovation: New Lung Imaging Tools
Lung imaging is pivotal in diagnosing and managing respiratory conditions, yet advancements lag behind other fields. The disparity in progress raises questions about why lung imaging technology has yet to keep pace with other medical imaging modalities. What contributes to this lag? And what are potential avenues for bridging the gap in lung imaging innovation?
Protecting Your Heart and Lungs
The cardiothoracic system includes two of our most important organs, the heart and lungs. Heart health and lung health are strongly intertwined and play an enormous role in our daily health, overall body function, and ultimately, our quality of life. Preventive cardiothoracic screenings can identify issues before they become serious problems, leading to better patient outcomes. For example, patients who undergo low-dose lung CT screenings have a 63% greater likelihood of surviving five years or more. Lung cancer often has few or subtle symptoms until the disease has become advanced; lung screenings in at-risk individuals can catch cancer before symptoms even begin.
The Intersection of Imaging and Personalized Medicine: Opportunities and Challenges
Personalized medicine transforms healthcare by tailoring treatments to individual patients based on their unique genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors. It’s a term often interchanged with precision medicine which uses large pools of data and research to build more targeted therapies.
What is Pulmonary Rehabilitation?
Patients with chronic lung disease are frequently advised to participate in pulmonary rehabilitation programs. But what exactly is pulmonary rehabilitation, and are these programs effective?
Reducing Jargon in Radiology Reports
The 21st Century Cures Act was signed into law in 2016 and mandated that patients have immediate access to their radiology reports. While having immediate access provides for greater transparency and control for patients, it also risks the misinterpretation of report language. Radiology reports are often filled with medical jargon that can cause unnecessary stress and confusion for a patient.
VUMC Adds X-ray Velocimetry Scanner to Better Detect Lung Dysfunction
Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) is now employing 4DMedical’s “XV Scanner” and its X-ray velocimetry technology for its unique capabilities to detect and quantify lung disfunction.
VUMC researchers Bradley Richmond, MD, PhD, assistant professor of Allergy, Pulmonary, and Critical Care, and John Gore, PhD, director of VUIIS and Hertha Ramsey Cress Professor of Medicine, describe their enthusiasm and optimism for the XV Scanner…
The Shift from Hospitals to Ambulatory Surgery Centers and Outpatient Labs in US Healthcare
Traditional large hospitals, once the cornerstone of medical care, are increasingly being supplemented and sometimes even replaced by ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) and outpatient laboratories. The healthcare industry is witnessing a broader shift towards outpatient care for non-emergency procedures and diagnostics. Patients prefer the convenience of outpatient settings, where they can receive prompt treatment without needing overnight stays. This shift aligns with efforts to reduce hospital readmissions and improve patient satisfaction by offering more personalized, accessible, and affordable care options.
The Imaging Wire Interview—Imaging Veterans with Toxic Exposure
U.S. military veterans who returned from past overseas deployments have experienced a variety of breathing ailments collectively called deployment-related respiratory disease (DRRD), believed to be caused by exposure to burn pits and other airborne hazards. In this episode of The Imaging Wire Show, Brian Casey talks to one veteran about her experience, and about technologies from 4DMedical that can help screen for and diagnose DRRD.
The Hidden Dangers of Vaping
Vaping has been marketed as a safer alternative to traditional smoking and has found its way into mainstream culture with sleek devices, enticing flavors, and excellent advertising. E-cigarettes, also known as electronic cigarettes or vaping devices, are battery-powered and simulate smoking by heating a liquid (often called e-liquid or vape juice) to create an aerosol, which is then inhaled. Many physicians have raised the alarm that vaping is very likely to be just as (if not even more) dangerous than traditional smoking.