Identifying A-fib and starting anticoagulation greatly decreases the risk of recurrent stroke, thereby decreasing the risk of further disability or even death. Cardiology and neurology specialists at Norton Healthcare knew there was a growing body of evidence suggesting that the underlying cause for many cryptogenic strokes is atrial fibrillation (A-fib). However, many A-fib patients do…
Five percent of all children and 10 percent of teenagers experience migraines, missing twice as much school as their peers. Good sleep hygiene and adequate hydration can help reduce migraines, but that may not be enough, said Elizabeth S. Doll, M.D., pediatric neurologist with Norton Children’s Hospital and University of Louisville Physicians – Child Neurology. Controlling stress might mean…
Norton Healthcare has established uniform protocols for the treatment of pulmonary embolism (PE). The move is intended to improve patient outcomes for the life-threatening condition that claims tens of thousands of lives each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Our goal was to create a systemwide approach with the same agreed-upon…
On Jan. 1, Norton Healthcare set a new competitive pricing strategy for MRI/CT diagnostic imaging procedures at all of our locations. The change in pricing keeps Norton Healthcare competitive with the area’s free-standing facilities. Insurers, such as Anthem and Humana, use software systems to target scheduled procedures, such as MRIs and CTs, based on price…
Norton Women’s Care provides pregnant women who deliver at Norton Women’s & Children’s Hospital with multiple labor and delivery choices. Some women choose an epidural and limited movement, while others prefer more natural alternatives to achieve an unmedicated birth. We continue to strive to provide options for our patients, including a birthing ball, a birthing…
Norton Healthcare offers a wide range of research opportunities for clinicians and their practice groups, as well as clinicians partnering from other entities. More than 850 studies were active or pending through mid-December 2017. “Norton Healthcare’s research support infrastructure makes a difference in both physician recruitment and retention,” said Stephen W. Wyatt, DMD, MPH, chief…
A HEART MURMUR is the audible vibration of blood flow. Many children have murmurs; the types we hear most commonly vary depending on a child’s age. If we were to listen to the heart for someone’s entire childhood, we likely would hear a murmur in most children. Since only about 1 percent of children have…
BENIGN SYNCOPE (fainting) is a common occurrence in adolescents and older children. It is a brief and sudden loss of consciousness and postural tone with spontaneous recovery. Causes include dehydration or dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system, such as vasovagal syncope, also known as neurocardiogenic or reflex syncope, leading to transient loss of adequate cerebral…
No one watching Ethan Byler play on the swing set with his sister, Emily, would point to the toddler and say, “He had a heart transplant.” They wouldn’t know that Ethan was the first child in get a Berlin Heart. They’d never guess this external Benign chest pain inmechanical pump kept Ethan alive until he…
CHEST PAIN is very common in children. Fortunately, serious heart conditions are very rare but include pericarditis, myocarditis, cardiomyopathy, arrhythmias, coronary artery abnormalities, aortic dissection and ingestions. Noncardiac causes of chest pain are seen most frequently and include costochondritis, nonspecific chest wall pain, slipping rib syndrome, trauma or muscle strain. Other noncardiac causes of chest…
Norton Cancer Institute and Norton Children’s Hospital, in affiliation with the University of Louisville, have founded Norton Children’s Cancer Institute to provide improved access, new programs to treat rare tumors and benign blood disorders, and a revamped program for bone marrow transplants. Inpatients of the institute will continue to receive care at the Addison Jo…
Norton Cancer Institute has enlisted the first patient ever to participate in a clinical trial studying a potential new drug to treat a type of rare lymphoma. The female patient will receive a drug designed to exploit an abnormality in lymphoma cells as part of an international study. “It’s important for our patients to have…