To ensure that the medical decision-making and communication preferences of adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with advanced heart disease are known, efforts need to be stepped up to make their clinicians and caregivers aware of those preferences, according to new survey results published in JAMA Network Open. These results show that this complex patient population prefers to have an active role in their medical decision-making, with the study authors highlighting, AYA decision-making involvement is associated with important outcomes in other chronic illness groups, but little is known about the medical and end-of-life decision-making preferences of AYAs with advanced heart disease. Fifty-six patients with a median (IQR) age of 17.8 (15.8-19.0) years and 53 AYA-parent pairs were enrolled in the present study Continue reading →

A unique collaboration between U of T Engineering researchers and hospital physicians is pioneering the use of artificial intelligence similar to an AI that helps detect earthquakes to diagnose heart rhythm abnormalities at Torontos Hospital for Sick Children. The innovative approach, which combines specially trained AI with the expertise of SickKids clinicians, could lead to significantly better health outcomes for critically ill children by providing faster and more accurate diagnosis of heart problems, the researchers say, as well as easing demands on clinicians time. This could help some of our most vulnerable patients, while also reducing stress on the health-care system, says Mjaye Mazwi, a staff physician at SickKids, associate professor in the department of paediatrics at U of Ts Temerty Faculty of Medicine and research co-lead at the Temerty Centre for Artificial Intelligence Research and Education in Medicine Continue reading →

Shore Medical Center will host a Family Fun & Health Day at the Cape May County Zoo on Saturday, June 3 from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm, at the pavilions near the playground. In addition to enjoying a variety of games, prizes and giveaways, guests will also be able to speak with representatives from Shore Medical Centers Pediatric ER and Maternity departments about the services available at Shore and learn about important health tips and resources for parents, children and moms-to-be. In addition, representatives from CompleteCare Health Network will be available to talk about their services, and Act-On Weight and Wellness will be there to talk about their medically supervised weight and wellness programs Continue reading →

Sleep apnea may significantly increase the risk for long COVID in adults, according to a study led by the National Institutes of Healths RECOVER Initiative and supported by NYU Langone Health as home to the efforts Clinical Science Core (CSC). As of April 2023, more than 100 million Americans had been infected with the virus that causes COVID-19. Ranges vary, but as of April, the U.S. Continue reading →

Cross-talk between brain cells and peripheral immune cells can modulate the progression of multiple sclerosis (MS), Mount Sinai researchers have discovered. Their findings reveal a previously unknown way in which the brain and immune system talk to each other and may identify a new therapeutic target for MS and other brain disorders. In a study published May 8 in the journal Immunity, the team described how the inflammatory protein interleukin-3 (IL-3) coordinates that cellular communication and incites the recruitment of immune cells from the blood to the brain, exacerbating brain inflammation and worsening MS pathology. Continue reading →