Press information

News, Notes and Quotable Quotes

For more information on these and other newsworthy topics,
contact Mark D'Antonio, (203) 688-2493.

Research shows a new blood test may be the best indication chest pain means a heart attack
With chest pain prompting nearly six million patients a year to visit U.S. hospital emergency rooms and nearly 1.1 million suffering heart attacks, researchers are reporting that a new type of blood test may be the best way to predict whether someone suffering chest pain is in imminent danger of suffering a heart attack. The blood test measures the level of myeloperoxidase (MPO) in the blood. MPO is the enzyme produced when arteries are inflamed and have rupture-prone fatty deposits. It is found in abundance in the clogged areas of coronary arteries. Doctors at Yale-New Haven Hospital’s Chest Pain Center say that the challenge will be to determine which patients presenting are in danger of a heart attack and which can be discharged home. Currently, widely available blood tests are only helpful when the patient is actively having or has had a heart attack. YNHH doctors say that the availability of this new type of highly sensitive blood test to detect cardiac ischemia, which is usually caused by clogged arteries, and leads to insufficient oxygen and in several cases, damage to the heart muscle, will have a huge impact on how the YNHH Chest Pain Center treats patients. The benefits of this new MPO test could mean a patient cut possibly reduce the time spent on diagnosis for the cause of chest pain and give emergency room doctors a most diagnostic tool in determining the cause of chest pain.

Yale-New Haven Psychiatric Hospital taking the lead in offering additional nursing in Connecticut
As resources and budgets in the field of mental health shrink across the state of Connecticut, opportunities for training nursing students in psychiatric settings have declined dramatically. Faced with a growing population afflicted with mental health issues, the 70-bed Yale-New Haven Psychiatric Hospital (YNHPH) has taken a leadership role in providing psychiatric training to nursing students throughout Connecticut. The YNHPH training program is now part of the curriculums at six state schools: Fairfield University, Gateway Community College, Southern Connecticut State University, Quinnipiac University, Western Connecticut State University and the Yale School of Nursing. Since June of 2000, when YNHPH opened, 152 graduate and undergraduate students have completed their psychiatric nursing requirements at YNHPH. Because YNHPH is a clinical, research and teaching center for the Yale School of Medicine, psychiatric nursing students can attend grand rounds as medical residents do. They are also able to shadow nurses in adolescent, dual diagnosis, general adult and geriatric care, and learn about the differences between inpatient, outpatient and partial hospitalization settings.

Yale-New Haven Hospital develops innovative treatment for critically ill patients
A new treatment involving the intravenous infusion of insulin for critically ill patients with hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) has been developed by two YNHH doctors and is being used in the hospital’s medical intensive care unit (MICU). Philip Goldberg, M.D., working with Sylvio Inzucchi, M.D., clinical director of endocrinology, developed the insulin infusion protocol in response to clinical evidence that lowering a patient’s blood sugar into the normal range reduces mortality, length of time spent in the ICU, bloodstream infections, possibility of kidney failure and the need for prolonged use of a mechanical respirator. In diabetic patients, it also improves the long-term prognosis after an acute heart attack.

YNHH offering endoscopic surgery to treat throat cancers
Patients suffering from certain throat cancers may be able to avoid open surgery and instead, be able to opt to be treated endoscopically. A new program offered by Yale-New Haven and the Yale Head and Neck Cancer Services, allows doctors to insert an endoscope through the mouth to remove cancer cells using laser resection. Not only is this procedure faster and pose fewer complications, it also leaves the patient without any visible scars on the neck. procedure, For more information on treatment options, or our free brochure, "Innovations and Options: Head and Neck Cancer Services," please call (203) 688-2000 or toll free (888) 700-6543.

Incorporate recovery in your athletic weight training and rigorous running
For a great many hard-core athletes dedicated to a regimen of consistent workouts, many sports medicine doctors now say that perhaps the best remedy for achieving top physical conditioning might be to take a day off. While some athletes can have difficulty accepting the fact that their bodies need time to recover after strenuous workouts, trainers and sports medicine specialists insist that missing a day will not set people back in their pursuit of fitness, rather, it will enhance their overall fitness. The reason lies in the make-up of our muscles. When you work out, you cause many small tears in the muscle, which manifests itself as muscle pain. As muscles mend, then become stronger. If those tiny tears are not allowed to recover, the muscle never gains its full potential. Doctors say that not allowing enough recovery time is analogous to not getting enough sleep. The body needs recovery time from exercise in order to do its natural, internal housekeeping. Doctors also insist that athletes look long term for results, as it usually takes 30-60 days for results of a workout to show up, provided that they maintain a fitness level that incorporates needed days off to allow muscles to build and assemble new proteins.

Return to: Press page main

Last revised: October 7, 2005 (mv)

Home page URL: http://www.ynhh.org

All information is intended for your general knowledge and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for specific medical conditions. You should seek prompt medical care for any specific health issues and consult your physician before starting a new fitness regimen.