CT Capabilities at The Urgency Room

What Is a CT Scanner?

Computed tomography, or CT as it’s widely known as, is commonly used to quickly and accurately detect internal injuries. While a CT scanner functions differently than an X-Ray machine, it still uses X-Rays as a means of taking images of different parts of the body. Much larger than a traditional X-Ray machine, CT scanners use a gantry, which is a large metal circle that stands vertically. When receiving a CT scan, the patient lays flat on a bed that moved through the center of the gantry. While the bed moves horizontally through the gantry, moving X-Ray tubes within the gantry rotate around the patient, capturing images from all angles instead of just one like with a standard X-Ray.

A CT scanner’s X-Rays make full rotations around a patient in order to capture “slices” of the patient. Instead of receiving a flat image, physicians are able to obtain images of internal cross-sections that they can assemble, take apart turn and examine from different angles. The resulting 3D images enable physicians to be able to examine the skeleton, organs and tissues of a patient while trying to pinpoint abnormalities such as bleeding, fluid or tumors.

When Do You Need a CT Scan?

When your medical urgency calls for more information than a standard static X-Ray can provide, a CT scan may be in order. CT scans are quick and painless, and they provide a vast amount of crucial information in regard to internal injuries specifically as they can detect blood vessels and soft tissues along with bones. For example, if you are feeling severe internal discomfort when you come into your nearest Urgency Room, a CT scan could see if you’re suffering from excess fluid or internal bleeding—things a standard X-Ray may not detect as well.

CT scanners are excellent tools to detect:

- Broken bones

- Tumors

- Infections

- Blood clots

- Excess fluids

- Cystic fibrosis

- Injuries from trauma

Along with being able to detect and locate those internal abnormalities, a CT scanner can also help physicians identify issues such as heart disease or cancer. As with a standard X-Ray, you must be free of metal jewelry or accessories before getting a CT scan. In some instances, you may be asked to take or be injected with a substance called a contrast medium. When taken by mouth or injected through a vein, a contrast medium will help highlight specific areas to be examined during a CT scan. It could help identify a clot or internal bleeding among other medical problems.

Having a CT scan taken of your body can take just minutes with our advanced equipment. Once completed, our physicians will be able to examine the results on digital images of your internal injuries or ailments. The CT scan is a very safe and reliable procedure that helps physicians at your nearest Urgency Room identify, assess and treat what could be causing you pain and discomfort.

X-ray Capabilities at The Urgency Room

Why You Would Have an X-ray Taken?

X-rays are great for identifying bones, metal or other X-ray-absorbing materials within your body to identify potential problems. While X-rays are great for clearly identifying cracks or fractures in bones, they can identify many other potential medical problems as well. Some reasons you might need an X-ray include:

Bone Problems:

- Fractures

- Infections

- Arthritis

- Cavities in your teeth

- Osteoporosis

- Bone tumors for identifying cancer

Chest Problems:

- Breast cancer

- Enlarged heart

- Lung infection

- Clogged blood vessels

Abdomen Problems:

- Miscellaneous swallowed objects

- Digestive tract

X-ray testing is one of the best ways to examine a suspected broken bone. By taking images from multiple angles, these X-rays can show a physician what type of a break you have, the severity, and what can be done to stabilize and heal the bone. But beyond bones, X-rays are also absorbed by dense fusions, which is why arthritis and osteoporosis can be detected.  

Other ailments such as sinus infections can also be keenly identified using X-ray testing. Normal, healthy sinuses are usually clear of blockage and full of air, which makes them appear black on an X-ray as nothing is present to absorb the rays. When an infection is present, the buildup of mucus or pus in the once clear sinuses will absorb rays and leave a shadow on the X-ray film. This same theory applies to detecting infections in other airways or cavities that are clear or empty when healthy.

Sometimes you may be asked to ingest or receive an injection of a contrast medium. Usually made of barium or iodine, this contrast medium absorbs X-rays and can reveal potential medical problems when examining areas like the digestive tract. In rare occasion, contrast medium can cause some side effects. X-rays requiring the aid of a contrast medium may also take longer than a standard X-ray.

Signs of Kidney Stones

What Are Kidney Stones?

Kidney stones, although small, can cause a lot of pain and damage. Formed from mineral deposits inside your kidneys, these stones can affect your urinary tract as they pass. When urine is concentrated, the hard minerals and acid salts from your kidneys may stick together. When this happens, you have kidney stones.

While they originate in your kidneys, they can be anywhere along your urinary tract, from your kidneys to your bladder. They are the most common type of urinary tract disorder, but are often small enough that they pass unnoticed. Problems and pains start surfacing when these masses become too large and block urine or cause other complications.

Symptoms of Kidney Stones

As stated, some kidney stones may be practically undetectable because they’re so small. However, sometimes kidney stones can be larger in size and cause pain as they move around your kidneys and through your ureter—the tube connecting your kidneys and bladder. If you start feeling intense abdominal pain and suspect it may be due to kidney stones, check out these symptoms:

Painful urination

Feeling like you always have to urinate

Nausea or vomiting

Fever and chills

Cloudy urine

Pink, red or brown urine

Bad-smelling urine

Pain in lower abdomen

Pain in groin

Pain that changes in intensity

The pain from passing kidney stones changes as the stones move along the ureter. You may notice lower abdominal / groin pain changing in intensity as time passes or as you re-position your body.

Often times, kidney stones won't require medical care or treatment. You simply have to  "let them pass." You should seek medical care from your nearest Urgency Room, though, if the pain is so severe you can't sit still, you get feverish, you have the chills, you start vomiting or if there is blood in your urine. 

If you notice any of these symptoms get to The Urgency Room. We can diagnose your kidney stones and get you on the path to recovery! 

When Blood Clots Become Dangerous.

The blood in your body is perpetually pumping—flowing from organ to organ and giving you life. When blood clots to stop internal or external bleeding, that’s good. However, sometime a dangerous blood clot can develop that stops its flow to vital organs. Blood clots can be a serious threat to your health and your life.

What Is a Blood Clot?

Almost all of us have had a blood clot: a scab. When you get cut, blood coagulates at the surface of your skin and forms a protective clot over your wound. This coagulation of blood stops your bleeding, which is good! The same thing happens inside of your body if a blood vessel starts bleeding.

A blood clot develops in four stages:

1.    When a blood vessel is damaged, your body triggers platelets (small cells in your blood responsible for clotting) to start sticking to your blood vessel walls and each other around the damaged area. When enough stick to the area and one another, they change shape to form a sort of plug to stop bleeding. While sticking to one another, platelets are releasing chemicals that attract even more platelets and prepare for the next step.

2.    Next, clotting factors, which are made up of proteins in your blood, signal each other and launch into a rapid chain reaction. The end results of the chain reaction are long strands of fibrin in your blood that make a fibrous net. This net, much like a fishing net, catches and traps even more platelets and cells around the wounded portion of your blood vessel.

3.    Once the net has captured enough cells and platelets, a signal is sent that tells the body that enough has been sent and the clot is big enough and durable enough as it is. This is an important chemical reaction as it prevents the clot from becoming too big or spreading further.

4.    Similar to dissolving stitches, the fibrin strands are broken down and eventually dissolve as your wound heals. The collection of platelets and cells that just helped heal your damaged blood vessel are released back into your bloodstream for use.

This entire process is triggered when your flowing blood comes into contact with a specific substance in your skin or blood vessel walls that is present when the skin or vessel is broken and bleeding. 

What Types of Blood Clots Are Bad?

We just went over what types of clots are normal and safe. They’re your body’s natural way to stop bleeding and keep you healthy. However, there are times blood clots occur and they’re actually dangerous for you.

Sometimes a blood clot can form in the blood vessels of the legs.  These usually occur from having recent surgery, sitting for prolonged time in a car or airplane, or from medications such as birth control or estrogen supplements.  This is also more likely if you smoke.  These blood clots can spontaneously form in the legs, causing swelling and pain.  Most concerning, these clots can break off and travel to your lungs, causing a pulmonary embolism which is life-threatening. 

Bad cholesterol is full of the substance that is released when your blood vessel or skin is bleeding. When waxy cholesterol plaques build up in your arteries, they could potentially break off and lodge in your artery. Once the plaques break and the substance is released, the clotting process begins.

This cholesterol plaque can cause clotting and completely clog blood vessels, causing heart attacks or strokes. These detrimental medical emergencies happen when the cholesterol plaque in your heart or brain bursts without notice.

Aside from serious plaque breaking open and kick-starting blood clots, they can also develop from improper blood flow. When your blood doesn’t flow smoothly as it should, it could pool in your vessels. When this happens, platelets are more likely to stick together and create clotted barriers within your vessels—preventing smooth blood flow.

How Can I Prevent Blood Clots?

There are over-the-counter medicines and prescribed blood thinners that either stop platelets from signaling one another to collect or make it hard for your blood to clot. Some of these drugs include:

●        Aspirin

●        Plavix (clopidogrel)

●        Xarelto (rivaroxaban)

●        Pradaxa (dabigatran)

While these drugs help prevent blood clots if you’re at risk, tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) is a drug that dissolves pre-existing clots. This drug works well as it dissolves fibrin—the platelet-snagging net. Blood clotting problems can be caused by genetics or even your diet and exercise regimen in the case of built-up cholesterol.

Trips, Slips and Helpful Tips

With our ice covered sidewalks and streets, it’s no wonder falls are a big problem this time of year. But, even when the snow and ice melt, the risk is still constant. Each year an estimated 37.3 million falls are severe enough to require medical attention. In fact, globally, falls are a major public health concern. About 424,000 fatal falls occur each year, making it the second leading cause of unintentional injury death, after road traffic injuries.*

Most Common Fall Injuries

Head injuries

Fractures, sprains, torn tendons and ligaments.

Neck, back and spine injuries

Broken hips or broken pelvis

Preventing Falls

Start with your shoes

High heels, poorly fitting shoes or those with slick soles are almost certain to increase your risk for a fall especially on the many icy patches here in Minnesota during the winter months. Make sure you wear properly fitting sturdy shoes with nonskid soles.

Have you fallen before?

Take a second look at areas where you have fallen before to make sure you’ve done everything you can to prevent it from happening again whether that means putting salt down on the sidewalk or, if inside, would a railing or carpet help?

What medications are you taking?

Make a list of your prescription and over-the-counter medications and supplements. Your doctor can review your medications for side effects and interactions that may increase your risk of falling.

What health conditions do you have?

Certain eye and ear disorders may increase your risk of falls. Be prepared to discuss your health conditions. Your doctor may evaluate your muscle strength, balance and walking style (gait) as well.

Look around your house and lighten it up

It’s important to make sure your house is well lit. As well, check that your home isn’t filled with the following hazards known to cause falls:

ü  Bubbling carpet or loose floorboards

ü  Electrical cords and phone cords near traffic areas

ü  Clothing, dishes, food and other necessities in hard-to-reach places

ü  Spilled liquids, grease or food

ü  Bathtubs or showers without nonslip mats or stickers

Exercise 

Physical activity can go a long way toward fall prevention. With your doctor's OK, consider activities such as walking, swimming or tai chi — a gentle exercise that involves slow and graceful dance-like movements. These exercises reduce the risk of falls by improving strength, balance, coordination and flexibility.

Five Facts You Need to Know About Heart Health

Did you know that 1 in 31 American women dies of breast cancer, while 1 in 3 women dies of heart disease? February is Heart Health month, let’s take this time to discuss heart health. Here are 5 facts that you need to know about heart disease:

1.    Heart disease causes 1 in 3 women’s deaths each year, killing approximately  one woman every minute.

2.    Ninety percent of women have one or more risk factors for developing heart  disease.

3.    Only 1 in 5 American women believe that heart disease is her greatest health  threat.

4.    Since 1984, more women than men have died each year from heart disease.

5.    In 2013, Minnesotans experienced almost 45,000 acute heart disease  hospitalizations.

The facts don't lie, heart health is a huge deal. Do you know the major signs of heart attacks in women? Check out these telltale signs of heart attacks in women:

1. Uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain in the center of your chest. It lasts more than a few minutes, or goes away and comes back.
2. Pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
3. Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort.
4. Other signs such as breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.
5. As with men, women’s most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. But women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting and back or jaw pain.

It's never too late to start taking care of your heart! For these and other facts about heart health, check out the American Heart Association!

The Biggest Loser- The Urgency Room Edition

Our Vadnais Heights crew is participating in the Biggest Loser! Unfortunately we will not be on the actual show (NBC, call us!), but the competition is still cutthroat. Contestants are competing to win a whopping $120 and the glory of calling themselves the Biggest Loser. The winner of the competition will be determined by who loses the largest percentage of body weight.

The 90 challenge started on January 8^th and will end on April 8^th. The eight contestants all have different approaches to winning and keeping the weight off for good. One contestant is doing several rounds of the 21 Day Fix in hopes to melt the weight right off. Several contestants have taken the old fashioned approach of eating better and running. Another contestant has joined Weight Watchers to help lose the pounds. In the end it doesn’t matter what weight loss regiment has been followed, it only matters who has lost the largest percentage of body weight.

As the competition heats up and the New Year wears on, who will be able to stick to their diet and who will cave to the cookies in the break room? Only the scale will tell…