As for the last part of this new article series titled as All You Need to Know About Organ Transplants and EKG Machines, we will be discussing on about the lifetime precautions after an organ transplant.
Over the next six months to a year after an organ transplant, your health care team will probably reduce your medicine. You'll settle into the "maintenance phase" on a lower dose. At this point, you can usually relax some of your safety measures. You won't be as susceptible to infection. But you should still take precautions. Wash your hands regularly and limit your contact with people who are sick or recently vaccinated.
If you ever have an episode where your body rejects your new organ (organ rejection), your doctor may need to change your medicines or boost the dosage of your immunosuppressant medication. This is called "anti-rejection immunotherapy." Since your immune system will be further suppressed, you'll need to take those extra precautions again.
Your doctor may also occasionally need to change some of the medicines. Some may not work as well over time. New and more effective drugs may also come on the market that will replace your old ones.
Taking Your Medicine After an Organ Transplant
Living with an organ transplant usually means taking a lot of medication, probably for the rest of your life. Most people take six to 12 different medications daily, Punch says. It could be more. Taking so many pills may sound daunting.
"Some people are overwhelmed by the number of medications they have to take," says Richard Perez, MD, PhD, and the director of the Transplant Center at the University of California Medical Center at Davis. "But you have to remember that a lot of these patients were sick, and already on a complicated medication regimen anyway."
In fact, Perez says, many people find that their medication regimen is less complicated after a transplant.
Taking your medication is absolutely crucial to staying healthy. Here are some tips.
• When it comes to taking your organ transplant medicines, strictly follow your health care provider's advice.
• Use weekly or daily pillboxes to set up your doses beforehand, and keep track.
• Use alarm clocks, timers, or digital watches to help you remember your doses.
• Ask your family members to help you stay on your medication schedule.
• Keep your medicines away from children and pets.
• Store your medication in a cool, dry place.
• Keep a list of all your medicines somewhere obvious.
• If you miss a dose, don't assume you can double up with your next one.
• Keep track of how much medicine you have left. Always call the pharmacy for refills early.
• If your doctor agrees, take your medication with food to prevent gastrointestinal side effects.
• Set up your doses so that they coincide with other daily activities, such as brushing your teeth, eating lunch, or going to bed.
• Never stop taking a medication without your health care provider's ok.
Allow me to stop there for a moment to give a review on this yet another superb EKG machine device brand called Cables and Leads. Also being listed in the EKGShop.com website, Cables and Leads is regarded as one of the recommended ECG Machines brand available in the market today as being used by most doctors and medical hospitals or clinics.
Enumerated below are its bestsellers products:
D41/P920/04-52_S - CARDINA C, CARDIOSTAT 3T, CARDIOSTAT 701 CA.
41355-P - LIFE PACK 5
66-0140-001_K - 100, 103, 200, 302, 303, 1201
2320-S - 128XP, 128XP3, 128CF, 128XP, 128XP10D
40180-4 - Telemetry Connector.
21701-Z - 1100-012
42305-P - LIFE PACK 11, LIFE PACK 12
For more info regarding this brand, you may visit the link below:
http://www.ekgshop.com/Category/cables-and-leads.html
Saturday, August 1, 2009
All You Need to Know About Organ Transplants and EKG Machines (Part 19): A ECG Paper Brand Review
As for the nineteenth part of this new article series titled as All You Need to Know About Organ Transplants and EKG Machines, we will just be continue on discussing about living with immunosuppression after an organ transplant.
What Precautions Do I Need to Take After an Organ Transplant?
Right after an organ transplant, you're particularly vulnerable. You'll be in the induction phase of immunosuppression. You'll be on pretty high doses; it's key that you take extra care. You should:
• Wash your hands often. Hand washing is an excellent way to reduce your exposure to germs. It's especially important before you eat.
• Avoid people who are sick. It's best to limit your contact with anyone who has a cold or any other infection like measles or chicken pox.
• Avoid people who have been recently vaccinated. Some vaccines, such as the new nasal flu vaccine or the measles vaccine, have a living virus in them. These could be a risk to people with weak immune systems.
• Stay out of crowded areas. For example, avoid malls and movie theaters.
• Don't take care of pets. Pets carry germs, so limit your exposure to them. You don't have to kick them out of the house. Instead, look at this as an excuse to make your spouse or kids clean out the litter box for a change.
• Don't garden. Some dangerous bacteria live in the soil. So let your garden go wild for a few months. Or make your kids do your weeding for you.
• Brush and floss daily. Both help keep your mouth free of infections. Have your teeth cleaned regularly.
• Don't ignore cuts or scratches. Clean them and put on a bandage. Get in touch with your health care provider if you have any signs of infection.
• Practice very safe sex. Sexually transmitted diseases like herpes can be a problem for anyone. But they can be dangerous for people who have had an organ transplant. Condoms may not be enough to fully protect you. Even saliva can expose you to colds and viruses. So be careful. Ask your health care provider about what's safe in your case.
Obviously, specific recommendations depend on your health and situation. Where you live can make a difference. If you're in a city, it's harder to avoid crowds. Living in the country poses different risks, such as exposure to farm animals or potentially unsafe well water, Friedman says. Ask your health care adviser for recommendations.
Allow me to stop there for a moment to give a review on this yet another superb EKG machine device brand called ECG Paper. Also being listed in the EKGShop.com website, ECG Paper is regarded as one of the recommended ECG Machines brand available in the market today as being used by most doctors and medical hospitals or clinics.
Enumerated below are its bestsellers products:
Q-CATH - Appears in Black, the type is Z-Fold, comes in 20 units, and the size is 8.5 x 11.
PA8300Z - Appears in Yellow, the type is Z-Fold, comes in 10 units and the size is at 216mm x 150, works with 8330A/8340A, 8350A/8370A, 8830A/9320A.
181-111-048 - Appears in Black, the type is Roll, comes in 60 units, and the size is 48mm x 100.
9533 - Appears in Red, the type is Roll, comes in 25 units, and the size is 8.44 x 250.
8843-001 - Appears in Red, the type is Z-fold, comes in 40 units, and the size is 2.75 x 3.5.
68300195 - Appears in Black, the type is Roll, comes in 100 units, and the size is 50mm x 100.
Camco1201 - Appears in Red, the type is Roll, comes in 25 units, and the size is 210mm x 100 and works with KENZ 1201.
For more info regarding this brand, you may visit the link below:
http://www.ekgshop.com/Category/ecg-paper.html
What Precautions Do I Need to Take After an Organ Transplant?
Right after an organ transplant, you're particularly vulnerable. You'll be in the induction phase of immunosuppression. You'll be on pretty high doses; it's key that you take extra care. You should:
• Wash your hands often. Hand washing is an excellent way to reduce your exposure to germs. It's especially important before you eat.
• Avoid people who are sick. It's best to limit your contact with anyone who has a cold or any other infection like measles or chicken pox.
• Avoid people who have been recently vaccinated. Some vaccines, such as the new nasal flu vaccine or the measles vaccine, have a living virus in them. These could be a risk to people with weak immune systems.
• Stay out of crowded areas. For example, avoid malls and movie theaters.
• Don't take care of pets. Pets carry germs, so limit your exposure to them. You don't have to kick them out of the house. Instead, look at this as an excuse to make your spouse or kids clean out the litter box for a change.
• Don't garden. Some dangerous bacteria live in the soil. So let your garden go wild for a few months. Or make your kids do your weeding for you.
• Brush and floss daily. Both help keep your mouth free of infections. Have your teeth cleaned regularly.
• Don't ignore cuts or scratches. Clean them and put on a bandage. Get in touch with your health care provider if you have any signs of infection.
• Practice very safe sex. Sexually transmitted diseases like herpes can be a problem for anyone. But they can be dangerous for people who have had an organ transplant. Condoms may not be enough to fully protect you. Even saliva can expose you to colds and viruses. So be careful. Ask your health care provider about what's safe in your case.
Obviously, specific recommendations depend on your health and situation. Where you live can make a difference. If you're in a city, it's harder to avoid crowds. Living in the country poses different risks, such as exposure to farm animals or potentially unsafe well water, Friedman says. Ask your health care adviser for recommendations.
Allow me to stop there for a moment to give a review on this yet another superb EKG machine device brand called ECG Paper. Also being listed in the EKGShop.com website, ECG Paper is regarded as one of the recommended ECG Machines brand available in the market today as being used by most doctors and medical hospitals or clinics.
Enumerated below are its bestsellers products:
Q-CATH - Appears in Black, the type is Z-Fold, comes in 20 units, and the size is 8.5 x 11.
PA8300Z - Appears in Yellow, the type is Z-Fold, comes in 10 units and the size is at 216mm x 150, works with 8330A/8340A, 8350A/8370A, 8830A/9320A.
181-111-048 - Appears in Black, the type is Roll, comes in 60 units, and the size is 48mm x 100.
9533 - Appears in Red, the type is Roll, comes in 25 units, and the size is 8.44 x 250.
8843-001 - Appears in Red, the type is Z-fold, comes in 40 units, and the size is 2.75 x 3.5.
68300195 - Appears in Black, the type is Roll, comes in 100 units, and the size is 50mm x 100.
Camco1201 - Appears in Red, the type is Roll, comes in 25 units, and the size is 210mm x 100 and works with KENZ 1201.
For more info regarding this brand, you may visit the link below:
http://www.ekgshop.com/Category/ecg-paper.html
All You Need to Know About Organ Transplants and EKG Machines (Part 18): A Electrodes Brand Review
As for the eighteenth part of this new article series titled as All You Need to Know About Organ Transplants and EKG Machines, we will be discussing on about living with immunosuppression after an organ transplant.
Your body's defenses are always on the prowl for germs and other foreign organisms. Unfortunately, this means that your body is not a very well-mannered host. It treats your life-saving transplanted organ just like it treats a mere freeloading germ. It attacks. Organ rejection is your own body's misguided attempt to protect you. That's why there's immunosuppression.
Immunosuppressant drugs can block the effects of these natural defenses. They usually allow your body to live in relative harmony with the new organ. The catch is that by blocking your defenses, you become more vulnerable to infections. It's the trade-off of getting a transplant.
"Living with a transplant is always about keeping the balance between rejection and infection," says Barry Friedman, RN, administrative director of the Solid Organ Transplant Program at the Children's Medical Center in Dallas. "You need to take enough of your medicines to prevent organ rejection. But you can't take so much that your risk of infection gets too high."
The good news is that doctors are much more successful at striking a balance these days. No, you won't have to live in a sterile bubble to stay healthy. And after the first few weeks or months, the restrictions on your life really aren't that hard to live with.
"In general, if you have reasonable and healthy habits, you'll be fine," says Jeffrey D. Punch, MD, chief of the Division of Transplantation at the University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor.
Allow me to stop there for a moment to give a review on this yet another superb EKG machine device brand called Electrodes. Also being listed in the EKGShop.com website, Electrodes is regarded as one of the recommended ECG Machines brand available in the market today as being used by most doctors and medical hospitals or clinics.
Enumerated below are its bestsellers products:
GE SilverTrace Pediatric/Neonatal Electrodes - w/Snap. 3/pch, 45/bg, 10bg/cs.
S&W Series 760 Electrodes - Tape, 25/bg, 40bg/cs.
Conmed 1590-030 Instatrace Foam Electrodes - Adult Diaphoretic Foam ECG Electrode.
3M Red Dot Electrode 2238 - soft cloth, solid gel.
Vermed Hypoallergenic Translucent Electrodes - For Cath Lab, MRI, X-Ray, Thallium Testing, Nuclear Medicine.
Bio Detek Rectangular Foam Wet Gel ECG - Short Term Medical ECG Electrodes
Bio Detek Rectangular White Cloth Solid Gel Medical ECG Electrode - Long Term Medical Silver ECG Electrodes
For more info regarding this brand, you may visit the link below:
http://www.ekgshop.com/Category/electrodes.html
Your body's defenses are always on the prowl for germs and other foreign organisms. Unfortunately, this means that your body is not a very well-mannered host. It treats your life-saving transplanted organ just like it treats a mere freeloading germ. It attacks. Organ rejection is your own body's misguided attempt to protect you. That's why there's immunosuppression.
Immunosuppressant drugs can block the effects of these natural defenses. They usually allow your body to live in relative harmony with the new organ. The catch is that by blocking your defenses, you become more vulnerable to infections. It's the trade-off of getting a transplant.
"Living with a transplant is always about keeping the balance between rejection and infection," says Barry Friedman, RN, administrative director of the Solid Organ Transplant Program at the Children's Medical Center in Dallas. "You need to take enough of your medicines to prevent organ rejection. But you can't take so much that your risk of infection gets too high."
The good news is that doctors are much more successful at striking a balance these days. No, you won't have to live in a sterile bubble to stay healthy. And after the first few weeks or months, the restrictions on your life really aren't that hard to live with.
"In general, if you have reasonable and healthy habits, you'll be fine," says Jeffrey D. Punch, MD, chief of the Division of Transplantation at the University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor.
Allow me to stop there for a moment to give a review on this yet another superb EKG machine device brand called Electrodes. Also being listed in the EKGShop.com website, Electrodes is regarded as one of the recommended ECG Machines brand available in the market today as being used by most doctors and medical hospitals or clinics.
Enumerated below are its bestsellers products:
GE SilverTrace Pediatric/Neonatal Electrodes - w/Snap. 3/pch, 45/bg, 10bg/cs.
S&W Series 760 Electrodes - Tape, 25/bg, 40bg/cs.
Conmed 1590-030 Instatrace Foam Electrodes - Adult Diaphoretic Foam ECG Electrode.
3M Red Dot Electrode 2238 - soft cloth, solid gel.
Vermed Hypoallergenic Translucent Electrodes - For Cath Lab, MRI, X-Ray, Thallium Testing, Nuclear Medicine.
Bio Detek Rectangular Foam Wet Gel ECG - Short Term Medical ECG Electrodes
Bio Detek Rectangular White Cloth Solid Gel Medical ECG Electrode - Long Term Medical Silver ECG Electrodes
For more info regarding this brand, you may visit the link below:
http://www.ekgshop.com/Category/electrodes.html
All You Need to Know About Organ Transplants and EKG Machines (Part 17): A EKG/ECG Supplies Brand Review
As for the seventeenth part of this new article series titled as All You Need to Know About Organ Transplants and EKG Machines, we will just continue on discussing about transplant Surgery and the hospital experience.
Before You Leave the Hospital
Although you may be tired from your transplant surgery, it's important to start getting information about your post-transplant needs before leaving the hospital.
As you know by now, you will be on immunosuppressant drugs to prevent rejection after your organ transplant. You have to understand your medications and recognize side effects so you can report them right away, says Abouljoud. And know the complications of surgery, too, so you can tell if something is not right, he says.
This is also the time to address any concerns you may have about the amount of help you have at home, Abouljoud says. Remember: You social worker is integral to this whole process. She can aid you in finding the help you need, informing you of choices.
And ask now about what restrictions you will have, in terms of daily activity and driving restrictions, so you can get help needed to get through the day.
Allow me to stop there for a moment to give a review on this yet another superb EKG machine device brand called EKG/ECG Supplies. Also being listed in the EKGShop.com website, EKG/ECG Supplies is regarded as one of the recommended ECG Machines brand available in the market today as being used by most doctors and medical hospitals or clinics.
Enumerated below are its bestsellers products:
GE SilverTrace Pediatric/Neonatal Electrodes - w/Snap. 3/pch, 45/bg, 10bg/cs.
S&W Series 760 Electrodes - Tape, 25/bg, 40bg/cs.
Q-CATH - Appears in Black, the type is Z-Fold, comes in 20 units, and the size is 8.5 x 11.
PA8300Z - Appears in Yellow, the type is Z-Fold, comes in 10 units and the size is at 216mm x 150, works with 8330A/8340A, 8350A/8370A, 8830A/9320A.
D41/P920/04-52_S - CARDINA C, CARDIOSTAT 3T, CARDIOSTAT 701 CA.
41355-P - LIFE PACK 5
For more info regarding this brand, you may visit the link below:
http://www.ekgshop.com/Category/ekgecg-supplies.html
Before You Leave the Hospital
Although you may be tired from your transplant surgery, it's important to start getting information about your post-transplant needs before leaving the hospital.
As you know by now, you will be on immunosuppressant drugs to prevent rejection after your organ transplant. You have to understand your medications and recognize side effects so you can report them right away, says Abouljoud. And know the complications of surgery, too, so you can tell if something is not right, he says.
This is also the time to address any concerns you may have about the amount of help you have at home, Abouljoud says. Remember: You social worker is integral to this whole process. She can aid you in finding the help you need, informing you of choices.
And ask now about what restrictions you will have, in terms of daily activity and driving restrictions, so you can get help needed to get through the day.
Allow me to stop there for a moment to give a review on this yet another superb EKG machine device brand called EKG/ECG Supplies. Also being listed in the EKGShop.com website, EKG/ECG Supplies is regarded as one of the recommended ECG Machines brand available in the market today as being used by most doctors and medical hospitals or clinics.
Enumerated below are its bestsellers products:
GE SilverTrace Pediatric/Neonatal Electrodes - w/Snap. 3/pch, 45/bg, 10bg/cs.
S&W Series 760 Electrodes - Tape, 25/bg, 40bg/cs.
Q-CATH - Appears in Black, the type is Z-Fold, comes in 20 units, and the size is 8.5 x 11.
PA8300Z - Appears in Yellow, the type is Z-Fold, comes in 10 units and the size is at 216mm x 150, works with 8330A/8340A, 8350A/8370A, 8830A/9320A.
D41/P920/04-52_S - CARDINA C, CARDIOSTAT 3T, CARDIOSTAT 701 CA.
41355-P - LIFE PACK 5
For more info regarding this brand, you may visit the link below:
http://www.ekgshop.com/Category/ekgecg-supplies.html
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)