What to Expect from Our NICU

Calendar May 3, 2012 | Posted by laicos

No matter what dreams you have for your unborn baby, the overriding concern for parents-to-be is that the child is healthy. Learning that your little one has medical problems and might need extra care after birth can be both scary and overwhelming.

One thing you shouldn't have to worry about is whether your baby is in good hands. At Plantation General Hospital, we are proud of the work we do in our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) to ease your stress and help you bring your baby home.

Here's what to expect if you ever need our NICU services.

Who Is Admitted
The NICU is a place for sick babies or infants born very prematurely who need special treatment to become strong enough to go home. They may have had difficult deliveries or shown medical problems shortly after birth, according to KidsHealth.org, and the length of their stay depends on the severity of their condition.

Our NICU is a Level III plus provider, equipped to handle the most serious problems. It has 31 beds divided into three areas — intensive care, intermediate care and isolation.

NICU Features
One of the first things you may notice about our NICU is the lighting. There is individual lighting for each baby, which generally is set at a low level. There is also acoustic shielding to create a healing, calming atmosphere.

We have at least one NICU physician always available, 24 hours a day, in nurseries and labor-delivery areas. During the daytime, experienced neonatal nurse practitioners assist the doctors. The NICU also has a respiratory therapist always assigned to it.

Help for Parents
Bonding with your baby is so important, regardless of whether the child is at home or the hospital. We encourage parents to visit frequently, and parental visitation is permitted at all times except during shift changes (6:30 to 7:30 in the morning and evening). Siblings of any age, other family members and friends may visit as well if the baby's parent accompanies them.

Parents are encouraged to participate in feedings by breast or bottle as infants improve. Mothers can pump and store breast milk at the NICU, too.

When it's time for the baby to come home, our discharge coordinator and NICU nurse will help families with the transition. A case manager assigned to the NICU will seek insurance approval for home equipment, medications and skilled care if needed.

All NICU families are invited to our parent support group, which meets once a month, to share stories, find support and meet experts who can help them. If you are interested in attending the support group meetings, call 866-442-2362 for more information. You can also learn more about our maternity services and childbirth classes online, as well as Plantation's pediatric program.

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Staying Active When You Have Arthritis

Calendar April 27, 2012 | Posted by laicos

We hate to break it to you, but you don't get a free pass from exercise because you have arthritis.

In fact, moderate physical activity is great for keeping you flexible, maintaining your health and strengthening your muscles and bones, the Arthritis Foundation says. You just need to take precautions to make sure you don't do more harm than good.

May is Arthritis Awareness Month! Now is your chance to seek the benefits of physical activity.

What Should I Do?
Three types of exercise work well for people with arthritis. Don't let that overwhelm you — many of the moves can be incorporated into your daily routine. The activities fall into these categories:

  • Flexibility: Stretching and range-of-motion (ROM) exercises help you keep or build flexibility in the joints arthritis affects. The end result? Better posture, less likelihood of injuries and improved function, according to the American College of Rheumatology. Tai chi, yoga and simple stretching all are good options. Start with these types of exercises before adding in the next two activities.
  • Strengthening: Strong muscles will reduce the stress on your joints. These exercises use weight or resistance (hand weights, bands or against water) for effect. Depending on the severity of your arthritis, you can start by simply sitting in a chair and straightening and lowering your legs.
  • Cardiovascular: Walking, biking, swimming, dancing all get your heart pumping, improving your endurance, strengthening your bones and controlling your weight.

When Should I Exercise?
What time you exercise usually comes down to personal choice and when you are most likely to stick with it. You may find you feel better splitting up your activities throughout the day — some ROM exercises can help deal with morning stiffness, although people have also reported feeling better in the morning if they do them before bed. Aerobic activity within a couple of hours of bedtime can disrupt your sleep patterns.

How Do I Get Started?
Talk to your doctor about your plans to work out, and slowly introduce physical activity into your life. If the pain is keeping you from taking the plunge, consider starting in the water. The water will limit the stress on your joints. You can try an aquatic class or "water walking" for a great workout.

Or stay at home and start with a walk around the neighborhood, a DVD or an online tutorial. Your doctor may suggest working with a physical therapist as well.

You can learn more about physical therapy at Plantation General Hospital online or by calling (954) 513-6080. If you would like a referral to a doctor to talk about exercise and arthritis, please call our Consult-A-Nurse service at any time at 1-888-256-7724.

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Understanding the Different Types of Weight Loss Surgery

Calendar April 26, 2012 | Posted by laicos

You're tired of feeling bad about yourself, and you're worried about your weight taking a toll on your health in the future. Maybe you already have developed diabetes, high blood pressure or other conditions related to your obesity.

It's time to lose weight. And if you are significantly overweight, bariatric surgery can put you on the path to a healthier lifestyle. But what kind of surgery should you consider? Here is your guide to the different types of weight loss surgery that Plantation General Hospital offers.

What is Bariatric Surgery?
Surgical weight loss procedures are not for people who only have a few pounds between them and their skinny jeans. Bariatric surgery works by reducing the size of the stomach and, in some cases, rearranging the digestive tract. Doctors will not usually recommend surgery unless your body mass index (BMI) is at least 35 and you have tried other weight loss methods unsuccessfully.

The surgery works because it limits food intake. While that alone will help you drop several pounds, the best results come from a combination of surgery, healthy eating and regular exercise.

Different Types of Surgery
The word you'll hear frequently associated with bariatric surgery is "laparoscopy," a minimally invasive surgery that is the preferred method for weight loss surgery. It often means a shorter hospitalization, faster recovery time and fewer complications.

  • Gastric Banding is usually done laparoscopically and can be repositioned, replaced or removed if necessary, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. It involves placing a silicon band around the upper portion of the stomach to create a pouch, making the stomach smaller and causing eaters to feel full faster.

The LapBand is one of the devices that the FDA has approved. Doctors can add saline to the band, inflating it and making the opening smaller between the stomach pouch and rest of the stomach. Food passes more slowly from the pouch into the stomach, limiting how much food can be eaten at once and increasing the time to digest. You can lose 40 to 60 percent of your excess weight in three years.

  • Gastric Bypass allows for a higher level of weight loss than banding, up to 70 percent of excess weight in 18 months. This procedure restricts food intake and how many calories and nutrients the body absorbs.

The most common gastric bypass procedure is Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RGB). The doctor uses surgical staples at the top of your stomach to create a pouch, which functions as a new smaller stomach. It holds about one cup of food, compared to the four to six cups a normal stomach holds. A section of the small intestine is also attached to the pouch so food bypasses the first portion of the small intestine, cutting calorie and nutrient absorption.

  • Some patients may require a two-stage process that will allow them to lose hundreds of pounds. Laparoscopic Gastric Sleeve Resection involves removing about 70 percent of the stomach to limit the volume of food you can consume at once. Patients lose 40 to 60 percent of their excess weight in about 18 months.

The weight loss approach used depends on the patients' lifestyles, health and how much they need to lose. Learn more about Plantation General Hospital's Surgical Obesity Program here or call (866) 843-8248 to schedule a consultation.

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What You Should Know about the Meningitis Vaccine

Calendar April 19, 2012 | Posted by laicos

Meningitis is a potentially dangerous disease that causes inflammation of the membranes around the brain and spinal cord. Although meningitis can sometimes subside without any major complications, it can turn life-threatening in some cases. Other severe instances can result in hearing loss or damages to the brain. Help prevent this disease from affecting your family with the meningitis vaccination.

Who Should Get the Vaccine?
The optimal age to receive this vaccine is 11 or 12 years old. If you have an older teen, it isn't too late to get him vaccinated. Schedule an appointment as soon as possible. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, those between the ages of 16 and 21 are at the highest risk for meningitis. A one-time booster is also recommended at 16 or older, as long as there is an eight-week gap between vaccinations.

Adult Vaccinations
Too many adults brush off their poor vaccination history, assuming they are too late or not wanting to admit their situation to a doctor. Some adults do not realize that vaccination recommendations have changed since they were a kid — many adults today were not vaccinated for meningitis when they were a teen. Talk with your doctor about playing catch up. If you have a poor immune system, have a damaged spleen, or are regularly exposed to Neisseria meningitidis in your profession, the meningitis vaccine is crucial. This vaccination is also heavily advised for adults 65 years or older.

Side Effects
The risks for this vaccine are very small, but mild temporary side effects may occur. Some patients get feverish or observe painful or pink skin around the injection site. An allergic reaction is also possible. Stay alert to your condition for a few hours after the shot, and get medical attention if necessary.

World Meningitis Day is Tuesday. Has your family been vaccinated? If you have questions or need a physician referral, contact our Consult-A-Nurse service at 1-888-256-7724. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

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Getting Ready for the Arrival of Your Baby

Calendar April 11, 2012 | Posted by laicos

Congratulations! It won't be long before your entire life changes. And the closer your due date comes, the more you find yourself in full nesting mode. You're cleaning the house, driving to weekly doctor appointments and wondering more and more what else you should be doing to get ready for baby.

Baby Proof the House
Before bringing home baby, consider how safe your home is for an infant. Although newborns won't be able to get into much on their own, it is better to prepare your home now before life with a baby catches up with you.

Get a basic idea of the changes you might need to make by setting aside some time to carefully observe every room of the house, looking in each corner for possible dangers. Sit on the floor to get a baby-eye view. Here are some of the most common changes new parents need to make:

  • Moving any dangerous objects, cleaning solutions or sharp furniture away from places your baby might explore
  • Covering up electric outlets
  • Installing gates at the top and bottom of stairs (special ones that are secured firmly to the wall) and blocking access to doors that are easy to push open
  • Removing small magnets that may fall from your refrigerator
  • Securing cabinet doors with child locks
  • Covering sharp edges with soft blankets, sponges or foam corners

Adjust Your Expectations
Most new moms report a tough first month. Lower your expectations for those first few weeks. Don't expect to get much house cleaning done, and stock up on frozen meals now that can easily be reheated during the adjustment period.

After labor and delivery your body may need time to heal. Aside from caring for your baby and yourself, put aside any other goals or agendas. Ignore what you can, and outsource the rest. Sleep deprivation is to be expected with a newborn, but if taken to the extreme, a lack of rest can result in serious depression or anxiety. Protect your health, focus solely on your baby, and when possible, nap when he naps.

We want to help make your transition to new parenthood as smooth as possible. If you are expecting your first bundle of joy, attend one of our baby-care classes to learn what to expect. If you're on to baby number two, a sibling preparation class could help your entire family prepare for a new addition. Check out our calendar to find the class that best suits your needs. You can also call our Consult-A-Nurse service at (888) 256-7724 if you have questions or would like a referral to a doctor.

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How Occupational Therapy Can Benefit You

Calendar April 4, 2012 | Posted by Plantation General

If you or a loved one struggles to complete everyday tasks at home or work, occupational therapy may be the solution you have been searching for. With professional guidance and instruction, necessary routine duties can become in reach again. Don't let obstacles stand in your way. Seek help when you need it.

Who Can Benefit from Occupational Therapy?
Occupational therapy can benefit anyone with physical or mental limitations, whether they were born disabled or are recovering from a disease, injury or medical procedure. If you have disabled children, occupational therapy can help them to attend school and receive an education. If an elderly family member is struggling to maintain her daily routine after a stroke or major surgery, occupational therapy can help her make the necessary adjustments to continue with her day-to-day life with minimal frustrations. Occupational therapy can help you learn to live with a wheelchair, with one functional arm, or with a loss of memory or cognitive abilities.

How Occupational Therapy Can Help
Accepting the help of an occupational therapist could be life changing for those who struggle daily just to perform their normal routines. There are many ways occupational therapy can assist patients. Some benefits include:

  • Learning basic self-care that works around a physical or mental disability
  • Memory tricks for those who struggle to retain important information
  • Interior design help to accommodate those with wheelchairs
  • Advice on navigating the world outside your home in a wheelchair
  • Relaxation techniques to handle the stress of a new life adjustment
  • Making education a possibility despite mental or physical disabilities
  • Learning how to enjoy vacations or leisure activities with a mental disability or physical limitation

April is Occupational Therapy Month. Do you think occupational therapy could benefit you or a loved one? Find out more about your options. Call our free Consult-a-Nurse® service any time at 1-888-256-7724 with your questions. We can also supply you with a physician referral.

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Kids and Sports: Does It Get Too Competitive?

Calendar March 28, 2012 | Posted by Plantation General

Many parents have fond recollections of their days in little league and hope that their children develop the same positive memories of afternoon practices, making new friends, enjoying games on the weekends, learning self-discipline, and improving teamwork skills. Unfortunately, some parents have noticed that today's competitive sports for kids seem a little more intense than yesteryear's. Maybe your child seems more stressed or depressed after signing up for soccer, rather than excited and self-empowered. Has an unhealthy, competitive spirit taken over local recreation centers and children's sports teams?

Know Where to Draw the Line
There is a fine line between unhealthy and healthy competition. Team sports can provide a lot of benefits for your children when done right. They teach your children how to work together, strive to meet a goal, work hard for success, and exceed their own expectations. The competitive aspect of sports teaches children how to properly celebrate a win (without rubbing the other team's nose in it) and graciously take a loss (without fighting, blaming, or giving up). A good experience with team sports will encourage good self-esteem. If you notice that your children are instead becoming high-strung, irritable, unreasonably stressed, or suffering from low self-esteem, their involvement in sports has probably become too competitive.

How to Create a Good Sports Experience
You may not be able to control every thing that happens on the playing field, but there are steps you can take to help your child have a good experience.

  • Talk to your child's coach. Many bad experiences can be completely avoided by getting to know your child's coach. Make sure your ideas of good sportsmanship and goals for the children line up. If they don't, transfer your child to a new team or a new recreation center.
  • Talk to your child. Your child's sports involvement should not be a passive experience for you. Talk to your child about what he enjoys, what he's struggling with, and how he's feeling about himself and his team. When a warning sign pops up, find a way to get things back on track. Usually this will just mean lending some gentle advice or perspective.
  • Listen to the other parents and children. Even with a great support system in his coach and family, a child can still feel unhealthy pressure coming from teammates and other parents. Keep a listening ear open for these situations and diffuse them if things are getting too tense.

At Plantation General Hospital, we are committed to partnering with parents to ensure a new generation of physically and emotionally healthy kids. If you have any questions or need a physician referral for anyone in your family, please contact our free Consult-A-Nurse® service at 1-888-256-7724.

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Common Questions about Miscarriage

Calendar March 21, 2012 | Posted by Plantation General

Whether you are concerned that a current pregnancy might result in a miscarriage, or you have recently suffered a loss, questions will naturally bubble up inside you. You will wonder "how?" and "why?" You deserve the answers to all your questions.  Here are some of the things you might be asking yourself.

What Causes a Miscarriage?
You may not be able to pinpoint the exact cause of your miscarriage, but the majority of miscarriages are linked to an incompatibility in the fetus that existed from the moment of conception. Although some women place heavy guilt on their own shoulders, assuming their baby would have survived if they had taken better care of their bodies, this is typically not the case at all.

Can You Prevent a Miscarriage?
Unfortunately, most miscarriages cannot be prevented, but there are some lifestyles that if continued through a pregnancy could increase your chances of miscarrying or otherwise harming your fetus. Smoking, drinking, or using drugs recreationally could result in loss of the baby. Pregnant women should also take to care to treat any genital infections right away and control diabetes. Even if you did not have diabetes prior to your pregnancy, gestational diabetes is a common occurrence.

How Can You Know If You Are Miscarrying?
Women have reported many different symptoms that lead them to believe not all was right. Warning signs can range from cramping to an intuitive feeling that you are no longer pregnant. The most common indicator is bleeding. Any time you notice bleeding during your pregnancy, you should consult your doctor right away.

Can You Have a Healthy Pregnancy After a Miscarriage?
Many women who experience a miscarriage torture themselves with the fear that they will never have a successful pregnancy. This is very rarely the case. The average woman will have at least one miscarriage in her life. It doesn't mean anything is wrong with her body or fertility. Even women who have had three miscarriages in a row have over a 50 percent chance of having a healthy baby from their fourth pregnancy.

It is normal to have a million questions after a miscarriage, but the team at Plantation General Hospital is here to help. Our free Consult-A-Nurse® service is available to you 24/7. Don't let your worries get the best of you. Give us a call at 1-888-256-7724.

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How Asthma Can Affect Your Child

Calendar March 14, 2012 | Posted by Plantation General

Asthma can be a scary condition to handle as a kid or a parent. During flare-ups, your child will struggle to breath, make wheezing noises, or feel tight pressure in his chest. As a mom or dad, you may feel frightened or helpless. Learning to control his asthma is a skill that your child will need to master in order establish a regular life at school and participate in extracurricular activities.

School Life
Figuring out what triggers asthma flare-ups in your child is necessary for maintaining a consistent school routine. While many children experience exercise-induced asthma, this isn’t the only cause. Breathing difficulties can also occur when exposed to certain chemicals or perfumes, dust mites, or mold. Children unaware of their triggers may end up missing a large chunk of school time and compromising their education. You may need to talk with your child’s teachers or principal to ensure a trigger-free environment at school.

Exercise
Even children with exercise-induced asthma need some amount of activity to remain healthy. You child will need to recognize his limits and the warning signs of a flare-up. Communication with the physical education teacher is vital if your child has exercise-induced asthma. When attending P.E. classes, children with asthma may need to do different activities. If your child has medication, he should always keep it close by during exercise. You can also leave some extra medication with his teachers or the school nurse if possible.

Treatment
For some kids, avoiding triggers may be the only treatment they need for asthma. For more severe cases, medications might be recommended by your doctor. Some medications are taken regularly, whereas others are only taken before or during a flare-up. Your doctor can help your determine which treatment method will work best for your child.

For more information about handling your child’s asthma, the team at Plantation General Hospital can help. Call our Consult-A-Nurse® service at 1-888-256-7724 for general health information or a physician referral.

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What You Should Know about Concussions

Calendar March 7, 2012 | Posted by Plantation General

Head injuries are always serious business. If you or a family member suffers a severe blow to the head, there may be danger of a concussion. Patients can also show signs of concussion if they have been violently shaken. Although the effects are temporary, concussion is a serious injury that needs medical attention as soon as possible.

Symptoms
Signs of a concussion may not seem serious at first, and some patients are tempted to skip a doctor's visit, assuming they are fine. Any time you experience a head injury, you need to be checked out by a healthcare professional, especially if you notice any of the following symptoms:

  • Headache
  • Head pressure
  • Confusion
  • Memory loss
  • Unconsciousness
  • Dizziness or loss of balance
  • Fatigue
  • Slurred speech
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Ringing ears
  • Unexplained irritability
  • Inability to concentrate
  • Sensitivity to certain noises or light
  • Changes in taste or smell
  • Unexplained personality changes
  • Insomnia

Symptoms of a concussion may not appear immediately after the incident. Many times, the patient appears fine for hours or even days before displaying signs of injury.

Treatment
Treatment for a concussion will vary. In some cases, your doctor will request an overnight stay at the hospital for closer observation. Sometimes you may go home with strict instructions to rest. Recovering from a concussion requires more than just physical rest; you must also quiet all mental activities. During the recovery period, school work, video games, reading, and even watching television should be extremely limited. Pushing activity too soon after a concussion creates a high risk for further injury or potential permanent damages to the brain, sometimes resulting in fatalities.

Over-the-counter pain medications can help ease the discomfort of a concussion. Acetaminophen is often recommended. Do not take ibuprofen or aspirin, as it could increase your bleeding risk.

If you or a loved one may be suffering from a concussion, see a doctor right away. The Plantation General emergency room is here for you. For more information about concussions, or to receive a physician referral, call our Consult-A-Nurse® service at 1-888-256-7724.

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