March 2011

MRSA, colds, flus, chicken pox, and mono can all be spread by direct contact with bodily fluids. Now we can add cavities to that list, thanks to recent dental research.

Cavities are caused primarily by bacteria that cling to teeth and feast on particles of food from your last meal. The by product of their feasts is acid, which destroys teeth. Just like disease-causing bacteria is passed from person to person, so is cavity-causing bacteria.

In the last 30 years medical science has increased emphasis on the importance of childhood blood pressure readings tracked alongside height measurement, as an indicator of overall health. Pediatric growth charts have been used by pediatricians and parents to track the growth of infants, children, and adolescents in the United States since 1977. In the year 2000 these charts were updated, and consequently the blood pressure ranges were updated as well.

Blood pressure is never consistent in adults or children. It can be particularly inconsistent in children as the child matures and the average blood pressure changes, along with the child's heart rate. In adults blood pressure can fluctuate 30 points in a few hours, while in children the fluctuations can be 40 to 50 points at a time. The best measurement of blood pressure is a consistent average, taken at the same time, in the same conditions over an extended period of time.

Doctors have discovered that hypertension in children is often accompanied by a rising BMI, and often these factors lead to serious health problems, both in childhood and later as adults.

The Terumo Elemano Digital Blood Pressure Monitor is one of only a handful of Automatic Blood Pressure Monitors approved by the FDA for use on patients ages 3 and up. The Terumo Elemano Digital Blood Presssure Monitor is perfect for monitoring pediatric blood pressure, if a doctor recommends consistent measuring to accurately judge a child's health condition.

And for a limited time, if you purchase the Elemano Blood Pressure Monitor and the Child Size S Cuff from QuickMedical, you will receive the Infant XS Cuff for free. This kit gives the ability to perform highly accurate blood pressure measurements from the tiniest infant to the average young adult. The Pediatric Special Promotion is perfect for doctors, nurses, clinics, and practices where babies, children and teens are seen everyday.

US News, which ranks everything from colleges to cars, has a new list ranking the nation's hospitals. "The new rankings, the largest expansion of Best Hospitals to date, offer patients and their families a much better chance of finding a top-performing hospital in their health insurance network," writes US News rankings editor Avery Comarow. "And for patients who would need to travel to visit a nationally ranked hospital, the metro rankings may offer a local alternative -- or several."

Ranking things, whether it's law schools or places to live, gets tiresome. And unfortunately the Internet is full of 'listicles,' which instead of explaining something or giving a point of view, just regurgitates a list for the sake of the list.

That being said, the new US News hospital list is very informative. As your online source for medical equipment and supplies, we think it's important. So without further ado, click ahead to read the list.

First Lady Michelle Obama recently released a very personal statement on her family's health. Ms. Obama has made fighting childhood obesity one of her primary objectives as First Lady. In her statement, she reveals the very personal reasons behind her goals. Here's an excerpt:

A few years ago as a working mom, I had the best intentions to feed my kids healthy food on a budget, knowing that sometimes pizza or the drive-thru were inevitable. But I was surprised when my pediatrician pulled me aside during an annual well-child visit and told me we needed to start paying better attention to what we were feeding our girls.

They were younger at the time. They were active and growing, with a healthy sense of themselves, which Barack and I have always encouraged. But our doctor told me that their BMIs were creeping upwards. Now to be honest, I didn't really know what BMI was. And I certainly didn't know that even a small increase in BMI can have serious consequences for a child's health. So I'm grateful my pediatrician was there to help.

He explained that BMI, or Body Mass Index, is a way of tracking whether or not your child is within a healthy weight range for his or her height, age and growth pattern. A percentage too low may indicate hunger and poor nutrition, and a percentage too high can lead to diabetes, heart disease and other health issues. I was fortunate that our pediatrician was paying attention to the trends of childhood obesity, because I never would have known to ask for a screening on my own.

Scientists have created a new measure called the Body Adiposity Index, which uses height and hip measurements, instead of weight to judge obesity. It's meant to be a flexible alternative to BMI, which has been used to measure body fat for the past 200 years. Using the BAI means you don't have to step on a scale. But don't throw out the scale just yet. Why?

A doctor writes to us from Canada:

Dear QuickMedical Questions,

I need to order exam table paper. What is the difference between crepe and smooth? The paper I have now is very noisy when my patients sit on it. I hope you can help.

Yours Truly,

Maple Tree

Maple Tree-- great name. When it comes to exam table paper, you have many options. We went to the experts at Graham Medical for the facts on exam table paper. Click ahead for their suggestions.

Paramedics are heroes. They're the first line of defense in emergencies ranging from sudden cardiac arrest to multiple gun shot wounds. Emergency personnel, like firefighters and police, go to emergencies and willingly put themselves in danger to help others. Despite the heroic ideals of the job, no one is perfect. There will always be bad apples. And then there are the really strange apples. Our story is about one of those unfortunate folks. In September 2008 firefighter-paramedic Cynthia Economou stole a man's severed foot from a car crash for use in training her cadaver dog. Yes, really.

If you read the blog often, you might remember QuickMedical is a Veteran Owned Small Business and government sales is an important part of QuickMedical. Selling medical equipment and supplies to the government is an important job that makes us proud. 2011 has just begun, but it's the perfect time to talk to our government sales team about how QuickMedical can help your facility or department. To learn more, click ahead and keep reading.

The CardioChek PA is a fast, portable and accurate whole blood test system designed to enable physicians to test patients for dyslipidemia and take action to bring their lipids under control on-the-spot, while they are in the office. It's a great tool, and Polymer has a way you can get one for free. This March, health fairs, corporate screening groups and medical facilities should take advantage of this special offer.

If your organization or facility buys 20 lipid panel packages (15 tests per package) it will get a new silver CardioChek PA Professional Cholesterol Monitor for free, with free shipping, drop shipped from Polymer. It is limited to new customers only, however, so if you've been thinking about it, now is the time.

High LDL cholesterol levels are an early indicator of a variety of health issues, not limited to, but including heart disease and diabetes. Having the information provided by the CardioChek screening system about their cholesterol levels gives people the power to change their lifestyle and make healthier decisions.

Strike while the iron is hot-- the promo ends in just a few days-- March 31, 2011.

for reference use sku 24281