Chennai: A 11-year-old girl who suffered from life threatening pneumonia progressing to Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) became the first pediatric patient in South India to have successfully recovered by the use of artificial heart-lung by-pass machine known as ECMO (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation).

The child was transferred to Apollo Children’s Hospital a few weeks earlier, due to progressive pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome. Her condition quickly worsened as there was a rapid loss in the functioning of her lung leading to drastic drop of oxygen levels and her liver showed signs of decreased function. Hence as a final option, the child was put on ECMO (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation).

Though ECMO has been used in adult cases in the past, for the first time in South India, the technology has saved a pediatric patient, who was suffering from a life threatening pneumonia to give her a chance to survive and quicker recovery.

According to Dr. Paul Ramesh, Consultant Cardiothoracic surgeon and ECMO coordinator, Apollo Hospitals, “As the ventilators were of no support to the child, we had to put her on to the ECMO where her affected lung was put to complete rest and was given time to heal, managing the ECMO was the most challenging task as it has to be monitored 24×7. It required an organized effort of team experts including cardiac surgeons, pulmonologists, anesthetists, critical care specialists, physiotherapists and nursing staff”.

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Poor sleep, which can make a misery for those who suffer from it, can be overcome by following a simple set of tips, experts have claimed.

Evidence shows that insomniacs report low energy levels, mood swings, less productivity at work, relationship difficulties, and persistent poor sleep can even increase the risk of developing conditions including diabetes, depression, high blood pressure and strokes.

According to Research at the University of British Columbia, every hour of sleep lost at night may cost us one IQ point the following day, and it is often a long-term issue – a quarter of people with insomnia have suffered from it for more than 10 years.

To deal with their sleep problems without pills, most people focus first on what Colin Espie, professor of clinical psychology and director of the University of Glasgow Sleep Centre, calls “sleep hygiene” – our pre-bed routine, and the physical environment in which we try to sleep.

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People who drink black tea are less likely to develop type 2 diabetes, say researchers.

A new analysis of data from 50 countries found that the nations who drank the most black tea also suffered the lowest levels of the metabolic syndrome.

Further the study, published in the British Medical Journal, found that high tea consumption was related to lower levels of obesity, the Daily Mail reported.

Scientists believe that the fermentation process, which turns green tea black, could also cause the production of complex health-giving ‘flavonoids.’

They analysed consumption of black tea and the prevalence of various diseases, including type-2 diabetes.

Ireland drank the most black tea, with each person consuming 2kg each a year, according to sales data. Britain and Turkey were close behind, with all three countries found to have lower levels of diabetes than others where consumption was low, including Brazil, Morocco and Mexico.

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What is female impotence?

Female impotence deals with difficulties women face with sex. It is also referred to as sexual dysfunction. As against men, for whom impotence means an inability to get an erection or maintain it for the desired period of time, impotence in women includes low sexual desire, low arousal, difficulty or inability to reach orgasm and problems with lubrication.

More than 40% of adult women encounter sexual dysfunction at some point in their life. These dysfunctions could be in the form of:

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Nutrition and Dietetics expert, Parvathy Radhakrishnan answers readers’ questions on nutrition. Get your doubts cleared and see them featured on our FAQ page every Wednesday.

This week’s answer:
1. Dear Dr. Parvathy R Krishnan Recently lot of people using HERBAL LIFE product to reduce weight drastically.
How far is it good for health in the long run.
Myself aged 41, height is 5.5, weight aprox. 97-98 kg, i know i am over weight
I don’t follow any regular diet, but do not consume sweets, milk products, chocolates, cool drinks, but once in a while 15 days or month consume drinks (beer/whisky), use green Tea/black Tea, black coffee one time daily, try to have fibre food daily at home, non-veg weekly once/twice 1 time at home, no outside food.
nature of work : Sitting
Can i use the product of Herbal Life to reduce weight.
Please suggest, i am from Hyderabad, India
Durga

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Include proteins like lean chicken, fish, tofu, low-fat dairy products and beans to your daily diet to prevent osteoporosis.