Hannibal Regional Healthcare System News Archive
A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury caused by a bump or blow to the head that causes the head and brain to move quickly back and forth. This fast movement can cause the brain to bounce or twist in the skull causing chemical changes in the brain and sometimes stretching and damaging brain cells.
“Concussions are difficult to accurately diagnose due to the varying signs and symptoms of the injury,” shares Dr. James Tucker, Family Medicine physician at Hannibal Regional Medical Group. If your athlete becomes injured during practice or a game and begins acting dazed or stunned, moves clumsily, answers questions slowly, loses consciousness (even briefly) or can’t recall events prior or after the hit or fall it is time to seek the care of a healthcare professional. “If it is a possibility your child has sustained a concussion during a game, they should be removed from play and be evaluated by a medical professional,” notes Dr. Tucker. “The athlete should remain out of play on the day of the injury and should only return with permission from a healthcare professional.”
Repetitive head trauma is increasingly dangerous and early identification may have long term benefits. To help prevent concussions on the field make sure your child follows the rules their coach sets for safety and the rules of the game. Make sure athletes are wearing protective equipment that is well maintained and fits properly. “Wearing a helmet does help reduce the risk of serious brain injury or a skull fracture,” says Dr. Tucker. “However, there is not a helmet that can totally prevent concussions. Even with a helmet, it is important for athletes to try their best to avoid hits to their head. Proper technique should be instructed before full contact drills or practice.” Healing from a concussion takes time, along with mental and physical rest. Each person recovers at a different pace and should follow a gradual return to play and return to school process.
“If available, baseline testing before the season is a great way for healthcare professionals to determine the severity of a suspected concussion,” says Dr. Tucker. Baseline testing is used to assess the athlete’s balance and brain function and is compared to post-injury results to help identify the effects of the injury. To maintain the best results for comparison, baseline testing should be completed annually.
To contact Dr. Tucker’s office call (573) 629-3500.
March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month and Dr. Ashraf Almashhrawi, gastroenterologist with Hannibal Regional Medical Group, would like to share some information to help you stay well. Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among men and women in the United States and 90% of those cases occur in people who are 50 years of age or older.
Colorectal cancer starts in either your colon or rectum, which make up the lower part of your digestive tract. Changes that occur in the cells which line the inside of the colon or rectum can lead to growths called polyps. Over time, some types of polyps can become cancerous so removing polyps early may stop cancer from ever forming.
“Often signs and symptoms of colorectal cancer only appear when the cancer has progressed to late stage cancer or has spread.” notes Dr. Almashhrawi. Some of the symptoms of colorectal cancer are blood on or in your bowel movement; pains, aches or cramps in your stomach that don’t go away; constant tiredness; vomiting and unexplained weight loss. Many of these symptoms may be caused by other, more common health problems, but it is important to see your healthcare provider if you do have these symptoms so they can determine the root problem. Only a healthcare provider can tell if you have colorectal cancer.
“If you’re 50 or older, getting a colorectal cancer screening could save your life,” shares Dr. Almashhrawi. “Regular screening is very important for colorectal cancer because it can often detect cancer early, when it will likely be easier to treat. In fact, screening can even prevent many colorectal cancers, because screening helps us find and remove growths inside the colon or rectum before they have a chance to turn into cancer.” If you are age 50 or over you should be getting screened for colorectal cancer. Some people are at higher risk for colorectal cancer, based on family history or other factors. They might need to start screening at a younger age, and then be screened more often than normal. How often you need these tests depends on which test you have. In general, you can go longer between tests if you have a colonoscopy, which lets the doctor find and remove polyps, or similar tests. Screening tests that look for blood or other things in the stool must be done more often.
“Talk with your healthcare provider about which screening option is right for you,” says Dr. Almashhrawi. “No matter which test you choose, the most important thing is that you get checked.” It's important to keep in mind that if cancer is found at an early stage during screening, treatment is more likely to be effective. There are currently more than one million colon cancer survivors in the United States. To contact Dr. Almashhrawi’s office, call 573-629-3500.
Hannibal, MO -- Polypharmacy is the use of multiple medications by a patient. The minimum number of medications used to define polypharmacy varies, but usually ranges from five to ten. To decrease the risk of medication-related problems and being prescribed multiple medications for the same symptoms, patients should always review their medication list with their provider at every visit.
Dr. Venkata Kada with Hannibal Regional Medical Group notes, “Taking multiple medications is associated with an increased risk for adverse drug reactions or medication-related problems, especially in the elderly. If a patient, age 65 or older, takes multiple medications, he or she is at high risk for medication-related problems and there are several contributing factors.” Sometimes medicine can create a side effect which presents itself as a new symptom or condition; treating that new symptom with another medicine will unnecessarily increase the number of medications and medication-related problems, which is referred to as prescription cascade.
An elderly patient is more likely to receive care from several physicians and each of them may prescribe a different medication. As a geriatric board certified physician, Dr. Kada has a deep understanding of the biology of aging as well as extensive knowledge of its associated diseases and conditions. Dr Kada shares, “Physiologic changes associated with aging affect drug metabolism and increase the risk of medication-related problems. These changes, along with the use of multiple medications, increase the risk of adverse interactions between medications.”
Criteria have been developed by experts to assess inappropriate medication use in older adult individuals. The most widely used benchmarks for inappropriate medications are the Beers criteria, which can help avoid inappropriate use of medications in the elderly, including certain over-the-counter products. Dr. Kada says, “To avoid inappropriate use of medications, it is important to talk with your physician before taking any over-the-counter drugs.” Multiple medications are often required to treat complex medical problems and to meet disease-specific clinical practice guidelines. Discussion with your physician about these issues will help avoid over-prescribing, under-prescribing and other medication-related problems. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Kada call 573-629-3440
Candy Golian’s son, Trey Golian, started taking speech therapy about a year ago after he was screened at his daycare facility, Grow and Learn. “After his screening, we learned that he was farther behind then what we thought,” said Candy. “We knew he was behind but we chalked it up to other factors, but we didn't realize that he was as far behind as he was until I called out and talked to Patty Schenk on the phone.” Patty Schenk is a Speech Therapist with Hannibal Regional Hospital’s Pediatric Speech Therapy team. “She went over everything and explained everything that he was tested for and where he should be at his age and how far behind he was,” explained Candy. After the assessment and talking to Patty, Candy and her husband discussed the cost of therapy that Trey would have to work through, weekly. “At the time we had health insurance but we had a very high deductible and didn’t know if we would be able to afford the therapy sessions,” stated Candy. “I talked to our daycare center owner and she actually told me about the Scottish Rite program. She said that she really thought Trey needed speech therapy and would greatly benefit from it so I decided that we would check into it.” Tammy Lieurance, secretary for Hannibal Regional Hospital’s Pediatric Speech Therapy, helped Candy with all the paperwork and anything else that would be needed for the Scottish Rite scholarship application. Within a day Tammy was able to let the Golian family know that they qualified for the scholarship and that the scholarship would cover most of the cost for each session. “If we had not qualified for the scholarship I don't know if Trey would have been able to get the help that he needed,” said Candy. “The ladies at Hannibal Regional have made this experience one of the easiest things to do, they work with you and your schedule to make it to so easy on us,” explained Candy. “My husband and I both work during the day and it makes it so much easier for us that Ms. Patty comes to Trey at daycare for his session and we don't have to worry about how we are going to get him to each session. Every Tuesday when we pull up to daycare he is looking for her vehicle and gets so excited knowing she is there. Without her help, I know that Trey wouldn't be where he is today and ready to start Kindergarten next year. Without the Scottish Rite program, he would not have received the help he needed. I can never thank the ladies at Hannibal Regional enough for helping Trey and our entire family with this.”
To learn more about Hannibal Regional Hospital's Pediatric Therapy Services call 573-406-5777.
Just after his 70th birthday, David Bailey was faced with a choice that would have a big impact on his well-being. David had been experiencing some health concerns and after encouragement from his family made an appointment to see a primary care physician. David chose Dr. Hossein Behniaye at Hannibal Regional Medical Group to guide him on his path to better.
“In my coaching days I used to say, ‘use what you have to get what you want.” Hannibal Regional had the quality care I needed under one roof,” shares David. “I did have choices - and I could have chosen to go somewhere else for my medical care - but everything I needed was right here, close to home.”
At his appointment, David visited with Dr. Behniaye about some swelling and skin irritation he had been experiencing. Due to David’s past medical history, Dr. Behniaye called on fellow physician Dr. Schuyler Metlis to help determine what the skin irritation may be. David had previously been treated for melanoma so it was determined it would be best to do a skin biopsy. Dr. Behniaye also advised David to seek the care of gastroenterologist Dr. Ashraf Almashhrawi for a colonoscopy.
The colonoscopy revealed David had colon cancer and would need treatment. David then had surgery to remove part of his colon and is now undergoing treatment at the Hannibal Regional Infusion Center with oncologist, Dr. Kristen Strasser.
“Throughout my entire journey, the physicians and staff at Hannibal Regional have been professional, personal and knowledgeable.” says David. “Their follow up care has been amazing and I’ve always felt like a partner in my health journey.
Summer is quickly approaching and with it comes the urge to shed your shoes. However, choosing to go without proper footwear can lead to problems for your feet and may put a damper on your summer fun. Podiatrist Dr. Edward Cline often sees more sprained ankles and broken bones during the summer months due to sports related injuries or people being active outside doing yard work or playing with their family. Another issue Dr. Cline sees is from people who have been outside barefoot or wearing unsupportive shoes and they have ended up with splinters, stepped on broken glass or had another injury.
Summer isn’t the time to dismiss wearing the proper footwear. “You really should not be going outside barefoot, at all” notes Dr. Cline. “You don’t want to get sunburned on your feet which could lead to melanoma or you don’t want your foot getting cut by a piece of wood or glass that could be hidden. Those are two very common problems I see this time of year.” Don’t forget to consider comfort and protection when it comes to your footwear. Some flip flops are very inexpensive, but they are flimsy and will likely lead to a foot injury. Choose sandals that will support your feet - and if you know your feet will be in and out of water make sure they don’t have foam in them. The foam will hold water and become a breeding ground for bacteria. Dr. Cline also recommends discarding any old, worn out, beat down shoes. While it may seem like a good idea to keep them to do your “dirty” work in, they could have holes in them or the traction may be worn down which could lead to falls or cuts on your feet.
Not just during the summer, but all year around, women need to remember to choose footwear which provides support and protection. “Ballet flats are an example of what could be a bad shoe to wear - and most women don’t realize that because they’re comfortable” says Dr. Cline. “Most flats have little to no support and little protection. When you are looking for flats, find something that gives you arch support and protects your feet.” Heels and wedges could also lead to problems because it’s similar to walking on your toes all day. Pointed toes are also bad for your foot health and could lead to permanent damage. “I recommend tracing your foot on a piece of paper, then tracing the outline of your shoe. If it looks like a tight and uncomfortable fit, it will not be good for your feet” shares Dr. Cline.
“Summer is a good time of year to have your children’s feet checked. Before they start a new season of sports, they should have previous injuries checked. Their shoes may need to be adjusted or a brace may be needed to help support an area that has been previously injured.” says Dr. Cline. Another important thing to remember is not to put your children in hand-me-down shoes. Financially it can make sense, but allowing your children to wear previously used shoes may put them at risk for an injury. “With all the wear and tear the shoes have been through, they may no longer be supportive or protect well and could lead to bigger problems than the cost of buying a new pair of shoes for the season,” notes Dr. Cline.
If you are experiencing problems with your feet, help is only a step away. Dr. Cline sees patients in Hannibal and at outlying HRMG locations and is ready to help guide you on your journey to better health. To contact Dr. Cline’s office call 573-629-3500.
