Health

Health Flashes - December 2009

On Dec. 1, Our Lady of Lourdes unveiled its new Burn Center, the first of its kind in southwest Louisiana. Lourdes partnered with nationally recognized burn experts at The Grossman Burn Centers in Southern California to develop a specialized intensive care unit and outpatient burn clinic. Dr. Stephen Delatte, a board-certified plastic surgeon, is the onsite medical director of Lourdes’ new Burn Unit.

Early Detection Screenings is a preventative health screening company that provides screenings for stroke, abdominal aortic aneurysm, peripheral arterial disease, heart disease and osteoporosis. Early detection can be lifesaving, as about 50 percent of people who have a heart attack or stroke have no symptoms at all before the event. The company’s screenings are noninvasive, affordable, quick, confidential and reliable. Screening packages start at $139, which includes stroke, abdominal aortic aneurysm, peripheral arterial disease and osteoporosis screenings. Call 501-3526 or visit us at www.earlydetectionscreenings.com to schedule a screening. Early Detection Screenings is located on 110 Hospital Drive and is open Saturday and Sunday 8 a.m.-5 pm.

Lafayette General has received an award for Orthopedic Surgery Excellence, 2010, from HealthGrades, an independent health care ratings company. The hospital is ranked among the top 5 percent in the nation for overall orthopedic services in 2010 and is No. 1 in the state. A HealthGrades study found that patients treated at five-star hospitals like LGMC are 80 percent less likely to experience a major complication. In 2010, LGMC is five-star rated for overall orthopedic services, joint replacement, spine surgery (five years in a row), total knee replacement, hip fracture repair, back and neck surgery (spinal fusion - six years in a row).

A novel early intervention program for very young children with autism — some as young as 18 months — is effective for improving IQ, language ability, and social interaction, a comprehensive new study has found. “This is the first controlled study of an intensive early intervention that is appropriate for children with autism who are less than 2½ years of age. Given that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that all 18- and 24-month-old children be screened for autism, it is crucial that we can offer parents effective therapies for children in this age range,” said Geraldine Dawson, Ph.D., chief science officer of Autism Speaks and the study’s lead author. “By starting as soon as the toddler is diagnosed, we hope to maximize the positive impact of the intervention.” The study, published online Nov. 30 in the journal Pediatrics, examined an intervention called the Early Start Denver Model, which combines applied behavioral analysis teaching methods with developmental “relationship-based” approaches. For more information on the study, visit www.autismspeaks.org .