Page 6 – Here for Life

World Delirium Awareness Day is March 11, but what exactly is delirium?

March 10, 2020

Delirium is a rapid change in brain function which affects the ability to focus attention. Often confused with dementia, delirium can fluctuate over the course of a day with periods of clarity followed by increased confusion. It is caused by many issues that patients can experience while hospitalized. Those most at risk for developing delirium are:

Critically-ill patients (in the ICU)
Older adults greater than 70 years of age
Patients post-surgery
Those with previous cognitive impairment/dementia, multiple medical conditions, sensory impairment, or immobility while hospitalized

However, more than 60% of patients with delirium are not recognized by health care systems. Hypoactive delirium (appearing to be sedated) is difficult to diagnose, and more consistently care providers think a patient is just sleepy or depressed. Hyperactive delirium (appearing aggressive or restless) is more recognizable but can be misdiagnosed as dementia. But how can delirium be prevented? Read on to learn more about this often misunderstood condition as part of World Delirium Awareness Day. (more…)

Vocabulary lesson: What is a doula?

March 2, 2020

Having a baby is one of the most exciting, scary, and vulnerable times in a mom’s life. You have never been more exposed or had so many questions flying around your brain. Births can be quick or slow, vaginal or surgical, calm and collected, or wild and crazy. Whether you’ve done it before or not, you can be sure that support is essential.

A doula is a labor support person. The term “doula” comes from the Greek for “woman’s servant.” Doulas come when called by the birthing person (or by the nurse upon the request of the birthing person) and remain until after baby is born. They provide continuous care for mom and anyone else mom decides to allow into her space. They provide a constant presence amid the staffing changes at the hospital, an encouraging voice, a reminder of your worth and agency. (more…)

98% artery blockage took him by surprise

February 28, 2020

Eric, a security guard at Hennepin Healthcare, had been dealing with chest pains for about a week, but only when he bent over to do something like tie his shoes. “Heart attack symptoms were different than that,” he thought, “like major chest pains all the time or a shooting pain down your arm.” As an overall healthy man, he passed it off as something else. But one Sunday in January, 2019, he decided to stop ignoring it and went to the emergency department. Blood tests and an EKG were normal, but there was more to come.

(more…)

The healthy woman’s heart attack

February 27, 2020

Have you ever heard of SCAD? AKA spontaneous coronary artery dissection? Bobbijo, who works in the Comprehensive Cancer Center, had never heard of it either. Early in January 2017, Bobbijo felt something was wrong, and passed it off as acid reflux, thinking it would go away. One week later with shooting pain from her sternum through to her back, she ended up in the emergency room. (more…)

Want a healthy heart?

February 26, 2020

We all have heard the things we should be doing to have a healthy heart. Diet and exercise. Diet and exercise. Diet and exercise.

What we’d like to do is compile some tips that may be more specifically helpful, and debunk some myths about what is good and not good for your heart and overall wellbeing! We hope you find this helpful. (more…)

Help is on the way

February 14, 2020

For Domonique Vetaw (pictured right) and Jahanna Robinson (pictured left), helping others was their primary reason for becoming EMS Dispatchers (EMD) at Hennepin Healthcare. Both women have a long history with Hennepin: both were treated here as children, and Jahanna delivered her three children at HCMC. Domonique grew up near the downtown campus and saw the hospital everyday growing up; as a child, she knew she wanted to work in this building, but wasn’t sure what she wanted to do. (more…)

See snapshots spanning 14 decades of care at Hennepin Healthcare

January 17, 2020

With the start of a new year (and decade!), it’s easy to forget how far Hennepin Healthcare has come since first opening its doors over 130 years ago, then named Minneapolis City Hospital. With that in mind, we put together a timeline to showcase some of the accomplishments, historical events, firsts and changes spanning across the last 14 decades that brought us to where we are today.

Although we couldn’t possibly cover all of the hundreds, if not thousands, of important moments in the history of Hennepin Healthcare, here are a selection of some of the highlights from the past few decades. (more…)

ECMO: Improving chances for survival when heart, lungs fail

January 13, 2020

A knock on his neighbor’s door may have saved Ahmed Warfa’s life. On November 11, the 49-year-old was experiencing chest pain when he went to his neighbor for help.

“That’s the last thing I remember,” he said. “Until I woke up in the hospital.”

Warfa doesn’t recall making the initial 911 call before he passed out, but thankfully his neighbor picked up the phone and called 911 again to make sure help was on the way.

When Hennepin EMS paramedics arrived, they found him with a weak pulse and a shallow breathing pattern. As Warfa was being placed in the ambulance he went into full cardiac arrest. Paramedics gave him several shocks to restart his heart but those were unsuccessful. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was performed throughout the entire trip to HCMC, but when he arrived at the emergency department he still had no pulse and his heart was quivering, a life-threatening cardiac arrest rhythm called ventricular fibrillation. Warfa’s best chance for survival was Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation life support – otherwise known as ECMO. (more…)

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