Induced Hypothermia for Newborns with Brain Injury

Neonatologists at UPMC have developed an induced hypothermia protocol to help newborns who are suffering from a brain injury known as hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) due to a lack of blood flow and oxygen to the brain. HIE occurs in 1 to 2 of every 1,000 infants and has a 40% fatality rate. In addition, 40% of the survivors suffer severe long-term disabilities.
Dr. Richard Telesco, a neonatologist at UPMC who developed the protocol, says they've known for many years that hypothermia can reduced the energy demands of the body and therefore protect the brain, but not until now could they do it safely. Dr. Telesco says the newborn must be cooled to 92.3 degrees for 72 hours, and the process must begin within 6 hours or the damage to the brain could be too catastrophic. Dr. Telesco says without the whole-body cooling, restoring the blood flow can actually create toxins as the blood goes to damaged brain cells and increases brain swelling. He says the key after the 72 hours of hypothermia is to slowly warm the infant.
Telesco says they have a neonatal transport team that can fly or drive to pick up the endangered infant and being the process on site and continue it during transport till the baby is placed in a cooling unit at Children's Hospital or Magee Hospital.

UPMC Wants Suit Dismissed

The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center is asking a judge to dismiss an antitrust lawsuit filed against it by West Penn Allegheny Health System. WPAHS filed suit in April contending UPMC and Highmark Inc. “conspired to protect one another from competition.” Th suit went o to say, “We believe that for several years UPMC and Highmark have engaged in mutual back-scratching designed to preserve Highmark’s monopoly in health insurance and to permit UPMC to build a monopoly in sophisticated tertiary and quaternary health care in this region.” In its request for dismissal UPMC says the “lawsuit is nothing more than an attempt to divert attention away from its [WPAHS] inability to get its financial house in order and shift blame for its failings to UPMC.” UPMC says there is no legal or factual basis for any of WPAHS’s claims.

Frigid Temperatures to Ice Over Region

The weather forecast for the remaining week looks cold--extremely cold-- with highs Thursday and Friday's reaching only the single digits. With these low temperatures comes the risk of cold-related injury including frostbite and hypothermia. Charissa Pacella, Chief of Emergency Services at UPMC Presbyterian, says those most at risk for hypothermia are infants and the elderly, and that children are most at risk for frostbite. The Allegheny County Health Department says that at a windchilld of -19 degrees--which is what the forecast for Pittsburgh predicts--frostbite can set in in just 30 minutes. The following are tips for avoiding cold-related injury:

-Dress in layers. Wear a hat, scarf, boots and mittens. 50 percent of your body's heat can be lost through the head, so it is very important to wear a warm hat.
-Cover as much skin as possible to avoid frostbite. Frostbite often occurs when affected extremities turn numb. If you feel parts of your body going numb from the cold, seek shelter immediately.
-Eat well, but don't consume alcohol. Alcohol, as well as certain medications, can reduce a person's sensitivity to cold and reduce their ability to shiver, the body's natural method for keeping warm.
-And finally, limit time spent outside. The less time spent in freezing temperatures, the less opportunity for cold-related injury.

UPMC 'CONDITION L'

UPMC is announcing a new initiative to locate missing patients. It's called 'Condition L.' Holly Lorenz, chief nursing officer and vice president of patient care services, says staff will be mobilized from across all areas of a facility in a comprehensive effort to rapidly locate a patient. She says that would include doctors, nurses, security, maintenance and housekeeping workers. There would be an announcement made with a description of the missing patient broadcast throughout the facility. She says local police would be notified. This new procedure is being implemented following the recent death of an elderly patient who was missing from Montefiore Hospital. Rose Lee Diggs, who suffered from dementia, was found dead on the hospital's roof earlier this month after wandering away from her room.

Lorenz says "Condition L" will be utilized first at UPMC Presbyterian and then put in place throughout the UPMC system. UPMC wants to have photos taken of patients who are identified as at-risk when they are first admitted to help in the identification process. Those patients would also be given special hospital gowns to make them easier to spot if they leave a unit. Lorenz says UPMC is also evaluating the use of trained search dogs to help locate missing patients.

UPMC to take Second Shot at Hanging Letters

If you gaze up at the top of the U.S. Steel tower in downtown Pittsburgh, you may notice something "M"issing. The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center's (UPMC) hanging of their signature letters was postponed in early May due to inclement weather leaving the letters U, P, and C, at the top of the 64-story building and the "M" grounded. The first 3 of the 4 letters, which weigh between 2,000 to 3,000 pounds each, were successfully attached to the top of the tower via helicopter. Winds and rain kept the "M" on the ground where it has remained in storage. UPMC will try to hang the "M" again this weekend. Spokesman Paul Wood says that as long as the weather remains nice, it will be put up. Workers saved the "M" for last because it is the letter with the largest surface area and the letter most affected by wind. The project will eventually have the letters "UPMC" hanging from the top of all three sides of the U.S. Steel tower. UPMC leases about one-fifth of the building.