Our goal at HCGH is to create a family-centered experience for our new mothers and their families. From our attractively decorated private rooms, all with private baths, to cookies in the afternoon, we want our patients to experience a healthy labor and delivery in a relaxed but medically secure environment. Two of our recovery rooms are designed specifically for cesarean births and our expanded Center for Maternal and Fetal Medicine offers comprehensive, state-of-the-art perinatal care for mothers with high-risk pregnancies. For our neediest infants, our 18-bed Level IIIb Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is ready with state-of-the-art medical equipment and a highly trained staff.

HCGH offers birthing center tours and sibling tours as well as a number of classes for expectant parents. We believe that the more mothers and families know about the process, the more comfortable they will feel at delivery.

For more information about classes and tours, visit our website or call the HCGH Wellness Center at 410-740-7601.

For more than 50 years, CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) has been advocated as a way to resuscitate cardiac arrest victims that can be learned and practiced by both professional healthcare providers and lay-persons or bystanders. The standard version now calls for alternating 30 hard pushes on a victim’s chest with two quick breaths into their mouth.

Recent Studies

Recent studies reported in the July 29 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, however, show that a technique the American Heart Association has been promoting, “hands-only CPR,” may result in equal or higher survival rates than the traditional method when performed by non-professionals who are guided by a 911 dispatcher on how to correctly administer this simpler method.

Some experts believe that pumping is most important for adult cases, and advise doing chest pushes continually at a rate of 100 per minute while omitting the mouth-to-mouth breathing. Some suggest using the beat of the old disco song “Stayin’ Alive” as a guide.

Advantages

The reasoning behind the success of hands-only CPR for nonprofessionals is that more bystanders may be willing to attempt CPR if they get clear instructions from a dispatcher and if they don’t have to give mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, which is more difficult and often performed so poorly that it may do more harm than good.  Myron Weisfeldt, chief of medicine at Johns Hopkins and a CPR expert, identifies some of the issues in this podcast.

Approximately 310,000 Americans die annually of cardiac arrest outside hospitals or emergency rooms and only about 6 percent of those who are stricken outside a hospital survive. In contrast, one study reported that 12 percent survived when bystanders performed dispatcher-directed CPR with or without rescue breathing. Studies also show that 80 percent of bystanders will attempt the hands-only method, in contrast with 70 percent who tried the standard version.

Lessons Learned

The important lesson to be taken from these studies is that CPR performed by bystanders can definitely save lives and the easier hands-only method encourages more bystanders, who are not trained or competent in CPR with rescue breathing, to offer this life-saving assistance. It should be used for witnessed cardiac arrest for adult victims 8 years and older.

However, CPR courses should continue to teach rescue breathing, since it is important in cases of cardiac arrest due to obvious respiratory failure, which include most cardiac arrests in children and some in adults. Traditional CPR that includes rescue breathing is still, at this time, the method for use by professional healthcare providers in hospitals or emergency medical services (EMS) personnel in the field.

Search for CPR courses offered by the HCGH Wellness Center on our website.

An important part of Howard County General Hospital’s mission is to improve the health of our entire community, and there’s no better way than by getting our children off to a healthy start in life. We can promote keeping them healthy by making the entire family aware of healthy lifestyle choices.

As part of its ongoing partnership with The Mall in Columbia, HCGH is hosting the Healthy Kids in Healthy Families Clinic on Saturday, August 21 from noon to 4 p.m. in the Lord and Taylor Court.  There will be something for all family members at the clinic, including screenings for:

• Asthma
• Youth: height, weight, development
• Adults: height, weight and BMI (body/mass index)
• Scoliosis
• Bone Density
• Blood pressure

There will be booths offering the following:

• Ask the pediatrician
• MdChip: Child Identification Program
• Animal Control information
• Enhancing children’s nutrition
• Health and safety tips for kids
• Physical fitness for the family
• Health insurance information for the uninsured

Columbia Association will offer a martial arts demonstration and the Kangaroo Kids will demonstrate their precision jump rope skills.

Join us on August 21 to help make your family and your community a healthier place to live! 

Catch up on all of the events and classes offered by HCGH on our website.

Mr. Walter Culver

As the community hospital for many in Howard County, the Howard County General Hospital staff is proud to share in some of the most important moments of our patients’ lives…some happy, some sad, and some bittersweet. Recently, a terminally ill patient, Walter Culver, chose to conclude his life with dignity and grace and, in the process, touched the lives and hearts of his HCGH care givers and other employees.

In his own successful career as an interior designer – his work has been published nationally and he has worked internationally – he observed that many of his wealthy clients were discontent, always looking for happiness through material acquisition rather than taking joy in their work. The following passage that he wrote and shared with HCGH staff demonstrates the important role he felt professional passion plays in a person’s career, making it clear that he felt his care team displayed such passion in their work as healers.

Type-2 diabetes is a condition caused when the pancreas has gradually lost its ability to produce insulin and your body has become resistant to insulin. Insulin is a hormone that takes the sugar from your blood into your cells.

If undiagnosed or not managed properly, type-2 diabetes can lead to high blood glucose levels, which can cause damage to your eyes, kidneys, nerves, heart, and blood vessels, which could result in heart disease or stroke.

Patients who control their type-2 diabetes have a better chance of preventing complications. Controlling the disease can mean doing something as simple as following a healthy meal plan and exercise program, losing excess weight and taking oral medications.

The Johns Hopkins Diabetes Management Program at Howard County General Hospital strives to bring the latest information to help you make sense of diabetes in your life. Whether you’re working with us on an individual basis or in our group classes, we will work to create an individualized plan to help you meet your goals. We can provide assistance in all areas of diabetes management, from lifestyle change and weight loss to insulin pump therapy. For more information, call 443-718-3000 or visit us online.

According to the American College of Emergency Physicians, the following symptoms may warrant a trip to the ED*:

• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• Chest pain or pressure
• Abdominal pain
• Severe or persistent diarrhea
• Coughing or vomiting blood
• High fever
• Fainting, sudden dizziness or weakness
• Confusion or changes in mental status
• Changes in vision
• Difficulty speaking
• Severe headache
• Weakness in your arm or leg
• Suicidal feelings

* Please note that this list is not all inclusive.

“While this list of symptoms is a helpful guideline for adults, adults and children differ both in the medical issues that affect them and the symptoms they exhibit,” explains Atha. “Symptoms that are serious for a child might not be as serious for an adult. Always seek immediate medical attention if you think your child is having a medical emergency.”

For a life-threatening medical condition, call 911 immediately. For less acute medical conditions, check with your primary care physician before coming to the ED as this may prevent an unnecessary visit.

Heat cramps

The mildest form of heat injury, consisting of painful muscle cramps and spasms that occur during or after intense exercise and sweating in high heat.

Heat exhaustion

More severe than heat cramps, heat exhaustion results from a loss of water and salt in the body. It occurs in conditions of extreme heat and excessive sweating without adequate fluid and salt replacement. Heat exhaustion occurs when the body is unable to cool itself properly and, if left untreated, can progress to heat stroke.

Heat stroke

The most severe form of heat illness, it occurs when the body’s heat-regulating system is overwhelmed by excessive heat. It is a life-threatening emergency and requires immediate medical attention. Some general guidelines to protect yourself and your family from heat-related illnesses:

• Drink plenty of fluids, such as water and sports drinks, during vigorous or outdoor activities (including sunbathing), especially on hot days.
• Avoid alcohol and caffeinated beverages, as these can lead to dehydration.
• Dress in light-colored, lightweight, tightly-woven, loose-fitting clothing on hot days.
• Schedule vigorous activity and sports for cooler times of the day. Take rest periods in shady or cool areas.
• Protect children from the sun by having them wear a hat and sunglasses and by using an umbrella. Use a sunscreen that is at least SPF (sun protection factor) 15.
• Take frequent drink breaks and “wet down” or mist yourself with a spray bottle to avoid becoming overheated.
• Try to spend as much time indoors as possible on very hot and humid days.
• Do not leave children unattended in a hot automobile.
• Teach children to warm-up and cool-down before and after exercising.
• If your child has a medical condition or is taking medication, consult your child’s physician for further advice for preventing heat-related illnesses.

Visit the main Howard County General Hospital web site for a detailed chart of heat illness symptoms, first-aid, and treatment.

Lyme disease is caused by a bacterium transmitted by the bite of an infected black-legged tick carried by deer. The tick must be attached to your skin for at least 24 hours.

According to the Maryland Community Health Administration, three to 30 days after a tick bite, 70 to 80 percent of infected people will see a gradually expanding rash at the bite site that may resemble a bull’s eye. “Infected people may have a fever, headache, fatigue or joint pains. It also can cause facial muscle paralysis and meningitis,” says Mateen Awan, M.D. (right), an internist on staff at Howard County General Hospital. “If untreated, you may experience a loss of muscle tone, severe headaches, neck stiffness, shooting pains, heart palpitations and dizziness, severe joint pain, memory loss and difficulty concentrating. If you have any of these symptoms, contact your physician immediately; most Lyme disease cases can be cured with antibiotics if diagnosed and treated early.”

Dr. Awan’s tips to decrease your risk:

• When outdoors, wear light-colored long pants and long sleeves.
• Avoid wooded or bushy areas with tall grass and leaves.
• Talk to your veterinarian about tick control for your pets.
• Check yourself, your kids and your pets for ticks after being outdoors.

Read more about Lyme disease on the Howard County General Hospital web site.

If the transaction is completed as planned, Sibley will become a wholly owned subsidiary corporation of the health system and a member of Johns Hopkins Medicine, but will retain both its name and commitment to its community. The proposed integration does not involve any financial exchange, and leadership and day-to-day operations at Sibley are not expected to change.

Sibley is expected to officially join the health system in early fall after due diligence is concluded.

According to the American Stroke Association, stroke is the nation’s third leading cause of death. A stroke occurs when part of the brain starts to die because a blood vessel carrying oxygen and nutrients to the brain is either blocked by a clot or bursts.

Because time is of the essence if you are having a stroke, it’s important to know the warning signs and be taken to a facility that can help you as quickly as possible. Howard County General Hospital is a designated Primary Stroke Center, meaning its Emergency Department has standardized protocols and procedures to rapidly identify and treat patients who are experiencing stroke symptoms.

Up to 80 percent of strokes are preventable. The National Stroke Association provides these important stroke prevention guidelines:

• Know your blood pressure.
• Find out if you have Atrial Fibrillation (a sometimes undetected irregular heartbeat).
• If you smoke, STOP!
• If you drink alcohol, do so in moderation.
• Find out if you have high cholesterol.
• Find out if you are diabetic and control your blood sugar.
• Eat a lower salt, lower fat diet.
• Get regular exercise.
• Know the signs and symptoms of stroke: