Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Never Say Never!

Irate customers, unhappy callers, rude responses, abusive language; those are just a few of the what a customer service representative encounters in a day. But how do these affect them?
One of the most sought after job, which is now a trend, is the call center. Their good compensation and benefits are great that most of the job seekers want to have. 

Everyday, lots of applicants drop in their resumes wait for an interview. A lot, with no sweat, were able to make it but there are also a lot who don’t. Those chosen ones will be trained for 1 to 2 months. However, some trainees, after a month or two or even after a day, quit and leave the job. Such reason why the company is always hiring for replacements everyday. But the question is, why do call center agents can’t barely survive call center?

As I took my first call during my training at a call center, I can't help myself but to get terrified. I want myself to stay composed during the calls but I always get loss. I encountered lots of dead air. I want to keep back on track but I can’t. Everything I learned from the classroom training was all gone. The person next to me, who was also my co-trainee, felt the same way. He even mentioned that he wants to quit and not to return the following day. According to him, most of his callers were kind but the sad thing was he wasn't able to resolve their concerns because he was lost. It is expected that first day duty is always the worst. 

During my calls, the callers were kind at first but since I could not address their problem effectively they become rude and irate. There are some calls that I want to release immediately just to avoid the problem but I certainly can’t because it’s a grave offense and is equivalent to termination. So, as much as possible, you just have to keep your patience with you. 

Back to my co-trainee, his self-esteem is so low that he was not able to help his callers. In relation to my case, my self-esteem also decreased when a caller became irate. That day, I empathized those individuals who can’t survive call center. Maybe, for them, being in a call center is a curse. They could not handle the pressures in the work area and that leaving the job is the only option for them.

However, there’s always a room for improvement and that everyday is a learning process. If others made it for more than 5 years then why can’t we. Time will come for us neophytes, receiving a call will be as easy as ABC. So, “never say never!”.
All in a Day's Work....

I was having my initial rounds in the ward with my nurse aide. We came to our muslim patient with a DNR status. The room was filled with people. Patient's family and relatives were surrounding him and already mourning. Accessing the patient to do some assessment is quite difficult. However, I managed to reach the patient. I could only see a portion of his face and upper right arm. I grabbed a hand and pressed the fingertips to elicit pain. I checked for any reaction such as withdrawal, movement or any facial expression but could not find any, so, I pressed harder. Momentarily, requested the person standing in front of me who apparently was blocking my view to move aside. While continuously pressing the fingertip, I got a better view of the patient and to the owner of fingertip I was pressing. To my uttermost surprise, the fingertip I was holding is of the patient's wife. Dumbstruck for a moment. I could only watch her reaction. Boy...she had the ugliest facial grimace I ever saw! Immediately, we ended our visit and went to our nurse station as fast as we could. Shutting the door behind us my nurse aide and I burst into rage of laughter. Lesson learned: go back to the basics..clear first the area.

Monday, February 28, 2011

Is Being an Alcoholic Hereditary?
Children raised in a home in which a parent has a problem with alcohol have double the risk of becoming alcoholics themselves. There are various reasons for this unhappy fact. Research shows an inherited or genetic influence that increases the chances of becoming an alcoholic. The stress of living in a home troubled with alcoholism further increases the likelihood of children becoming problem drinkers themselves. Additionally, children of alcoholics often have poor self-image and esteem, and have greater difficulty in facing the stresses of daily living. When circumstances become difficult and problems arise, there is a greater likelihood of turning to alcohol as an escape.




Prevention is greater than cure -- stay away from alcohol!

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Body mass index

Your weight matters, but it has to be considered in the context of how tall you are. Body mass index takes the two numbers into account. Like waist circumference, BMI is an indirect measure of risk, but a higher measure correlates with greater risk. The catch, however, is that it is not always entirely accurate. A person in excellent condition who has a lot of muscle mass may have a high BMI.
Too much excess weight is associated with diabetes, heart disease and stroke, some cancers, sleep apnea, osteoarthritis, fatty liver disease, and complications in pregnancy.
Bottom line: People with BMIs less than 18.5 are underweight. Target BMI range is between 18.5 and 24.9. Overweight is considered between 25 and 30, and a BMI above 30 puts you in the obese category.
(credits to YahooNews)

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Empty Sweets

Refined sugars make up around 21 percent of the calories most people eat -- more than 30 teaspoonfuls per day. Much of this sugar is well hidden in food and beverages. To reduce the sugar in your diet, start by substituting naturally sweet foods for sugared snacks.

Reducing the Sugar in Your Diet
Sugar contains no nutrients or fiber. It's high in calories and can crowd more nutritious foods out of your diet. If Sugar has a grip on you, here are three simple tips to help you reduce your dependence without eliminating sweet treats altogether.

1. Indulge Less Frequently
    How often do you eat desserts or sweet snacks? You may choose one.
          * 1-4 times/week
          * 1-2 times/day
          * 3-4 times/day
          * More than 4 times/day
   If you answered more than once a day you would benefit from reserving treats for special times.

2. Eat Smaller Servings
   When you do eat sweets and sugared foods, learn to savor small portions. Eat slowly, and make your portion last. You can train yourself to be satisfied with a smaller serving.

3. Make the Low-sugar Choice
   Choose low-sugar alternatives when shopping. It's not always easy to tell how much sugar a product contains, because sugar can be disguised as fructose, sucrose, corn syrup, and other ingredients. When possible, however, buy products you know are low in sugar.

Your Turn
Think of some ways you can reduce the amount of sugar you are eating. You may list them on a sheet of paper.

Your Challenge
Try a fruit smoothie. Also, observe how many sweets and other sugary foods you are eating and then cut back to a healthier level.

Is alcohol less harmful to women than to men?

Alcohol's Effect to Both Genders

A question was raised, "I have heard that alcohol is less harmful to women than to men. Is this true?"
The answer is NO, this is not the case. When alcohol is taken in to the body, it is absorbed and carried to every organ in the body. Alcohol tends to dissolve in the body's water stores (in various cells). Women have less water relative to their body weight than men. If the female drinks the same quantity of alcohol as a male over the same time period, the female will have more alcohol in the bloodstream than the male. This will result in more rapid and severe intoxication in the female.

The main chemical enzyme that breaks down alcohol in the body is called alcohol dehydrogenase. Females process less alcohol through this mechanism than do males. This further increases the harmful effects of alcohol in women as compared to men.

Alcohol has also been shown to increase the risk of breast cancer in women, even when small quantities of alcohol are consumed daily (one-half to one and one-half glasses per day). The risk of breast cancer is further increased if one is taking oral contraception or hormone replacement therapy as well as regular alcohol.

Another significant problem is that pregnant women never drink alone. Alcohol present in the blood of the mother will eventually get to the baby developing in her womb. This can cause permanent damage to the child. It has not yet been determined what level of alcohol, if any, would be safe in pregnancy.

Again, prevention is better than cure. Alcohol should be avoided.

Friday, February 25, 2011

Youth for Change (Boto Mo, Ipatrol Mo)


The ABS-CBN’s held a program entitled “Boto Mo, Ipatrol Mo” at St. Michaels College last September 2009. Its goal is to invite every youth to be an active and watchful citizens of the country. The event started at 6:30 am and was covered by ABS-CBN Cagayan de Oro. The sun is slowly rising to its peak and we can feel the heat penetrating our skin. It was a whole day event participated by young people who wants to be a “Boto Patroller” or anyone who desires a change in the Philippine governance. Every college schools in Iligan City were encouraged to participate.

Each school was given the opportunity to showcase their talents during the program and our group, Revived, was chosen to represent our school, Mindanao Sanitarium and Hospital College (MSHC) . We sang 3 songs, “My Jesus, I Love Thee” originally by AVALON and “Because Of Who You Are” by Vicky Yohe for the first part...and a secular song “Tara Tena” sang by KYLA, KAYA and V3 for the second part. The event was until midnight. However, we didn't stayed long because we have schoolwork and assignments that requires attention. 

The event was a big success with the help of every active and concerned youths around Iligan City.

Thursday, February 24, 2011

A Life to Save


It was first day on our third week duty in the Operating and Delivery Room (OR/DR) at Mindanao Sanitarium and Hospital. We were on a 3pm-11pm shift. The OR/DR was not that busy since there was no scheduled operation or any patient waiting at the labor room. 

While having our team conference, the phone rang...the staff was told to prepare for an exploratory laparoscopy, a surgical procedure to examine the peritoneum for any injury. The patient admitted was stubbed with a knife at the abdominal area and is losing large amount of blood prompting an emergency procedure. This means, there is a stat OR procedure coming for us. 

The patient was brought into the operating room bathe with his blood . His abdomen was covered with some cloth concealing what could be his exposed intestines. It was my turn to assist for so I immediately prepared for the operation. The 3 hour operation proved to be life-saving. Despite of blood loss the patient got out of the operation table alive and is recuperating smoothly in the ward.


My shift ended with joy in my heart. That time I learned to value life. That time I learned to appreciate my chosen profession. A profession that requires great responsibility. A responsibility that will save others life. 

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Waist circumference

While not a direct measure of heart disease, a high waist circumference tracks with increased risk for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes—all of which have a direct impact on heart health. And the bigger the belly, the heavier one tends to be. Obesity, of course, is a well-known risk factor for a range of diseases, including heart disease.
Importantly, a higher waist circumference indicates distribution of fat around the abdomen and packing fat around vital organs, which research has indicated is more dangerous than carrying weight in the thighs or buttocks. Be sure you're measuring properly. The correct waist circumference measurement is taken by wrapping a measuring tape around the natural waist at the belly button, not around the hips.
Bottom line: Men should have a waist circumference of less than 40 inches. The figure for women is less than 35 inches.


(credits to YahooNews)
C-reactive protein

Inflammation is a process our body uses to fight off an assault, like a cold or injury, in order to heal. But over the long term, chronic inflammation plays a detrimental role to health because the nasty byproducts—inflammatory molecules like cytokines—are believed to be part of several disease processes, including atherosclerosis, obesity, and Alzheimer's disease. In the realm of heart disease, much ado has been made of c-reactive protein, a marker for one's level of inflammation that can be picked up through a blood test called hs-CRP, for high-sensitivity c-reactive protein.
Who should get the test, and what are doctors to do with the results? Those are matters of considerable debate. "We can't treat high [c-reactive protein]," says Whiteson. It's an indicator of potential heart trouble, but medicine doesn't have the tools, via medications or procedures, to bring an elevated c-reactive protein down to normal. It is possible, however, to directly treat other critical risk factors like high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Doing so can bring down the risk of future cardiac events and death. A landmark study from late 2008 found that subjects who did not have heart disease and had normal cholesterol and who took statins had a lower risk of heart attack and stroke and also had fewer angioplasties and bypass surgeries over the course of the study, compared with the group who took a placebo. But too many questions remain about the study to make a blanket statement that folks should be taking statins more liberally.
Bottom line: According to the American Heart Association, a hs-CRP measure of 1 mg/L means you are at low risk of developing cardiovascular disease, a measure between 1 and 3 mg/L means you are at average risk, and levels above 3 mg/L means your risk is high. Getting the test may be helpful, says Yancy, if you are at intermediate risk for heart disease based on other risk factors and your doctors would like another data point to determine treatment. But "there is no need to check CRP if a person already has high risk or truly is in the healthy bracket," he says.


(credits to YahooNews)
Blood sugar

Over time, high blood sugar levels associated with diabetes can damage nerves and blood vessels. This can spur the buildup of fat on blood vessel walls, which can impede blood flow and promote atherosclerosis. Having diabetes increases one's risk of cardiovascular disease considerably. Three quarters of those with diabetes die of heart or blood vessel disease.
Your body's ability to use glucose (blood sugar) properly can be tested by getting a fasting blood glucose test, which is a snapshot of your blood sugar at the time, or by getting a hemoglobin A1C test, which measures overall blood glucose over the previous three months. Both can be insightful. "There is data to suggest that there is a significant decrease in the risk of heart and vascular disease with every 1 percent reduction in hemoglobin A1C," says Whiteson.
Bottom line: The more controlled, the better. The normal range for a fasting blood glucose test is typically less than 100 milligrams per deciliter; prediabetes is indicated by a level between 100 and 125 mg/dL and diabetes by a reading of 126 mg/dL or above. A normal hemoglobin A1C level is below 6 percent, and those with diabetes should aim to keep it under 7 percent.
(credits to YahooNews)

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Cigarettes

A 2009 study of Norwegians found that heavy smokers—those who puff at least 20 cigarettes per day—were 2.5 times more likely to die over a 30-year period than nonsmokers. But the cardiovascular risks associated with smoking aren't just seen in chain smokers.
The more nuanced message that doesn't always get across is the risk that the occasional smoker is exposed to. Even 10 minutes of secondhand smoke exposure may affect cardiovascular function. Just because you might not smoke a pack a day or even a week doesn't mean you're in the clear. "There is no safe level of exposure" to tobacco smoke, says Yancy.
Bottom line To protect against heart disease (not to mention cancer, stroke, and reproductive problems), the goal is to smoke exactly zero cigarettes.
(credits to YahooNews)
Exercise

You've heard it a thousand times over, and the message stays the same: Regular, heart-thumping exercise offers a multitude of health benefits, particularly for cardiovascular fitness. Perhaps clinicians (and health writers) keep bashing us over the head with that fact because of the eye-popping number of American adults who reported getting zero vigorous activity in a 2008 Centers of Disease Control and Prevention survey: 59 percent.
Bottom line: For a clean bill of health, the major health associations (including the AHA and the American College of Sports Medicine) suggest a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each week—say, brisk walking that boosts your heart rate. This translates into 30 minutes of exercise on five days of the week. Twice-weekly strength training of eight to 10 exercises, up to 12 reps each, is also on their to-do list.
Whiteson at NYU Langone Medical Center suggests that those who don't have heart disease should bump that recommendation up to 60 minutes a day, five days a week of vigorous activity, where you're breathing pretty heavily and sweating. But he offers a concession: "You can break it up" into, say, three 20-minute sessions per day, since "the effect of aerobic exercise is cumulative." He also thinks those without heart disease should do strength training thrice weekly. Individuals with heart disease should always discuss a new exercise regimen with a doctor first, he says.
(credits to YahooNews)

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Pure Voices (Acapella)


As I was lying on my bed pausing on every nook and corners of my mind, I came across a male group..hey..I love this acapella singers. Their album is awesome and I managed to have a copy of it. I am talking about the “Akafellas”. So, I went to my CD collection and search for their album. Scanning..I automatically halted at the song entitled “Kaleidoscope World”. It’s a song originally made by the late Francis M. As I listened to each vocal parts and appreciating its harmony, an idea popped into my head. Uhmmmm...why not form a group just like this?

Back in college days, during my first course, I had a male group and we also sing acapella. We named ourselves “Men In Tune”. Anyway, I still have to think it over. There are certain things to consider such as time and the availability of singers. Furthermore, I am currently a member of a mixed group.

So, back to the Akafellas, I have watched this group before performing at AYALA Center, Cebu City. And man, it was a terrific experience. DJ Mike (one of the members) is an amazing human beat boxer. He’s like a walking sound machine with loads of big woofers and amplifier. Listening to him gives me goosebumps, sending vibrations to every string of nerves running through me. The group can sing both slow and upbeat music, and as expected in live performances, some flaws cannot go unnoticed. However, the group was able to manage it professionally and successfully. It 
was such a pleasant evening to witness them performing live.


Pure voices..That's the beauty of acapella. Leave those instruments behind cause you wont need them. Just present yourself and produce a sound.





(There are lots of acapella groups out there and they are accessible through the net.)

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

A Love Song for Jesus

It was Saturday when we were scheduled to sing at the church..I’m talking about Mindanao Sanitarium and Hospital College Campus Church at Tibanga, Iligan City. Our group sung the song “My Jesus, I Love Thee”, originally written and composed by William Ralf Featherstone and Adoniram J. Gordon. It’s a song from a Christian group “Avalon”, a mixed quartet group known to every religious contemporary music lovers. The song told us how we love God not because He provided our every need but simply because He first loved us by hanging on the cross of Calvary. It was a powerful song originally arranged by Avalon in acapella version, but we covered the version with accompaniment which we found in youtube. Many responded to the song after we delivered it but it’s not just because of how it was sung but because of its very beautiful message. Surely, God loves us more than anything. He gave His son to wear the crown of thorns and purchased our pardon on that cross so that we may have eternal life and inherent that mansion He prepared for us. God first loved us, so, let us also do our part to love and accept Him now.


Tuesday, February 15, 2011

WORK AND EAT MORE OR BEG AND EAT LESS

WORK AND EAT MORE OR BEG AND EAT LESS...

I am a graduate of Bachelor of Science in Nursing. I took the Nursing Licensure Exam last December 2010. The exam, as expected, was tough and stressful. Our CSF (Cerebro Spinal Fluid) could almost leaked out of our ears and dripped off our nose while answering each questions. If epistaxis is literal, then our answer sheets would have been soaked with blood. After months of review, battery of exam exercises and shortened hours of sleep, this whole nerve-wrecking experience and sacrifices finally came to an end. The last day of the exam proved us that we had reached the height exhaustion. It was a grand day for us when we all tacked away our mongol 2s. Never ever entertaining the thoughts that we will hold it again in our hands...at last were done..it was such a relief. Soon the result will come out and we shall see whose efforts are paid off. Waiting for its release is the second edition of our emotional turmoil . As the expected date of release is approaching, exaggeration and exasperation of feelings is a trend. It is however comforting, knowing that we have done our best and we leave the rest to our Almighty Father.

Later, we will end up working in a hospital, company, or institutions. And for some or shall I say, for most, applying in a call center or medical transcription companies is an option. It is tougher than we thought, but that’s life; WORK and eat MORE or BEG and eat LESS.

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Hours of sleep per night

An overcaffeinated America seems to perpetually crave more shut-eye. And evidence is cropping up to suggest that a poor night's sleep is not only felt the next day but could have implications for one's heart over the long term. It is well established that sleep apnea, which results in numerous interruptions to breathing while asleep, is associated with stroke and coronary artery disease.
The reason is not clear, says Whiteson, but it's been hypothesized that people with disrupted sleep breathing have higher blood pressure overall because they don't get the restorative sleep that normally allows blood pressure to go down and gives the cardiovascular system a break during slumber. And a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that middle-aged people who got five hours of shut-eye or less a night had a greater risk of developing coronary artery disease than those who got eight hours. The clue was the beginnings of calcium buildup in their arteries, found by CT scanning long before the disease process would normally be picked up.
Bottom line: Get eight hours of sleep per night. Making it happen isn't easy, we know.


(credits to YahooNews)

Saturday, February 12, 2011

Is Your Heart Broken?

Resting heart rate

How hard does your heart have to work—and how fast does it have to pump—to get oxygen-rich blood throughout your body? A lower number suggests your cardiovascular system is more efficient at doing this. Thus, a highly trained athlete can have a resting heart rate in the 40s, says Whiteson.
And while the research is still emerging on what one's resting heart rate predicts about heart disease risk, a picture is beginning to take shape. "There is certain evidence to support [the idea that] a higher resting heart rate is associated with heart disease," especially ischemic heart disease, he says, which involves reduced blood flow (and oxygen) getting to heart arteries and the heart muscle. This effect seems to be more pronounced in women than in men, but a study in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health suggested that in women up to the age of 70, every 10-beats-per-minute increase in resting heart rate boosted the risk of dying from ischemic heart disease by 18 percent. In men, the risk was increased by 10 percent for every extra 10 beats per minute, and age didn't have an impact. The study also found that women who got high levels of physical activity were able to reduce their risk of death considerably, compared with those who did little or no activity. The same effect was not found in men, but the researchers suggest the results may have been skewed because men tend to overestimate how much exercise they get.
Bottom line: A normal resting heart rate is between 60 and 100 beats per minute. Check yours by finding your wrist's pulse, counting the beats in a 15-second period, then multiplying by four.


(Credits to YahooNews)

Friday, February 11, 2011

Is Your Heart Broken?

Sugar intake

It's not just the savory flavors that'll get you; sweets, too, can ultimately become a cause for concern, says the American Heart Association. Like salt, sugar creeps into the processed foods that make up much of the American diet, and sweetened beverages—soda, juices, and sports drinks—are especially loaded with the stuff. Here's some disturbing math for you: A 12-ounce can of soda has about 8 teaspoons (or 33 grams) of added sugars, totaling about 130 calories. (A gram of sugar translates into 4 calories.)
A can of Coke or Pepsi, then, basically takes you to the AHA's new upper limit on the recommended amount of added sugar Americans should ingest on a daily basis. The association's primary concern is the number of excess calories that added sugars sneak into our diets and pile onto our waistlines, which can contribute to metabolic changes that increase the chances of developing a host of diseases.
Bottom line: According to the AHA, women should get no more than 100 calories per day of added sugars and men should stop at 150 calories per day.


(credits to YahooNews)

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Is Your Heart Broken

Salt intake

Some experts say that the pervasive use of sodium in the America diet is wreaking havoc on our cardiovascular systems. "Sodium causes retention of fluid within the circulation, and if you're sodium-sensitive, it expands your blood volume and can contribute to high blood pressure, stroke, and other heart disease," explains Clyde Yancy, medical director of the Baylor Heart and Vascular Institute at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas and spokesman for the American Heart Association.
A report in the New England Journal of Medicine suggested that if Americans reduced daily salt intake by 3 grams, we could significantly lower the annual number of new cases of coronary heart disease (by between 60,000 and 120,000), stroke (by 32,000 to 66,000), heart attack (by 54,000 to 99,000), and even the number of deaths from any cause (by 44,000 to 92,000). The paper's authors noted previous research that showed the average American man consumes 10.4 grams of salt daily, while the average American woman gets 7.3 grams.

Bottom line: The AHA recommends Americans limit salt intake to 1.5 grams daily. Be wary: Sodium creeps in via unexpected sources, and it's not so much the salt shaker on our table that's to blame. Research suggests we get as much as 80 percent of our daily salt intake from processed foods.


(credits to YahooNews)

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Is Your Heart Broken?

Alcohol intake

Those fond of tipple may be dismayed, but the science on alcohol as an agent to promote heart health is just not definitive. "If you have heart disease, alcohol plays no role in your medicine cabinet; if [you do] not, alcohol is not the right way to reduce your risk," says Jonathan Whiteson, director of the Cardiovascular Rehabilitation Program at New York University Langone Medical Center. Some research has suggested that drinking red wine may increase one's HDL, or "good" cholesterol, but Whiteson notes that the boost is minimal. "Exercise [offers] a better increase in HDL," he says.

While he's not against a drink in a social setting, it's certainly not something folks—especially those with heart disease—should engage in with the idea that it will offer a heart benefit, says Whiteson. In fact, medications' effectiveness can be either hampered or heightened by alcohol, sometimes to a dangerous extent. (Common herbal supplements can interact with heart drugs, too). And drinking too much can lead to high blood pressure or increased blood levels of triglycerides, a type of fat.

Bottom line: The American Heart Association suggests that otherwise healthy individuals who drink should do so in moderation. That is defined as one to two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women. And be careful with that pour: The AHA defines a drink as one 12-ounce beer, a 4 ounce glass of wine, 1.5 ounce of 80-proof spirits, or 1 ounce of 100-proof spirits.


(credits to YahooNews)

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Ugly Ducking

The "Ugly Duckling" Sign: An Early Melanoma Recognition Tool For Clinicians and the Public

The incidence of invasive melanoma (MM) has been rising for several decades;[1] currently it is the sixth most common cancer in both males and females.[2] The key to preventing deaths due to MM remains detecting the disease early, at a stage when surgical excision of the tumor is still curative. One clinical clue to diagnosis is the "ugly duckling" sign-a useful indicator for MM screening with implications for health care workers and the lay public alike. Given certain limitations of the established ABCDE acronym for early melanoma recognition, we suggest a new, broader way of thinking about the ugly duckling concept and its place in MM detection.


(credits to Medscape)

Monday, February 7, 2011

SDA Group Committed won NBC's Sing-off


Will They Still Be Committed?
With powerful lead vocals, soaring harmonies, booming bass lines, Committed never fails to get an audience's attention, and they use their unique musical sound to minister to audiences of all kinds. Committed is a 6-man a cappella christian group. They can leave the pianos, guitars, and drums at home, and still blow away audiences away using only their voices. 
The a capella group "Committed" from Huntsville Alabama is singing its way to stardom on season two of the NBC reality show The Sing-Off. The six-man group began as a quartet at Forest Lake Academy, an Adventist boarding school in Apopka, Florida. "Committed" expanded at Oakwood University, where all the group's members have attended or are attending classes.
The Sing-Off is a five-night event that premiered Monday, December 6. Host Nick Lachey is a multi-platinum recording artist. Ten a capella groups compete for a Sony record deal and $100,000, evaluated by a three-person panel of celebrity judges. 
According to Andrews University, Committed is the only Christian group in the competition. At first, this caused problems for the group.


Image source: Committed Facebook page
Before taping the show, Committed knew they would face some scheduling conflicts because they believe in keeping Saturday as the Sabbath. The group told the producers they would not be able to practice or perform on Saturdays.

According to Andrews University, Committed waited a week to find out if they would still be able to compete. The group's taping dates were moved to Mondays and Wednesdays.

"Our goal has always been to minister to people, to touch people's hearts, to spread the love of Jesus with our music," said Geston Pierre, bass singer for Committed. "We're glad to be on the show, but wether we win or lose, we're going to continue doing what we've been doing."


Committed was formed in 2003 at Forest Lake Academy in Orlando, Fla. Since then, the group's membership has changed lots of times. The current group is made up of five graduates and one undergraduate student fromOakwood University in Huntsville, Ala. 
Committed is the second Seventh-day Adventist a cappella group to compete on "The Sing-Off." In December 2009, Nota won the first season of "The Sing-Off." Their debut album was released in November.

Take 6 also traces its history back to Oakwood. Thirty years ago, the group began at what was then Oakwood College. Since then, the group has won 10 Grammy awards and 10 Dove awards. They've released their most recent album in October.
Committed is Maurice Staple (first tenor), Alain Gervais (tenor, lead vocals, beat box), Theron Thomas Jr. (tenor 3, lead vocals), Geston Pierre (bass), Robert Pressley Jr. (tenor 4, lead vocals, beat box) and Dennis Baptiste Jr. (baritone). They are on Twitter (http://twitter.com/#!/committed6) and have a Facebook fan page.
Committed is not the first Adventist act to participate in a TV competition. Southwestern Adventist University student Rickey Smith appeared on Season Two of American Idol and made the top seven competing against Clay Aiken and others.
Recently, Southern Adventist University junior biochemistry major, Hans von Walter placed third on the College Championship edition of Jeopardy.
"Committed" wowed audiences every each performance with soaring vocals and powerful bass lines. They went viral online almost immediately, fueled in part by Adventists on Facebook and fans of their music. 

Sunday, February 6, 2011

My Group (The Revived)

A Task to Continue

Picture taken for our Power of Praise concert last July 2009 
I have a group named ‘'Revived”. It’s a vocal group, singing for God's ministry, organized 3 years ago by its pioneers. The group had series of concerts locally for 3 years and it feels great to sing because we all share the same passion, MUSIC. I joined the group 2 years ago and since our conductor left after he graduated the task was then passed unto me. 

We are 15 now in the group but a few were inactive. I felt fortunate because I was given the task to handle the group though I know how hard it is. However, Revived must continue its purpose to sing and to minister. So, regardless of the “hard to handle” thing, I should still continue to lead Revived.
Currently, the original director is back to continue the group's ministry. It was so timely because I'm temporarily leaving the group for an important thing to do. More important than leading Revived. However, it doesn't mean that I'm turning my back and leave the ministry. I'm still here and still active for the group's ministry. In time, I will still find myself singing with the group and reaching some precious souls through music. For in God's service, there is no such thing as retirement. The task must continue.  

Saturday, February 5, 2011

Not Clean at all

"Clean" Hospital Bath Basins Contaminated With Resistant Bugs... (Not clean at all...)

sample picture only
SAN DIEGO (Reuters Health) Jan 21 - Clean-looking hospital bath basins are often contaminated with multi-drug resistant organisms, which means they're a serious potential source of infection, researchers said here at the 2011 annual Critical Care Congress of the Society of Critical Care Medicine.
"Health care workers could look at these basins which appear clean and not think that they needed to wash their hands after touching them and before touching a patient," said Dr. Keith Kaye from Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan.
He added that nosocomial infections are now the fifth leading cause of death in hospitals in the United States, with 25% occurring in intensive care units."Many hospital-acquired infections are not even being reimbursed by Medicare anymore," he said.
In a study conducted at 53 U.S. and Canadian hospitals, Dr. Kaye and colleagues randomly selected bath basins for damp swab culture. A central laboratory tested for the presence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) and Gram-negative bacilli.
All of the basins appeared clean to the naked eye and were not visibly soiled, Dr. Kaye said. But of the 576 basins they tested, 63.3% were contaminated.
Roughly a third of the basins - 199, or 34.6% -- from 52 hospitals (98.1%) were colonized with VRE. Gram-negative bacilli were found in 251 basins (43.6%) from 47 (88.7%) hospitals, and 24 (4.2%) basins from 19 (35.9%) hospitals were colonized with MRSA.
"In this day and age, where there is a growing need for hospitals to be vigilant about hospital-acquired infection rates, diagnosing hidden reservoirs of pathogens and multidrug resistant organisms can improve patients' safety and decrease infection rates," Dr. Kaye said.
Bath basins should never be shared between patients, he added. "If you are examining a wound or a device, like a line that's in a patient's vein, you must wash your hands after touching the basin, even if it's the patient's own basin, because these represent important reservoirs for bugs. Wash your hands before going on to the next patient."

Friday, February 4, 2011

Blood Pressure

Blood Pressure Facts

This one is critical to heart health. According to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, 1 in 3 Americans have high blood pressure. When a nurse wraps the cuff around your arm, she's taking a reading of the force on the walls of your arteries, which is subject to fluctuating pressure as the heart beats to push blood through your body. The trouble is, high blood pressure doesn't have any telltale symptoms, so a person might be living with hypertension unknowingly. Over the long haul, elevated blood pressure can damage organs and fuel a cascade of problems.
Action to lower blood pressure can include medications, but diet and exercise can really beat those numbers back into submission. The DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension)—high in veggies, fruit, fish, and whole grains but low in red meat fat and sugar—has been shown to lower blood pressure significantly. And research has suggested that the DASH diet packs an especially powerful wallop when people simultaneously work to reduce salt intake, a known blood pressure booster.
Bottom line: "The only number that really matters is 120 over 80," which is the cutoff for a normal blood pressure reading, says Yancy. The more one's blood pressure surpasses that level, the more damage to the vascular system, heart, and kidneys. The top number is called systolic blood pressure and is the measure of pressure while the heart beats. The bottom number is called diastolic and is the measure of pressure between heart beats. A reading above 120/80 but below 140/90 is considered prehypertension; anything above that is high blood pressure. Both require attention and steps to bring the blood pressure back under control.

Thursday, February 3, 2011

The amazing stapes

The Stapes




Our ear is just one of the smallest yet very important part of our body. In our ear we have three auditory bones responsible for vibration that make hearing possible, the malleus, incus, and stape. In these three small bones, it’s the stapes that really do the vibration and transmit it to the inner ear.  And mind you, it is the smallest bone present in our body. In our lives, we also meet small details and people. Details we just ignore everyday yet play very important roles to change us. People that we just  ignore yet offer us options to be changed. All we have to do is to appreciate them. All we have to do is to listen .

Delirium in ICU

Advisable Frequent Assessment for Delirium in ICU


January 25, 2011 (San Diego, California) — Increased frequency of assessment for delirium throughout the day increases the rate of its detection among patients in the intensive care unit (ICU), as reported by the researcher at the Society of Critical Care Medicine 40th Critical Care Congress.
"Multiple CAM-ICU [Confusion Assessment Method in the ICU] assessments on a daily basis increased the detection of delirium, both in the number of patients diagnosed and in the overall number of delirious days," Betty Tsuei, MD, from the University of Cincinnati in Ohio, said in an oral presentation.
"In our unit, we actually test people 6 times a day, but this is not usually done," Dr. Tsuei. "If you look at some of the papers that are published on the subject, they talk about doing a morning assessment for delirium; most of them base their incidence solely on what they call 'morning testing.' This may underreport the true prevalence of delirium."
Patients who stayed in the SICU less than 2 days and who had a Glasgow Coma Scale score of 14 or less were excluded from the review. In the study, Dr. Tsuei and her colleagues reviewed 334 admissions (310 patients; 24 had repeated admissions) to their surgical ICU (SICU) during 2009. 
To assess delirium, the CAM-ICU was performed every 4 hours while the patient was awake. During 2009, 11,097 CAM-ICU assessments were performed and were analyzed for this study.
A patient was considered delirious after at least 1 delirious day, defined as a 24-hour period beginning at 7:00 AM, during which there was at least 1 positive CAM-ICU assessment, Dr. Tsuei explained.
Boosting the frequency of delirium assessment resulted in an increased detection of delirium.
When assessed just once in the morning, delirium was detected in 117 patients (34%). In contrast, when assessments were performed every 4 hours, delirium was detected in 138 patients (41.3%).
"With more frequent testing, delirium was detected 55% more often than single morning assessment," Dr. Tsuei noted.
The study found positive results on CAM-ICU testing in 521 of 1533 (34%) daytime intervals (7:00 AM to 7:00 PM) and in 524 of 1474 (36%) nighttime intervals (7:00 PM to 7:00 AM).
"This lack of difference between daytime and nighttime detection of delirium dispels the myth of sundowning or nighttime delirium, which is believed to be common during hospitalization. Really, we could find no evidence of this in our review," Dr. Tsuei said in an interview after her presentation.
She added that patients with less delirium were more likely to return home after hospital discharge and to regain their baseline functional status, but patients with more delirium had longer hospital stays and more developmental problems. "We feel that if we can assess more frequently and document delirium earlier that we may be able to positively affect outcomes in these patients," she said.
"My ultimate goal is to empower the nurses to test more than every 4 hours. It should be something they watch for, just as they monitor a patient's temperature or heart rate," Dr. Tsuei noted. "You don't want to leave the patient sitting there with a high heart rate for 3 hours; it's the same thing for delirium. If we find it we can treat it, and we can also try to decrease the risk."
For widespread CAM-ICU testing to be successful, buy-in from a number of people is necessary, Dr. Tsuei said. "You have to have the buy-in from the physicians to recognize that delirium is an actual entity that has consequences and that can be treated, and you have to have buy-in from the nurses, because otherwise they will say it's just one more thing they have to do and may balk at doing the testing. When we developed our protocol, we involved pharmacists, nursing educators, the nurse manager, and the ICU physicians to plan how we would test, evaluate, and manage these patients, and how we would disseminate this protocol throughout our SICU."
Timothy Girard, MD, from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, Tennessee, said Dr. Tsuei and her colleagues have applied a basic tenet of intensive care medicine — frequent and careful monitoring — to a previously neglected but very common aspect of critical illness — brain dysfunction.
"They found that frequent testing, every 4 hours, detected 55% more days of delirium than once-daily testing, an approach that has been used in many research studies and possibly in clinical practice, although there is not much documentation regarding how often the CAM-ICU or other delirium assessment tools are currently being used," Dr. Girard, who moderated the session, said.
"This is likely to be of great value to ICU practitioners, since recent studies have shown that the number of days a patient is delirious is an important independent predictor of adverse long-term outcomes, including death and long-term cognitive impairment," he said.
"In light of these data, ICU clinicians who assess patients frequently for delirium will gain important prognostic information. Also, as this study suggests, frequent monitoring should lead to earlier diagnosis of delirium, which in turn should prompt changes in management, including withdrawal of deliriogenic drugs such as benzodiazepines, treatment of identifiable delirium risk factors, and possibly treatment with antipsychotics."