Author: St. Elizabeth Healthcare

Written by Barrett J. Brunsman St. Elizabeth Healthcare’s hospital in Fort Thomas could be the first in the world to start dosing Covid-19 patients with an experimental drug that might prevent the respiratory illness from causing further lung damage. CTI Clinical Trial & Consulting of Covington is coordinating the study of the drug PUL-042, which is made by an emerging bio-pharmaceutical firm, Pulmotect Inc. of Houston. It took less than a month to get FDA clearance to begin the Phase 2 study involving people, which is extraordinarily quick, said Tim Schroeder, CEO and co-founder of CTI. Edgewood-based St. Elizabeth was…

Delivering a baby in the middle of the COVID-19 health crisis wasn’t exactly on first-time mother Emily Lusk’s radar when she became pregnant. Emily always knew the arrival of her daughter would be memorable for her and her husband – and she was right. Little Mia’s birth story was truly unforgettable – complete with full-blown tornado warnings during their first night at the Family Birth Place at St. Elizabeth Edgewood. “It was a little bit of ‘is this really happening?!’ moment for us,” says Emily. “Our OB came into the bathroom in full PPE gear to check on us as…

Like many things during this pandemic, our approach to support services for cancer patients is changing. We understand these services are even more valuable during this uncertain time, so many have moved online. “It is important that our patients still receive the integrative oncology experience, even while at home,” says Dwinelva Zackery, Director of Integrative Oncology at St. Elizabeth Healthcare. “We have worked with our support partners to make sure that all the services our patients want and need are still available — in another form. Even now, we are making sure no one faces cancer alone.” At St. Elizabeth,…

Although we are still learning a lot about how people with heart disease are affected by COVID-19, one connection is clear. The pandemic is changing how people without symptoms of COVID-19 are seeking care for other health problems they may be experiencing. “We continue to care for patients who need our help and we are still performing necessary procedures,” says D.P. Suresh, MD, Cardiologist and Medical Director, St. Elizabeth Heart & Vascular. “What people need to know is that if you need intervention to prevent or stabilize health conditions, we are here for you.” Hospitals across the country are seeing…

When physicians present at medical conferences, we usually start with a slide disclosing any potential conflicts of interest to our audience. I probably need to disclose two things here. First, I’m an infuriating and inexhaustible optimist. Second, I’m a cancer doctor but also a recent cancer patient myself, and I understand intimately how it feels when your world unexpectedly spins out of control. In one short month, I went from treating patients and helping design and build a new cancer center to becoming a patient myself. With the arrival of COVID-19 on our shores and our lives suddenly looking as…

The new coronavirus (COVID-19) is posing a challenge for cancer patients and cancer survivors who are immunosuppressed (immunocompromised). Cancer – and the therapies used to treat it – often weakens the immune system, reducing the body’s ability to fight infections like COVID-19. This challenge is made even greater due to the fact that, while the nation is being told to stay home to decrease the spread of the virus, many cancer patients still need to go out to receive their therapies. If you’re currently being treated for cancer or still seeing your cancer care team for follow-up appointments take heart…

With the first day of spring in our rearview mirror, many TriState residents know that allergies won’t be far behind. However, this year is shaping up to be very different because of the global COVID-19 pandemic, leaving many of us to wonder what are typical allergy symptoms versus COVID-19 symptoms. The experts at St. Elizabeth Healthcare are here to help you distinguish the difference but caution that if you’re running a fever, you should contact your primary care physician. Allergies are a normal part of life, but the coronavirus could be life-threatening for certain higher-risk patients. Coronavirus symptoms According to…

If you had to guess the most common fracture from osteoporosis, chances are you’d pick hip or wrist fractures. Surprisingly, there is a much more common culprit: spinal compressions, which occur in more than 700,000 patients each year. Officially known as osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures, this type of fracture causes severe, debilitating pain. Compression fractures are generally resistant to conventional fracture treatments of bedrest, anti-inflammatories, spinal bracing and even opioid pain relievers. Kyphosis and back pain Osteoporosis — which causes bone to lose its density, mass and strength — and cancer treatments can leave the spine weak and susceptible to…

For many Cincinnatians, training for the Flying Pig Marathon has one major roadblock: winter weather. Between snow-packed sidewalks, below-freezing temperatures and strong winter winds, frostbite is a significant risk to outdoor marathon training. But the race must go on – and with these helpful tips and tricks, you’ll be able to safely train in even the chilliest winter weather. Frostbite – what is it? Frostbite occurs when cold temperatures damage the skin – and many people don’t realize how quickly it can happen during the winter months. Frostbite can occur in below-freezing (32° F) temperatures, and once the temperature dips…

Dear St. Elizabeth, I’m writing to thank you and the staff of your Heart & Vascular Institute for giving me my life back. I was diagnosed with aortic stenosis a few years ago and learned that this meant my heart’s aortic valve was not allowing proper blood flow. What this meant to me in the course of day to day life was that my stamina was on a downward trajectory and the things I liked to do were slowly becoming unavailable to me. I’m an outdoors kind of person that, having been raised on a working farm, learned to appreciate…