Women who are expecting a baby should be considered high priority during this season when the Flu vaccine is in short supply, and should seek an influenza vaccine as soon as possible. Influenza vaccines do not have adverse effects on fetuses, and they have been shown to dramatically decrease health risks for mothers and their newborns, says Neil S. Silverman, M.D., a high-risk obstetrician who specializes in infectious diseases during pregnancy. Dr. Silverman is available for interviews.

USE OF OVER-THE-COUNTER AT-HOME DEFIBRILLATORS STRONGLY SUPPORTED BY LEADING CARDIOLOGIST

An estimated 70-80 percent of cardiac arrests occur at home, often suddenly and without warning. While cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) can buy some time as families wait for paramedics, the only way to actually re-start the heart with a jolt of electricity is by using a defibrillator. Experts estimate that every minute spent waiting for a defibrillator lowers the chance of survival by 10 percent, so the sooner it can be used after a cardiac arrest, the better. Last week, the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) approved for the first time, the sale of an over-the-counter defibrillator. This is the first time at-home defibrillators have been available without a physician prescription. P. K. Shah, M.D., Director of Cardiology, is available for interviews.

BEATING THE ODDS, PATIENT CAN HEAR AFTER LARGE BENIGN TUMOR IS REMOVED FROM INNER EAR

When an acoustic neuroma a benign tumor that grows on a nerve extending from the brainstem to the inner ear is discovered when it is two centimeters or larger in size, there is very little chance that hearing in the ear can be saved. But a 43-year-old mother of two who had a three-centimeter tumor removed has regained about 68 percent of normal hearing. Her operation was performed by specialists from Cedars-Sinai's Max
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Contact: Glenda Collins
Glenda.Collins@cshs.org
310-423-2103
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
20-Oct-2004