In an effort to educate patients about potential complications and help them keep their diabetes under control, The Mountainside Hospital Diabetes Center offers training in self-monitoring of blood glucose, medication management and nutrition counseling.  The Mountainside Hospital Diabetes Center helps patients address the physical, emotional and lifestyle concerns associated with a diagnosis of diabetes. 

Understanding Chronic Wounds

Individuals with diabetes are prone to developing vascular disease in which the narrowing and hardening of arteries results in inadequate circulation of blood to the extremities.  In addition, at least half of all people with diabetes develop neuropathy, nerve damage that can result in a loss of sensation in the extremities.   For these patients, a seemingly minor injury such as a blister or minor abrasion can develop and worsen while the patient is unaware.  The impaired blood flow of vascular disease can greatly interfere with the body's ability to heal such a wound, or prevent it from healing altogether.

The longer a wound takes to heal, the greater the risk of serious infection.  Diabetics, in particular, are especially prone to this risk.  That is why more and more patients and physicians turn to wound care specialists who can employ more sophisticated treatment protocols such as hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy at Mountainside Hospital

At the Mountainside Hospital Wound Center, hyperbaric oxygen therapy is used to enhance the body's natural healing process and strengthen the immune system.  Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is proven to reduce healing time, improve healing rates and prevent possible limb loss. By dramatically increasing the oxygen content level in blood and compromised tissue, HbO therapy provides the ideal environment to promote the growth of new blood vessels and skin, a foundation of wound healing. It's a thoroughly tested, completely safe and painless therapy that has helped thousands of patients worldwide heal faster and more completely. 

About the Mountainside Hospital Wound Care Center

A panel of 18 specially trained physicians, representing a variety of disciplines, including anesthesiology, cardiology, emergency medicine, plastic surgery, podiatry, rehabilitation medicine, and vascular surgery, provide Mountainside HbO therapy patients with the highest level of appropriately targeted treatment.
Mountainside's multidisciplinary team of specialists uses the latest, state-of-the-art healing techniques while helping patients understand the healing process and learn how to protect themselves from having another chronic wound. 

The Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Center is located on the third floor of Mountainside Hospital in the Wound Care Center and is open Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and on Saturday by appointments only.  For further information about its services, call (973) 429-6119 or visit www.mountainsidehosp.com/hbot. To schedule patient appointments, call Central Scheduling at (973) 873-7787.

For many conditions, such as broken bones or heart problems, the decision to head to the emergency room can be quite straightforward.  But what about when your symptoms aren't as clear?  With all of the confusion surrounding H1N1 (Swine Flu), it can be tempting to run to the emergency room at the first sign of a sore throat. 

"When flu season strikes, we see a lot of people who are worried that they have H1N1," says Dr. Marjory Langer, Director of Mountainside Hospital's Emergency Department.  "It is often best to call your primary care physician for advice, but whenever in doubt, or if symptoms worsen, it's better to err on the side of caution and seek care."

Dr. Langer urges patients to learn the warning signs and recognize if they have a higher than average risk of developing complications from the flu.  Those with a high risk of flu complications include pregnant women, children younger than five years old, adults 65 years and older, those with certain chronic medical or immunosuppressive conditions and those younger than nineteen years of age who are receiving long-term aspirin therapy.

Learn the signs

The American College of Emergency Physicians advises that you follow the guidelines below to help you determine whether your flu symptoms warrant a hospital emergency room visit.  You should visit the emergency room if you experience:

• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• Sudden dizziness and confusion
• Sudden or severe pain in the chest or abdomen
• Persistent vomiting or diarrhea
• Uncontrolled bleeding

Individuals should call 911 if the condition is life-threatening or the condition could worsen en route to the hospital.

About Mountainside Hospital's Emergency Services

At Mountainside Hospital board-certified Emergency Medicine Physicians provide outstanding evaluation and treatment for patients with a full spectrum of emergency medical needs.  The Mountainside Hospital Emergency Department is committed to providing the finest quality patient care 24 hours a day, seven days per week.

Single-bed treatment rooms for patient comfort
On admission to the Emergency Department, patients are be greeted by a Triage Nurse, who will assess their medical condition, assuring immediate care for serious problems. If admission is needed, our patients are treated in single-bed treatment rooms for their privacy.

Immediate Care
At Mountainside, there is no need to wait in line if the emergency is relatively minor. The Hospital's Fast Track Unit is fully staffed to assure prompt and efficient care for minor medical problems. Fast Track also offers convenient bedside registration.

The community health staff at Mountainside Hospital will be available to assist with education and resources for those ready to quit.

November 18, 2010
10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Mountainside Hospital Main Lobby
located at the Bay Avenue entrance.

No registration is required.