Sound Medicine -- June 28, 2003

Hosts Barbara Lewis and Dr. Kathy Miller talk to physicians and researchers about:

Sinus Fungus

Heartbeat Training for Medical Students

Minimally Invasive Hip Replacement

Real Media | Windows Media

Sinus Fungus

Thirty-two million people in the United States suffer from chronic sinus infection, and spend billions of dollars to seek relief. Researchers at Mayo Clinic have identified the cause of chronic sinus infection as nasal fungi, and have proven that a simple anti-fungal nasal spray treatment works. However, a mass market drug has yet to be created by a drug company or approved by the FDA. Dr. David Sherris, a Mayo Clinic ear, nose and throat specialist and one of the project researchers, tells us about the new research.

Everyone's sinuses harbor the fungus; however, it has different effects on many people. Some people's bodies recognize it as abnormal, and this causes an immune response similar to an allergy. The fungus doesn't invade like an infection. Rather, people develop a reaction in response to it, and some people appear to be genetically predisposed to the condition. The fungus' virulence is related to the season, and in some geographic regions, it is worse than in others. However, fungus and molds are so prevalent that it is hard to avoid them.

Researchers are developing an anti-fungal treatment to alleviate chronic sinus infection. Nasal sprays are the most promising, as they are applied directly to the area and result in few if any side effects. A study of the treatment is currently underway, and researchers are optimistic that it will pass an FDA trial and eventually be widely available to the public.

Resources:

More information about the treatment.

Descriptions of the various types of sinusitis.

Definitions, symptoms and tests for sinus infection.

Heartbeat Training for Medical Students

Listening to and interpreting the human heartbeat with a stethoscope is one of the most challenging and critical tasks performed by physicians. An Indianapolis cardiologist has created a new instructional method to make learning this skill easier for medical students. By utilizing high fidelity recording equipment and computer software used by the music industry, Dr. Morton Tavel has revolutionized the art of listening to the human heart.

It requires great expertise to differentiate between normal and abnormal heart sounds. Visual clues aid in this, allowing students to see the shapes of sounds. It is most useful to hear and see a patient's heartbeats simultaneously, especially for new students. However, once a student has both seen and heard heart sounds together, he or she no longer must rely on visual support.

To collect heartbeats, Dr. Tavel uses a stethoscope with high-fidelity recording capabilities. Sounds are gathered in electronic format, and are then entered into a computer and converted into a visual format. A student in a three-hour session will probably run through sixty different heart sounds. An electronic stethoscope permits selective amplification, and more people are able to listen at once. Students learning through the visual technique have found it very productive and less daunting than conventional instructional methods.

Resources:

How to use a traditional stethoscope.

The history of the stethoscope.

Minimally Invasive Hip Replacement

The Indiana-based orthopedics company Zimmer is developing a new innovation in hip replacement surgery. This minimally invasive procedure eliminates the traditional three-to-five-day hospital stay, and patients undergoing the new technique during the trial of this procedure went home the same day or next day following surgery. Although the procedure calls for two incisions rather than one, the incisions are smaller and do not involve cutting muscle, which means an easier recovery for patients. Dr. Richard Berger, an orthopedic surgeon from Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke Hospital in Chicago, was the first U.S. surgeon to perform the minimally invasive hip surgery and led the clinical trial.

This procedure is simply a new way of putting in the same components surgeons have successfully used for a long time. However, it affects fewer tendons, ligaments, muscles. Specialized instrumentation allows surgeons to spread apart muscle and other tissue rather than cutting through it. Therefore, patients heal more quickly, and the complication rate is lower than conventional hip replacement surgery.

This procedure can be conducted in 75-80% of people. Patients can expect to walk without any assistance device in two weeks, and can be back to work in twelve days. On the negative side, however, the operation is difficult to teach and difficult to learn. It requires different instruments and a different skill set. However, once better instrumentation and training is developed, this minimally invasive procedure will probably be conducted more frequently.

Resources:

Read a press release from Zimmer about the procedure.

Browse a news story from ABC.com.

More information about the minimally-invasive procedure.

Is there a medical topic you'd like us to cover? Reach us by email: soundmed@iu.edu
or by phone:
(317) 274-4848.

Our voices become hoarse when we get a cold. They can sound higher when we are in a panic. And they may even sound harsh when we scream. But even as our pitch and tone change according to the situation, the difference between male and female pitches remains. Why are women's voices are higher pitched than men's?

A. Women are generally smaller than men
B. Women weigh less than men
C. Women's vocal cords are shorter and lighter than men's

Find out!

In spring and summer with the blooming of flowers and outdoor activities come allergies. Seasonal allergies are most often triggered by the pollen of trees, grass and weed. But what is it about our body that makes us sneeze and sniffle when it comes in contact with pollen?

Find out!

While participating in July 4th activities, avoid exposing your ears to the very loud noise of fireworks because this can lead to loss of hearing, according to the Ball State University’s Audiology Clinic.

July 4th activities including fireworks, loud music and marching bands create a fair amount of noise pollution, ranging from 90 to 140 decibels. Noises above 70 to 80 decibels are considered potentially hazardous to hearing. Even lawn mower noise can be potentially dangerous to the ear. Some other sounds with corresponding decibels are listed below:

Jet take off (200 ft), auto horn (3 ft) – 120 dB
Thunder, horn, discotheque – 120 dB
City traffic – 90 dB
Hairdryer, alarm clock – 80 dB
Freeway Traffic – 70 dB
Library - 30 dB

A person cannot sleep if subjected to 45 decibels of noise, and at 120 decibels, you may experience pain in your ears.

While celebrating Independence Day events, take notice: If you have to raise your voice to be heard, if you can’t hear someone two feet away, if speech around you sounds muffled, or if you have pain or ringing in your ears, you are probably exposing your ears to hazardous noise. Avoid prolonged exposure to such loud noise by getting away from the noisy area or wearing hearing protection such as earplugs or earmuffs.

Read what noise pollution is and why it is harmful to health and safety.