Josyann Abisaab

Asthma, according to The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, affects nearly 34 million Americans.  Each year, over 200,000 emergency room visits are due to allergy attacks, as are 300 deaths.  Serious asthma attacks may warrant a visit to the emergency room where doctors like Dr. Josyann Abisaab will assess the situation and treat the patient accordingly.

Once in the emergency room, there are a number of treatment techniques that doctors may use. These include:

1. A nebulizer machine with bronchodilators.  These work to relax muscles around the bronchial tissue to help with better breathing.
2. Iptratropium combined with nebulized albuterol is often used for acute asthma attacks in the E.R.  This helps to stop spasms of the muscles surrounding lung tissue.
3. An intravenous injection of corticosteroids may be given to reduce the inflammatory processes.
4. In severe situations, patients may be treated with an injection of adrenergic medications including epinephrine or terbutaline.

Oxygen may be administered through a breathing mask and a pulse oxymeter will most likely be placed on a finger or earlobe to evaluate blood oxygen concentration levels.  While the administration of oxygen won’t stop the attack, it will provide more oxygen to the blood and may help to prevent death.

Lyme disease is an infection which is often misunderstood by parents and misidentified by the health community.  One of the reasons for the confusion is that Lyme disease manifests in many different ways in the body.  Another reason is that it varies so widely from state to state.

The most classic symptom of Lyme disease, and the one that most doctors like Dr. Josyann Abisaab, will ask you about is a rash.  The circular rash occurs at the site of the tick bite approximately 7-14 days after the initial bite. The rash actually resembles a bulls-eye.  Other symptoms are commonly flu-like symptoms including fever, muscle aches, chills, headache, fatigue and joint pains.

Unfortunately, when Lyme disease goes untreated, it can cause many problems including continued fever and fatigue, swollen glands, pink eye, aseptic meningitis, Bell’s palsy, arthritis and concentration problems.

If you live in an area where Lyme disease is more common, like in the Northeastern area of the United States, and you are exhibiting these types of symptoms, you should seek attention from a medical professional.

New research and training could mean that there is an increase in the survival rate of cardiac arrest patients as well as a reduction in brain damage of these same individuals.  The new treatment – cooling therapy – is being taught to New York City paramedics.  This is definitely welcome news for those working in the ER, such as Josyann Abisaab MD, Assistant Attending Physician at New York Presbyterian Hospital.

An upcoming conference on the new American Heart Association guidelines, is due to take place on November 12, 2010 at McCormick Place, Chicago, IL.  At this conference, participants will be given the opportunity to learn about resuscitation science, education and training.  Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) combines the teaching of rescue breathing and chest compressions for individuals who appear to be in cardiac arrest.  Cardiac arrest occurs when the heart stops pumping blood.  Even if you don’t have the capacities of an ER doctor, having CPR knowledge can bridge the gap between an attack and the arrival of an ambulance which definitely makes life easier for ER doctors such as Josyann Abisaab MD, Assistant Attending Physician at New York-Presbyterian Hospital.

Summer is a time when children have more time off and more time to explore and to enjoy.  At the same time, emergency room doctors like Josyann Abisaab see a great deal of avoidable injuries in the summer.  Keep these tips in mind as you enjoy your summer with your children.

Drowning is one of the leading causes of accidental death among young children.  Children shouldn’t be left unattended while in a bath, pool, lake or other body of water and home swimming pools should be protected and securely locked.

Since people drive more during the summer, there is an increased rate of car accidents.  Make sure that children are always buckled and that they are always in the age-appropriate car seats while traveling.  Heat and dehydration also cause a great deal of E.R. visits.  Never leave a child in the car and keep kids well hydrated during the summer.

Dr. Josyann Abisaab was recently presented with an award “for devoting 20 years to helping establish and nurture Emergency Medicine as a clinical and academic specialty.”  This is not the first time the MD has received an award for her dedication and services.  In 2009 Abisaab was likewise awarded a citation for two decades of service in medicine.  This was connected to her work at Weill Cornell Medical College and at that time, the college’s dean, Dean Gotto, was pictured with her at the ceremony.  In June 2010 however, the award was presented at the New York Presbyterian Residency Graduation Ceremony.

Recent news from the NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital is that a five month old baby underwent a liver transplant due to liver failure that was caught after she was born 10 weeks early.  She breaks records in that at just 4 pounds, she was one of “the smallest babies ever to successfully receive a liver transplant.”  It was Dr. Tomoaki Kato, surgical director of liver and intestine transplant programs at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center, and chief of abdominal organ transplantation and professor of surgery at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons who performed the surgery a few months ago.  Shortly after she was born, she was sent to NewYork-Presbyterian/Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital where an “irreversible liver injury of unknown origin” was diagnosed.  A suitable liver had to be found for her which took two weeks.  The NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital is known as being a highly reputable institution but this latest surgery will add to its prestige.

Sometimes people are unsure whether or not they need to go to the emergency room.   But there are certain cases when it is completely clear cut, like with a burn.  If you or someone you are with is the victim of a burn, do not hesitate; head straight for the ER or even call an ambulance. One might want to also read up on how to deal with burns, as the treatment depends on what kind of burn one is afflicted with. Workers at the ER should be aware of certain basic procedures when encountering a burn victim.

Physicians working at New York-Presbyterian Hospital – like Josyann Abisaab who serves as the Assistant Attending Physician in the hospital’s ER department – should take pride in the latest prestige attached to the institution.  For the tenth consecutive year, it has “the most physicians listed in New York magazine’s ‘Best Doctors’ issue.”  President and CEO of the hospital Dr. Herbert Pardes spoke about what this means for his staff members: “Being a good doctor means having the experience and expertise to diagnose and treat complex medical problems, while employing exceptional communication skills and empathy. Most of all, it means caring for and improving the lives of patients and their families as a top priority.”  This indicates that the New York-Presbyterian Hospital is a place that employs extremely high caliber staff, which is something its workers can take pride in.

During the summer, there are a number of “typical” accidents that emergency room physicians like Josyann Abisaab see repeatedly.  Planning ahead and paying attention to these danger areas can help to limit your exposure to the E.R. this summer.

Outdoor grills cause a great deal of accidents during the warmer months.  It’s important for the grill to be thoroughly cleaned before it is used and for all tubes leading into the burner to be checked before usage.  Don’t use the grill in a closed area such as a garage, carport or porch, or near a surface that can catch fire.

Drowning is, unfortunately, a common issue during the summer months.  Avoid alcohol when swimming or boating and wear a lifejacket if you are going onto a boat.  Keep your eye on your children at all times around water and never let anyone that you know swim alone.  Certainly, all children should be taught to swim when they are old enough to do so.

If you like riding a bike for exercise, then you probably want to find ways to optimize your workout. One way to do this, is to ensure you have the best bike for your workout. Since bikes do not come cheap, it is a good idea to do your research before making a purchase. We found this article to be particularly helpful on this matter: http://www.fitsugar.com/Two-Ways-Improve-Your-Bike-Without-Spending-Too-Much-Money-8633884?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+fitsugar+%28FitSugar+-+Healthy%2C+happy+you.%29

Did you know that vehicle crashes are the number one cause of unintentional injury-related deaths for children under 14? Most of these accidents actually occur close to home, often when parents don’t bother to buckle a child since they are only driving a short distance.

ER doctors such as Josyann Abisaab will advise that you absolutely never turn on the engine to the car until everyone is buckled in – no matter how short the trip will be. In addition, air bags can kill and seriously injure children and children under 12 should always ride in the back. This is particularly true if the car has a passenger-side air bag.

Similarly, it’s essential to know which car seats to use for your children, and to use them correctly. Children who are under one and weigh less than 20 pounds need to be in rear-facing seats. The seat can be turned around when the baby is one and weighs between 20 and 40 pounds. Once your child reaches 40 pounds, he can be in a booster seat, and should remain so until he is approximately 80 pounds.

Certainly, emergency room doctors like Dr. Josyann Abisaab see children who have swallowed serious choking hazards. As a parent, it is very important to child-proof the house and to check each room for choking dangers. Make sure, when you purchase toys, that you only purchase items that are age-appropriate.

Obviously, if you have older children, this poses a problem. Keep toys with small parts far out of reach of small children and teach your older children about the dangers that their toys can pose to their small siblings.

One interesting idea is to purchase a parts tester which you can get at most toy stores for only a few dollars. These will test objects for you to see if they are small enough to pose a choking hazard.

When you enter a room, look around for choking hazards. Make sure you know CPR and that any caregivers that you hire or take your children to know CPR as well.

One of the main reasons that children end up in the E.R. is because of falls. The more precautions you take in the home, the less likely it will be that you’ll experience a dangerous fall. For very small children, this means never leaving a child unattended on the bed, sofa or changing table.

Advice on Small Children & Falls with Josyann Abisaab

Once your child is between 6 and 12 months old, make sure that all furniture is away from windows so that they can’t climb up on the furniture and fall out of the window. Put window guardrails on all second-story windows and above. Obviously, one of the most tragic things that emergency room doctors like Josyann Abisaab see is children who have fallen from windows in the home. Make sure to put safety gates at the top and bottom of each staircase.

Older Children & Falls Advice with Josyann Abisaab

Finally, for slightly older children, make sure to keep the stairways clear so that no one trips over toys, clothing and other items. Also place rubber pads under any loose rugs so that they don’t slide across the floor and cause accidents.

Children’s Health Care: Is it an Emergency?

Certainly, there are times when a child gets hurt badly enough that you know they need to go to the emergency rooms. There are other situations, however, that aren’t as clear cut.  During these times, you have five main options.

You can handle the problem at home.  Minor illnesses and cuts, some rashes, minor coughs, colds, bruises and the like can all be handed with over the counter treatments and love.  If you aren’t sure what your child needs, you can always call your primary care physician.  The doctor or nurse can help you to figure out what steps need to be taken.

You can always visit an urgent care center if you have a non-emergency at night or on the weekends.  You can usually have X-rays taken, have stitches done, and have care for minor injuries that require medical attention but that aren’t life threatening.

The last two actions are more extreme and they include visiting the ER where emergency room physicians like Josyann Abisaab will care for you, or calling 911.  Many serious conditions require a visit to the emergency room including head trauma, dehydration, meningitis, breathing issues and more.  Sometimes, you may feel that you need the help immediately and that you’ll need the help on the way to the hospital. In this situation, it’s best to call 911 and to get the care that you need immediately.