HJBR Jul/Aug 2021

48 JUL / AUG 2021  I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF BATON ROUGE   Hospital Rounds criteria demonstrating a commitment to provid- ing exceptional cardiovascular care. “Patients should feel comfortable knowing that they’re getting the best heart care at Our Lady of the Lake. Our cardiology team is ready at a moment’s notice with patient safety in mind espe- cially during the pandemic,” said Bryan Hathorn, MD, an interventional cardiologist with Our Lady of the Lake Louisiana Cardiology Associates and chair of the Chest Pain/MI Committee. “Don’t delay when experiencing cardiac symptoms that could be related to a heart attack, stroke, heart failure, or atrial fibrillation. You should seek care immediately and feel comfortable that you will receive world class cardiovascular care.” Hospitals that have earned an ACC Heart- CARE Center designation have met a set of cri- teria, including participating in at least two ACC Accreditation Services programs. Our Lady of the Lake is also accredited by ACC in three other areas: • Atrial Fibrillation with EPS (the only ACC accredited AFib facility in Louisiana). AFib — an irregular heartbeat or arrhythmia — can lead to heart failure, blood clots, stroke, and other complications. • Chest Pain Center Accreditation with Pri- mary PCI. Our Lady of the Lake is able to offer advanced care and treatments for car- diac arrest, including coronary artery chronic total occlusion repair, balloon catheter and stent placement, and x-ray exams of the cor- onary arteries and heart chambers. • Heart Failure Accreditation. Heart failure is a condition where the heart is unable to pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs for blood and oxygen. Baton Rouge General Awarded Chest Pain, Stroke Certification Baton Rouge General (BRG) announced that it was awarded certification for both its Chest Pain and Primary Stroke Centers. The hospital again earned The Joint Commis- sion’s Gold Seal of Approval and the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Heart-Check mark for Advanced Primary Stroke Center Certification. “Stroke is the number four cause of death and a leading cause of adult disability in the U.S.,” said Johnny Jones, MD, chief of emergency medicine at BRG. “Time is critical when someone is suffer- ing a stroke, and immediate treatment at a pri- mary stroke center offers the best chance of sur- vival and recovery.” BRG was also awarded a Chest Pain Certifica- tion from The Joint Commission. The certification evaluates how organizations use clinical outcomes and performance measures to identify opportuni- ties to improve care, as well as to educate and pre- pare patients and their caregivers for discharge. For example, BRG has partnered with local ambulance services to begin patient evaluations upon initial contact. An EKG obtained in the field is transmitted straight from the ambulance to the hospital and immediately interpreted by a physi- cian. If the patient meets the criteria for a heart attack, the cardiologist and heart lab team are immediately deployed. That way, upon arrival, the patient can be brought directly to the cardiac catheterization lab for treatment. Baton Rouge Physician Published in National Medical Journal, Launches At-Home Taste Sensitivity Kit A study conducted by rhinologist Henry Bar- ham, MD, at Baton Rouge General was published in the Journal of the American Medical Associ- ation (JAMA), a peer-reviewed medical journal renowned internationally. Results from the study show a connection between a person’s ability to perceive certain bitter stimulants and the symp- toms and severity of their COVID-19 infection. The study spurred the development of an at-home taste sensitivity kit, called Phenomune, which has hit the national consumer market. As reported in December, the study’s results carry important implications, like identifying those at high risk for hospitalization from COVID, which may affect some people’s decision on whether or not to be vaccinated. “Like the rest of the world, I had interest in why certain people contracted the virus and other didn’t despite seemingly high exposure to it,” said Barham. “We intentionally studied hospital work- ers with known increased exposure to COVID. The questions we set out to answer were who can get it and how severe would their symptoms be.” During the study, an early prototype of the taste test was used, but researchers have now designed an accurate, inexpensive taste test that can be used at home. After a short questionnaire and applying the taste strips to the tongue, sim- ply submit your quality and intensity ratings (for example, bitter or sweet and on a scale of one-10). Results are received instantly, along with detailed information about what it means. If you have a low expression of bitter taste receptors, Phenomune will supply ways for you to stimulate those recep- tors and then re-test. Barham and his team conducted the study from July-September, through their outpatient prac- tice, Sinus and Nasal Specialists of Louisiana, and BRG’s Bluebonnet hospital, where the practice is located. A key finding of the study is that people classi- fied as “non-tasters” were significantly more likely to be hospitalized once infected. On the other hand, none of the participants considered “super- tasters” were hospitalized when infected with COVID. Non-tasters were significantly more likely to experience symptoms for a longer period of time – an average of 23 days — compared to just five days for super-tasters. Non-tasters were sig- nificantly more likely to test positive for COVID-19. Ochsner Baton Rouge Expands Cardiology Diagnostics In response to a rising number of patients expe- riencing heart problems after COVID-19, Ochsner Health Center – O’Neal has expanded its cardiol- ogy diagnostic services. The redesigned diagnos- tics center includes more equipment and capac- ity for echocardiograms, stress echocardiograms, and vascular ultrasound. Ochsner cardiologist Bahij Khuri, MD, said ongoing research shows COVID can impact the heart, as well as the lungs and other vital organs. Also, Khuri says some patients may have had COVID and either didn’t know they were infected or never felt sick. The diagnostic center’s expanded capacity is part of a $4.8 million renovation project of the entire fourth floor of Ochsner Health Center – O’Neal. The renovation also provides new space for gastroenterology and pain management clin- ics. n