People experiencing cardiovascular emergencies seem to be avoiding hospital emergency rooms due to fears of COVID-19, putting their health at risk, according to a new report.
Data compiled by Heart and Stroke and the Canadian Cardiovascular Society found that visits to Ontario emergency departments for ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarctions (STEMI) — a very serious type of heart attack — fell by nearly 30 per cent in the period between March 16 and April 12, compared to the same period a year earlier.
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Similar numbers from Vancouver Coastal Health show a 40 per cent drop in STEMI patients over the same time last year.
“This last weekend was a good example,” said Dr. Andrew Krahn, a cardiologist and president of the Canadian Cardiovascular Society.
“In downtown Vancouver, there’s an on-call group that looks after acute heart attacks. And they for one weekend actually had none, which was the first time in 11 years.”
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According to data from the Canadian Institute for Health Information, there were 26,950 emergency department visits for heart attacks in the 2018-19 fiscal year, corresponding to an average of about 74 visits per day across Canada.
“This data is distressing because there is no reason to believe that fewer events are happening,” Krahn said.
“There’s no plausible reason why COVID-19 should make for less heart attacks or strokes, for example. So what’s happening is we’re seeing less and less of these because people stay home when they happen.”
Reports from Spain and the U.S. have also shown similar drops in hospital visits for cardiovascular trouble.
1:45 Busy ER doctor tells hospital patients in need not to stay away
Busy ER doctor tells hospital patients in need not to stay away
Delaying medical care can have huge implications for someone’s health, Krahn said.
If you have a stroke, for example, “You have two or three hours, after which you’re going to be disabled.”
“Many of these things that involve in particular acute heart problems, they have treatments that need to be delivered within hours or a day, quickly, to try to prevent the damage that is going to happen.”
Delaying treatment also means that when patients do arrive at the hospital, they’re often sicker and there’s less that doctors can do to help, he said.
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Because of this, he worries that there will be a “surge” in very sick patients down the line, which could overwhelm hospital resources — particularly when added to the growing backlog of elective and non-emergent surgeries that were postponed due to COVID-19.
“It’ll create a burden on our ability to diagnose and see and manage those people who are sicker.”
Dr. Jeff Shaw, a Calgary cardiologist and internal medicine specialist, tweeted earlier in April that he was unable to save a patient who didn’t come to the hospital until it was too late.
“I lost the battle to save a patient last night because they waited too long to come to the hospital,” he wrote.
I lost the battle to save a patient last night because they waited to long to come to the hospital. I know their is a lot of fear of hospitals now and concern about being turned away. If you are sick and need help, hospitals are safe and are ready to look after you.
“I’m afraid that there could be patients who have treatable issues who come in too late or get complications from the issues that could have been prevented had they shown up earlier,” he told Global News.
Krahn says he understands that people are nervous about going to a hospital at a time when health authorities are urging people to stay home to avoid getting sick. But going to hospital doesn’t mean that you will catch the novel coronavirus, he said.
“People might forget that 80 to 90 per cent of COVID-19 patients are in the community, most of them are isolated in their homes,” he said.
Hospitals have protection systems to “wall off” suspected COVID-19 patients from those who are coming in with other ailments, he said, “so hospitals and emergency rooms are safe.”
Emergency rooms have also planned for the pandemic, Shaw said, so patients shouldn’t fear being turned away.
3:45 Healthy Living: Precautions, signs and symptoms of a stroke
Healthy Living: Precautions, signs and symptoms of a stroke
If you suspect that you’re having a major cardiac problem, like a heart attack or a stroke, Krahn urges you to go to the emergency room or call 911 as you normally might.
“The reality is the risk of contracting COVID-19 and then being so sick that it has a terrible outcome and so on is extraordinarily small compared to having an acute medical emergency where the consequences are real and personal and warrant attention.”
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Questions about COVID-19? Here are some things you need to know:
Health officials caution against all international travel. Returning travellers are legally obligated to self-isolate for 14 days, beginning March 26, in case they develop symptoms and to prevent spreading the virus to others. Some provinces and territories have also implemented additional recommendations or enforcement measures to ensure those returning to the area self-isolate.
Symptoms can include fever, cough and difficulty breathing — very similar to a cold or flu. Some people can develop a more severe illness. People most at risk of this include older adults and people with severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney disease. If you develop symptoms, contact public health authorities.
To prevent the virus from spreading, experts recommend frequent handwashing and coughing into your sleeve. They also recommend minimizing contact with others, staying home as much as possible and maintaining a distance of two metres from other people if you go out.
For full COVID-19 coverage from Global News, click here.
New Brunswick‘s Liberal and Green parties are set to make announcements about health care on the campaign trail today as the provincial election race enters its second half.
Liberal leader Susan Holt is scheduled to hold her announcement this morning in Saint John, N.B., followed by lunch at the city’s market.
A spokesperson with the Progressive Conservative party shared few details about the event scheduled for leader Blaine Higgs in Fredericton this morning.
Green Party Leader David Coon will hold a news conference this morning about “local health-care decision-making” alongside deputy leader Megan Mitton in her Sackville, N.B. riding.
On Saturday, Coon said he was proud to put forward a gender-balanced slate among the party’s 46 candidates.
While the Liberals and Progressive Conservatives are running with full slates, the Greens are three candidates short and will not have full representation when the province’s residents go to the polls on Oct. 21.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 7, 2024.
EDMONTON – The Health Quality Council of Alberta is investigating how some medical referrals weren’t properly processed, potentially affecting 14,000 patients over the last five years across the province.
The referrals were made to specialists outside of Alberta Health Services, such as physiotherapists and dietitians.
The health authority’s CEO, Athana Mentzelopoulos, says it does an average 100,000 referrals per year, but in some cases it can’t confirm if patients received referral services.
She says the problem was flagged in late September, and a preliminary estimate suggests 31 patients may have experienced a potential negative outcome due to the delays.
The provincial government requested the investigation, and the quality council is to find out how the snag occurred and how it can be prevented in the future.
The health authority says it has begun notifying patients who may have been affected by the disruption, and the cases could date back to 2019.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 4, 2024.
WASHINGTON (AP) — If you have stained or chipped teeth, you might be considering veneers, customized teeth coverings that can restore a photogenic smile without more extensive dental work.
But dentists warn that these pricey cosmetic enhancements are at the center of a worrisome online trend: unlicensed practitioners without proper training or supervision offering low-cost veneers.
These self-described “veneer techs” often promote themselves on Instagram and TikTok, promising a full set of veneers for less than half of what dentists typically charge. Some also market their own training courses and certifications for people looking to get into the business.
It’s misleading, health professionals warn — and illegal. All states require dental work, including veneers, to be performed under the supervision of a licensed dentist.
On Thursday, Georgia law enforcement officials arrested Brandon Diller, who promoted himself to 158,000 Instagram followers as “Atlanta’s top veneer specialist and trainer.” Diller practiced dentistry without a license and sold “training and certificates, which were worthless” and “provided no legitimate or legal credentials,” according to an arrest warrant from Fulton County’s District Attorney’s office.
Here’s what to know about veneers and how to avoid bogus providers and services:
What are dental veneers?
Veneers are thin, custom-made dental coverings used to hide minor imperfections or to fill in gaps between teeth. Unlike crowns or more invasive dental implants, veneers are almost always considered cosmetic dentistry and generally aren’t covered by insurance.
Dentists usually charge between $1,000 and $2,000 per tooth for veneers, with higher prices for those made from porcelain compared with lower-grade materials.
Placing veneers involves stripping some of the natural enamel from the tooth and bonding the new covering into place. Because of that process, getting veneers is considered an irreversible procedure, according to the American Dental Association. They are not permanent, and can be expected to last between 5 to 15 years before they degrade and need to be replaced.
In recent months the ADA has been stepping up warnings about the risks of veneer procedures done by unlicensed individuals.
“Quality control is lost without the involvement of a licensed dentist,” said Dr. Ada Cooper, a New York-based dentist and ADA spokesperson. “We undergo years of education and training and need to be licensed by various regulatory bodies before we can practice.”
What are the risks of getting veneers from someone who isn’t licensed?
Improper veneer procedures can cause a range of health problems, including severe pain, nerve damage and tooth loss.
Patients need to be anesthetized before the enamel is removed from their teeth.
“It could be incredibly painful if they’re not anesthetized correctly,” said Dr. Zach Truman, who runs an orthodontics practice in Las Vegas. “You can also go too deep into the tooth and penetrate what’s called the pulp chamber, which contains blood vessels and nerves.”
One of the biggest problems Truman sees with unregulated veneer work is that customers aren’t getting screened for existing dental problems, such as gum disease and cavities.
“If you put a veneer on a tooth that has an active cavity, you’re just going to seal it in there and eventually it’s going to progress to tooth loss,” Truman said.
Dental veneers aren’t the only option for improving the appearance of teeth. Over-the-counter whitening kits can help with minor stains and discoloration. And dentists can sometimes use composite materials to reshape chipped or uneven teeth. But Truman says those fillings are prone to crack and won’t last as long as veneers.
How can I spot bogus veneer providers online?
One clue: Many individuals performing unlicensed dental work promote themselves on social media as “veneer technicians.”
Instead of working out of a dental office they often perform treatments at beauty salons, hotel rooms or private homes. Some advertise multi-city tours and encourage clients to message them to book an appointment in advance.
Much of the appeal of the services is in their pricing, with some offering a full set of veneers for a flat fee of $4,000 or $5,000. That’s less than half of what patients can generally expect to pay at a dental office.
Performing dental work without an appropriate license is illegal, the ADA notes.
Dentists and hygienists are licensed by state governments, who also define the work dental assistants can perform. But in all cases, veneers and other dental procedures must be supervised by a licensed dentist.
Earlier this year, Illinois law enforcement officials arrested a woman running a business called the Veneer Experts after she posted videos of herself fitting braces, veneers and other dental products without a license. She was previously arrested in Nevada on similar allegations of practicing dentistry without a license.
What are the best ways to find legitimate dental providers?
The ADA maintains a website detailing the training and licensing requirements for dentists across the U.S. Most states also maintain websites where you can lookup and verify licensure information and find any past disciplinary actions for dentists and other health professionals.
“It’s really critical to understand that dentistry is a regulated health care profession that requires formal educations and licensure,” Cooper said.
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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
