This Week's Herman Trend Alert The Consequences of Virtual Meetings

The Herman Trend Alert February 13, 2008 Vacuuming Blood Clots Improves Survival (This Herman Trend Alert could save your life or the life of someone you love.) A very recent article published in the February 7, 2008 edition of the well-respected medical journal, the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJAMA), reports that vacuuming out blood clots before placing stents can improve patients' chances of survival after heart attack. Typically, in cases like these, balloons inserted into the arteries compress the blockages before stents are placed. (In fact Roger Herman, founder of The Herman Group, had such a procedure performed in July 2000.) This study strongly suggests that vacuuming out the blood clots, rather than compressing them, improves the patients' chances for survival. Supported by a grant from Medtronic, the medical device people who make stents (among other life-prolonging equipment), this study was conducted at the University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, in The Netherlands. The study followed 1,071 patients, hospitalized for heart attacks, who needed emergency angioplasty (balloon procedure). Half the patients were given conventional treatment described above, in which balloons inserted into their arteries compressed the blockages before stents were placed. For the other half , the researchers sucked out the clots with syringes before placing the stents. The findings were impressive: Over fifty-six percent of the patients in the vacuumed group experienced reverse EKG (abbreviated from the German Elektrokardiogramm) signs of heart attack, while only 44.2 percent of the standard group. Doing the math, that is an improvement of over 28 percent. Moreover, patients whose clots were suctioned were more likely to show better blood flow to the heart tissue. This statistic is important because patients with the best flow to the heart tissue have a five-fold greater chance of survival 30 days after their heart attack compared to those with poor blood flow. Also in 72.9 percent of patients, doctors were able to confirm successful aspiration (vacuuming). Although this study was only conducted at one medical center, this break-through is one example of the many medical advancements we can expect in the coming years. Special thanks to Ernie Clevenger, my direct source for this valuable information and publisher of "MyHealthGuide". (www.MyHealthGuide.com) © Copyright 1998- by The Herman Group, Inc. -- reproduction for publication is encouraged, with the following attribution: From "The Herman Trend Alert," by Roger Herman and Joyce Gioia, Strategic Business Futurists. (800) 227-3566 or http://www.hermangroup.com. The Herman Trend Alert is a trademark of The Herman Group, Inc." BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND: RETENTION SPECIALIST PROGRAM A growing number of people have expressed an interest in attending our Employee Retention Specialist Certificate Program. We'd like to schedule on that's convenient for those who want to attend, but need your feedback to do so. Please place RETENTION SPECIALIST in the subject line and Joyce will personally call you back to schedule the workshop. Or you can call Joyce directly at 336-210-3548 (PDT this and next week). BUSINESS IS PICKING UP Most employers are unprepared. The recovery will bring a new set of challenges for employers that have been in prolonged contracted mode. They will need more skilled workers or will need now to begin to upskill their current staffs. But organizations can not engage in Strategic Workforce Planning, when they don't know how. That's where The Herman Group can help. We can help you with your "People Review"----large or small---so that you will know who you will need and when you will need them. . . and we can also guide you to the best sources for the people you will need. For more information, call Joyce at 336-210-3548 or e-mail joyce@hermangroup.com. FIND OUT WHAT YOUR EMPLOYEES REALLY THINK AND FEEL Discover what’s really going on in the hearts and minds of your employees. Our InnerViews interviewing service uses SPHRs and PHRs, certified human resource professionals to probe for the information you really need to know. Exit and Stay Interviews, as well as Why-Didn't-You-Take-Our-Offer Interviews. Call Rosalie Catalano at 937-416-7066, or read more at: http://www.hermangroup.com/retentionconnection/exit_interviews.html. Herman Trend Alerts are produced by the Herman Group, strategic business futurists, Certified Management Consultants, authors, and professional speakers. New subscribers are welcome. There is no charge for this public service. The Herman Trend Alert is received by over 30,000 subscribers in 78 countries, in addition to other websites and printed magazines. Do you enjoy receiving this weekly e-mail update? Contact us about our co-branded Trend Alert service. Click here to sign up for the Herman Trend Alert. Subscribe or Unsubscribe to weekly Herman Trend Alert View this week's Herman Trend Alert Archived Weekly Herman Trend Alerts

[ Home · About · Products · Resources · Media ]

Web site design by WebEditor Design Services, Inc.