Mickey Underwood The COVID-19 pandemic took the world by storm and significantly impacted many lives. Still, many healthcare innovations took place during and since the pandemic.
The dangers and worries of a global pandemic were damning enough to consume the healthcare industry, but many people still faced other troubles. Although COVID-19 took a front seat position in the world of medicine, researchers still worked on solutions for other diseases and injuries. Some of the top concerns are Alzheimer’s disease, maternal mortality, and prostate cancer.
Check out several healthcare innovations that took place during and after the pandemic.
Rolling MRIs make life-saving assessments much sooner
Strokes caused by blood clots reaching the brain require fast action and life-saving procedures. Portable MRI devices help doctors assess issues and begin the life-saving steps much sooner than what’s required by a patient trip to the room with an MRI machine. This new portable machine is called the Swoop MRI, which received approval in August 2020 and then began its time in use in many US hospitals. This machine allows doctors to assess patient needs more quickly and take action, which could be the difference between life and death for many patients.
New steps in curing prostate cancer
One of the most important healthcare innovations is a new approach to curing prostate cancer. This cancer affects one in every eight men in the United States and is expected to be the cause of 34,000 deaths. The new approach, which uses a compound called PSMA-617, is being used to prolong the lives of men who have deteriorated even after receiving standard treatments. The approach is straightforward; radiation is driven directly into the cancer cells while sparing other cells.
Could sickle cell disease become a thing of the past?
Another extremely important advancement is the treatment of sickle cell disease, which impacts many people of African descent. This new treatment uses a virus to switch off the gene that triggers cells’ sickling. This allows the patient to produce healthy red blood cells and then discontinue blood transfusions, which are often required for patients suffering from this disease. This disease can clog blood vessels and deprive the body of oxygen. If this treatment continues to be successful, it could mean the end of another disease that has taken countless lives for more than 5,000 years.
Childbirth can be much safer than ever
When a woman gives birth, it puts a tremendous strain on her body. If her uterus fails to contract after childbirth; she can experience significant blood loss, which could require an emergency hysterectomy or lead to death. One of the most significant healthcare innovations is a vacuum device created to handle birth-related bleeding. This device aids a natural post-birth contraction of the uterus by putting pressure on the leaking blood vessels.
Athletes have a new solution for ACL tears
ACL tears are some of the most common sports injuries. Between 100,000 and 200,000 ACL tears occur in the United States each year. In December 2020, the FDA approved a new, more natural method of repairing a ruptured ACL. This solution stimulates the ACL to heal itself using a protein-based sponge with the patient’s blood. The sponge is located between the torn ACL ends, and the blood promotes the connection between the two ligament pieces. Eventually, these ACL ends meet up, and the ligament is repaired.
Weight loss could be faster for those who need it
Obesity impacts more than 78 million Americans. These people are at higher risk for cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and other weight-related diseases. A new medication called Wegovy was approved by the FDA. This medication is significantly more powerful than its predecessors. Using this medicine, some doctors have seen up to twice the amount of weight loss in patients. Studies are still being conducted, but so far, results are positive.
A new blood test for Alzheimer’s disease
A new blood test was made available to test for blood markers that could predict patients who are more susceptible to Alzheimer’s disease than others. This is one of the most significant healthcare innovations as it could help more than 5.8 million Americans impacted by this disease to take preventative steps much sooner. This test awaits approval from the FDA, but it could help diagnose this disease and guide patients and doctors to treatments and preventions that could help improve patients’ lives.
These seven healthcare innovations improved many lives and were being studied while the world was facing the COVID-19 pandemic. Which medical improvement is the most important to you?
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