Latest / Morning Medical with Dr. Chow / Elite Sports & Women's Fertility, Heimlich Maneuver, and Ants Fighting Superbugs

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Elite Sports & Women's Fertility, Heimlich Maneuver, and Ants Fighting Superbugs · Morning Medical with Dr. Chow

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  Good morning, listeners, and welcome to another episode of Morning Medical with Dr.
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  Chow.
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  I'm your host, Dr.
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  Chi-Ming Chow.
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  Today, we're delving into some intriguing topics at the intersection of health, science,
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  and athletics.
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  We'll explore whether elite sports can impact women's fertility, how to perform the Heimlich
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  maneuver in emergencies, recent improvements in diversity reporting in pulse oximetry testing,
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  and the potential role of ants in combating superbugs.
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  Let's dive right in.
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  Our first topic today revolves around a question that has been raised by none other
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  than Dame Laura Kenny, Britain's most successful female athlete.
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  She's been pondering whether the rigorous demands of elite sports could have an adverse
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  effect on women's fertility.
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  Laura Kenny, a celebrated Olympic gold medalist, has openly shared her personal
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  journey, which includes both the joy of motherhood and the heartache of miscarriage and
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  ectopic pregnancy.
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  Laura Kenny's story is a compelling one.
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  After years of intense training and competition, including winning gold medals at
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  the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympics, she began to wonder if the physical demands of her
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  sport had taken a toll on her fertility.
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  Following the birth of her first child, Albie, in 2017, Laura experienced a miscarriage and an
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  ectopic pregnancy, which left her questioning the impact of her athletic lifestyle on her
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  reproductive health.
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  To shed light on this issue, the BBC News Health team conducted an investigation.
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  They spoke with experts who indicated that the lifestyle of a professional athlete indeed
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  places unique stresses on the body.
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  Dr.
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  Emma O'Donnell, an exercise physiologist from Loughborough University, explained that elite
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  athletes often have very low body fat due to the high caloric burn from training.
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  This can lead to disruptions in menstrual cycles, with nearly two-thirds of female
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  athletes experiencing interrupted periods.
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  This phenomenon, known as relative energy deficiency in sport, or RED-S, occurs when the
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  energy expenditure from training exceeds caloric intake, leading to potential fertility
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  issues.
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  The condition affects hormonal balance, which is crucial for regular ovulation and menstrual
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  cycles.
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  In fact, absent periods are a sign that ovulation is not occurring, which can hinder
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  conception.
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  The investigation also highlighted the psychological stress athletes face, which can
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  further disrupt menstrual cycles.
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  While some studies suggest a potential link between intense exercise and miscarriage,
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  experts like Professor Geeta Nargund urge caution, emphasizing the need for more research
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  to draw definitive conclusions.
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  Interestingly, the conversation around fertility is evolving among female athletes.
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  Some are taking proactive measures, such as freezing their eggs, to balance their athletic
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  careers with future family planning.
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  This reflects a growing awareness and dialogue about the impact of elite sports on women's
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  reproductive health.
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  In summary, while elite sports can pose challenges to fertility due to physical and
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  psychological demands, it's crucial to continue the conversation and research in this area.
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  Understanding the balance between energy input and output is vital for maintaining
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  reproductive health, not just for elite athletes but for anyone engaged in intensive
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  physical activity.
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  Next, let's address a critical life-saving technique that everyone should know – the
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  Heimlich maneuver.
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  Choking emergencies can happen suddenly and can be life-threatening if not addressed promptly.
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  Understanding how to perform the Heimlich maneuver can be crucial in such situations.
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  The Heimlich maneuver is a first-aid procedure that uses abdominal thrusts to expel an
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  obstruction from a person's windpipe.
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  It's widely recommended by health organizations worldwide.
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  Recently, a touching story emerged of an eight-year-old boy who used the Heimlich
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  maneuver to save his choking friend, highlighting the importance of knowing this
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  technique.
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  According to Mass General Brigham, a health care system in Boston, Massachusetts, there are
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  specific steps to follow when performing the Heimlich maneuver.
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  First and foremost, if you encounter a choking emergency, call nine-one-one immediately.
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  If there are multiple people present, one person should call for help while another
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  begins the Heimlich.
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  It's crucial to assess the situation before starting the maneuver.
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  The Heimlich should not be performed on someone who can still talk, breathe, or cough, as these
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  actions indicate their airway is not completely blocked.
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  If the person shows signs of severe choking, such as the inability to speak or exhibiting
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  the universal choking sign, you should begin by giving up to five sharp blows to their back
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  with the heel of your hand, between the shoulder blades.
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  If the obstruction persists, it's time to initiate the Heimlich maneuver.
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  To perform the Heimlich, stand behind the choking person, or kneel if it's a child.
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  Wrap your arms around their torso, make a fist with one hand, and grasp it with the other.
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  Position your hands between the person's belly button and rib cage.
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  Then, deliver quick, upward abdominal thrusts.
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  This action forces air from the lungs, which can dislodge the blockage.
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  Repeat these thrusts up to five times.
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  If the choking continues, alternate between back blows and abdominal thrusts until the
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  blockage is cleared or help arrives.
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  For pregnant or obese individuals, the procedure is slightly different.
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  Instead of abdominal thrusts, perform five chest thrusts to the breastbone, which is the
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  middle of the chest.
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  These adaptations ensure the safety and effectiveness of the maneuver for all body
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  types.
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  It's important to note that the Heimlich maneuver is not suitable for infants under
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  twelve months.
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  For a choking baby, the recommended method is to hold them face down along your arm or thigh,
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  ensuring their head is lower than their bottom.
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  Deliver up to five firm but gentle back blows, then check the baby's mouth for any dislodged
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  objects.
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  If this does not work, try chest thrusts by turning the baby face up and pressing down on
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  their breastbone with two to three fingers.
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  For those who may find themselves choking when alone, the Heimlich maneuver can still be
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  performed on oneself.
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  Place your fists above your belly button and pull inward and upward.
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  Alternatively, you can lean over a hard surface such as the back of a chair or a countertop and
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  thrust your abdomen against it to create pressure and dislodge the obstruction.
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  In today's world, knowing how to perform the Heimlich maneuver is an essential skill.
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  Whether you're helping someone else or saving yourself, these steps can make the difference
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  between life and death.
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  Remember, when in doubt, it's always best to call for professional medical assistance.
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  Our next topic focuses on an important advancement in the field of medical technology,
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  specifically concerning pulse oximetry testing.
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  Recent research has shown that diversity reporting in pulse oximetry testing has
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  improved following guidance from the United States Food and Drug Administration, or FDA.
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  This is a significant development as pulse oximeters are widely used in hospitals to
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  measure oxygen saturation levels in patients' blood.
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  However, a long-standing concern has been the accuracy of these devices in patients with
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  darker skin tones.
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  A study led by Dr.
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  Kadija Ferryman from the Berman Institute of Bioethics at Johns Hopkins University analyzed
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  FDA records to assess the diversity of participants in pulse oximeter testing.
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  The study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, found that
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  mentions of race, ethnicity, or skin tone in summary documents for FDA-cleared pulse
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  oximeters increased following the issuance of voluntary guidance by the FDA in 2013.
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  Before the guidance, only a small fraction of documents included information about the
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  diversity of test participants.
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  Specifically, only 4.1 percent of documents from 1996 to 2012 mentioned these
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  characteristics.
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  This increased to 13.8 percent around the time of the guidance's release and further to 25
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  percent in documents from 2016 to 2024.
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  Although this shows progress, the majority of public clearance documents for pulse oximeters
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  still lack information on testing in diverse populations.
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  One of the critical issues highlighted by this research is the tendency of pulse oximeters to
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  overestimate oxygen saturation levels in individuals with darker skin tones.
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  This discrepancy can lead to failures in detecting dangerously low blood oxygen levels,
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  a problem that has been recognized in multiple studies and discussed by an FDA advisory
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  committee.
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  As Carmel Shachar from Harvard Law School notes, pulse oximeters often read higher in
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  individuals with darker skin, leading to racially and ethnically disparate statistical
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  biases.
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  The ultimate goal, as emphasized by researchers, is to develop pulse oximeters that
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  provide accurate readings across all skin tones.
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  However, achieving this requires a collaborative effort from device manufacturers,
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  regulatory bodies, and healthcare providers.
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  The recent improvements in diversity reporting are a step in the right direction, but more
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  comprehensive changes are needed to address the underlying biases in pulse oximeter technology.
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  The study also pointed out some limitations, such as the reliance on publicly available
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  documents.
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  These documents may not fully represent the data submitted to the FDA, as some information
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  might be included in non-public submissions.
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  Additionally, there seems to be confusion in FDA documents regarding the concepts of skin
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  tone, race, ethnicity, and national origin, suggesting that more explicit guidelines could
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  enhance reporting practices.
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  Looking ahead, newer FDA guidance on pulse oximeter testing is under development, which
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  may address some of these issues.
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  However, as the researchers note, no single change in guidance is likely to completely
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  solve the problem of ensuring equitable pulse oximeter performance across different skin
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  tones.
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  It's a complex issue requiring ongoing attention and action from multiple stakeholders
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  in the healthcare field.
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  Now, let's turn our attention to a fascinating development in the ongoing battle against
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  superbugs.
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  Researchers at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, are exploring a rather
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  unconventional ally in this fight: ants, bees, and beetles.
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  These tiny creatures, often overlooked, may hold the key to discovering new antibiotics and
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  combating the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance, also known as superbugs.
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  So, why ants?
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  Well, it turns out that certain species of ants, like the leafcutter ants, have developed
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  a remarkable symbiotic relationship with bacteria in their environment.
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  These ants cultivate fungal gardens as their food source, and in return, they harbor
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  bacteria that produce powerful antimicrobial chemicals to protect these gardens from fungal
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  diseases.
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  This relationship, which has evolved over millions of years, is being closely studied by
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  scientists at McMaster University.
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  Lead researcher Cameron Currie, a professor of biochemistry and biomedical sciences at
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  McMaster University, describes these ants as "amazing organisms." They essentially practice
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  a form of agriculture, using leaf material to grow fungus for food.
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  The bacteria that the ants harbor secrete antimicrobial substances, keeping the fungus
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  gardens disease-free.
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  This mutually beneficial relationship, or symbiosis, offers a potential model for
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  developing new antibiotics to address the escalating issue of antimicrobial resistance in
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  humans.
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  Antimicrobial resistance is a significant global health threat, as highlighted by the
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  World Health Organization.
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  It occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites evolve to resist the medications we
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  rely on to treat infections.
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  This resistance could make common illnesses, like pneumonia or tuberculosis, much harder to
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  treat or even incurable in the future.
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  Therefore, the search for new antibiotics is crucial.
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  The promising aspect of the research at McMaster University is the identification of
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  over ten new antimicrobial substances from the bacteria associated with these ants.
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  Some of these substances have shown potential in preclinical testing, particularly against
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  fungal infections.
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  The researchers, including undergraduate students like Julian Rosati, are studying
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  bacteria from various insects, including bees, wasps, and beetles, to uncover more potential
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  antibiotics.
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  Interestingly, the most promising compounds discovered so far are those targeting fungi.
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  As fungi are somewhat closely related to humans, there are limited antifungal treatments
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  currently available.
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  With diseases like Candida auris, a multidrug-resistant fungal infection, posing a
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  major threat globally, these new compounds could provide critical solutions.
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  The next phase for the research team involves testing these compounds in a mouse model to
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  evaluate their effectiveness and safety in treating human diseases.
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  This step is crucial in moving these potential antibiotics closer to clinical use.
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  In conclusion, the innovative research at McMaster University highlights how nature's
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  intricate relationships can inspire breakthroughs in medicine.
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  By examining the symbiotic partnerships between ants and bacteria, scientists are unlocking new
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  possibilities in the fight against superbugs.
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  As we continue to face the challenges of antimicrobial resistance, such research brings
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  hope for developing novel treatments to safeguard our health.
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  That wraps up today's episode of Morning Medical with Dr.
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  Chow.
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  Thank you for joining me as we explored these captivating topics.
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  Stay informed and stay healthy.
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  Until next time, take care.