Gibson Area Hospital & Health Services | Gibson gets it! | Fall/Winter 2019

Gibson gets it! 13 Your new medicine checklist Your doctor is prescribing you a new medicine. What should you do next? Ask the name of the medicine. This way, you’ll notice if the pharmacy gives you something different. Know why you’re taking it. You’re more likely to use a medicine correctly if you know how it’s helping you. Be clear on how to take it. For example, ask: • What side effects might I have? • Should I take it before, with or after meals? • Is there anything I should avoid while taking this? • What should I do if I forget a dose? Make sure your doctor knows what else you’re taking. Go over a list of all the medicines you’re taking—including vitamins and herbal products. Read the label—and take it only as directed. Still have questions? Follow up with your doctor or pharmacy. Never stop taking a medicine without talking with your provider first. Store medicines in a secure location. Keep them out of the reach and sight of kids, visitors and pets. Sources: BeMedWise; U.S. Food and Drug Administration Take with care How do I participate in Vial of Life? Pick up a Vial of Life kit at Gibson Family Pharmacy, a member of The Medicine Shoppe family, at 104 N. Sangamon Ave., Gibson City, Illinois. Complete the Vial of Life information sheet with your list of medications, allergies and other medical conditions, and place the information in the Vial of Life. Place the vial inside your refrigerator. Put the supplied informational magnet on the upper right corner on the outside of your refrigerator door to let emergency medical services (EMS) personnel know that your Vial of Life is inside. If you have to call an ambulance, the EMS team will see the refrigerator magnet and know where to find the Vial of Life. Update the information sheet(s) as often as necessary. What is a hybrid operating room? The hybrid operating room, according to neurosurgeon Emilio Nardone, MD, “represents an efficient utilization of space and resources across multiple specialties by having a multifunctional operating table and radiology suite all combined.” Procedures performed in the hybrid OR include: • • Interventional radiology procedures • • Vascular procedures • • Cardiology procedures • • Image-guided procedures such as insertion of peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC line) • • Pain-control procedures such as: • Vertebroplasty—a medical procedure that involves injection of an acrylic cement into the body of the fractured vertebra for stabilization • Kyphoplasty—a medical procedure to stabilize and reduce pain and restore vertebral height and lessen spinal deformity by injecting the cement into a cavity created in the fractured bone • Epidural steroid injections (ESI) and joint injections— minimally invasive procedure that can help relieve neck, arm, back, and leg pain caused by inflamed spinal nerves