So, you need to have some blood tests
For many of us, giving blood or having a sample taken for diagnostic lab tests is fairly easy. But if you get queasy just thinking about it or were not blessed with bulging veins, having your blood drawn can be stressful. There are some things you can do to optimize your blood drawing experience:
- Drink water.
Most laboratory tests are ordered as fasting blood work. That means that you do not eat for 12-14 hours prior to the test, usually overnight (fasting longer than 14 hours is not a good idea). Not only can you drink water during that time, you should. Adequate hydration makes your veins easier to find and ensures that your test values are accurate. Besides, you will feel better! Having that morning cup of java or tea won’t adversely affect most tests, but it must be black: no additives, such as cream or soy milk, syrups, sugar, honey, lemon, or artificial sweeteners. - If possible, schedule your blood work when you are not on a tight schedule.
The staff cannot predict how busy they will be, so you may have to wait awhile. Allow for that. Being stressed out will not improve your health and may negatively influence your lab tests. - Alert the phlebotomist if you have ever passed out when you had your blood drawn.
Do not be embarrassed; you cannot will yourself NOT to faint. There is no reason to risk a fall or injury. Prevention is as easy as providing you with a place to lie down while your blood is drawn. Fainting is your body’s way of getting your head level with the rest of your body so blood flow returns to your brain. You cannot faint when you are lying down. Your health care providers will be happy to accommodate you. - If you are a difficult draw, tell the phlebotomist where you have successfully had blood drawn before.
You know your body and your experiences better than anyone else. A good phlebotomist will appreciate knowing which site is best. Even if you have the same person draw your blood every time, you may need to remind them. - If the person drawing your blood can’t get a sample after two tries, someone else should be called. If not, it is OK for you to ask for another phlebotomist.
Standard laboratory practice is for the phlebotomist to ask for assistance after two unsuccessful attempts to get a blood sample from a patient. Anyone can have an off day. Fresh eyes always bring a new perspective, and there may be someone else on duty with more experience or better skills.
~Kristi B. Weber, MT (ASCP)
Laboratory Director, LMG
Adult Flu Shots Available Now!
We now have adult flu vaccinations available! Cost is only $30 – we are happy to bill most major insurance companies. Walk-ins are welcome!
Next Page »Holiday Hours – Labor Day Weekend
Lacamas Medical Group will be open it’s regular hours on Saturday, September 4th. We will be closed on Monday, September 6 in observance of Labor Day.
Next Page »Back to School – Immunizations and Sports Physicals
It’s that time of year again! Lacamas Medical Group will hold a FREE back to school immunization clinic on August 18 from 4 – 7pm. Free immunizations are for uninsured or underinsured school age children only. You must bring your child’s immunization record and a parent or guardian must be present.
Walk-in sports physical clinics will be held Wednesday, August 4th 4 – 7pm, Tuesday, August 17th from 4 – 7pm and Wednesday September 1 from 4 – 7pm. Bring your athletic participation packet with your section filled out. The cost is $40 and is not billable to insurance. Washougal High School and Camas High School require participants to have a current physical exam report on file in the school office prior to the first turn-out. Physical exams are good for two years from the date of exam. Washougal forms may be downloaded here. Camas forms may be downloaded here.
Next Page »Protect Your Skin
Choosing the Right SPF in Sunscreen
SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor. The higher the SPF number, the better protection against the sun’s harmful UVB rays. The SPF number lets you know how much longer you can stay out of the sun without burning. A sunscreen with an SPF of 15 filters 92% of the UVB. Put another way, a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 will delay the onset of a sunburn in a person who would otherwise burn in 10 minutes to burn in 150 minutes. The SPF 15 sunscreen allows a person to stay out in the sun 15 times longer.
The American Academy of Dermatology recommends wearing an SPF of 15 or higher for maximum protection. SPF is available in levels from 2 to 60. Does highest mean the best protection? Not necessarily. An SPF of 50 only provides 1% to 2% more protection than an SPF 30.
UVA and UVB Protection
The label of the sunscreen will indicate the UVA or UVB protection. UVA rays are responsible for the aging effect of the sun; however, overexposure to UVA rays can cause skin cancer. UVB rays are responsible for sunburns and skin cancer.
There is currently no uniform measure of UVA absorption. There are broad-spectrum sunscreens that protect against UVA and UVB radiation although it is important to remember that the SPF does not predict UVA protection. The UV index is a public health education tool reported by meteorologists in 58 U.S. cities. It offers a daily report of UV light levels on a scale from 1-10+.
Waterproof vs. Water Resistant
If you are looking for a sunscreen to use while in the water, choose a sunscreen that is “waterproof” or “water resistant.” “Waterproof” sunscreen should provide protection in the water for 80 minutes, while “water resistant” provides only 40 minutes of protection.
Holiday Hours for July 4th Weekend
We will be open our regular business hours on Friday, July 2 (8am – 7pm) and Saturday, July 3 (9am – 2pm). We will be closed on Sunday, July 4th and Monday, July 5th in observance of Independence Day. We hope you and your family will have a safe and happy 4th of July!
Next Page »In-Home Sleep Diagnostics Now Available
Watermark Medical, the developer of the ARES(Apnea Risk Evaluation System) has recently contracted for services with Lacamas Medical Group to offer the latest technology available for In-Home Sleep Diagnostics. Recently, as a result of studies, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) changed their national coverage determination to include these devices for home sleep testing for sleep disorders including obstructive sleep apnea.
This marks a momentous step forward for the recognition of in-home sleep testing as an effective, cost efficient means of diagnosing sleep-related illnesses. Many people aren’t being tested or treated because of the cost and inconvenience of overnight lab testing and we are very excited to be in a position where we can now reach out to more people to help and fight these debilitating disorders. We believe that if sleep related illnesses are diagnosed sooner, patients will receive treatment which could improve their quality of life.
Sleep Apnea, which affects over 10 million Americans, with an estimated additional 10 million undiagnosed, is characterized by loud snoring interrupted by frequent episodes of totally obstructed breathing (obstructive sleep apnea). Serious episodes last more than ten seconds each and occur more than seven times per hour. Apnea patients may experience 30 to 300 such events per night. These episodes can reduce blood oxygen levels, causing the heart to pump harder and over time incur added risk levels for Stroke and Cardiac disorders. This new technology now offers patients a cost effective, easy to use, and reliable device for the home diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea, useful in diagnosing outcomes for the surgical and non-surgical treatment of obstructive sleep apnea in adults and children. To schedule an appointment to discuss your eligibility for a sleep study, please call 360-838-2440.
Next Page »Memorial Weekend Hours
We will be open normal business hours Friday, May 28 (8:oo am – 7:00pm) and Saturday, May 29 (9:00am – 2:00pm). We will be closed Monday, May 31 in observance of Memorial Day.
Have a safe and happy Memorial Weekend!
Next Page »Recipe: Easter Egg Salad
I like hard boiled eggs. They are a quick and easy breakfast. But a dozen hard boiled eggs? Well, that’s when we make egg salad. In the past, when I’ve made egg salad, I used the yolks and the whites, and a bunch of mayonnaise. No, I don’t know how much mayonnaise. A lot. I do know that it was high in fat and cholesterol. Inspired by one of my favorite cookbooks, Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld, I came up with my own lighter version. This cookbook is great, especially if you have little ones that won’t eat their veggies, or if you aren’t really a vegetable fan yourself. It uses small portions of pureed vegetables and lighter ingredients to make healthy, crowd pleasing meals.
Easter Egg Salad on Toast serves 6
8 hard boiled egg whites
4 hard boiled eggs with yolks
2 tbsp reduced-fat mayonnaise
2 tbsp Dijon peppercorn mustard
1/4 cup pureed cauliflower
1/4 cup pureed carrot
fresh ground salt and pepper
1 slice Dave’s 21 Grain bread
2 tsp Land O Lakes light butter with canola oil
Smash up eggs with a fork. Add mayonnaise, mustard, purees, plus salt and pepper to taste. Toast bread and spread with butter. Spread egg salad onto bread slice.
249.7 cal, 15.7 g pro, 25.0 g carb, 10.7 g fat
Next Page »How Sweet It Is
Our love affair with anything sweet is undeniable. We indulge in soft drinks, fruit drinks, energy drinks, and a host of snacks that are loaded with sweeteners. Our justification is the label across the face of the product package that says, “FAT FREE.” As it turns out, that may not be true after all. New research released by Dr. Robert Lustig, Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism at the University of California in San Francisco, reveals that fully one third of the calories consumed as the sugar fructose are converted to cholesterol. And not just any cholesterol, but the worst kind: VLDL, the lipid that easily attaches to blood vessel walls to begin plaque formation.
Truth be told, that may not be the worst part of eating fructose. Your body processes fructose in much the same way as alcohol, but only the liver metabolizes fructose. In addition to VLDL, the liver makes uric acid and substances that cause liver inflammation (hepatitis). Risk increases for gout, hypertension, insulin resistance, and interference with the feedback mechanism that controls appetite (leptin resistance). If this looks like metabolic syndrome, that is because it is.
Even if you do not consume sweetened drinks, you probably eat fructose. All you have to do is buy processed or fast food. As food companies have reduced the fat content in foods, they have added sugar to improve the taste, usually in the form of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). It is in almost every processed food on the grocery shelf, from bread to catsup.
The next time you go grocery shopping, check the labels that go into your shopping cart. Eliminating or even reducing your consumption of fructose can go a long way to improving your health.
Kristi B. Weber is the LMG Laboratory Director and a Free-Lance Medical Writer
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