Turmoil in the FDA: A high-ranking official quits after the Plan B delay
"I can no longer serve as staff when scientific and clinical evidence, fully evaluated and recommended for approval by the professional staff here, has been overruled . . . The recent decision announced by the Commissioner about emergency contraception, which continues to limit women's access to a product that would reduce unintended pregnancies and reduce abortions, is ...
August 2005
All Stories
More doctors gone wild: A surgeon in Japan punched a patient in her 90's during surgery
"A doctor described as arrogant was suspended for three months for punching a patient in her 90s and hurling verbal abuse at her in the middle of surgery, officials said Tuesday.
The incident took place at Shiga Hospital in Higashiomi, Shiga Prefecture, on Aug. 1, according to officials at the Kinki regional office ...
Anger management: A doctor in Canada is disciplined for swearing at patients
"None of the complainants can be identified, but the daughter of one patient testified that, when she drove almost 20 kilometres to his office to pick up a prescription for her elderly father, Dr. Rathé came out of his office and said to her, 'Assholes like you and your parents I don't need.'
She told a college ...
Again, rising malpractice costs are hurting patients
"Just past Fredericksburg, Virginia's Northern Neck is increasingly becoming known among Washingtonians for its waterfront real estate, tiny fishing villages and a quiet, isolated rhythm that makes you feel like you're a million miles away.
But if you're a pregnant woman about to go into labor, isolation isn't necessarily a plus -- particularly if you're isolated from an obstetrician.
That ...
The hospital scene in New Orleans
Washington Post: New Orleans Hospital Still Offers Care
"The hospital is crowded and hot. Surgeries go on with the help of generators. A teen arrives by boat after giving birth in a hotel. And outside, a steady stream of homeless, frightened people seek refuge.
This was the scene Tuesday at New Orleans' Ochsner Clinic, the eye of the hurricane as far as medical care is concerned.
Federal officials ...
Crossing the line? The NH Board goes public on Dr. Bennett
The Union Leader: Board sets hearing for Dr. Bennett
"One complaint charges he spoke to an obese female patient about her condition in a way that caused her distress and embarrassment. The other complaint, which was filed in 2001, said Bennett advised another female patient to buy a pistol so she could commit suicide to end her physical suffering.
Bennett's attorney Chuck Douglas said the bigger issue is "how ...
Richard Epstein takes on Mark Lanier about the Vioxx verdict on CNBC
"You're a bully, Mr. Lanier, and you're not going to get away with it now." (via PointofLaw.com)
A juror talks about being on a medical malpractice case
This blog does not tend to give jurors on malpractice cases very much credit. Here's one who sounds pretty reasonable - and I'm not just saying this because they found in favor of the physician:
Obvious attempts to play on our sympathies (chemotherapy side effects listed repeatedly; three young children introduced to the jury; the horrific first-person account of ...
Grand rounds 49 is up
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A doctor in Vietnam builds an endoscope himself using cheap parts and a home computer
HIPAA, water-cooler talk, and the whole patient
"Studies show that multidisciplinary rounds improve every facet of patient care, from length of hospital stay to infectious complications and even mortality. But it still means that medical privacy is becoming a very relative concept. No longer can you offer up your gallbladder to the system, and keep the rest of yourself tucked safely away.
The walls between medical providers and ...
Inside a fake Viagra factory
"It may look like any building site, but it is the squalid factory where counterfeit Viagra is produced. The fake pills are stored on dirty plastic sheeting, while the cement mixer is used to dye them blue.
Most people who buy drugs over the internet will be unaware that they could easily come from somewhere such as this." (via Blog Plate Special)
A roundabout diagnosis of C Difficile
It seems like it took a lot of work to come to a simple C Difficile diagnosis in a 15-year old girl: "She and her family are angry at doctors they allege did not think she was ill, removed her appendix because they wrongly believed she had appendicitis and accused her of being pregnant before finally making the right diagnosis . . .
Capitol murder charges for late-term abortions?
"Texas doctors who perform abortions without parental approval or after the third trimester could face capital murder charges because of a new law that takes effect this week, a prosecutors group says."
A drug store dispensed Diazepam (Valium) instead of Ditropan to a 5-year old girl
"Kayla had two doses of liquid Valium.
'She got very hyper, she kept laughing and laughing,' Ferranti said.
After another dose, Kayla started to complain that she felt dizzy and her stomach hurt.
'I couldn't stop being silly,' she said.
CVS attributed the confusion to the similar spelling of the drug names. ...
Michael Kinsley on Vioxx
"Foreigners look with amazement at a society that gives Carol Ernst $16 million or so in trade for her 59-year-old husband -- more than he's worth to anyone else and yet almost insultingly inadequate to her -- gives tens of millions each to a few lawyers like Mark Lanier, and is about to institute a transparently phony plan to provide prescription drugs that do work ...
"If we get angry at our doctors for nagging us, it's because we don't want to do the hard work of getting rid of those pounds."
More support for Dr. Bennett.
Several nursing home residents died during the Gulf Coast hurricane evacuation
Dehydration is suspected.
Dr. Bennett on MSNBC's Countdown
"I think it is about 70 percent of adult practitioners will write in your chart morbidly obese and not mention it to you, because, if they do, their 15 minutes expands to 20 or 30, they have got you unhappy and they may get a complaint, as I have had. Well, that's a brave new world.
I mean, if a doctor ...
Kevin Pho, MD
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How I approach ovarian cancer screening with patients
Ovarian cancer screening clearly touches a nerve. No one doubts that ovarian cancer is a devastating diagnosis, often found when the disease...
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Why more primary care doctors are referring patients to specialists
According to a recent study from the Archives of Internal Medicine, primary care physicians are referring more patients to specialists than ever...
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Should Google censor anti-vaccine claims?
One of the reasons there is such a movement against vaccines is the democratization of information, perpetuated by search engines like Google....
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Radiologists who cheat on their board exams: Who’s to blame?
In a widely circulated CNN article, many radiologists have been found to cheat on their board exams: "Doctors around the country taking an...
Physician
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Why an anesthesiologist would be needed for organ donation
I've only had to declare death a couple of times. Once in a three-year-old and once in an adult. In each case...
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5 ways to avoid a misdiagnosis
Billionaire Teddy Forstmann had been diagnosed with a serious form of brain cancer. There’s a tragic twist to the story: according to...
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Benefits of the Medicare Adult Wellness Visit
One of the things I love about family medicine is that I get to care for people of all ages. I almost...
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Cancer has a way of teaching us poignant life lessons
I just finished reading George’s recent post on Evelyn Lauder, who recently passed away from ovarian cancer, and am still stirred by...
Patient
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In love there is a life giving force
Here is a toast to the miracle of love. Not to the romantic, chocolate, dance club nightlife type of love. Not warm...
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How to get ready for death
No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet...
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The long term cost of a pain in the neck
One morning this May, I woke up with a stiff neck. I applied hot and cold therapy all day and took an...
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Preparing for your visit with someone in hospice care
Visiting someone who is dying or critically ill is an experience many of us will have in the course of our lives....
Policy
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AMA: Advocating for Medicare, military and fiscal responsibility
A guest column by the American Medical Association, exclusive to KevinMD.com. This week, I’m joining hundreds of physicians and medical students in Washington, DC...
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A critical look at value driven health care
Everyone in the world is talking about “value-driven health care.” Or so it might seem if you pick up a medical journal...
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Surviving the new landscape of physician reimbursement
CNN recently posted an article titled "Doctors Going Broke." It described several cases of independent physicians who are near bankruptcy although they once...
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Doctors lobby Congress to repeal the SGR
One of the things that I like most about my job is engaging with ACP’s physician leadership—the internal medicine doctors who dedicate...
Tech
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There is a patient attached to that implantable defibrillator
As a follow-up to my post on why patients with implantable defibrillators should have access to their device’s data, I am going...
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The pitfalls of email communication with patients
A recent article in the Wall Street Journal reviewed the emerging role of email in healthcare, arguing that doctors should more aggressively...
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Why adoption of EHRs is a transformational event for physicians
Paul Conslato, MD, director of clinical affairs for Lancaster General Medical Group, recently was quoted in the PAMED Better Health Network eZine...
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Why EMR is a dirty word to many doctors
Don’t get me wrong, EMRs (electronic medical records) are inevitable. Over the long-run they are almost certainly good for physicians, patients and...
Social Media
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Using Twitter to deliver health improvement messages
I have decided to spam for public health. Phone calls, text messaging, and even apps have been shown to help improve health...
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Addressing comments on your medical practice’s Facebook page
Does your medical practice allow anybody to post links and comments on your Facebook page? The short answer is yes. We do....
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The Internet is where patients go for pre-visit consultations
As a physician, technology cannot replace you, but it can make you more efficient and effective. This was the message from Richard...
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5 ways doctors can benefit from professional connections
Looking ahead to the next several months, I’ve found myself frequently wondering how many physicians will make this their year to take...
