Former President Clinton is undergoing decortication following his bypass surgery last year:
Former President Clinton will undergo a medical procedure this week to remove fluid and scar tissue from his left chest, six months after he underwent quadruple bypass surgery, his office said Tuesday.
The procedure, known as a decortication, will remove scar tissue that has developed as a result of fluid buildup and inflammation, causing compression and collapse ...
Read more...
At-home genetic test kits are the latest in evidence-bereft screenings
"The company currently offers genetic testing, a la carte, with prices from $199 to $380, for predisposition to cystic fibrosis, blood clotting, iron overload and a heightened risk for lung and liver diseases. Testing positive can help customers make lifestyle changes to prevent the onset of disease, the company says."
A majority believes that public reporting of physicians' mortality rates inhibits physicians from treating high-risk patients, thus reducing patient access to care
Pfizer's new HDL-raising drug will only be available in combination with Lipitor
"Dr. Crawford said that he thought Pfizer was combining the drugs mainly to protect Lipitor from competition. Lipitor, which loses its patent protection in 2010, is the world's top-selling medicine, with sales of almost $11 billion last year."
"Officials at a California hospital are suing an 82-year-old woman who was given her discharge papers more than a year ago."
Discharging medically stable patients who lack insurance or family support is becoming a growing problem.
How one doctor learned to accept parents in the ER
"Over the past decade, hospitals have begun allowing a patient's
relatives to watch resuscitations and other invasive procedures. In
surveys, most families want to be given the choice to watch - and once permitted, many accept."
A town is fighting to restore the license of the town doctor
"The authorities say that George Hsu wasn't a good doctor that a patient died because he delayed care, that he would not refer others for new treatments he considered a waste of time and money. They took away his license. But folks in this small town accept none of that. A committee of 30 people is seeking ways ...
Read more...
Not a good write-up for someone who claims to be "New York's premier plastic surgeon"
"On average, plastic surgeons face a legal action once every 2 1/2 years."
I didn't know this, but I guess it makes sense. Still, I'm not sure how you can sleep at night with 12 active lawsuits open against you.
Consumer Reports evaluates the best-buy drugs for depression
Bottom line:
Taking effectiveness, safety, side effects, and cost into account, we have chosen three Consumer Reports Best Buy Drugs as options to consider for depression:
* Generic fluoxetine at a dose of 10 mg or 20 mg taken once a day, at a cost of $32 to $46 a month.
* Generic citalopram at a dose of 20 mg once ...
Read more...
An Atlanta doctor accused of medical malpractice told jurors on Friday he accidentally left the head of a fetus inside a woman who had miscarried
I would be curious to see an opinion from an OB/GYN. What is the frequency of this complication? Is an ultrasound routinely performed afterwards to ensure there would be no retained parts of the fetus?
Crestor is doomed to be a niche drug
AstraZeneca has issued a warning regarding its statin, Crestor:
The new label adds a clearer warning regarding the risk of rare muscle-weakening side effects that can lead to kidney damage or death. As the labeling emphasizes, these side effects occur in rare instances not only with Crestor, but with more established competitors such as Lipitor, Merck's (nyse: MRK - news - ...
Read more...
"Doctors are much more likely these days to get into trouble for failing to manage someone's pain than for writing an [inappropriate] prescription for OxyContin."
Physicians are advised "to understand that practicing medicine will always incur some risk, so find a happy medium. "¦ If you're loosey-goosey with your prescription pad, you'll have all kinds of problems. If you're tight with your prescription pad, you'll have problems too."
Leaders in medicine are trying to figure out how to make primary care attractive to students and residents once again
"AAMC has formed a group to consider broad issues around improving chronic care, including how a change in emphasis could be one way to attract more students into primary care. This group started its work last fall and is expected to produce a proposal sometime this year, Dr. Whitcomb said.
Read more...
"The main reason most people sue is because they are angry at the physician."
A physician discusses how the current malpractice system as well as non-economic damage caps each do not address the fundamental reason why patients sue.
A physician notes what the UK can learn from the US health system
The difference in ancillary services seems to be a stark difference.
Doctors policing their own is apparently a problem in Japan as well
There's always room for improvement both here and abroad.
"A comprehensive and extremely useful roadmap for doctors."
-Eric Topol, MD, author of The Creative Destruction of Medicine
Learn More...
Past 6 Months
Dear lawmakers: This is what it’s like to be a doctor today
Matthew Moeller, MD | PhysicianA gun owner responds to Sandy Hook
Edwin Leap, MD | PhysicianIs Chris Christie too obese to run for president?
Jeffrey Parks, MD | PhysicianIf I’m wrong about guns, can you please explain why?
Claire McCarthy, MD | PhysicianPrimary care doctors may no longer be needed
Doug Olson, MD | PhysicianWalgreens moves into primary care, and it’s our own damn fault
Kevin Pho, MD | Kevin's Take