Today was a sad day in the NFL, as future Hall-of-Famer Reggie White passed away Sunday morning.
Cause of death wasn't clear, with an autopsy planned in the next few days. His wife suggested it was due to his sleep apnea:
Through the family pastor, Sara White confirmed her husband's death, saying that she believes White died of respiratory failure related to his sleep ...
Read more...
Studies on Painkillers In Jeopardy
"John Breitner of the University of Washington in Seattle, who led the Alzheimer's trial, said the hint of risk for naproxen was far from clear from his data, and the main reason his trial shut down was because so many participants were worried about Celebrex.
'The reasons we had to suspend the treatments had less to with the perception of danger . . ...
Read more...
Mass Chaos
A physician in Iraq blogs from the front lines (via Medpundit). This incredible story was from the attack in Mosul last week. Here were the grisly statistics that day:
91 total patients arrived.
18 were dead on arrival.
4 patients died of wounds shortly after arrival, all of these patients had non-survivable wounds.
Of the 69 remaining patients, 20 were transferred to military hospitals in other ...
Read more...
Risks lead doctors to prescribe fewer pain meds
"Siff said legal liability concerns also played a role in his decision to discourage patient use of Celebrex and Bextra. Merck & Co. already is facing litigation over Vioxx.
'Many of the things we do we do to protect ourselves from being sued,' Siff said."
So true. The data is still preliminary (and in the case of Naproxen,
Read more...
Baby believed to be world's smallest at birth ready to leave Chicago hospital
"A baby who weighed less than a can of pop when she was born by Caesarean section three months ago is nearly ready to be released from hospital.
She is believed to be the smallest baby in the world ever to survive. The little girl, named Rumaisa, whose parents came from Hyderabad, India, weighed 8.6 ...
Read more...
Pay Bills or Pay for Medications?
"With her prescription drugs totaling more than $550 a month, 70-year-old Virginia Norman often had to choose between taking her medications and paying her bills. Norman is just one of the millions of Americans who can't afford to purchase their necessary medications each month."
An unfortunate choice for many seniors. A previous study reported the price of not taking medication ...
Read more...
West Boca Medical Center sued over woman's death
"Barbara Masterson, 52, deteriorated from cerebral bleeding in the
emergency room of the West Boca Medical Center as hospital staff
unsuccessfully tried to find a neurosurgeon to perform life-saving
surgery, according to a lawsuit filed Friday in Palm Beach County
Circuit Court."
According to the lawyer: "They refused to take any neuromedical emergency," Cohen said. "The hospital knew this was a ...
Read more...
Lawsuits limit cancer tests
"Experts and doctors agree that not enough Florida women are getting mammograms, but the cause of the shortfall has provoked a sharp debate.
Now, a task force appointed by the Legislature and the governor is blaming lawsuits for discouraging radiologists from offering mammograms, which could reduce the availability of the test."
Mammograms can be notoriously subjective, and thus a perfect area for ...
Read more...
That's Dr. Santa Claus
"It's a good thing I am a doctor, because I get to shop for what my patients need in the moments that I care for them, instead of giving them all wooden birdfeeders for Christmas. Then I am Dr. Santa Claus, handing out gifts to make the bad better or the worst the best it can be. Sometimes the choice of a gift is obvious; pain ...
Read more...
Don't stress Alzheimer's patient, or yourself, on a holiday visit
Good holiday advice from a geriatric medicine specialist.
FDA approval of over-the-counter sales of at-home heart defibrillators sparks seasonal pitch
"Forget a digital camera or an iPod. What really would make Carol Emanuel happy is finding a defibrillator in her stocking this Christmas."
A defibrillator probably won't be one of the more useful Christmas gifts.
For paramedics, doctors and nurses, Christmas sees miracles, tragedies and quiet
"All too often, tragedy strikes on Christmas, local emergency workers said. And the searing memories linger not only for grieving families, but also for medical personnel.
'It's your job to fix things and help people,' said Rich Lynn, a paramedic for Pittsburgh EMS. 'When you can't, it creates a whole different aura for that holiday.'
Most ...
Read more...
For holidays, putting the best face forward through surgery
"Hampton Roads doctors are facing a hectic schedule as patients try to erase, refine, or reconfigure imperfections in time for a mistletoe meeting or New Year's revelry. The winter months, and December in particular, are the busiest time for plastic surgeons, according to American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery."
Plastic surgery seems to be a growing trend ...
Read more...
South Gardiner woman to undergo transplant as Christmas gift to friend
"A half century after the world's first successful organ transplant, a South Gardiner woman is donating a kidney as a Christmas gift to her friend."
Northern Christmas comes with gonorrhea warning
"With a spike in the number of Yukoners infected with gonorrhea, the territory's
Department of Health and Social Services is distributing condoms as Christmas presents with the message, 'Wrap it for someone you love.'"
Very practical up there in the Yukon Territories.
Christmas brings time of joy for child, family
I read about Eagle-Barrett syndrome for the first time after reading this story.
Drugs Make a Good Christmas Gift
"On Christmas Day in South Africa, who will get the most precious present of all "“ the gift of life?
Up to 65,000 people, that's who. These lucky men and women will swallow a series of anti-retroviral (ARV) tablets and pills which will bully the deadly AIDS virus lurking in their bloodstream into submission "“ if not outright defeat."
Christmas-themed medblogging. ...
Read more...
I was browsing the Consumer Reports Best Buy Drugs site to see what they had on the COX-2/NSAID controversy:
If you need medication for osteoarthritis or other chronic pain:
* Try acetaminopen (Tylenol, generic) as an initial choice for pain relief since it's reasonably safe even for frequent, prolonged use if you don't exceed the recommended doses. Overdoses can cause liver problems. Avoid acetaminophen if you drink alcohol heavily ...
Read more...
No more delay: Health Canada must stand on guard for us
A call to be more proactive and less reactive. The same can be said for the FDA.
Health Alert: Over-medicated America?
"Drug makers flatly deny they're pushing pills for profit. Doctor Paul Antony of Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America says, 'For many people we are not prescribing enough medicines. There's actually a problem with underutilization for very important diseases like diabetes and hypertension.'"
That last statement is true. However with the recent push of "lifestyle" medications like Viagra and Ambien, the line between ...
Read more...
"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