Blog Fodder
isemmelweis (newly added to the Blogroll) gives us a daily roundup of interesting links from the medical blogs. Kind of a "Grand Rounds Lite". Keep up the good work.
Blog Fodder
isemmelweis (newly added to the Blogroll) gives us a daily roundup of interesting links from the medical blogs. Kind of a "Grand Rounds Lite". Keep up the good work.
States Weigh Med-Mal Courts
"As debate over 'tort reform' continues across the United States, several states are considering the creation of medical malpractice courts to help streamline what many view as costly, complex litigation."
This would be a huge step forward, and probably would have a more significant impact than non-economic caps (via PointofLaw).
An interesting case courtesy of this week's NEJM:
A 66-year-old man presented with a two-year history of fatigue, paresthesia of the legs and feet, weight loss, and shoulder enlargement, with limitation of movement. On physical examination, periorbital ecchymoses (the "raccoon" sign) and infiltration of the periarticular tissues of the shoulders were found.
A biopsy specimen of abdominal fat that was stained with Congo red was positive ...
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Weis suit against doctors who performed stomach stapling moves ahead
Charlie Weis is the offensive coordinator of the New England Patriots and future head coach of the Notre Dame football team. He had the surgery because obese people don't get hired for head coaching jobs.
Unfortunately, there were complications from the procedure and he was in a coma for two weeks.
A medical malpractice ...
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A Puzzling Blood Pressure Drug Finding
"A study of recommended blood pressure drugs has produced a result even the researchers find hard to explain: Adding a calcium channel blocker to a diuretic was associated with an increase in deaths but not an increase in incidence of stroke or coronary events such as heart attacks."
I'm not sure why JAMA keeps publishing these second-tier observational studies. All they do is ...
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Ducks, Gills, Syphilis, and the Homunculus: The Tangled Bank #18
CodeBlueBlog hosts this biweekly sampler of science, medicine, and natural history blogs.
Hospital targets the Big Mac
"The Pizza Hut is shuttered, its neon sign collecting dust on the floor. But knocking down the Golden Arches has proved far more difficult for Toby Cosgrove, the new head of the Cleveland Clinic."
The Cleveland Clinic wants to kick McDonald's out of their building. I think the Clinic may be taking itself a bit too seriously.
The Doctor's World: Take Two Torts and Call Me in the Morning
An article talking with Senator Edwards' personal physician as well as the double standard that exists when treating lawyers.
Grand Rounds 12
Parallel Universes hosts the first overseas edition. Come get your weekly best of the medical blogosphere. CodeBlueBlog hosts next week.
Ads for body-imaging health screens may mislead
I have written before how full-body scans are not recommended. A recent study from the Archives of Internal Medicine notes the many misstatements in brochures advertising full-body scams - uh, I mean scans:
One ad, for example, contained the statement, "I had a time bomb in my body...You need to know."
In addition, one quarter of the newspaper ...
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Allergan's BOTOX Not Cause of Botulism in Florida Patients
Saint Nate kindly alerts me to this article, which gets to the bottom of the previously cited mystery involving botulism.
Holidays bring death for many Americans
An uplifting study to put you in that festive, Christmas mood.
The face of dioxin poisoning?
Chris Rangel with more on dioxin poisoning.
Update:
Pictures of Yushchenko from Instapundit.
CodeBlueBlog Wins 2004 Weblog Award for Best in its Category
Congratulations to our medical sleuth for a well-deserved award.
What are dioxins? Why the concern?
A good overview on dioxin and dioxin poisoning, in light of recent events.
Test Finds Inaccuracies in Help Line for Medicare
"Medicare's toll-free telephone line, one of the main vehicles for disseminating information about new prescription drug benefits and drug discount cards, gives accurate answers less than two-thirds of the time, Congressional investigators say."
If I gave accurate answers less than two-thirds of the time, I'd be out of a job.
AMA Issues Special Report on Pay for Performance to Member Physicians, USA
"According to the report, the pay-for-performance trend is a 'tsunami building offshore in a sea of stakeholder unrest, threatening those who are not prepared.' Medicare this year for the first time established pay-for-performance requirements for hospitals, and 'physicians believe they are going to be the next target for Medicare's pay for performance initiatives,' the Tribune reports."
Another ...
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"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