This series is brought to you by MedPage Today.
1. Afib Linked to Cognitive Decline. Atrial fibrillation carries a significant risk for cognitive decline, even when stroke is not involved.
2. C-Section Rates Vary Widely. Cesarean delivery rates ranged from as low as 7% to as high as 70% at U.S. hospitals.
3. Many Docs Miss Test Results in VA's EHR. ...
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It's not only about smoking cessation.
As I entered the examination room, J.L., a new patient here for a well visit, was sitting comfortably on the examination table. In his mid thirties, tall, slim and with an athletic build, he had a relaxed, easygoing air about him.
Before entering the room, I had quickly scanned his chart, and noted that in the pre-examination questionnaire, ...
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That was Virginia’s second visit to the hospital in the ten days of the new year. It also ended up being the last.
Virginia was a patient we all knew. She came to the hospital frequently. The aphorism of our intern year was, if you had not taken care of Virginia once, you were not going to graduate out of internship. And that was hardly an exaggeration- almost no one in ...
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This series is brought to you by MedPage Today.
1. 5 Psych Disorders Have Common Genetics. Autism, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, and schizophrenia share common genetic underpinnings -- despite differences in symptoms and course of disease.
2. Imaging Suggests Wide Window for Alzheimer's Tx. The biological path to Alzheimer's disease might continue for more than a decade, suggesting ...
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I knew he was sick when he told me he'd thrown out his cigarettes on account of how badly he felt.
Mr. P had gotten used to the breathlessness when he climbed stairs and the hacking, dry cough that followed him everywhere. What else could he expect after smoking three packs a day since he was six years old? But he had shown ...
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Right now, the technology exists to completely transform healthcare.
A doctor should be able to walk into the room where a patient is waiting for them and get everything they need to make an informed decision about that patient’s care.
Location-based technology should sense the doctor approaching and already know which patient is waiting for them. A computer or a tablet in the room should have access to thousands of data points ...
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I’ve always had nagging doubts about filling out death certificates. An excellent article in American Medical News explores the “inexactitude” of the custom. Doctors are never taught how to fill out the documents. The article quotes Randy Hanzlick, MD, chief medical examiner for Fulton County, GA:
Training is a big problem. There are very few medical schools that teach it,” he said. “For many physicians, the first time they see it ...
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Radiolab recently aired a show called “The Bitter End” that discusses the end-of-life care preferences of physicians and non-physicians. Physicians are much more likely to decline “heroic” measures, such as CPR, mechanical ventilation, feeding tubes, etc. This comes as a surprise to the hosts and, presumably, to other non-physicians. It’s a good show. I recommend it. (Full disclosure: I like Radiolab.)
In the show, Ken Murray argues that physicians ...
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An excerpt from The Thrifty Patient – Vital Insider Tips for Saving Money and Staying Healthy.
In the spring of 2008, NBC’s Meet the Press moderator and Washington bureau chief, Tim Russert, died suddenly of a heart attack at the age of fifty-eight. Time magazine identified him as one of the one hundred most influential people in world in 2008. His ...
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A guest column by the American Society of Anesthesiologists, exclusive to KevinMD.com.
February is a little more than candy hearts and heart-shaped arrows—February is prominent as American Heart Month, helping doctors and patients better understand cardiac health and how to best care for one of the most important organs.
Each medical specialist takes great care to focus on ...
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"A comprehensive and extremely useful roadmap for doctors."
-Eric Topol, MD, author of The Creative Destruction of Medicine
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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