Conditions

COVID-19 is still a global health issue but we can responsibly live with it

Conditions
March 11, 2023

The World Health Organization (WHO) first declared the COVID-19 outbreak a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) on January 30, 2020, when, outside of China, there were fewer than 100 cases, and there were no deaths. This formal declaration by the WHO has been renewed 12 times, most recently last month the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee advised the WHO that the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic continues to be …

Read more…

Breaking the cycle of addiction treatment scams: a physician’s guide

Conditions
March 10, 2023

You sigh as you see the name on the next chart. “Good grief, this poor woman,” you think as you place your hand on the doorknob.

“Doctor, I really tried. I really tried this time!” she sobs.

“Cheryl, I know you did. But you’ve got a disease, and you need treatment.”

“Doc, I can’t go back there again. I can’t. I can’t. I can’t. I’m going to lose my job. I can barely …

Read more…

The vaccination dilemma: Protecting patient rights or caregiver freedom?

Conditions
March 10, 2023

Recently, I heard a news report regarding several state attorneys general suing the federal government to eliminate the requirement that health care providers be immunized against COVID. They argued that as fully immunized individuals still contract COVID, and that allowing unimmunized people to be rehired would relieve provider shortage, the regulation was unhelpful.

Initially, I agreed, as rehiring these individuals would generate some relief for those staff members who have worked …

Read more…

Nurse’s whistle of hopelessness: a tale of a dangerous workplace with no safety measures

Conditions
March 9, 2023

I finally found time after retirement to clean out my nurse’s book bag. It contained items such as a stethoscope, extra playing cards for patients, highlighters, various pens, a penlight, a notebook with important phone numbers throughout the health care system, tourniquets for IVs, and a plastic whistle.

This health care system, which has a revenue of $5 billion per year and spans throughout America, is quite complex. Let me explain.

The …

Read more…

Research literacy bridges the medical mistrust gap

Conditions
March 9, 2023

A long inglorious history of medical racism and mistreatment has dire health consequences. Consider the atrocities associated with experimentation on African Americans without informed consent during the Tuskegee Syphilis Study (1932-1972), which eroded the trust in the medical profession and medical research, and undermined the nation’s ability to achieve health equity.

Medical mistrust continues to worsen due to the negative health care experiences African Americans still endure today. For …

Read more…

Fool women twice? Drug makers revive menopause as a “disease.”

Conditions
March 8, 2023

In the words of the late soccer great Pelé spoofed on Saturday Night Live, women’s health has been “very, very good” for drug makers. In 2002, 61 million prescriptions were written for women in the U.S. for hormones to treat the so-called “disease” of menopause (which was once treated with electroshock therapy—yes, ECT).

Until the government-sponsored Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) found in 2002 that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) …

Read more…

The curious cases of the Tenerife plane crash and medical errors: What we see through the Swiss cheese model

Conditions
March 6, 2023

“Even a room with flammable gas will not explode unless someone strikes a match.”
– Dr. Bob Wachter

Case 1:

On March 27, 1977, two 747s collided on the runway at Tenerife in the Canary Islands, killing 583 people. On a foggy morning, the KLM 747 was waiting for clearance to take off. Captain Van Zanten was a well-known pilot with excellent safety records. The KLM crew spotted a Pan Am 747 taxiing …

Read more…

“Eat less and move more” is not the solution: What I wish my thin colleagues understood about obesity

Conditions
March 5, 2023

I have been overweight or obese since I hit puberty. I have gained and lost the same 60 pounds half a dozen times in my adult life. I’ve never been one to try a fad diet – I research the data and follow a scientifically sound plan. I understand that the only way to lose a pound is to have a 3,500-calorie deficit. Losing weight is actually quite simple. But …

Read more…

Navigating gender identity confusion in a high-stress environment

Conditions
March 4, 2023

As nurses in behavioral health, we were not well-versed in the field. After 33 years in ICU nursing, I left the unit expecting behavioral health to be an easier transition. However, the comparison between the two was like comparing apples to oranges. There was no real comparison between the two.

One day, we admitted a 33-year-old female patient who was constantly angry and had outbursts, hitting patients and staff members without …

Read more…

Uncovering the overwhelming impact of the advanced maternal age patient on nursing

Conditions
March 2, 2023

Imagine you have a busy full-time job. You get married at age 31. You and your new partner travel to Italy, Ireland, and Hawaii before settling with the kids. You both make pretty good money, so you buy a house. Of course, it needs furniture. And you have to have the new I-phone that just came out. You’re finally ready to get pregnant, but after two years, it hasn’t happened. …

Read more…

A human’s a human, no matter how small

Conditions
March 2, 2023

Theodore Geisel, known by his pen name Dr. Seuss, wrote hundreds of children’s stories that continue to shape young children’s development to this day. Dr. Seuss was a lifelong Democrat and favored many of FDR’s New Deal policies. However, an NPR article notes his widow mentioned that she did not like it when his characters were used to push particular political points of view. The book …

Read more…

Size-inclusive medicine: a response to AAP’s guidelines for the treatment of children and adolescents with obesity

Conditions
March 1, 2023

We are a grassroots advocacy organization of medical students across the country, focused on making health care more equitable for patients in larger bodies. We join the physicians, eating disorder professionals, and community members who raise concerns regarding the AAP’s most recent clinical guidelines, “Clinical Practice Guideline for the Evaluation and Treatment of Children and Adolescents with Obesity.”

The new AAP guidelines are based on science that grossly misrepresents the …

Read more…

From suffering to healing: the role of trauma in chronic pain

Conditions
February 28, 2023

“Trauma is perhaps the most avoided, ignored, belittled, denied, misunderstood and untreated cause of human suffering.”
– Peter Levine, PhD, Developer of Somatic Experiencing Therapy

One frequent cause of treatment-resistant chronic pain is unresolved trauma, yet few health care providers and patients are aware of the connection, and, as a result, it is rarely addressed. This leads to considerable unnecessary suffering and misguided attempts at pain treatment that often do more harm …

Read more…

Educating health care professionals on effective communication in rare disease diagnoses is crucial to improving the rare disease patient narrative 

Conditions
February 28, 2023

For over 14 years, the last day of February, a month known for its rare number of days, has been recognized by organizations across the globe as Rare Disease Day. With over 300 million patients worldwide impacted by 7,000+ rare diseases, the day serves as an international campaign to raise awareness around rare diseases and advocate for improved care for rare disease patients.

An often overlooked aspect of the rare …

Read more…

What does it mean when we say someone has died after a long illness?

Conditions
February 27, 2023

My personal doctor and two of my cherished mentors died within the past several years, each “after a long illness,” according to their obituaries. Rock legend David Crosby (The Byrds and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young) recently died “after a long illness,” as stated by his wife, Jan Dance.

David Crosby’s co-musicians were perplexed that his widow would attribute his death to a long illness. Crosby certainly …

Read more…

The importance of childhood obesity prevention: a doctor’s perspective

Conditions
February 26, 2023

I’m starting to see this trend of podcasts and articles that seem to be raising the white flag against childhood obesity. We should all agree with physicians that these conversations should be approached carefully and thoughtfully. We should agree that there are clear reasons to promote regular exercise and a healthy diet. We should agree with the clear health benefits of maintaining a healthy weight. There are clear mental health …

Read more…

Miscommunication leads to misunderstandings: the tragic consequences of misinterpreted sobriety

Conditions
February 25, 2023

At her first visit, still lightly jaundiced, Jennie wanted to talk about a liver transplant.

I told her that she had to be sober for six months before they would consider putting her on the list. She told me proudly that she had been sober for three weeks.

“How are you doing without alcohol?”

“Going without alcohol would be very hard for me,” she said, “I have just one glass of wine each …

Read more…

66
pages

CME Spotlights