Filed in archive
Miscellany
by kevin on August 31, 2005
Forbes gives us another list - showing the worst things you can do to your body:
In a 1993 study published in The Journal of the american medical association, Drs. J. Michael McGinnis and William H. ...
Filed in archive
Diagnostics
by kevin on August 31, 2005
Apparently, many are not aware of the symptoms of heart failure:
Lives could be lost unnecessarily due to a massive lack of public awareness about heart failure, an international survey has found.
A...
Filed in archive
News
by kevin on August 31, 2005
ABC News talks about why some people defied evacuation orders in New Orleans:
New Orleans resident Richard Thomas heard the orders to evacuate ahead of Hurricane Katrina. But like thousands of others...
Filed in archive
Cases
by kevin on August 30, 2005
Delivery of triplets, followed by open-heart surgery to repair an aortic dissection. Incredible story for this New York mother:
Several teams of doctors hurriedly assembled on the night of Aug. 20, a...
Filed in archive
Miscellany
by kevin on August 30, 2005
A tip sheet to help prevent medical errors:
Medical errors are one of the Nation's leading causes of death and injury. A recent report by the Institute of Medicine estimates that as many as 44,00...
Filed in archive
Miscellany
by kevin on August 30, 2005
Good advice - making a list of questions prior to a doctor's visit. With physician access becoming an increasing problem, making the most out of your doctor's visit is key:
Making a list of q...
Filed in archive
Studies
by kevin on August 30, 2005
An interesting finding in a retrospective study, suggesting that women have a higher mortality rate when undergoing bypass surgery:
Women have a 22% greater risk of dying during or immediately after ...
Filed in archive
News
by kevin on August 30, 2005
Seems like Hosting Matters is down, knocking out Kevin, M.D. and Instapundit amongst other blogs. I'll blog here until kevin, M.D. is back up again.
Update:
Looks like we're back up.
Filed in archive
Miscellany
by kevin on August 30, 2005
Grand Rounds is up this week at HealthyConcerns.com. Come get the weekly best of the medical blogosphere.
Filed in archive
Treatment
by kevin on August 30, 2005
It seems like giving out unnecessary antibiotics can lead to quicker resistance than previously thought:
Dr. Alastair D. Hay, who teaches medical students at the University of Bristol in England and a...
Filed in archive
News
by kevin on August 29, 2005
Apparently the obese are getting less preventive health services. That is simply inexcusable:
Despite their often higher risk of disease, obese adults are less likely than their thinner peers to get ...
Filed in archive
Treatment
by kevin on August 29, 2005
Statins are the new aspirin? A retrospective study shows the benefit of early statin treatment in MI:
In the study, researchers analyzed data from more than 170,000 people who were admitted to a hosp...
Filed in archive
Treatment
by kevin on August 29, 2005
The NY Times looks at the questions surrounding vertebroplasty:
No one is sure why it helps, or even if it does. The hot cement may be shoring up the spine or merely destroying the nerve endings that ...
Filed in archive
Studies
by kevin on August 29, 2005
duke university releases a study linking redheads and increased cancer risk:
Redheads sunburn easily, but that may not be the only reason they are at high risk of skin cancer. New research suggests t...
Filed in archive
News
by kevin on August 28, 2005
The NY Times wonders whether the FDA decision of the morning-after pill is politically motivated:
On Friday, the food and drug commissioner, Lester M. Crawford, announced that he would indefinitely p...
Filed in archive
Cases
by kevin on August 26, 2005
Dr. Charles writes about his visit to the doctor. Thanks for sharing this personal and enlightening story:
The doctor returned to the room. My heart beat, my lungs expanded and contracted, my mouth o...
Filed in archive
Opinion
by kevin on August 26, 2005
A young boy has died after attempting intravenous chelation therapy for autism. Orac at Respectful Insolence opines on the case:
Because there are no good studies that demonstrate its efficacy in tre...
Filed in archive
Miscellany
by kevin on August 26, 2005
The fourth part of this excellent series in the NY Times examines what it's like to be alone with serious illness:
There is no way to calculate how many Americans of all ages living alone happen ...
Filed in archive
Opinion
by kevin on August 26, 2005
A recent study in the Lancet has shot down this form of alternative treatment:
The Lancet says the time for more studies is over and doctors should be bold and honest with patients about homeopathy&#...
Filed in archive
Treatment
by kevin on August 25, 2005
A federal board of medical advisors is trying to figure out how to regulate therapeutic treatment with maggots and leeches:
Leeches, it turns out, are particularly good at draining excess blood from ...
A preliminary study is linking the part of the brain used for daydreaming with Alzheimer's dementia:
Scientists who set out to explore changes in the brain as Alzheimer's disease progresses g...
Filed in archive
News
by kevin on August 24, 2005
In a system where waiting times are a serious problem, many are still missing their appointments:
Patients miss about 10m GP appointments and 5m practice nurse appointments each year, a survey sugges...
Filed in archive
Treatment
by kevin on August 24, 2005
There has been some press advertising the effectiveness of "rapid herion detox" under general anesthesia. A recent study from JAMA shows the dangers:
Internet ads for "ultra rapid deto...
More evidence showing the effectiveness of placebo medication in this very small study:
Patients will feel better if they believe they're taking painkillers even if their doses contain no medicat...
Filed in archive
Treatment
by kevin on August 24, 2005
Proper CPR is key to improving the already difficult chance of survival in cardiac arrest. Measures are being taken to improve this:
More than 300,000 Americans each year die of cardiac arrest, where...
Filed in archive
News
by kevin on August 22, 2005
welcome to grand rounds 48, the weekly collection of the best of the medical blogosphere.
editor's choices . . .
medrants writes about time and the general internist.
soundpractice.net ...
Read more of grand rounds 48: cut the fat and give me the bottom line
Filed in archive
Diagnostics
by kevin on August 22, 2005
The symptoms of ovarian cancer can be insidious and are often missed:
A critical early diagnosis of ovarian cancer may be delayed by four months or more in some women because doctors don't order ...
Filed in archive
News
by kevin on August 22, 2005
Pharmacists are having more responsibility - including prescribing - in the UK. As appointments grow scarce, look for this to happen soon Stateside:
While such set-ups are far from common among the 1...
Filed in archive
Cases
by kevin on August 22, 2005
A couple of stories detailing patients needing an organ transplant. Eye-opening:
Emma was the mother of a young baby, and was feeling fine, when her partner Darren Corkin noticed her skin was very ye...
Filed in archive
News
by kevin on August 22, 2005
There is an attempt to make nursing homes more comfortable and less sterile:
The green House Project's goal is to make a nursing home less like a sterile institution and more like an actual home....
Filed in archive
Miscellany
by kevin on August 20, 2005
The NY Times writes about waiting as a patient. For office visits, appointments, lab tests, and in the ER. This article goes into some of the solutions the medical field is taking to combat this:
Wai...
Filed in archive
Studies
by kevin on August 20, 2005
Those susceptible to breast cancer can reduce their risk via weight loss:
Women at a high risk for early-onset breast cancer because of mutations in the BRCA1-gene may be able to cut that risk by two...
Filed in archive
Miscellany
by kevin on August 19, 2005
I will be hosting Grand Rounds here next week. Please email me your entries by Monday, August 22nd, 8pm EST.
Submission guidelines can be found here. This is an excellent opportunity to showcase you...
An investigational therapy using fetal cells in burn victims yielded surprising results:
An experimental therapy that uses skin cells grown from an aborted fetus successfully healed severe burns in e...
Filed in archive
News
by kevin on August 19, 2005
The magnets used in MRIs are causing an increasing frequency of accidents:
The pictures and stories are the stuff of slapstick: wheelchairs, gurneys and even floor polishers jammed deep inside M.R.I....
Filed in archive
Studies
by kevin on August 19, 2005
More women opt for a mastectomy over lumpectomy in Early stage breast cancer:
Women with breast cancer often opt for mastectomy instead of lumpectomy when offered a choice between the two treatments,...
Filed in archive
News
by kevin on August 18, 2005
Don't let age be a deterrent when consider heart-bypass surgery:
Doctors shouldn't be reluctant to recommend heart bypass surgery for patients in their 80s, according to a British study in th...
Filed in archive
Studies
by kevin on August 18, 2005
An interesting study was released looking at what was advertised to whites and minorities:
Magazines aimed at blacks and Hispanics have more ads for unhealthy products, such as cigarettes and alcohol...
Filed in archive
Studies
by kevin on August 18, 2005
aby-boomers are going to be living with obesity and are at subsequent risk for arthritis:
"We found that the obesity epidemic has affected both the baby-boomers and their predecessors but that t...
Filed in archive
Opinion
by kevin on August 17, 2005
There is debate as to whether the recent link between Tylenol and hypertension is strong enough. As I have mentioned, more studies (i.e. randomized trials) needs to be done to conclusively prove this....
Filed in archive
Opinion
by kevin on August 17, 2005
A story where admission a tragic mistake at the BI-Deaconness in Boston led to changes to reduce medical error:
In a remarkable example of public disclosure, Dr. Benjamin Sachs, the hospital's ch...
Filed in archive
Studies
by kevin on August 16, 2005
All the more reason to be prepared prior to a doctor's visit, and to not leave until every question is answered:
Researchers report in the current issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings that more than ...
Filed in archive
Studies
by kevin on August 16, 2005
A meta-analysis from the Annals of Internal Medicine suggests that the benefits of the blood-thinner warfarin outweighs its risks of bleeding when used after a heart attack:
An analysis of 10 trials ...
Filed in archive
Studies
by kevin on August 16, 2005
Some may be "addicted" to getting a suntan:
Scientists at the University of Texas have found that some people might be addicted to getting a suntan.
The research, published in the Archives...
Filed in archive
Miscellany
by kevin on August 16, 2005
I will be hosting Grand Rounds here next week. Please email me your entries by Monday, August 22nd, 8pm EST.
Submission guidelines can be found here. This is an excellent opportunity to showcase you...
Filed in archive
Miscellany
by kevin on August 16, 2005
Grand Rounds is hosted this week by Circadiana. This is an excellent opportunity to sample the finest the medical blogosphere has to offer. Prior entries can be found here.
Filed in archive
Studies
by kevin on August 15, 2005
A reminder that any OTC medication can have untoward effects. First it was the NSAIDs and COX-2s (like Vioxx) - now a recent study links Tylenol with high blood pressure.
First of all, let me say Tyl...
Filed in archive
Studies
by kevin on August 15, 2005
Even low levels of alcohol during preganancy is harmful:
Mothers who drink even low levels of alcohol during pregnancy could permanently damage their children's intelligence, research suggests.
...
Simple, yet effective? A "layered apron" to prevent hospital-acquired infections. Similar to Chinese restaurants who use layered, plastic tablecloths that are simply peeled off for the next ...
Filed in archive
News
by kevin on August 15, 2005
Flaunting the risk of skin cancer, the use of tanning beds are on the rise:
Avid tanner Brandi Donaldson was 25 when she first noticed a new mole right above her navel. She didn't worry until it ...
Filed in archive
Diagnostics
by kevin on August 13, 2005
With the recent stories of lung cancer in the news (Peter Jennings and Dana Reeve), people are undergoing "screening" helical chest CTs looking for lung cancer:
If a simple, painless test c...
Filed in archive
Diagnostics
by kevin on August 13, 2005
Some NFL teams are having their players ingest a pill to measures their core body temperature:
Now the Vikings, and a few other NFL teams, are giving some of their players a pill that allows trainers...
Filed in archive
Miscellany
by kevin on August 13, 2005
Time's Dr. Sanjay Gupta answers questions on smoking and lung cancer:
If you quit smoking can you reduce or eliminate your risk of tobacco-related lung cancer, or is the damage permanent?
If you&...
Filed in archive
Studies
by kevin on August 12, 2005
There are conflicting studies as to whether folate promotes or prevents Alzheimer's disease:
Preventing Alzheimer's disease may be as simple as increasing the amount of the B vitamin called f...
Filed in archive
Studies
by kevin on August 12, 2005
The shape of the throat has a lot to do with why some people snore:
By carrying out head and neck scans of snorers and non-snorers, the Slovenia team found it was down to the shape of the throat.
Sn...
Filed in archive
Treatment
by kevin on August 12, 2005
The FDA is requiring even tighter restrictions for the acne drug, Accutane. birth defects are the major side effect:
Patients and doctors must register with manufacturers before using or prescribing ...
Filed in archive
Studies
by kevin on August 11, 2005
1 in 6 high-school students report asthma, with one-thirds having an attack in the previous year:
In 2003, an estimated 16.1 percent of those enrolled in grades 9 through 12 said they were suffering ...
Filed in archive
News
by kevin on August 11, 2005
Is PTSD being overdiagnosed? The VA thinks so:
Last year, the VA spent $4.3 billion on PTSD disability payments, not including medical care.
The number of vets receiving compensation benefits for th...
A nasal vaccine for Alzheimer's is being investigated. It works . . . in mice:
The study focused on mice with an Alzheimer's-like brain disease. The mice got vaccine treatments and boosters f...
Filed in archive
Studies
by kevin on August 11, 2005
Men with very early-stage prostate cancer can have their outcomes influenced by diet and exercise. This was a very small study:
A small study of men with early stage prostate cancer, who were in a wa...
Filed in archive
Studies
by kevin on August 11, 2005
A small study suggests that the anticonvulsant drug Depakote can be effective in HIV. Note this is preliminary data and more studies needs to be carried out:
In a small study, researchers at the Univ...
Filed in archive
Studies
by kevin on August 10, 2005
One in 25 fathers unknowingly could be raising another man's child:
The estimated average rate of paternal discrepancy in developed countries is about 4%, but that rate may climb as technologies ...
Filed in archive
Miscellany
by kevin on August 10, 2005
A wristband to prevent wrong-site surgery, which occurs in 1 in 17,000 operations:
Chole's invention consists of a wristband embedded with a miniature, disposable electronic device--like the ant...
Filed in archive
Miscellany
by kevin on August 10, 2005
My analysis of President Bush's physical is the top post in this week's Carnival of the Vanities - a weekly collection of a wide range of posts from the blogosphere.
Filed in archive
Studies
by kevin on August 10, 2005
Some interesting observations about smoking in film:
Today's moviegoers are more likely to see the "bad guys" light up than the educated, well-heeled heroes.
"Most investigators h...
Filed in archive
News
by kevin on August 10, 2005
Next on Forbes.com's continuing lists - the countdown of the most fattening cocktails:
Of all the evils of alcohol, weight gain is probably the least discussed. To be sure, there are many far wor...
Filed in archive
News
by kevin on August 10, 2005
ABC News takes a look at lung cancer in young, non-smoking women:
While no national studies have yet been done, many lung cancer specialists say they're seeing a disturbing trend of more and more...
Filed in archive
News
by kevin on August 9, 2005
The widow if Christopher Reeve has been diagnosed with lung cancer at the age of 44. She was a non-smoker, however had been exposed to second-hand smoke during her career as a singer.
Adenocarcinoma ...
Filed in archive
Cases
by kevin on August 9, 2005
The NY Times talks about whether we need an appendix:
When I got back home, I began doing some research and found that each year, more than 250,000 Americans had appendectomies. The more I thought ab...
Filed in archive
Miscellany
by kevin on August 9, 2005
Parallel Universes hosts this week. This is an excellent opportunity to sample the finest the medical blogosphere has to offer. Prior entries can be found here.
Filed in archive
Studies
by kevin on August 8, 2005
A study in the Archives of Internal Medicine suggests that people who trust their doctors are more likely to be compliant with their medications - even in the face of cost pressures:
When physician t...
Filed in archive
News
by kevin on August 8, 2005
A Chinese supplement actually contains glyburide. This medication can lead to hypoglycemic episodes if not properly monitored:
A dietary supplement available in the United States contains the oral hy...
Filed in archive
Studies
by kevin on August 8, 2005
Diabetics who know what the hemoglobin A1c is have better glycemic control:
Nearly half of adult patients who received care at a municipal hospital diabetes clinic did not recognize the term A1c, and...
Filed in archive
News
by kevin on August 8, 2005
Waiting rooms are becoming more posh these days:
In the hustle to attract patients, Metro Detroit medical centers are working to strip away the cold, impersonal feel that characterizes so many wait...
Filed in archive
Studies
by kevin on August 8, 2005
There's now an excuse - women's voices are more difficult for men to listen to, and process information from, than the voices of other men:
Researchers at the University of Sheffield tracked ...
Filed in archive
Studies
by kevin on August 6, 2005
Exercise can reduce the risk of a stroke:
High levels of physical activity, such as running, swimming or heavy gardening during leisure time can reduce your risk of stroke, according to a study repor...
Filed in archive
News
by kevin on August 6, 2005
You're not alone. Many Americans are allergic to one or more triggers:
A growing number of Americans are allergic to at least one or more common allergy-causing substances, like dust mites, rye g...
Filed in archive
Cases
by kevin on August 5, 2005
Two children in Oklahoma were infected with a rare parasite, Naegleria, which can cause primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM):
Two children died Friday after being infected with a rare parasite as...
Filed in archive
Studies
by kevin on August 5, 2005
Prehypertension is systolic blood pressure between 120 and 139 and/or diastolic pressure between 80 and 89 mm Hg. Various trials are starting to show that people in this class are at higher cardiovasc...
Filed in archive
Studies
by kevin on August 5, 2005
The daily smoking cessation tidbit:
In a study of women smokers, those whose spouses also smoked had a higher risk of stroke than those married to nonsmokers, according to a study in Stroke: Journal ...
Filed in archive
Studies
by kevin on August 5, 2005
Why do they need to study this? There really shouldn't be any reason why vitamins should stop infections:
Infection rates in older people living at home are not helped by taking vitamin or mineral...
A novel approach where the body's own stem cells are used to build new blood vessels:
Adult stem cells are found throughout the body --- in the brain, bones, muscle, skin and blood --- which help ...
Filed in archive
Studies
by kevin on August 4, 2005
A study says that virtual colonoscopy can detect cancers outside the colon:
Virtual colonoscopy can spot cancers and growths beyond the colon because it takes a picture of the entire abdominal cavity...
Filed in archive
Studies
by kevin on August 4, 2005
Another weapon in the fight for smoking cessation has been approved in Switzerland:
The NicStic uses a rechargeable heating coil in a plastic cigarette-sized stick to dispense nicotine without smoke....
Another weapon in the fight for smoking cessation has been approved in Switzerland:
The NicStic uses a rechargeable heating coil in a plastic cigarette-sized stick to dispense nicotine without smoke....
Filed in archive
Studies
by kevin on August 4, 2005
Women have varying experiences with hot flashes:
Although the physiology of hot flashes has been studied for more than 30 years, no one is completely sure why or how they occur. One possible explanat...
Filed in archive
News
by kevin on August 4, 2005
Researchers have come up with signs of "pre-clinical" Alzheimer's:
The authors studied 47 peer-reviewed studies published between January 1985 and February 2003. The year 1985 marked th...
Filed in archive
News
by kevin on August 4, 2005
There is concern that the troops from Iraq are bringing home drug-resistant bacteria:
American troops wounded in Iraq and brought back to military hospitals in the United States have unexpectedly hig...
Filed in archive
News
by kevin on August 4, 2005
There is concern that more are seeking plastic surgery "do-overs", if they can afford it:
As the number of people electing to have plastic surgery continues to rise across the country, the n...
Filed in archive
Studies
by kevin on August 3, 2005
Not surprisingly, many women want a female endoscopist for their colonoscopy. Unfortunately GI is a pretty male-dominated specialty:
The study included about 200 women who were waiting in their docto...
Filed in archive
News
by kevin on August 3, 2005
Forbes gives a list of the worst "best-tasting" foods:
Nutritionists are to food what safety engineers are to the auto industry: If they had their way, eating wouldn't be any fun at all...
Filed in archive
Opinion
by kevin on August 2, 2005
A Canadian physician suggests that too many vitamins are not a good thing. In many instances (i.e. vitamin E), there is no good data supporting its use:
In a case of too much of a good thing, doctors...
Filed in archive
Studies
by kevin on August 2, 2005
A study suggests that more newborn deaths occur at night:
Neonatal death rates are higher after evening and late night deliveries than after daytime deliveries, according to a report by researcher in...
Filed in archive
Miscellany
by kevin on August 2, 2005
AloisMD is hosting this week's Grand Rounds. This is an excellent opportunity to sample the finest the medical blogosphere has to offer. Prior entries can be found here.
Filed in archive
News
by kevin on August 1, 2005
These training mannequins are becoming increasingly sophisticated:
Even the newest medical student can practice on him and study his array of symptoms and illnesses.
Unfortunately, Stan isn't ...
Filed in archive
Studies
by kevin on August 1, 2005
Hey, it's a two for one day. More studies showing the detriments of smoking:
Women who smoke during pregnancy are nearly twice as likely to have children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity diso...
Filed in archive
Studies
by kevin on August 1, 2005
Here's the daily "do not smoke" study:
People trying to stop teens from smoking may have a new weapon -- a study showing that even secondhand smoke raises the risk of metabolic syndro...
Filed in archive
News
by kevin on August 1, 2005
Pfizer comes clean with the risks of Celebrex:
Pfizer Inc. on Monday said the label of its Celebrex arthritis drug has been changed to add a prominent warning of possible cardiovascular risks, such...
Filed in archive
Studies
by kevin on August 1, 2005
The current recommendation on ovary removal with hysterectomy is as follows:
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) officially recommends that the decision about ovary removal...
| 
