KevinMD.com

December 1, 2010Dec 1, 201074

How did the idea that vaccines are dangerous, toxin-filled CDC experiments metastasize so quickly from the fringe to the mainstream? Keep in mind that not only have vaccines been scientifically proven to be safe, but that some of the arguments…

How did the idea that vaccines are dangerous, toxin-filled CDC experiments metastasize so quickly from the fringe to the mainstream?

Keep in mind that not only have vaccines been scientifically proven to be safe, but that some of the arguments against vaccines are so scientifically incredulous they are the equivalent of saying there is a UFO sitting in Central Park right now.

So let’s begin at the beginning. In 1998 Andrew Wakefield …

Patient voices

A community of healthy seniors inspires this physician

Melanie Lane, MD

December 1, 2010Dec 1, 2010

I have been genuinely blessed by my career in medicine. When I started medical school, I was living through a very rocky time, dealing with severe, at times suicidal depression. I was working through an outpatient alcohol and drug rehabilitation…

I have been genuinely blessed by my career in medicine.

When I started medical school, I was living through a very rocky time, dealing with severe, at times suicidal depression. I was working through an outpatient alcohol and drug rehabilitation program, and I was about 40 pounds overweight. I had grown up with a very negative and fatalistic attitude toward life which resulted in chronic misery and a number of personal …

Drugs and prescribing

Energy drinks are unregulated and can be dangerous

Linda Pourmassina, MD

December 1, 2010Dec 1, 20104

With the darker days upon us, it may be tempting to try to fight fatigue with energy drinks. Ever wonder what’s really in them and what they might be doing to you? I just came across an article in the…

With the darker days upon us, it may be tempting to try to fight fatigue with energy drinks.

Ever wonder what’s really in them and what they might be doing to you? I just came across an article in the November issue of the Mayo Clinic Proceedings that broke it down nicely.

Here’s the summary.

Caffeine. No brainer. Interestingly, it is on the list of substances banned by the International Olympic Committee (which is …

Real physician voices, twice a week

Free, and one click to unsubscribe.

Health policy

How a plumber charges more than a neurosurgeon

S. Irfan Ali, MD

November 30, 2010Nov 30, 2010118

So there was a neurosurgeon who called a plumber for a house visit. The plumber arrived and after spending an hour bestowed the neurosurgeon a bill of $500. The surgeon was stunned; he said, “Even I don’t charge this much…

So there was a neurosurgeon who called a plumber for a house visit.

The plumber arrived and after spending an hour bestowed the neurosurgeon a bill of $500. The surgeon was stunned; he said, “Even I don’t charge this much after a surgery.” The plumber stood up, gave him a sly look and said, “well that is why I am a plumber now; I used to be a neurosurgeon.”

I mention this …

Physician voices

Suspicious withdrawal of a publication from an academic journal

Larry Husten, PhD

November 30, 2010Nov 30, 2010

The official ESC journal Europace publishes an online case report by Dr. Martin Hudec about the extremely rare and spectacular failure of a recently implanted Biotronik 340 VR-T ICD in a 46-year-old man. The battery of the device apparently overheated,…

The official ESC journal Europace publishes an online case report by Dr. Martin Hudec about the extremely rare and spectacular failure of a recently implanted Biotronik 340 VR-T ICD in a 46-year-old man. The battery of the device apparently overheated, causing the device to malfunction and leading to severe internal burning.

On Wednesday, October 6, US electrophysiologist Westby Fisher summarizes the Europace article on his blog and reprints several extremely gruesome …

Patient voices

Travelers with medical conditions fear increased TSA security procedures

Brian Loew

November 30, 2010Nov 30, 20103

by Brian Loew Travelers with medical conditions hope that the TSA pat-down incidents involving bladder cancer survivor Thomas “Tom” Sawyer, at Detroit Metro Airport, and to breast cancer survivor Cathy Bossi, at Dulles Airport, are isolated incidents. But these reports…

by Brian Loew

Travelers with medical conditions hope that the TSA pat-down incidents involving bladder cancer survivor Thomas “Tom” Sawyer, at Detroit Metro Airport, and to breast cancer survivor Cathy Bossi, at Dulles Airport, are isolated incidents. But these reports are already creating a chilling effect on air travel for people with medical conditions and disabilities.

This group of travelers could benefit the most from holiday …

Conditions and diseases

Living with cancer is different from living after cancer

Edward Pullen, MD

November 30, 2010Nov 30, 201015

This is a topic close to home. My wife was diagnosed with stage 3C cancer of the ovary a bit over a year ago. She was a chemotherapy superstar, had few complications, and has been in remission since her treatment…

This is a topic close to home.

My wife was diagnosed with stage 3C cancer of the ovary a bit over a year ago. She was a chemotherapy superstar, had few complications, and has been in remission since her treatment finished last October. Still we know her chances of a cure are fairly low.

Understanding statistics is a mixed blessing. Even though her chances of this cancer never recurring are pretty low, …

Patient voices

Bedside manner may need to include cost of care discussions

Dennis Grace

November 29, 2010Nov 29, 201025

by Dennis Grace For years, if you asked for a recommendation for a physician, the answer included some mention of bedside manner. I mean, we’re human beings first and patients second, so we think it’s great that she’s a brilliant…

by Dennis Grace

For years, if you asked for a recommendation for a physician, the answer included some mention of bedside manner.

I mean, we’re human beings first and patients second, so we think it’s great that she’s a brilliant doctor, but is she pleasant? Is she respectful and patient? Nobody wants to work with a know-it-all, especially one who gets to hear about our bowel movements …

Health policy

The malpractice system doesn’t improve patient safety

Kevin Pho, MD

November 29, 2010Nov 29, 201018

There has been significant media attention on a New England Journal of Medicine case report where a surgeon, Massachusetts General Hospital's David Ring, described how he operated on the wrong hand of a patient. Here's a summary of the case:…

There has been significant media attention on a New England Journal of Medicine case report where a surgeon, Massachusetts General Hospital’s David Ring, described how he operated on the wrong hand of a patient.

Here’s a summary of the case:

Ring, along with colleagues at Massachusetts General and Harvard Medical School, detailed the series of missteps that led to the wrong operation in the patient whose ring finger on her

…

Drugs and prescribing

Antibiotics need to become controlled substances and regulated

WhiteCoat, MD

November 29, 2010Nov 29, 201079

Antibiotics for viral infections are a big pet peeve of mine. No. Make that a huge pet peeve. Some doctors prescribe antibiotics for coughs and stuffy noses because the patients want them. If you’re one of those patients who think…

Antibiotics for viral infections are a big pet peeve of mine. No. Make that a huge pet peeve.

Some doctors prescribe antibiotics for coughs and stuffy noses because the patients want them. If you’re one of those patients who think that antibiotics make your coughs go away, or clear up your stuffy noses, or somehow make your sinus headaches vanish, or if you’re a doctor who prescribes antibiotics for these symptoms, …

Health technology

Electronic health records (EHR) to improve medication compliance

Robert Rowley, MD

November 29, 2010Nov 29, 20103

A recent report in the Annals of Internal Medicine on the characteristics of prescriptions that are abandoned at the pharmacy raise the question of (1) how to ensure that people actually pick up their prescriptions, and (2) how to make…

A recent report in the Annals of Internal Medicine on the characteristics of prescriptions that are abandoned at the pharmacy raise the question of (1) how to ensure that people actually pick up their prescriptions, and (2) how to make sure that people actually take the medications that are prescribed.

What role does modern Electronic Health Record (EHR) technology play in this question?

A study by the non-profit New England Healthcare Institute …

Physician voices

How your medical practice can manage vendor relationships

MedPage Today

November 29, 2010Nov 29, 2010

by Rosemarie Nelson, MS Everyone is trying to "do more with less" and concerns about the economy add fuel to that fire! But, when done with purpose and thoughtfulness, you can manage vendor relationships so that you'll deliver successful negotiations…

by Rosemarie Nelson, MS

Everyone is trying to “do more with less” and concerns about the economy add fuel to that fire! But, when done with purpose and thoughtfulness, you can manage vendor relationships so that you’ll deliver successful negotiations that will get the most bang for the buck for any medical practice, small or large, multispecialty or single specialty.

Preparation and setting objectives well before contract …

Health technology

Scribes lead to unintended consequences from electronic medical records

Douglas Perednia, MD

November 29, 2010Nov 29, 201020

Recently, Dr. Scot Silverstein over at Health Care Renewal published this update to the ongoing story of electronic medical records that are so simple, intuitive and easy to use that doctors and hospitals everywhere are being forced to hire "scribes"…

Recently, Dr. Scot Silverstein over at Health Care Renewal published this update to the ongoing story of electronic medical records that are so simple, intuitive and easy to use that doctors and hospitals everywhere are being forced to hire “scribes” to run them.

We’d looked at the resurgence of scribes in a previous post, and Dr. Silverstein’s article seems to confirm that the phenomenon is is here to stay …

Physician voices

Paying for access to medical journals

Josh Herigon, MPH

November 28, 2010Nov 28, 20109

I’m not sure about the validity of this study: Free Access to U.S. Research Papers Could Yield $1 Billion in Benefits. Quantifying how much money will be saved by increased efficiency due to open access seems like fuzzy math at…

I’m not sure about the validity of this study: Free Access to U.S. Research Papers Could Yield $1 Billion in Benefits.

Quantifying how much money will be saved by increased efficiency due to open access seems like fuzzy math at best. However, we do need better access to medical journal articles. As a researcher, I’ve constantly fought the battle against firewalled journals. I am fortunate to be part of a university …

Read more…

Paying for access to medical journals

Physician voices

Shifts and making switches in the ER

ER Stories, MD

November 28, 2010Nov 28, 2010

Everyone one knows ER docs work shifts. Many places though have each doc doing a set schedule. Such as 1 day, 1 evening, 1 overnight or one week with days, one with evenings, and one with nights. Others, like my…

Everyone one knows ER docs work shifts. Many places though have each doc doing a set schedule. Such as 1 day, 1 evening, 1 overnight or one week with days, one with evenings, and one with nights.

Others, like my hospital, it is a mass jumble. We work all sorts of random shifts at random times, so long as it evens out at the end of the 6 week block that …

Read more…

Shifts and making switches in the ER

Patient voices

Working at the student care center in college

John Schumann, MD

November 28, 2010Nov 28, 20103

For five years I worked at GlassHospital’s Student Care Center. I don't get no respect, neither. One of the great things about GlassHospital is that it sits on the campus of a well-known and fairly well-respected former Big Ten university.…

For five years I worked at GlassHospital’s Student Care Center.

I don’t get no respect, neither.

One of the great things about GlassHospital is that it sits on the campus of a well-known and fairly well-respected former Big Ten university.

Like all colleges and universities, our place acts in loco parentis to the students that grace its campus. This means responsibility for our students’ health and well-being.

I loved working at the Student Care …

Conditions and diseases

Colds teach the immune system how to fight future viruses

Michael Gonzalez, MD

November 27, 2010Nov 27, 20102

Viral upper respiratory illnesses, or common colds, are by far the most frequent illness I see in my office. It is called the common cold because it is, well, common. I typically can make the diagnosis with a high degree…

Viral upper respiratory illnesses, or common colds, are by far the most frequent illness I see in my office.

It is called the common cold because it is, well, common. I typically can make the diagnosis with a high degree of certainty based on the pattern and the timing of the symptoms. Deciphering cold symptoms and knowing when to worry is what a pediatrician does more often than anything else, and …

Conditions and diseases

Ethics of placebo in cancer treatment clinical trials

Wendy S. Harpham, MD

November 27, 2010Nov 27, 20104

The New York Times recently ran an article tackling a complex ethical dilemma in cancer care: the withholding of treatment in clinical trials. Because I was treated in 3 clinical trials in the 1990s, the topic is close to my…

The New York Times recently ran an article tackling a complex ethical dilemma in cancer care: the withholding of treatment in clinical trials. Because I was treated in 3 clinical trials in the 1990s, the topic is close to my heart.

Scientists have advanced the treatment of disease using the scientific method. By that, I mean they have tested a theory using rigorous methods that give a reliable and reproducible answer. …

Conditions and diseases

Travel tips for a panic free vacation

Stephen R. Blumberg, PhD

November 27, 2010Nov 27, 2010

If you are like many Americans, you are planning or getting ready to take a summer vacation. Sounds very exciting. Aruba. A cross-country jaunt. Or a short trip overnight to the coast! What is exciting for the panic-free community can…

If you are like many Americans, you are planning or getting ready to take a summer vacation. Sounds very exciting. Aruba. A cross-country jaunt. Or a short trip overnight to the coast!

What is exciting for the panic-free community can be agony for a panic sufferer. Why?

The core fear is being trapped far from safety

Whether it is traveling on a cruise ship, airplane, highway driving, train or bus, …

Read more…

Travel tips for a panic free vacation

Drugs and prescribing

Concerns about long term acid suppressive therapy

Chris Rangel, MD

November 26, 2010Nov 26, 201014

Physicians hate acid. But, hey, who doesn’t hate acid? It burns things. It corrodes. It’s that after-pizza punishment. We prescribe antacid medications by the ton in this country, not because people’s stomachs have developed increased acidity, but because people in…

Physicians hate acid. But, hey, who doesn’t hate acid? It burns things. It corrodes. It’s that after-pizza punishment.

We prescribe antacid medications by the ton in this country, not because people’s stomachs have developed increased acidity, but because people in our modern society are generally overweight, like to eat large meals, and prefer fatty foods and things like alcohol, chocolate, and tobacco, all of which tend to worsen acid reflux.

Physicians like …

Real physician voices, twice a week

The Podcast

Latest episodes

Most popular

The Podcast

Latest episodes

Most popular