Emergency medicine

2,321 articles · Since 2004

Articles, page 80

How will the H1N1 vaccine be distributed to patients?

September 21, 2009Sep 21, 2009

by Michael Smith, North American Correspondent, MedPage Today A minimum of 3.4 million doses of vaccine against H1N1 pandemic flu will be available in the first week of October, the CDC said. Those doses -- all in the form of…

by Michael Smith, North American Correspondent, MedPage Today

A minimum of 3.4 million doses of vaccine against H1N1 pandemic flu will be available in the first week of October, the CDC said.

Those doses — all in the form of a live attenuated nasal spray vaccine — may be supplemented by some injectable vaccine, according to Jay Butler, MD, the …

Physician voices

Violence in the emergency department and how to promote ER safety

Patricia B. Allen, MBA, RN

September 12, 2009Sep 12, 20097

by Patricia B. Allen, MBA, RN What would you differently tomorrow if you had a violent episode in your emergency department today? Violence in the ED is a growing and alarming phenomenon. A recent survey conducted by the Emergency Nurses…

by Patricia B. Allen, MBA, RN

What would you differently tomorrow if you had a violent episode in your emergency department today?

Violence in the ED is a growing and alarming phenomenon. A recent survey conducted by the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) revealed that 25 percent of the RN respondents report experiencing physical violence more than 20 times in the past three years and 20 percent of the respondents revealed encountering …

Conditions and diseases

The drama of using tPA in stroke within the three-hour window

Doctor Grumpy, MD

September 6, 2009Sep 6, 200936

Before telling this story, I’m going to have to lay some background for my non-medical readers. The most obscene word in English, in my opinion, has three letters and is an acronym. It’s tPA (it stands for Tissue Plasminogen Activator).…

Before telling this story, I’m going to have to lay some background for my non-medical readers.

The most obscene word in English, in my opinion, has three letters and is an acronym. It’s tPA (it stands for Tissue Plasminogen Activator).

This drug gets a lot of press as a “clotbuster.” It has the potential to break down clots and reverse a stroke. That potential, however, has a dark side. By breaking down …

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Physician voices

Are relationships being lost in medicine, and are hospitalists partly responsible?

Edwin Leap, MD

August 29, 2009Aug 29, 20099

An emergency physician, like me, may be the worst possible person to discuss relationships with patients. I mean, one of the reasons I chose this specialty was that I didn’t want long-term relationships with my patients. I see, now, that…

See, the county I landed in after residency is small enough that I do know many of my patients, and I do see them …

Drugs and prescribing

Vicodin and Percocet banned and taken off the market, or is a black box warning more likely?

Kevin

June 30, 2009Jun 30, 200947

The FDA has declared war on acetaminophen, with Vicodin and Percocet being collateral damage. You can bet Dr. Gregory House is sweatin' pretty hard over this news. In the last few days, acetaminophen, otherwise known as the brand name Tylenol,…

The FDA has declared war on acetaminophen, with Vicodin and Percocet being collateral damage. You can bet Dr. Gregory House is sweatin’ pretty hard over this news.

In the last few days, acetaminophen, otherwise known as the brand name Tylenol, has been squarely in the FDA advisory panel’s crosshairs. In general, it’s a very safe medication, but there is …

Conditions and diseases

Did Demerol cause Michael Jackson’s cardiac arrest and death?

Kevin

June 26, 2009Jun 26, 200914

Michael Jackson's death continues to consume the news cycle. There is currently no clear explanation. Some have speculated that it may be related to the narcotic pain drug, Demerol. According to this report from the UK's The Sun, "An Emergency…

Michael Jackson’s death continues to consume the news cycle.

There is currently no clear explanation. Some have speculated that it may be related to the narcotic pain drug, Demerol. According to this report from the UK’s The Sun, “An Emergency Room source at UCLA hospital said Jackson aides told medics he had collapsed after an injection of potent Demerol …

Patient voices

5 top medical comments, June 14th 2009

Kevin

June 14, 2009Jun 14, 2009

Here are some of the more interesting comments readers have left recently. 1. Carla Kakutani on how Massachusetts' health reform won't relieve ER overcrowding: Insurance does not equal access (although it’s better than nothing). Nothing changes until every stakeholder recognizes…

Here are some of the more interesting comments readers have left recently.

1. Carla Kakutani on how Massachusetts’ health reform won’t relieve ER overcrowding:
Insurance does not equal access (although it’s better than nothing). Nothing changes until every stakeholder recognizes they have to control costs and allow a rebuilding of primary care in the US. That includes doctors and patients, along with everybody’s favorite villains, the insurance companies and big pharma. …

Read more…

5 top medical comments, June 14th 2009

Social media in medicine

Is House M.D. bad for medicine?

Kevin

May 17, 2009May 17, 20095

A few days ago, we talked about how Scrubs was a relatively accurate portrayal of medical life.Let's talk about the other end of the spectrum, namely, Fox's House M.D.As an emergency physician notes, the doctors in the House-universe seem super-human.…

A few days ago, we talked about how Scrubs was a relatively accurate portrayal of medical life.

Let’s talk about the other end of the spectrum, namely, Fox’s House M.D.

As an emergency physician notes, the doctors in the House-universe seem super-human. Indeed, “the docs on that show are not only walking encyclopedias of rare diseases, but they are …

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Is House M.D. bad for medicine?

Physician voices

6 top medical comments, May 10th, 2009

Kevin

May 10, 2009May 10, 2009

Here are some of the more interesting comments readers have left recently.1. Anonymous on whether emergency physicians best served to staff urgent care centers:As an ED doc, I understand the problem. We are taught to always rule out the emergencies,…

Here are some of the more interesting comments readers have left recently.

1. Anonymous on whether emergency physicians best served to staff urgent care centers:
As an ED doc, I understand the problem. We are taught to always rule out the emergencies, and I am constantly worrying about the worst case scenario, and likely will order more tests since they are at my disposal, which is …

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6 top medical comments, May 10th, 2009

Can you really kill a man by gluing his anus shut?

Kevin

May 9, 2009May 9, 20096

A recently reported method of torturing gay men in Iraq sounds horrifying.Andrew Sullivan points to an article that spares no graphic details: ". . . anti-gay Shiite death squads are sealing their anuses with a powerful glue, then inducing diarrhea,…

A recently reported method of torturing gay men in Iraq sounds horrifying.

Andrew Sullivan points to an article that spares no graphic details: “. . . anti-gay Shiite death squads are sealing their anuses with a powerful glue, then inducing diarrhea, which leads to a painful and agonizing death.”

But, can someone really die from this novel form of torture?

Emergency physician Shadowfax has his doubts. …

Physician voices

How the primary care doctor shortage threatens Obama’s health reform plan

Kevin Pho, MD

April 27, 2009Apr 27, 200920

Top story in The New York Times.Excellent.There's hope that maybe, just maybe, we're getting through to the decision makers in Washington.The article itself is old news to regular readers of this blog, and regurgitates many of the arguments impeding health…

Top story in The New York Times.

Excellent.

There’s hope that maybe, just maybe, we’re getting through to the decision makers in Washington.

The article itself is old news to regular readers of this blog, and regurgitates many of the arguments impeding health reform, as well as the problems in solving them.

“Obama administration officials, alarmed at doctor shortages, are looking for ways to increase …

Physician voices

Edwin Leap: Who pays when politicians commit malpractice?

Edwin Leap, MD

April 2, 2009Apr 2, 20094

My kids love to play Monopoly. They delight in acquiring properties, making money and crushing their siblings. They play with passion and savagery. That is, until recently. A couple of weeks ago I walked past the Monopoly board, spread on…

“˜How’s it going guys?’

“˜Great game, but we all ran out of money. So, we just put some more money on the …

Physician voices

Did the Canadian health system fail Natasha Richardson?

Kevin Pho, MD

March 20, 2009Mar 20, 200920

Would Natasha Richardson be alive today if she had gone skiing in the United States instead?I don't think it would have made a difference.To recap the tragedy, Ms. Richardson died from an epidural bleed, after she fell while skiing. Her…

Would Natasha Richardson be alive today if she had gone skiing in the United States instead?

I don’t think it would have made a difference.

To recap the tragedy, Ms. Richardson died from an epidural bleed, after she fell while skiing. Her presentation was somewhat classic, with the well-described “lucid” period before she deteriorated.

According to Canada’s Globe and Mail, “ambulance workers were not …

Physician voices

Is Natasha Richardson brain dead? Was an epidural bleed, or “talk and die” syndrome, to blame after her ski accident?

Kevin Pho, MD

March 18, 2009Mar 18, 20096

Tragic news this morning regarding actress Natasha Richardson, who reportedly, suffered a head injury during a ski lesson in Canada.According to reports, she fell on a beginner's ski hill, and did not hit anyone or anything during the fall. There…

Tragic news this morning regarding actress Natasha Richardson, who reportedly, suffered a head injury during a ski lesson in Canada.

According to reports, she fell on a beginner’s ski hill, and did not hit anyone or anything during the fall. There was no obvious sign of injury, and in fact, she was “was walking around and feeling fine for an hour after her accident.”

Things then …

Health policy

Op-ed: More coverage requires more doctors

Kevin Pho, MD

February 25, 2009Feb 25, 20094

The following op-ed was published on February 25th, 2009 in The New York Times' Room for Debate blog. With the number of the uninsured having risen to 48 million Americans, clearly the need for reform is dire. But President Obama…

The following op-ed was published on February 25th, 2009 in The New York Times’ Room for Debate blog.

With the number of the uninsured having risen to 48 million Americans, clearly the need for reform is dire. But President Obama made no mention of who exactly will take care of these patients, even if they get insurance under a successful health reform initiative.

As a primary care physician in southern New …

Health policy

Op-ed: Ease ER overload

Kevin Pho, MD

December 3, 2008Dec 3, 20082

The following op-ed was published on December 3rd, 2008 in the USA Today. Emblematic of soaring health care costs, which are projected to reach $3 trillion by 2011,is the nationwide crisis of emergency department overcrowding. More than $18 billion is…

The following op-ed was published on December 3rd, 2008 in the USA Today.

Emblematic of soaring health care costs, which are projected to reach $3 trillion by 2011,is the nationwide crisis of emergency department overcrowding. More than $18 billion is wasted annually on unnecessary visits to the ER,with volume rising by 32% and wait times almost doubling to one hour during the past decade. Relieving this strain …

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Op-ed: Ease ER overload

Physician voices

What emergency medicine teaches about our shared humanity

Edwin Leap, MD

October 26, 2008Oct 26, 20084

While I was driving my rental car a few days ago in another city, a man passed me on his chopper. He was covered in tattoos and his long hair was blowing wildly in the wind. He looked the very…

While I was driving my rental car a few days ago in another city, a man passed me on his chopper. He was covered in tattoos and his long hair was blowing wildly in the wind. He looked the very image of freedom, of unrestricted energy. Snug in my safe (boring) Chevy Cavalier, on the way to a meeting, with Mozart on the radio, I didn’t give him another thought. …

Health policy

Op-ed: Doctors’ pay cuts save little in health costs

Kevin Pho, MD

August 22, 2008Aug 22, 200823

The following op-ed was published on August 22nd, 2008 in the USA Today. "Why should I care if doctors get a pay cut?" my patient recently asked me. Therein lies the delicate dilemma physicians face today. While the common perception…

The following op-ed was published on August 22nd, 2008 in the USA Today.

“Why should I care if doctors get a pay cut?” my patient recently asked me.

Therein lies the delicate dilemma physicians face today. While the common perception is that the medical profession is well-compensated, there are serious implications in targeting physician pay to control medical spending.

Congress recently passed a bill protecting doctors from a 10.6% …

Physician voices

Why your work already counts as giving back to society

Edwin Leap, MD

July 6, 2008Jul 6, 20084

I have read many articles about professionals who left their career fields after many years and decided to teach. Many of them go into the public school system to share their knowledge and experience with the next generation. In fact,…

But I have been stricken by a comment made by many of those who changed careers. Almost …

Physician voices

Op-ed: What we have in health care today is a failure to communicate

Kevin Pho, MD

June 23, 2008Jun 23, 20087

The following op-ed was published on May 4th, 2008 in the Nashua Telegraph. Communication in medicine grows worse by the day. What should be a pillar of quality health care is instead a resounding failure. Patients are rushed through office…

The following op-ed was published on May 4th, 2008 in the Nashua Telegraph.

Communication in medicine grows worse by the day. What should be a pillar of quality health care is instead a resounding failure.

Patients are rushed through office visits and often leave without having their questions answered. Labyrinthine barriers have to be overcome before speaking with a physician. Reaching a medical provider via the …

Emergency medicine

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