September 13th, 2010 by Davis Liu, M.D. in Better Health Network, Health Tips, News, Opinion
Tags: Audi, Car Accident, Driver Safety, General Medicine, Motor Vehicle Accidents, Motor Vehicle Safety, New England Patriots, Physical Injury, Primary Care, Public Health, Tom Brady
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New England Patriots NFL quarterback Tom Brady was on his way to practice when he crashed into a minivan which allegedly ran a red light. His Audi S8 car T-boned the other vehicle a few blocks from his home. A relieved New England Patriots owner Bob Kraft noted after the accident:
“[Tom] arched and prepared himself and we’re just lucky with the glass and angles. We have a lot to be thankful for. It was really a miracle…We’re very, very lucky. Patriot Nation is lucky he had his seatbelt on.”
Was it simply luck or good car design and mechanical engineering? Crumple zones and the passenger cage of a car when built for maximum safety decrease injury. Yet, unfortunately, there is significant variability among safety in cars. Brady walked away from the accident for a variety of reasons.
As a future hall of fame quarterback, Brady has lightning fast reflexes when analyzing defensive blitzes and options when throwing the football. Quickly bracing himself for impact may have helped. Wearing a seatbelt definitely helped. What may have helped the most was the type of car he drove. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Saving Money and Surviving the Healthcare Crisis*
September 12th, 2010 by EvanFalchukJD in Better Health Network, Health Tips, News, Opinion, Research, True Stories
Tags: Angioplasty, Best Doctors, Blaming Doctors, Blocked Cardiac Artery, Cardiac Stents, Cardiology, Chest Pain, Denial of the Reality of Death, Doctors' Fault, Dr. Michael Pignone, Dr. Pauline Chen, Evan Falchuk, Everything In Moderation, Final Exam, Foundation for Informed Medical Decision Making, Heart Disease, Heart Health, Iris Monica Vargas, Misinformed Patients, Uninformed Patients, University of North Carolina School of Medicine
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I have a friend who had a blocked cardiac artery. A couple of years ago he had angioplasty on it, and his doctor inserted stents. The stents got rid of his chest pain and other symptoms, but didn’t do anything to get at the underlying cause of the blockage, which had to do with an unhappy combination of genetics and a –- perfectly admirable –- taste for rich, fatty foods. Like steak. (More on that in a moment.)
Before having the procedure, his doctors spent a lot of time with him explaining what the surgery would and wouldn’t do. In particular, the doctors explained that the stents would do their job, but he had to do his. He needed to eat better, exercise more, and take his medications. He’s followed most of that advice, and is doing well.
Unfortunately, his experience is not typical. A recently published study found that more than 80 percent of patients who had gotten angioplasty and stents thought they were alone a cure for their problems.
These patients are wrong. So how can it be that they are coming to this strange conclusion? According to some, it’s the doctors’ fault. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at See First Blog*
September 11th, 2010 by Jeffrey Benabio, M.D. in Better Health Network, Health Tips, Humor, News, Opinion, Quackery Exposed, Research
Tags: Alternative Medicine Nonsense, Caffeine, Cellulite, Dermatology, Dr. Jeff Benabio, Drawing Toxins Out, False Claims, Health Tips in Pursuit of Beauty, Improved Circulation, Medical Quackery, Non-Evidence-Based, Rubbing Coffee Grounds Into Skin, Science Based Medicine, Skin Care
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Last week a popular TV talk show featuring a bunch of doctors (I’m not naming names) discussed how coffee grounds can improve cellulite. They explained how rubbing coffee grounds into your skin imparts caffeine into the cellulite thereby improving the circulation and drawing the toxins out.
This is a great tip, except that rubbing coffee grounds on your skin does not impart any caffeine into it, and there are no toxins in cellulite.
Cellulite is a normal secondary sex characteristic of women. It is the result of thin connective tissue in women’s skin. Massaging the cellulite (with coffee, tea, grapes, cream cheese, or chocolate frosting) pushes the fat back into the skin, temporarly improving the appearance. There is no science behind using coffee to treat this normal condition.
Scientific studies have shown, however, that carrying a wet coffee filter filled with grounds into your bathroom will burn more calories, because you’ll spend 20 minutes later cleaning up the mess in your shower.
*This blog post was originally published at The Dermatology Blog*
September 10th, 2010 by Peggy Polaneczky, M.D. in Better Health Network, Health Policy, Health Tips, News, Opinion, Research
Tags: Avoiding Preventive Screenings, Cervical Biopsies, Cervical Cancer Screening, Colposcopies, International Health Policy, Jade Goody, National Health Campaign, Obstetrics And Gynecology, Oncology, Pap Smears, Preventive Healthcare, Preventive Medicine, Public Health Initiative, WHO, Women's Health, World Health Organization
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The Telegraph reports that the number of screening pap smears performed in the UK has declined after an 8 percent blip upwards in 2009 when publicity surrounding the death of Jade Goody from cervical cancer may have led more women to have this important screening test:
NHS laboratories processed 415,497 tests in 2009-2010, about 35,000 fewer than the previous year when 450,522. Miss Goody’s death in March last year prompted a 20 percent increase in the number of Scottish women taking tests. More than 122,000 were processed between April and June last year, the statistics revealed.
The irony of course, is that British reality TV star Jade Goody did have pap smears, but chose to ignore her doctor’s recommendations for treatment when her pap smears came back abnormal.
Nonetheless, the decline in pap smears has led NHS of Scotland to initiate a campaign to reach the up to 25 percent of young women who do not respond to invitations to have pap smears. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at tbtam*
September 10th, 2010 by BarbaraFicarraRN in Better Health Network, Health Policy, Health Tips, Opinion
Tags: Allied Healthcare Workers, Barrier To Patient Care, Compromising Patient Care, Doctor-Nurse Relationship, Doctor-Nurse Team, General Medicine, Influencing Patient Care, Medical Staff, Medicine Is A Team Sport, Nurse-Doctor Communication, Successful Patient Care, Team-Based Patient Care, Teamwork In Medicine
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Some patients struggle to communicate effectively with their doctors and some doctors and nurses find it difficult to communicate and collaborate with each other.
Historically, the dynamic symbiotic relationship between doctors and nurses has been a little shaky, evidenced by the lack of engagement and respect for one another.
Hospitals are chaotic and stressful. Working in such an environment can lead to frustration and it can take a toll on the staff. Instead of a good working relationship (which may never have been fostered to its full potential from the start), doctors and nurses become a fractured team. As a result, the fractured team will not effectively communicate and patient care may suffer devastating consequences. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Health in 30*
