February 3rd, 2010 by Dr. Val Jones in Audio, Expert Interviews, Health Tips
Tags: ACP, Cardiology, Controversies, Coronary Artery Calcium Scoring, Coronary Catheterization, Coronary CT Angiography, Family Medicine, Featured, Hahneman Hospital, Internal Medicine, National Heart Disease Awareness Month, Primary Care, Statins, Stents, William Kussmaul
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February is National Heart Disease Awareness Month, and so I invited Dr. Bill Kussmaul to make me aware of some of the hottest controversies in cardiology. His tips and insights are invaluable to busy primary care physicians looking for the bottom line on thorny issues. Dr. Kussmaul is the Associate Director of the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory at Hahneman Hospital in Philadelphia and an Associate Editor of the Annals of Internal Medicine. You can listen to our conversation or read my transcript below:
[Audio:https://getbetterhealth.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/billkussmaul.mp3]
Controversy #1: Cholesterol and Statin Therapy
Dr. Val: Who should receive high-dose statin therapy? Read more »
February 2nd, 2010 by Peggy Polaneczky, M.D. in Better Health Network, Health Tips, Opinion
Tags: Apple, Apps, EMR, healthcare, iPad, Obstetrics And Gynecology, Technology
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First off, I need to address those who think they’re being brilliantly funny comparing Apple’s new product name to a feminine hygiene product – making comments like “Does it come with wings?” and “It’s light and easy to use, but can you swim with it?” (these are the cleaner comments I’ve seen), or calling for the next generation ITampon.
Since when did the word “Pad” become unusable in public discourse? And where were these folks when IBM came out with their Think Pad? It’s stupid, 12-year old funny and just plain dumb. Grow up, ladies and gents.
Now, on to more serious matters.
Is the IPad, as some are suggesting, the next big thing in Medicine? Dana Blakenhorn at ZDNet thinks so, calling medicine the IPad’s “Sweet Spot”- Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at The Blog that Ate Manhattan*
January 31st, 2010 by Stanley Feld, M.D. in Better Health Network, Health Tips, True Stories
Tags: Bullies, Bullying, Childhood Development, Parenting, Pediatrics, Psychiatry, Psychology, What To Teach Your Kids
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Brad asked how I think I influenced his development as a child. I think I taught him about leadership, perseverance, patience, problem solving, pattern recognition, innovative thinking, and compassion for others. The irony is I believe he taught me more than I taught him.
Mutual trust and respect must go hand and hand with the love for a child. Kids are people too. They have the same emotional responses to perceived events as we do as adults.
One of many incidents of mutual respect comes to mind. Brad was 11 years old in the 6th grade.
My accountant, at that time, was an avid stamp collector. I thought learning about the sub culture of stamp collecting would be a terrific intellectual experience for both of us. My accountant took us to several stamp shows and taught us how to value stamps. We started collecting. We accumulated a nice stamp collection. The collection had great potential to increase in value. We both learned a lot and grew together in the stamp collecting business. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Repairing the Healthcare System*
January 31st, 2010 by BarbaraFicarraRN in Better Health Network, Health Tips
Tags: Annals Of Internal Medicine, Dosing, Inaccurate, Kitchen Spoon, Medication, Moms, Nursing, Pediatrics, Pharmaceuticals, Spoons, Teaspoon
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A Spoonful of Medicine: Not a good thing
A recent study in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that people who use a kitchen spoons to pour liquid medicine aren’t getting the right dosage. Here’s what to use to get it right.
Use your kitchen spoon for food, not to measure medicine
Measuring Precisely is Vital
Ask any pastry chef or professional baker, and they’ll tell you that using exact measurements in baking is critical for a successful end product. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Health in 30*
January 28th, 2010 by RamonaBatesMD in Better Health Network, Health Tips, Research
Tags: Alcohol Withdrawal, Alcoholism, ENT, Otolaryngology, Post-op, Prevention
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It has been a while since I’ve had a patient with postoperative alcohol withdrawal. I can still recall my first exposure to this problem as a 3rd year medical student at the Veteran’s Hospital. It was my first clinical rotation – surgery service at the VA.
Browsing the CME articles on the JAMA website, I came across the article (full reference below): Improved Outcomes in Patients With Head and Neck Cancer Using a Standardized Care Protocol for Postoperative Alcohol Withdrawal. For me it was a nice review of the problem with updates on current drug use/protocol.
Their protocol is based on three distinct clusters of symptoms characterize alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS). Central nervous system excitation usually occurs within 12 to 48 hours after the last drink. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Suture for a Living*