January 25th, 2010 by Dr. Val Jones in Announcements, Audio, Better Health Network, Expert Interviews, True Stories
Tags: Autoclave, Care, Dr. Paul Auerbach, Haiti, Interaction, International Medical Corps, Live Reporting, Mercy Corps, Organizations, Partners In Health, Port Au Prince, Relief Efforts, Relief Web, Save The Children, Skype, Sterilization, University Hospital
1 Comment »

Dr. Paul Auerbach And Injured Haitian Boy
Dr. Paul Auerbach is the author of the definitive textbook on Wilderness Medicine. Though he’s spent his entire emergency medicine career teaching others how to survive in the wild, even that didn’t fully prepare him for the extraordinary devastation in Haiti. He’d never seen anything like it. He hopes he never does again.
In an exclusive Skype interview with Better Health, Paul describes what it was like “on the ground” during the first week of the disaster. He goes on to explain (in part 2 below) what the current critical needs are, and which organizations and websites volunteers should go to in order to contribute in a coordinated fashion.
[Audio:https://getbetterhealth.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/paulauerbach124102.mp3]
Dr. Val: Do you need supplies?
Dr. Auerbach: We have lots of medications, vaccines, and small supplies. What we need most is a large autoclave to sterilize used OR equipment. Read more »
January 24th, 2010 by Dr. Val Jones in Better Health Network, True Stories
Tags: Chaos, Danger, Dean Lorich, Death, First Hand Account, Haiti, HHS, Hospital, Hospital For Special Surgery, Jamaican Soldiers, No Electricity, Trauma
2 Comments »

Dean Lorich, MD
I received this letter from a medical colleague today. It was written by Dr. Dean Lorich, Associate Director of the Orthopedic Trauma Service at NYC’s Hospital for Special Surgery. I hope to interview him for Better Health soon. Stay tuned for the audiocast…
***
I believe we went in with a reasonably comprehensive service we wanted to provide acute trauma care in an orthopedic disaster. Our plan was to be at a hospital where we could utilize our abilities as trauma surgeons treat the acute injuries involved in an orthopaedic disaster. We expected many amputations however came with a philosophy that would reasonably start limb salvage in what we thought was a salvageable limb.
David Helfet put a team together which included: Read more »
January 24th, 2010 by Paul Auerbach, M.D. in Better Health Network, True Stories
Tags: Earthquake, Emergency Medicine, Eye Witness, Haiti, Paul Auerbach, Pediatrics, Report, Surgery, Trauma
No Comments »

Today was another remarkable day. Here are some of the highlights:
The team continues to be incredibly strong and we are receiving reinforcements from all directions, both from International Medical Corps and from many other NGOs. Before I go any further, I want to express my appreciation for the incredible effort from the U.S. Army, which has provided protection, supplies, transportation, medical assistance and most important, peace of mind. This is not an easy situation, and having a compassionate and responsive military, never shirking a task when we need their help, is incredible.
We continued to triage, operate on and otherwise treat approximately 700 patients, with injuries that will change their lives forever. We have seen countless amputations, disfigurements and open fractures, and face wounds that are in some circumstances infected to the point of gangrene. The medicine is intense, but we are up to the task most of the time. It is quite hot outside and there is little time to eat, drink or go to the bathroom, so by the end of the day we are quite tired and bit dehydrated. But we do not complain, because these people are so strong and now so disadvantaged. Read more »
This post, Dr. Paul Auerbach’s Update From Haiti, was originally published on
Healthine.com by Paul Auerbach, M.D..
January 24th, 2010 by Peggy Polaneczky, M.D. in Better Health Network, News, True Stories
Tags: Bayer Pharmaceuticals, Blogging, Contraception, DTC, FDA, House Parties, IUD, Marketing, Mirena, Mom Central, Mommy Bloggers, Obstetrics And Gynecology, Social Media
2 Comments »

Bayer Pharmaceuticals, the maker of the Mirena IUD, has teamed up with the Mommy marketing site “Mom Central” to sponsor house parties to sell women the Mirena IUD.
According to a warning letter sent to Bayer by the FDA about the worded content of the events –
The Mirena program is a live presentation designed for a consumer audience of “busy moms.” The program is presented in a consumer’s home or other private setting (e.g. private restaurant party) by a representative from Mom Central (a social networking internet site) and a nurse practitioner (Ms. Barb Dehn). The Mirena program submitted to FDA also references a presentation given by a fashion stylist (Ms. Angela Hastings) that immediately follows Ms. Dehn’s presentation regarding the use of Mirena. The script of Ms. Hastings’ presentation regarding fashion tips was not submitted to FDA.
The events start with an intro by a Mom Central rep – Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at The Blog that Ate Manhattan*
January 23rd, 2010 by Shadowfax in Better Health Network, Medical Art, True Stories
Tags: Apparition, CT Scan, Ghost, Harding, Haunted Scrotum, Image, Pareidolia, Radiology, Royal Gwent Hospital, Scrotum, Undescended Testis
No Comments »

An awesome case of pareidolia:
Mind Hacks:
The case of the haunted scrotum. A 45-year-old man was referred for investigation of an undescended right testis by computed tomography (CT). An ultrasound scan showed a normal testis and epididymis on the left side. The right testis was not visualized in the scrotal sac or in the right inguinal region. On CT scanning of the abdomen and pelvis, the right testis was not identified but the left side of the scrotum seemed to be occupied by a screaming ghostlike apparition (Figure 1). By chance, the distribution of normal anatomical structures within the left side of the scrotum had combined to produce this image. What of the undescended right testis? None was found. If you were a right testis, would you want to share the scrotum with that?J R Harding Consultant Radiologist, Royal Gwent Hospital
And I might add that “The Haunted Scrotum” would be a great name for a punk rock band.

*This blog post was originally published at Movin' Meat*