October 22nd, 2009 by Shadowfax in Better Health Network, Opinion
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In the comments, a question was posed from reader “Seattle Plastic Surgery on Lake Union” (an online handle that is as unwieldy as it is descriptive). He asks:
I would like to hear your opinion on a topic that is rapidly growing near and dear to my heart…the scenario is thus:
I’m on call, the local plastic surgeon, for the local ER. You are seeing a nice family with a child that has sustained a simple facial laceration. No fractures, no missing tissue, just a simple, linear, forhead laceration.
The Mom asks that a plastic surgeon be called to come in from home and close the wound. You reply that you are able to do the closure, the child is medically stable, and that a you are qualified to close the wound. The family presses you: call the plastic surgeon.
Can you tell me, from an ER doc’s standpoint- what is the most appropriate response from the on call plastic surgeon? Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Movin' Meat*
October 22nd, 2009 by Happy Hospitalist in Better Health Network, True Stories
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I was at the pharmacy today picking up some goods. We indicated to the pharmacy tech our cash paying status. The nice lady behind the counter explained that the drug company had a discount plan for cash paying customers that do not submit a claim to their insurance company. We had to promise not to submit the claim and not to sell the medication on the internet for which we obliged. Then we had a seat and waited.
In the next 30 minutes I had the opportunity to listen to several customers blow up in a fit of rage about why their insurance company wasn’t covering this or that. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at A Happy Hospitalist*
October 22nd, 2009 by Harriet Hall, M.D. in Better Health Network, Quackery Exposed
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We would all like to live longer. The most promising longevity research indicates that severe calorie restriction might extend life span, but such a diet is difficult to follow. Resveratrol, a phytochemical found in red wine, has been evaluated as a possible way out of the dilemma. When given to obese mice on a high calorie diet, it produced a number of changes associated with improved health, such as increased insulin sensitivity, and it increased survival. Perhaps by taking resveratrol you could eat as much as you want and get fat without suffering the usual consequences. Perhaps you could get the longevity benefits of severe calorie restriction without restricting calories. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Science-Based Medicine*
October 21st, 2009 by Nancy Brown, Ph.D. in Better Health Network, News
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A recent survey commissioned by Hazeldon, a substance abuse treatment center, has inspired a campaign to start family conversations about alcohol. They call the campaign “Four Generations Overcoming Addiction,” and it encourages parents to talk with their children about their own alcohol use when they were teenagers.
The survey results from Ipsos Public Affairs are based on interviews done online with 603 teens between the ages of 15 and 18 and telephone interviews with 620 parents of teens. Some of the interesting results included: Read more »
This post, Talking To Teens About Drug Addiction, was originally published on
Healthine.com by Nancy Brown, Ph.D..
October 21st, 2009 by KerriSparling in Better Health Network, True Stories
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Dear Baby,
I’ve been thinking about you for a long time.
My doctors told me it would be a challenge to have you. They said that diabetes would be a tricky hurdle as I planned for you. They said you might not happen. There were so many reasons to be scared and so many reasons to doubt, but I never gave up on you, Baby. I have always wanted you and have worked so tirelessly to make my body safe for you. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Six Until Me.*
