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Antibiotic-Resistant Glue Ear And A Potential New Treatment

Glue ear is the layman’s term for thick mucoid effusion of the middle ear, usually due to chronic ear infections.

The fluid itself is like maple syrup and usually treated with ear tube placement followed by suctioning as much of the fluid out as possible. However, given there is always some residual present, antibiotic ear drops with steroids is often prescribed.

Unfortunately, these patients are at higher risk of requiring repeated sets of tubes after the body spits them out.

Why? Read more »

*This blog post was originally published at Fauquier ENT Blog*

More Specialty-Specific Apps Are Coming On The Market

The explosive growth of medical applications for smartphones, launched by the  debut of the innovative Apple iTunes App store in 2008, promises to fundamentally change the physician’s tool set. While many specialties have always been heavily dependent on technology, such as radiology and cardiology, the ubiquity of these small, interconnected computers means that every physician will soon have access to a broad array of software and hardware to help them perform their daily work.

At iMedicalApps.com, we have been reviewing the most interesting medical apps on the market today as well as watching for trends in mobile medical technology. The most popular categories thus far have been clinical reference and utility apps.  Some of the largest download numbers have been for apps that provide drug and disease reference information, such as the encyclopedic Medscape app, or medical calculators.

However, more targeted apps that are specialty specific are slowly coming on the market. Some early ones, not surprisingly, Read more »

*This blog post was originally published at iMedicalApps*

Tummy Tucks Aren’t Just For Lazy People

Recently at the gym (I workout three to five days a week mostly swimming laps in a pool,) I got into a conversation with a mom about tummy tuck surgery. This happens occasionally when you wear your CosmeticSurgeryTruth.com t shirt to the gym. :)

“I would never get a Tummy Tuck. I would just workout more.”

People do not see outside of their own experience very often. This pretty young mom would not benefit much by a Tummy Tuck as she had no “hanging apron” or much lose skin. Many gastric bypass patients or other women not as fortunate after pregnancy to have their bellies “snap back” have changes. And some of them workout several days a week too. Tummy Tuck surgery is not Read more »

*This blog post was originally published at Truth in Cosmetic Surgery*

Are Sleep-Deprived Medical Residents More Likely To Make Mistakes?

As of this writing, 5 air traffic controllers have been found asleep at the switch. By the time this piece is posted, several others may have joined the slumber party. Keep in mind, there’s a lot more snoozing in the towers than we’re aware of. We don’t know the denominator here. Our wise reactive government has recently issued orders that airport control towers must not be manned by only one individual. Somehow, prior to NappingGate, our bloated and inefficient government that is riddled with redundancy, thought that one sole guy watching the radar at night was sufficient.

There are some jobs where nodding off poses no risk. Let me test my readers’ acumen on this issue. Which of the following professions would not be at risk if an unscheduled siesta occurred?

  • A race car driver
  • A congressman
  • A circus clown (not to be confused with above listing)
  • A lawyer (not to be confused with the above listing)
  • A school bus driver

Let’s face it. Some folks on the job simply can’t safely snore their way through it. We don’t want Read more »

*This blog post was originally published at MD Whistleblower*

Fourth Of July: Top Tips For Fireworks Safety

As the 4th of July approaches, I’ve begun to hear fireworks exploding in my neighborhood.  It’s been dry here, so in addition to the risk of injuring a person, there is a risk of setting the fields on fire.  I sure hope my neighbors are being responsible.

I hope you will all have a safe and happy July 4th.  Be safe and stay out of the ER.

Please use the following tips:

  • Never allow children to play with or ignite fireworks.  A responsible adult should be in charge.
  • Read and follow all warnings and instructions.
  • Be sure other people are out-of-range before lighting fireworks. Small children should be kept a safe distance from the fireworks; older children that use fireworks need to be carefully supervised.
  • Do not smoke when handling any type of “live” firecracker, rocket, or aerial display.
  • Keep all fireworks away from any flammable liquids, dry grassy areas, or open bonfires.
  • Keep a bucket of water or working garden hose nearby in case of a malfunction or fire.
  • Take note of any sudden wind change that could cause sparks or debris to fall on a car, house, or person. Read more »

*This blog post was originally published at Suture for a Living*

Latest Interviews

IDEA Labs: Medical Students Take The Lead In Healthcare Innovation

It’s no secret that doctors are disappointed with the way that the U.S. healthcare system is evolving. Most feel helpless about improving their work conditions or solving technical problems in patient care. Fortunately one young medical student was undeterred by the mountain of disappointment carried by his senior clinician mentors…

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How To Be A Successful Patient: Young Doctors Offer Some Advice

I am proud to be a part of the American Resident Project an initiative that promotes the writing of medical students residents and new physicians as they explore ideas for transforming American health care delivery. I recently had the opportunity to interview three of the writing fellows about how to…

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Latest Book Reviews

Book Review: Is Empathy Learned By Faking It Till It’s Real?

I m often asked to do book reviews on my blog and I rarely agree to them. This is because it takes me a long time to read a book and then if I don t enjoy it I figure the author would rather me remain silent than publish my…

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The Spirit Of The Place: Samuel Shem’s New Book May Depress You

When I was in medical school I read Samuel Shem s House Of God as a right of passage. At the time I found it to be a cynical yet eerily accurate portrayal of the underbelly of academic medicine. I gained comfort from its gallows humor and it made me…

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Eat To Save Your Life: Another Half-True Diet Book

I am hesitant to review diet books because they are so often a tangled mess of fact and fiction. Teasing out their truth from falsehood is about as exhausting as delousing a long-haired elementary school student. However after being approached by the authors’ PR agency with the promise of a…

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