Getting Beyond Baby Blues: The Importance of Screening for Postpartum Depression
In January, when attention focused on the need for postpartum depression screening because of a recommendation by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, an independent panel of physicians and epidemiologists that develops recommendations for clinical preventive services, I was both relieved and concerned.
As a women’s health advocate and educator I worried that screening could contribute to further pathologizing women’s experiences, especially when they are connected to their reproductive lives. I also feared that Big Pharma wanted to cash in, and that fetal effects from antidepressant medication might be unduly mini...
Source: Disruptive Women in Health Care - March 2, 2016 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: dw at disruptivewomen.net Tags: Childbirth Women's Health Postpartum depression United States Preventive Services Task Force Source Type: blogs
Longing for the QT
A 58-year-old man presented to the ED with a reported overdose of an unknown medication. The patient was agitated, combative, and altered. Initial vital signs included a heart rate of 115 beats/min, blood pressure of 154/93 mm Hg, respirations of 22/min, and temperature of 99.5°F. The patient was difficult to evaluate because he was agitated, and he was given 5 mg of haloperidol IV and 2 mg of lorazepam IV. The patient continued to be agitated, and was given another 10 mg of haloperidol IV, followed by a repeat dose of 10 mg IV 15 minutes later. The patient then became unresponsive, and his cardiac monitor demonstrated th...
Source: The Tox Cave - March 1, 2016 Category: Emergency Medicine Tags: Blog Posts Source Type: blogs
LITFL Review 217
Welcome to the 217th LITFL Review! Your regular and reliable source for the highest highlights, sneakiest sneak peeks and loudest shout-outs from the webbed world of emergency medicine and critical care. Each week the LITFL team casts the spotlight on the blogosphere’s best and brightest and deliver a bite-sized chuck of FOAM.
The Most Fair Dinkum Ripper Beauts of the Week
How do we reach deep within to find empathy when we feel at our worst? By remembering the other side of the story, writes Phil Berry in his blog.“The trick at such times is to access the human in ourselves” [SO]
The Best of #FOAMed Em...
Source: Life in the Fast Lane - January 31, 2016 Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Marjorie Lazoff, MD Tags: Education LITFL review Source Type: blogs
To See or Not to See
A
A 17-year-old boy presented to the emergency department after having a seizure. Initial vital signs included a temperature of 38°C, heart rate of 134 beats/min, respiratory rate of 22 breaths/min, blood pressure of 142/93 mm Hg, and pulse oximetry of 97% on room air. His physical exam is significant for tachycardia and pupils are 5 mm bilaterally and reactive to light with horizontal nystagmus. He is awake, confused, and combative.
Paramedics report that his mother found him in his bedroom was acting strangely before he fell to the floor and began convulsing. ED staff administered 2 mg intravenous lorazepam, ...
Source: The Tox Cave - January 4, 2016 Category: Emergency Medicine Tags: Blog Posts Source Type: blogs
Matthew’s incredible Wheat Belly transformation
Remember Matthew? I previously shared his story and photos, including his 80-pound weight loss and change in cholesterol values.
But there is much more to his story that he has been sharing on the Official Wheat Belly Facebook page. Because the changes he described were so extensive, I’ve collected his comments here. Put together, Matthew’s health transformation is nothing short of astounding. He previously told us that hypertension and pre-diabetes have reversed with now normal blood pressure and blood sugars. But just read on and see how much more happened.
Matthew’s experience is a terrific example of ...
Source: Wheat Belly Blog - November 27, 2015 Category: Cardiology Authors: Dr. Davis Tags: Wheat Belly Success Stories acid reflux allergy asthma cholesterol cramps gerd gluten grains heartburn IBS indigestion spastic colon Weight Loss Source Type: blogs
What medications have you been able to stop on the Wheat Belly lifestyle?
I posed this question on the Wheat Belly Facebook page recently and received an overwhelming response. Here, I share a partial list of the responses: medications people have been able to stop by following the Wheat Belly lifestyle.
Just take a look at this incredible list: these represent medications prescribed by doctors to, in effect, “treat” the consequences of consuming wheat and grains. They prescribe drugs to treat the inflammation, swelling, skin rashes, gastrointestinal irritation, high blood sugars, airway allergy, and other abnormal effects all caused by wheat and grains.
The list includes anti-inf...
Source: Wheat Belly Blog - October 6, 2015 Category: Cardiology Authors: Dr. Davis Tags: Wheat Belly Lifestyle asthma cholesterol diabetes drugs gluten grains hypertension prescription medication reflux Source Type: blogs
Altered Mental Status after a Handful of Pills
Credit
John Nakamura Remy
A 30-year-old woman presented with altered mental status. Her boyfriend reported that she took a handful of unknown pills about two hours before. Initial vital signs include a temperature of 38°C, heart rate of 130 beats/min, respiratory rate of 18 breaths/min, blood pressure of 112/83 mm Hg, and pulse oximetry of 97% on room air.
Her physical exam is significant for pupils 6 mm bilaterally and reactive to light, dry mucous membranes and skin, and decreased bowel sounds. She was alert but confused. Her initial ECG showed a sinus tachycardia with a rate of 133 and a QRS of 89 and QTc of 443....
Source: The Tox Cave - October 1, 2015 Category: Emergency Medicine Tags: Blog Posts Source Type: blogs
Altered Mental Status after a Handful of Pills
Credit
John Nakamura Remy
A 30-year-old woman presented with altered mental status. Her boyfriend reported that she took a handful of unknown pills about two hours before. Initial vital signs include a temperature of 38°C, heart rate of 130 beats/min, respiratory rate of 18 breaths/min, blood pressure of 112/83 mm Hg, and pulse oximetry of 97% on room air.
Her physical exam is significant for pupils 6 mm bilaterally and reactive to light, dry mucous membranes and skin, and decreased bowel sounds. She was alert but confused. Her initial ECG showed a sinus tachycardia with a rate of 133 and a QRS of 89 and QTc of...
Source: The Tox Cave - October 1, 2015 Category: Emergency Medicine Tags: Blog Posts Source Type: blogs
The freedom of the Wheat Belly lifestyle
Zeffrey posted this wonderful description of the relief he has obtained from a number of chronic conditions by removing the inflammatory, allergic, bowel-disrupting, and mind-controlling factors that come from wheat and grains:
“To me wheat-free is to breathe free. No more stuffy and running nose. Relief from just these two issues alone saved me a lot of money–no more boxes of facial tissues, no more antihistamines: Dayquil, Nyquil, Benadryl and the ‘so you can sleep’ pills and all the other cold symptom remedies that I have used over the years.
“To me wheat-free is to live food craving-free. ...
Source: Wheat Belly Blog - July 5, 2015 Category: Cardiology Authors: Dr. Davis Tags: Wheat Belly Success Stories allergies appetite blood sugar cravings diabetes hunger IBS insomnia irritable bowel syndrome sinusitis sleep Source Type: blogs
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
The urine drug screen commonly utilized in the emergency department is an immunoassay that uses antibodies to detect specific drugs or their metabolites. This allows for rapid screening for drugs of abuse, but it has many limitations.
Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) is the confirmatory test, but it is more costly, time-consuming, and generally can only be performed by outside laboratories. This confirmatory test is generally not useful in the emergency department, but has a role in cases of pediatric exposures, research, or occupational drug testing.
One of the limitations of a urine drug screen a...
Source: The Tox Cave - June 1, 2015 Category: Emergency Medicine Tags: Blog Posts Source Type: blogs
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
The urine drug screen commonly utilized in the emergency department is an immunoassay that uses antibodies to detect specific drugs or their metabolites. This allows for rapid screening for drugs of abuse, but it has many limitations.
Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) is the confirmatory test, but it is more costly, time-consuming, and generally can only be performed by outside laboratories. This confirmatory test is generally not useful in the emergency department, but has a role in cases of pediatric exposures, research, or occupational drug testing.
One of the limitations of a urine drug s...
Source: The Tox Cave - June 1, 2015 Category: Emergency Medicine Tags: Blog Posts Source Type: blogs
Remembering That One Memorable Trip
Whenever I fly I recall my first trip to Minneapolis with my parents in March 2003 when I was 19 years old. My life was stalled, I had dropped out of college and cancer was rapidly invading my bone marrow. Though, physically I felt fine. I felt great. I loved that trip and I had life-or-death purpose, or maybe I loved it because I had life-or-death purpose.We traveled across the country to spend a day at the University of Minnesota Medical Center and speak with Dr. Andre Million. It was one of the top children’s transplant centers and he was one of its rock star transplant oncologists. Minneapolis symbolized hope.My mom ...
Source: cancerslayerblog - May 15, 2015 Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: travels Source Type: blogs
