Physician Payments Sunshine Act: Top Michigan Doctors Provide Context To Their Payments
We often highlight the beneficial relationships between pharmaceutical and medical device companies and physicians, and the significant advances that are made possible by such collaboration. With the release of the Open Payments database—which details the payments from industry to physician—many were concerned that the benefits of this partnership would be lost in the discussion. After all, Open Payments provides little room for context, and is essentially just a spreadsheet of payment transactions. While some media outlets did take the Open Payments release as an opportunity for a witch hunt, others dug deeper into th...
Source: Policy and Medicine - November 19, 2014 Category: American Health Authors: Thomas Sullivan Source Type: blogs
How to Lower Your Risk for Breast Cancer
“TREE OF HOPE” Breast Cancer Survivor Tree
I found out I had breast cancer on June 11th 2014. I had a double mastectomy on July 3rd 2014. I am 4 months out from surgery and I am feeling great. However, as you might imagine, it was no walk in the park. Lots of emotional upheaval. Lots of physical difficulty. But with great support from friends, family and good health care workers I’m doing very well.
Over the last 4 months I have spent most of my free time learning about cancer and in particular breast cancer, what causes it and what cures it. Before my diagnosis, it never crossed my mind that I would get b...
Source: Life Learning Today - October 14, 2014 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: AgentSully Tags: Healthy Living breast cancer lower breast caner risk prevent breast cancer prevent breast cancer naturally Source Type: blogs
MKSAP: 69-year-old woman with a lump under her arm
Test your medicine knowledge with the MKSAP challenge, in partnership with the American College of Physicians.
A 69-year-old woman is evaluated for a lump under her arm found on self-examination. She is otherwise healthy and has no other symptoms. Medical and family histories are unremarkable, and she takes no medications.
On physical examination, temperature is 37.4 °C (99.3 °F), blood pressure is 110/70 mm Hg, pulse rate is 72/min, and respiration rate is 14/min. The patient has a hard, fixed, 2-cm mass palpable in the right axilla. The remainder of the examination, including breast examination, is normal.
Complete b...
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - September 21, 2014 Category: Journals (General) Authors: mksap Tags: Conditions Cancer Source Type: blogs
Will micro-needling help acne scars?
Vic says…I’d like to know what you think of micro needle therapy to reduce acne scars? It says it also stimulates cell regeneration, reduces wrinkles, reduces pores, adds collagen. I’m not too sure… I think it does more harm than good, they are sharp needles after all. But my daughter wants to reduce her acne scars.
The Beauty Brains respond:
It sounds crazy but poking holes in your skin can actually help!
Collagen Induction Therapy
Poking your skin with a needle studded roller is technically referred to as Percutaneous Collagen Induction Therapy (or CIT). CIT has been used by dermatologists for the...
Source: thebeautybrains.com - August 7, 2014 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Randy Schueller Tags: Best Claims Problems Source Type: blogs
The worst word in the English language...
lumpNot Cancer, strangely enough, but 'lump'.You see, Cancer is known. It is a 'thing' a thing which has a protocol, a plan which can be managed. A lump is none of those things. It is just a lump; something which shouldn't be there and is. Something which could be utterly benign, something which may just be a comma in the sentence of my breast which will go or it could be cancer, again.It's 2014, nearly 9 years after my diagnosis of Breast cancer 1 in September 2005 and I have another scare.A lump which appeared about three weeks ago in the 'other' breast. It doesn't 'feel' like cancer, if I can be that familia...
Source: A Woman of Many Parts - July 17, 2014 Category: Cancer Authors: Minerva Source Type: blogs
New Ultrasound System Brings New Level of Precision to MRI-guided Biopsies
For MRI-guided breast biopsies, a scan is typically performed with the patient in the prone position and ultrasound is then used to guide the needle based on the scan while the patient is in supine position. This creates an imaging mismatch because, as everyone knows, the breast changes shape between the two positions, creating a lot of uncertainty when taking tissue samples.
Researchers at Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering and the Fraunhofer Institute for Medical Image Computing have developed a system called MARIUS (Magnetic Resonance Imaging Using Ultrasound) that solves this problem in a...
Source: Medgadget - November 21, 2013 Category: Technology Consultants Authors: Editors Tags: in the news... Source Type: blogs
Addendum to stigmas
As Lesley commented yesterday, the same can be true about chronic problems. People just don't understand. Then they forget you still have a problem or ask why it isn't better. Chronic problems do not go away.A good example of this is that I have lymphedema in my left arm. I used to go for acupuncture. When I started I had to fill out a big long form with all my health issues on it. We talked about all my ailments and including lymphedema and how there could be no needles on that arm.The acupuncturist would 'forget' sometimes and go to put a needle in my left arm. The last straw for me was when she said to me 'this hasn't r...
Source: Caroline's Breast Cancer Blog - November 8, 2013 Category: Cancer Tags: ailments chronic loneliness Source Type: blogs
How is HIV transmitted?
Which body fluids can transmit HIV/AIDS?
Human Immunodeficiency Virus is a microorganism transmitted through contact with an infected person’s body fluids. The body fluids infected by the virus and that when exposed to a healthy individual can actually spread the virus to that person are blood, semen, breast milk, cerebrospinal fluid, amniotic fluid, and synovial fluids. These are potential body fluids of an HIV infected person which can actually transmit the virus to a healthy individual.
Human Immunodeficiency Virus can only infect a person by getting into the body’s circulation. There are several means...
Source: aids-write.org - November 4, 2013 Category: HIV AIDS Authors: aidswrite Tags: featured article Source Type: blogs
How do you get AIDS?
Ways of acquiring AIDS
HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) and AIDS (Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome) are blood borne diseases. These conditions exist in the whole system, no particular area, not localized to a certain system, but may and can involve all systems of the body. One definite way of acquiring HIV and AIDS is through contact to body fluids from infected individuals.
Infected body fluids
There are certain body fluids excreted or secreted by the human body that can carry the virus of HIV or AIDS. These include the blood, semen, breast milk, vaginal fluids, and rectal mucus. Other fluids tha...
Source: aids-write.org - November 4, 2013 Category: HIV AIDS Authors: aidswrite Tags: featured article Source Type: blogs
the best laid plans
The good news is, I have a new port and it works.The bad news is that I found it a much harder experience than I had anticipated.And there's some other stuff that's kind of in between good and bad news. I haven't decided yet.My friend Lise picked me up early on Tuesday morning and we arrived in plenty of time for my 8am appointment. I really, really liked the nurse doing intake (and I told her so when I left) and Lise stayed with me for as long as she was permitted.That part was just fine. I didn't even mind too much when the nurse had a hard time accessing a vein for my IV - I was in for a new port precisely because my ve...
Source: Not just about cancer - September 19, 2013 Category: Cancer Tags: breast cancer health care my friends show and tell surgery grief fear cancer blog radiation Source Type: blogs
constant correction
"Balance is a process of constant correction."-Guy Forsythe, "Balance" from the Freedom to FailTerry Arnold (@talkIBC) reminded me of the Guy Forsythe song last night during a weekly Twitter discussion of the Breast Cancer Social Media group (#bcsm) on Twitter. These chats happen every Monday evening but the conversation is ongoing. I often forget about the chats but when I remember (or, more often, am accidentally reminded), I love every moment. When I start to chastise myself for spending too much time online, I am reminded of how much support I find there - across distance and difference. We "get" each o...
Source: Not just about cancer - September 10, 2013 Category: Cancer Tags: metastatic joy breast cancer things i do for my health community my friends my love conversations cancer blog good stuff my kids chronic illness Source Type: blogs
Am I supposed to be stressed?
I am really not stressed about my big needle adventure this morning. Am I supposed to be? I am very much looking forward to pain relief. I hate/dislike needles themselves.But I have been through this procedure three times already so I know what is expected. I have had probably six or seven other back injections as well. The last time I was there, the nurses all thought they knew me.Well I will enjoy not being stressed. I am hungry of course but will have to wait to eat - no solid food after midnight. And I could use some water - no liquids for two hours prior to arrival.Upon my return, I will take a nap with an...
Source: Caroline's Breast Cancer Blog - June 26, 2013 Category: Cancer Tags: procedures stress Source Type: blogs
Sometimes it is best to do nothing. A "must read " by Dr Justin Coleman
The Naked Doctor: an indepth look at the pitfalls of “cutting edge” medicineThe Naked Doctor is an ongoing project at Croakey that aims to encourage discussion and awareness of the opportunities to do more for health by doing less.In this latest edition, Dr Justin Coleman suggests that an equitable health system does not mean trying to give everyone the very best, if that means “the most tests, the most expense, the most treatments”.“Not only will that aspiration require others to miss out on even the second-best treatment, but it too often also actively harms the recipient,” he says.Perhaps one ...
Source: PharmaGossip - June 24, 2013 Category: Pharma Commentators Authors: insider Source Type: blogs
Body of Proof Star Dana Delany Uses Incorrect CPR Technique and Protocol
In the opening scenes in the last episode of Body of Proof, a television series starring Dana Delany as medical examiner Dr. Megan Hunt, a patient was given CPR after being shot in the back.
While the writers of Body of Proof, no doubt, will claim dramatic license in the depiction of the scene to further the episode’s story line, the technique and protocol used by Dr. Hunt does not fit with the standard diagnosis and treatment steps as described in the 2010 guidelines for cardiopulmonary resuscitation and practiced in real-life resuscitations by trauma surgeons, intensive care physicians, emergency medicine physician...
Source: Inside Surgery - May 15, 2013 Category: Surgeons Authors: Editor Tags: Musings Body of Proof CPR Dana Delany Megan Hunt protocol Source Type: blogs
PAML Invests in CellNetix, a Provider of Esoteric AP Services
PAML has invested in CellNetix, an esoteric anatomic pathology esoteric lab (see: Esoteric Anatomic Pathology Testing Is Goal of New Pact between PAML and CellNetix). Here are more details from this note in the Dark Daily:
[The] agreement calls for both parties to collaborate in offering esoteric and reference anatomic pathology services nationally. It is an effort to align their clinical laboratory and anatomic pathology services to the evolving needs of hospitals, physicians and other providers....The two companies ...stated that they entered into an agreement to work together to form a “jointly owned national Esoteric...
Source: Lab Soft News - May 8, 2013 Category: Pathologists Authors: Bruce Friedman Tags: Clinical Lab Industry News Clinical Lab Testing Laboratory Industry Trends Surgical Pathology Source Type: blogs
