New Year ’s Resolutions – Walking the Talk with Compassion
By Hedy S. Wald Take two Tootsie Rolls and call me in the morning. Self-prescribed for sweet tooth me. Not such a blasphemous “drug of choice” (I’m not even using caffeine!) but it’s New Year’s, that infamous time of resolutions. And I’d like to “kick the habit,” do all that stuff the nutritionist advised and […] (Source: blog.bioethics.net)
Source: blog.bioethics.net - January 2, 2018 Category: Medical Ethics Authors: reflectivemeded Tags: Health Care humanistic care identity formation medical education medical professionalism Patient's Perspective syndicated Uncategorized Source Type: blogs
Pass-fail in medical school. But the stress remains.
Greetings from the library. I’m writing to you through caffeine jitters, wrapped in a scarf that doubles as a blanket. I’ve marked my territory with my things: several Apple products, remnants of oatmeal in a mason jar, a sketchbook exhibiting my best attempt drawing the inside of a skull, and the most-essential item: my planner, detailing all the tasks I now avoid.
I’m in the midst of my first round of medical school finals and, as you may have guessed, I’m a little stressed.
Stress and I go way back. I remember bursting into tears as an eight-year-old, worried about an upcoming math test. I cried and cried, until...
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - December 27, 2017 Category: General Medicine Authors: < a href="https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/post-author/orly-farber" rel="tag" > Orly Farber < /a > Tags: Education Medical school Primary Care Source Type: blogs
Acupressure App – Does it really alleviate menstrual cramps?
The media is abuzz over a study reporting that use of a cell phone app to train women in self-acupressure is effective as pain medication for treating menstrual cramps.
The Android app is called AKUD and is written in German, so unless du sprichst Deutch, it won’t do you much good. But let’s ignore that for now. Here’s the study intervention:
The study intervention
Participants received a menstrual tracking App that included instructions on acupressure for cramp relief. They also got one-on-one instruction on the location of specific acupressure points and use of acupressure using drawings and video. Th...
Source: The Blog That Ate Manhattan - December 12, 2017 Category: Primary Care Authors: Margaret Polaneczky, MD Tags: Alternative Medicine Women's Health app cell phone menstrual cramps Source Type: blogs
Do You Know the Signs of Stress?
“Stress is an alarm clock that lets you know you’re attached to something that’s not true for you.” – Byron Katie
As a run up to the holidays, doesn’t it seem like everyone’s rushing around trying to cram too much into too little time? Crazed to find a parking space in an overcrowded lot, racing to get into the elevator before the door closes or hitting the door-close button so no one else can get in, exhibiting uncharitable, rude and potentially unhealthy behavior when trying to snatch the last sale item and so much more are all signs of stressed-out individuals.
Is it any wonder the commercials for antacid...
Source: World of Psychology - November 30, 2017 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Suzanne Kane Tags: Brain and Behavior Creativity Happiness Holiday Coping LifeHelper Mental Health and Wellness Self-Help Stress Coping Mechanisms Coping Skills Relaxation stress reduction Source Type: blogs
A Review of Skeeper – Your Pink Pocket Cardiologist
Smartsound, a South Korean start-up sent me Skeeper, their pink pocket cardiologist. The gadget promises to measure heart health and to give personalized lifestyle advice, although I have mixed feelings about the device. You can find the reasons in our Skeeper review below.
The risk factors for hearth conditions stem from lifestyle choices
According to the WHO, an estimated 17 million people die of cardiovascular diseases, particularly heart attacks and strokes, every year. Looking only at the statistics of heart diseases, one in every fourth death occurs due to heart conditions in the United States. Moreover, the U.S. Ce...
Source: The Medical Futurist - November 30, 2017 Category: Information Technology Authors: nora Tags: Health Sensors & Trackers digital digital health future gc3 Healthcare hear heart health Innovation Personalized medicine technology wearables Source Type: blogs
Balanced myocardial ischaemia
If all three major coronary branches have similar degree of stenosis, the radionuclide used for perfusion study will have equal uptake in all regions of the myocardium. Thus a balanced three vessel coronary artery disease can produce a false negative myocardial perfusion scan. This situation is called balanced myocardial ischemia. In most cases this is picked up by the treadmill ECG usually done along with stress myocardial perfusion imaging. Since the ECG findings of myocardial ischemia does not depend on the relative perfusion in the coronary tree, ischemic changes will be noted in treadmill ECG even when nuclear perf...
Source: Cardiophile MD - November 20, 2017 Category: Cardiology Authors: Johnson Francis Tags: Nuclear Cardiology Source Type: blogs
10 rules to keep physicians on time
The key to staying on time in a busy clinic and to finish the day unscathed is to be in battle mode from the get go. The ten rules outlined below will help you to achieve that goal.
1. Make sure your bladder is empty, and that you are well hydrated. This goes without saying. You don’t want to finish the day with hydronephrosis or a kidney stone. This would lead to sick days and bite into your productivity pie.
2. You may be loaded with caffeine, your compassion tank may be full, and you may feel motivated in the early hours of the day when you are still fresh, but don’t fall into the trap of socializing with your patie...
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - November 8, 2017 Category: General Medicine Authors: < a href="http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/post-author/drizzlemd" rel="tag" > DrizzleMD < /a > Tags: Physician Practice Management Primary Care Source Type: blogs
She sees difficult patients, but is a difficult patient herself
The patient is a 27-year-old Caucasian woman: slender, well-groomed. She is sitting in the office of her urologist, and she is unconsciously twisting her hands as she interrupts the doctor, having finally worked up the nerve.
“I know you told me to expect some pain for a while after the lithotripsy. But I’ve been having pain in my bladder, even when I don’t think there are any stones. It started two years ago, before the stones. It feels like pressure, and it really stings when I urinate. It especially hurts when I’ve taken naproxen or loratadine, or if I have caffeine, or if I get dehydrated at all...
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - November 8, 2017 Category: General Medicine Authors: < a href="http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/post-author/kristin-puhl" rel="tag" > Kristin Puhl < /a > Tags: Education Primary Care Urology Source Type: blogs
Frequently Asked Questions-Daylight Saving Time and Kids
Adjusting to daylight saving time can be tough on kids. Dr. Adam Spanier answers some common questions about easing the transition during the time change.
1) What are some ways to prep kids for daylight saving time?
Start to prepare in advance. First, encourage good bedtime routines and a good night’s sleep regularly. Second, ensure good sleep “hygiene.” Cut off electronics well before bed – the lights and stimulation can throw off our sleep cycle. Keep the lights low in the evening. Keep activities quieter. Third, you can gradually adjust bedtime ahead of the change – 10 minutes to 15 ...
Source: Life in a Medical Center - November 3, 2017 Category: Universities & Medical Training Authors: UMMC Admin Tags: Uncategorized Source Type: blogs
Ucem osce scenario 2017.2
LITFL • Life in the Fast Lane Medical Blog
LITFL • Life in the Fast Lane Medical Blog - Emergency medicine and critical care medical education blog
After years of preparation, extensive reading, sleepless nights, marriage breakdowns and caffeine – your week of being show ponies has arrived as the F.UCEM examinations are upon us. Giving hope to those who pray to the Utopian FSM we have managed to locate and leak one of the OSCE examination questions for this weeks exam – hope it helps.
UCEM OSCE SCENARIO
You are the ED Consultant in charge of a tertiary hospital ED
You take handover from the night team.
Iss...
Source: Life in the Fast Lane - October 30, 2017 Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Neil Long Tags: Utopian Medicine Exam F.UCEM Fellowship OSCE Source Type: blogs
Urinary incontinence: Common and manageable
As a primary care doctor, I see a lot of women dealing with the inconvenience, discomfort, and embarrassment of urinary incontinence (unintended leaking of urine). Some are comfortable bringing this up right away. Others suffer needlessly because they feel too shy or awkward to mention it.
The truth is, an estimated 45% of women experience some form of urinary incontinence at some point in their lives. That’s almost half of all women! It’s a very big deal. Urinary incontinence can negatively affect physical and emotional well-being. For example, women may avoid going out because they’re worried about having an accide...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - October 18, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Monique Tello, MD, MPH Tags: Kidney and urinary tract Women's Health Source Type: blogs
Jump Aboard the Nurse Wellness Express
Once upon a time, I was talking on the phone with a colleague who is not a nurse himself but who interacts with nurses on a regular basis in his professional life. His comments about nurses and their self-care (or lack thereof) were extremely thought-provoking.Like I ' ve said on this blog many times before, nurses are renowned for not taking good care of themselves, ostensibly because they ' re so busy taking care of others and living the lives of the saints that they are perceived to be. Let ' s face it. We all know that nurses aren ' t saints, while we also acknowledge that many nurses come close to sainthood vis-a...
Source: Digital Doorway - October 16, 2017 Category: Nursing Tags: nurse nurse self care nurse wellness nurses nursing self-care Source Type: blogs
Emergency medicine can be exhausting. Here ’s what this doctor does to unwind.
So I’ve finished up at one job and moved on to another. I was a director for a year, and it was a learning experience. Right now I’m nearing the final approach after working a long run. Last week I had five nights, 12 hours duration each. I stayed in a hotel near the hospital. Then, after two days off at home, I started a run of five days, of 12 hours duration. I have two to go. I’m working out of town. Not locums, as I’m employed and working in the same place; it’s just a couple hours away, so I stay here.
A few observations: It’s hard to turn around from nights to days in 48 hours. I find myself reading a nov...
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - October 15, 2017 Category: General Medicine Authors: < a href="http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/post-author/edwin-leap" rel="tag" > Edwin Leap, MD < /a > Tags: Physician Emergency Medicine Hospital-Based Medicine Source Type: blogs
The problem with prescribing sleeping pills for older patients
It seems that everyone has advice about sleep these days, and we have become immune to it. “Avoid naps, caffeine and alcohol close to bedtime. Get exercise. Get out of bed if you can’t sleep. Turn off the TV and any electronic devices hours before bedtime. Enjoy a relaxing ritual. Keep to a routine.”
Please do all of these, because they actually work! Shifting your bedtime later to achieve sleep consolidation also works. In fact, there is an insomnia-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT-I) that has shown dramatic benefits.
Here’s the problem. Many people come to their doctors asking for a sleeping pill because...
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - October 11, 2017 Category: General Medicine Authors: < a href="http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/post-author/lea-c-watson" rel="tag" > Lea C. Watson, MD, MPH < /a > Tags: Conditions Geriatrics Primary Care Psychiatry Source Type: blogs
How Does Low Acid Coffee Help Seniors With Digestive Disorders?
View Original Article Here: How Does Low Acid Coffee Help Seniors With Digestive Disorders?
Seniors are prone to many different digestive disorders, but even in spite of these disorders, are probably reluctant to give up their daily caffeine habit. Thankfully, there’s a solution which will allow seniors to retain their coffee habit and its proven benefits while avoiding the downsides: low acid coffee.
Reduced acid coffee or acid-free coffee is a modern chemical marvel which removes one of the least desirable flavor and health elements: acid.
Acid ruins the flavor of many different coffees and also is the source of most (...
Source: Shield My Senior - October 7, 2017 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Vin Tags: Senior Safety Source Type: blogs
