Best practices in head CT imaging: How are we doing?
Computed tomography, or CT scanning, is one of the most powerful diagnostic tools to emerge during my medical career. Just look at the detail in the brain images above, taken at 90-degree angles through the brain. And I was there at the beginning. I remember well when I was a medical student taking neurology, and the first CT scanner arrived at the Mayo Clinic. By today’s standards, it was incredibly crude. It displayed a tiny image on a cathode ray tube that was then photographed with a Polaroid camera. Preservative lacquer was then smeared on the photograph and it was pasted into the patient’s chart with glue. But th...
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - October 14, 2018 Category: General Medicine Authors: < a href="https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/post-author/christopher-johnson" rel="tag" > Christopher Johnson, MD < /a > Tags: Conditions Neurology Pediatrics Radiology Source Type: blogs
Navigating back pain treatments: Can a physiatrist help?
If self-care steps for back pain such as gentle activity, local heat, or massage don’t ease discomfort within a few weeks to a month, or if you struggle with chronic low back pain, a physiatrist can help you navigate the dizzying number of treatment options. These range from conservative therapies (such as medicines, physical therapy, and chiropractic care) to more invasive options (such as spine injections and spinal surgery).
What is a physiatrist?
Physiatrists are medical doctors who specialize in physical medicine and rehabilitation. We focus on holistic, nonsurgical care aimed at improving function for people who ar...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - October 10, 2018 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Edward N. Wei, MD Tags: Back Pain Bones and joints Health Pain Management Source Type: blogs
Drip bar: Should you get an IV on demand?
For many people receiving care in a hospital or emergency room, one of the most common occurrences (and biggest fears) is getting an IV, the intravenous catheter that allows fluids and medications to flow into a vein in your arm or hand.
A trained health professional puts in an IV by sticking a needle that’s inside a thin tube (catheter) through the skin into a vein. Once inside the vein, the needle is removed. The catheter is left in the vein and taped down to keep it from moving or falling out. While IV lines are typically painless, the initial needle stick can be quite painful, especially for those who are a “diffic...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - September 28, 2018 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Robert H. Shmerling, MD Tags: Health Health trends Source Type: blogs
Signposting Teaching Moments: Get Credit for What You Already Do
Hospitals around the country are struggling to accommodate the increasing number of patients requiring acute inpatient care while physician staffing remains relatively stagnant. Every time the emergency department goes into divert mode, the natural question is: “Why can’t the residents just take more patients? Can resident duty hours and teaching time preservation just be waived for a little while?” For clinical educators, the census and complexity of an inpatient service has a major effect on the time available for teaching. We ultimately want to provide the best learning experience for our students and resid...
Source: Academic Medicine Blog - September 25, 2018 Category: Universities & Medical Training Authors: Guest Author Tags: Featured Guest Perspective clinical educators rounds teaching strategies Source Type: blogs
Deton is Developing “Aerosol Biopsy” to Detect Lung Diseases
Biopsies and bronchoscopies are the gold standard for diagnosing lung diseases, including pneumonia and cancer. However, these procedures are difficult to provide, requiring general anesthesia and an operating room. Deton hopes to simplify the process.
The Pasadena-based company takes advantage of the lung’s natural reaction to bacteria or particles — coughing it out. Rather than invasively sampling lung tissue within the lungs, Deton’s patented technology samples the particles ejected from the lungs. The expelled cough sample is then read by a point-of-care analyzer or sent to a lab.
“When a person coughs, it’s ...
Source: Medgadget - September 7, 2018 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Cici Zhou Tags: Diagnostics Exclusive Medicine Oncology Pathology Thoracic Surgery Source Type: blogs
