See OMI vs. STEMI philosophy in action
by Emre AslangerDr. Aslanger is our newest editorial member. He is an interventional cardiologist in Turkey. Dr. Aslanger is also the author of the DIFFOCULT study:Emre K. Aslanger,a,⁎ Özlem Yıldırımtürk,b Bar ış Şimşek,c Emrah Bozbeyo ğlu,c Mustafa Aytek Şimşek,a Can Y ücel Karabay,b Stephen W. Smith,d and Muzaffer De ğertekina DIFOCCULT: DIagnostic accuracy oF electrocardiogram for acute coronary OCClUsion resuLTing in myocardial infarction. International Journal of Cardiology Heart& VasculatureCaseA 40-year-old man presents with...
Source: Dr. Smith's ECG Blog - December 22, 2022 Category: Cardiology Authors: Emre Aslanger Source Type: blogs
What Is Nystagmus?
This study has never been duplicated.
Note the estimated angle of nystagmus onset
Yup, my patient has nystagmus. What does that mean?
Big picture … it means that there’s something abnormal about the patient’s nervous system. There are a few major reasons to consider.
Drugs and alcohol
Yes, that old roadside sobriety test is a useful indicator of alcohol intoxication. People begin having nystagmus with blood alcohol levels as low as .04%. But alcohol isn’t the only drug that can cause nystagmus. Other central nervous system depressants like barbiturates, Lithium and benzodiazepines ...
Source: The EMT Spot - November 14, 2022 Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Steve Whitehead Tags: EMT Source Type: blogs
Written Protocol vs. Common Sense
Steve Valdez only wanted to cash a check. In retrospect it seems so simple. The check was written to him from his wife’s account at Bank of America. He had two forms of ID, both with photos. The address on the drivers license was the same as the ID on the check (printed by Bank of America.) Bank of America thought differently.
Here’s the rub. B of A has a written policy that states if you don’t have an account at their bank you need to leave a thumbprint. You’ve probably seen those by now. Either you dab your thumb in an ink blotter or you use the fancy thumb scanner. But Steve Valdez doesn’t have any arms. An...
Source: The EMT Spot - November 10, 2022 Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Steve Whitehead Tags: EMT Source Type: blogs
A man in his 60s with chest pain. Cardiologist refuses to take to the lab. Obvious STEMI, even with criteria. Yet final diagnosis " NSTEMI " . This happens far too often.
Submitted by Anonymous MD, edits by MeyersA man in his 60s with past medical history of multiple sclerosis and hypertension was brought in by EMS from home for chest pain thatstarted acutely just prior to arrival. He rated the pain at 9/10, describes as pressure, radiates towards the left arm with associated shortness of breath, diaphoresis and had one episode of emesis. He did not have a prior history of CAD or other cardiac disease. His pain improved to 6/10 after EMS gave him 3 sprays of sublingual nitroglycerin and 324 mg of aspirin. Prehospital ECGs:What do you think?Both ECGs are diagnostic of acute LAD OMI...
Source: Dr. Smith's ECG Blog - April 15, 2022 Category: Cardiology Authors: Pendell Source Type: blogs
These journal ads could not run today
Many drug ads in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) during the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s would offend today. In an ad for Valium, we are told that the woman pictured ( “Jan”) is “psychoneurotic” because she is unmarried at age 35. “You probably see many such Jans in your practice,” says the ad—“TheRead more …Find jobs at Careers by KevinMD.com. Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now. Learn more. (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog)
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - July 5, 2021 Category: General Medicine Authors: < span itemprop="author" > < a href="https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/post-author/martha-rosenberg" rel="tag" > Martha Rosenberg < /a > < /span > Tags: Meds Medications Source Type: blogs
Hormonal therapies for advanced prostate cancer linked to a higher risk of falls and fractures
Falls rank among the top causes of death and injuries among the elderly, and the risk increases significantly in older people being treated for cancer. Now, investigators are reporting that a newer class of drugs for advanced prostate cancer is associated with a significant increase in fall risk.
Called androgen receptor inhibitors, or ARIs, these drugs target testosterone, a hormone that accelerates the growth of prostate tumors. Unlike traditional hormonal treatments that interfere with the body’s ability to make testosterone (known as androgen deprivation therapy, or ADT), ARIs work by preventing testosterone from...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - January 7, 2021 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Charlie Schmidt Tags: Health Living With Prostate Cancer Prostate Knowledge Treatments HPK Source Type: blogs
A Complication of the COVID Era
Submitted and written by Gia Coleman MD and Roshan Givergis DO, edits by Meyers and SmithA woman in her 30s was found crawling in the streets, altered on arrival to the ED. Here is her presenting ECG:How would you interpret this EKG and what is on your differential?At first glance, it appears to be a sinus rhythm with PR prolongation at a rate of about 75 bpm. The QRS may appear narrow but is in fact slightly wide (see figure below). The computer measured it to be 136 ms.Perhaps the most striking finding in this EKG is the almost complete loss/flattening of the T waves. The computer calculated the QTC to be 427. Looking cl...
Source: Dr. Smith's ECG Blog - July 23, 2020 Category: Cardiology Authors: Pendell Source Type: blogs
Podcast: Stealing Cinderella (A True Story)
Would you risk everything for love? Even your life? In today’s podcast, Gabe interviews Mark Diehl, author of Stealing Cinderella: How I Became an International Fugitive for Love. Mark’s book is his true-life story of growing up with an emotionally unstable mother, his resulting rebellious streak and drug use, and the wild ride of his forbidden love affair with a South Korean woman. The story details the couple’s narrow escape from her rich, abusive family in a journey where they almost lost their lives.
Tune in for a true-life fairy tale that’s stranger than fiction.
SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW
Guest informatio...
Source: World of Psychology - March 12, 2020 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: The Psych Central Podcast Tags: General Interview Motivation and Inspiration Podcast Relationships The Psych Central Show Trauma Source Type: blogs
Drills, needles, and pain, oh my! Coping with dental anxiety
For many people, going to the dentist is an unpleasant but manageable experience. For others, just the thought of going to the dentist causes severe anxiety, leading them to delay or avoid dental treatment. Unfortunately, this behavior can spiral into a vicious cycle of dental pain, health problems, worse anxiety, and more complex and costly dental procedures.
Dental anxiety and phobia
It’s very common for people to fear going to the dentist. When dental fear is severe and leads people to delay or cancel treatment, these individuals may meet criteria for dental phobia or odontophobia, which is included in the Diagnostic ...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - December 18, 2019 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tien Jiang, DMD, MEd Tags: Anxiety and Depression Dental Health Health care Tests and procedures Source Type: blogs
The Brain Stage: The Power & Promise of The Cephalic Phase for Health
Listen to the Podcast or Read the Transcript
[00:00:03] Hi I’m Dr. Alan Greene pediatrician and I’d like to talk with you tonight about The Brain Stage.
[00:00:10] I remember vividly when I was a pediatric resident in training go to a Grand Rounds about a surprising topic.
[00:00:18] The function of the brain and the function of the skin and one of the things that dermatologists talked about was a common procedure freezing warts. Freezing warts was then, and is still, one of the most common ways to get rid of warts. What she talked about was how wildly different the results were in different studies. Peo...
Source: Conversations with Dr Greene - May 23, 2019 Category: Child Development Authors: Alan Greene MD Tags: Dr. Greene's Blog Uncategorized Cephalic Phase Placebo The Brain Stage Source Type: blogs
The Brain Stage: The Power & Promise of The Cephalic Phase for Health
Listen to the Podcast or Read the Transcript
[00:00:03] Hi I’m Dr. Alan Greene pediatrician and I’d like to talk with you tonight about The Brain Stage.
[00:00:10] I remember vividly when I was a pediatric resident in training go to a Grand Rounds about a surprising topic.
[00:00:18] The function of the brain and the function of the skin and one of the things that dermatologists talked about was a common procedure freezing warts. Freezing warts was then, and is still, one of the most common ways to get rid of warts. What she talked about was how wildly different the results were in different studies. People use...
Source: Conversations with Dr Greene - May 23, 2019 Category: Child Development Authors: Dr. Alan Greene Tags: Dr. Greene's Blog Uncategorized Cephalic Phase Placebo The Brain Stage Source Type: blogs
How Do I Detox From Benzodiazepines?
Detox from Benzodiazepines
Benzodiazepines are highly addictive medications. They are used to help treat anxiety, sleep issues, and even seizures. They work to calm the body and can be a great, helpful tool for many people when used as prescribed. There are many different types of Benzodiazepines, as they differ in strength and onset time. Some Benzodiazepines, such as Librium, is used to help treat symptoms associated with alcohol withdrawal. Detox from Benzodiazepines can be difficult, but it is possible.
The names that people know most commonly know Benzodiazepines as include:
Xanax
Valium
Ativan
Klonopin
They are onl...
Source: Cliffside Malibu - April 26, 2019 Category: Addiction Authors: Jaclyn Uloth Tags: Addiction Addiction to Pharmaceuticals Detox Resources for Alcohol and Drugs/Opiates Substance Abuse benzo benzodiazepines medical detox Source Type: blogs
A Xanax prescription that should have been rejected
In hindsight, I should have never accepted a Xanax prescription from my doctor. What followed was catastrophic — rapidly developing tolerance and physical dependence on the drug and a prolonged illness. Three-and-a-half years later, I am still slowly tapering off Valium (having transitioned to a longer-acting benzodiazepine to aid in tapering) and experiencing debilitating symptoms […]Find jobs at Careers by KevinMD.com. Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now. Learn more. (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog)
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - February 28, 2019 Category: General Medicine Authors: < span itemprop="author" > < a href="https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/post-author/christy-huff" rel="tag" > Christy Huff, MD < /a > < /span > Tags: Meds Psychiatry Source Type: blogs
Will US Drug Policymakers Blow It Again —This Time With Benzodiazepines?
In a recent column, Maia Szalavitz reports on the rise in overdose deaths related to benzodiazepines (a class of tranquilizers including Xanax, Valium, and Ativan). According to a recent study in JAMA, the number benzodiazepine prescriptions doubled in the US from 2003 to 2015. And benzodiazepines are found in the bloodstream of almost a third of all opioid overdose victims—a nearly ten-fold increase since the beginning of this century. Szalavitz reminds us that the US is not the only developed country with an overdose problem from the nonmedical use of prescription drugs: Scotland has been contending with th...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - February 14, 2019 Category: American Health Authors: Jeffrey A. Singer Source Type: blogs
Benzodiazepines and Addiction
What is a Benzodiazepine?
Benzodiazepines are a prescription drug sedative used to treat a variety of conditions. They are classified as Schedule IV in the Controlled Substances Act. Some of the conditions that Benzodiazepine can treat include:
Insomnia
Anxiety
Seizures
Muscle tension
Panic disorders
When used as prescribed under the supervision of a medical professional, Benzodiazepines can be very useful in the treatment of these disorders. Many people are able to live healthy, happy lives while taking Benzodiazepines to curb the symptoms of their various conditions. However, because of the addictive nature of Benzodia...
Source: Cliffside Malibu - January 31, 2019 Category: Addiction Authors: Jaclyn Uloth Tags: Uncategorized benzo benzodiazepines prescription drug abuse prescription drug addiction prescription drug use prescription pills Source Type: blogs
