A fetal complication is an extension of a mother
While sitting in the study lounge of my med school, I had on my computer screen one of our three slides on anencephaly. I was trying to memorize the two key phrases framing the graphic photograph of a stillborn baby with bulging eyes and a cratered head — “anterior neural tube defect,” and “elevated alpha-fetoprotein.” A third year walked past me and sneaked a glance at my screen. Without faltering his stride, he casually called out, “Know that stuff damn well, those neural tube defects are all over the boards.”
I chuckled and responded with a just-as-casual “OK, thanks. Got it!”
As I return to the sc...
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - August 16, 2015 Category: Journals (General) Authors: Cia Mathew Tags: Conditions OB/GYN Source Type: blogs
In New Hampshire, an Epidemic of Heroin Deaths Leads to a Radical Public Policy Proposal
By TERRY M. BENNETT, MD
If ever there were an under-discovered, under-researched and under-treated epidemic, this is it. The Jessica McCassie case was all over the news this week, but a brief review produced five or six other cases of road accidents or young people discovered dead without explanation to make me believe the statistics are grossly under-reported.
There are presently two programs in New Hampshire, which address diagnosed addicts and claim to be stabilizing and or curative. One, the methadone treatment centers, is a farce, and is operating at an enormous profit to the three doctors that own the chain, without...
Source: The Health Care Blog - August 12, 2015 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: suchandan roy Tags: THCB Methadone Suboxone Terry M. Bennett Source Type: blogs
‘To Alcohol! The Cause of, and Solution to, All of Life's Problems’
A 37-year-old woman is brought into the emergency department by EMS after being found down next to a bottle of an unknown substance. (See photo.) Her family said she was initially tearful and repeatedly mumbling, “I’m sorry,” and became progressively less responsive.
She was obtunded and intubated for airway protection upon arrival to the ED. Her initial vital signs were a temperature of 98.8°F, heart rate 110 bpm, blood pressure 187/118 mm Hg, respiratory rate 22 bpm, and pulse oximetry 98% on ventilator. Initial ABG reveals a pH 6.89, pCO2 16, pO2 174, and bicarbonate 3.1. Pertinent lab results include a meta...
Source: The Tox Cave - August 3, 2015 Category: Emergency Medicine Tags: Blog Posts Source Type: blogs
‘To Alcohol! The Cause of, and Solution to, All of Life's Problems’
A 37-year-old woman is brought into the emergency department by EMS after being found down next to a bottle of an unknown substance. (See photo.) Her family said she was initially tearful and repeatedly mumbling, “I’m sorry,” and became progressively less responsive.
She was obtunded and intubated for airway protection upon arrival to the ED. Her initial vital signs were a temperature of 98.8°F, heart rate 110 bpm, blood pressure 187/118 mm Hg, respiratory rate 22 bpm, and pulse oximetry 98% on ventilator. Initial ABG reveals a pH 6.89, pCO2 16, pO2 174, and bicarbonate 3.1. Pertinent lab results include a metabo...
Source: The Tox Cave - August 3, 2015 Category: Emergency Medicine Tags: Blog Posts Source Type: blogs
Prenatal care should start before pregnancy
Dr. Alisa Hideg via @spokesmanreview
Anyone thinking about pregnancy, should also be thinking about prenatal care. This care is important for the mother’s health and the health of the child. Whenever possible, it should begin prior to pregnancy.
A visit with your health care provider prior to pregnancy to review your immunizations, start a prenatal vitamin with folic acid (which can prevent certain birth defects if begun prior to pregnancy) and otherwise “check in” is always a good idea. Once you are pregnant, regular prenatal care visits during pregnancy are just as important to your baby’s ...
Source: Cord Blood News - May 15, 2015 Category: Perinatology & Neonatology Authors: joyce at mazelabs.com Tags: babies blood disorder brain development Cord Blood medical research parents pregnancy affordable cord blood banking cerebral palsy cord blood banking fees cord blood treatment for Leukemia cord clamping due dates healthy pregnanc Source Type: blogs
Most doctors lack formal training in diet and nutrition
It’s hard to miss the headlines and breaking news feeds on the latest medical studies showing the health benefits of plant-based eating patterns: Vegetarian diets lower the risk or colorectal cancer. Dementia can be delayed through a healthful diet, cognitive training, and physical exercise. Folic acid — a plant-based product of foliage, or leafy greens — boosts heart health. And that’s just in the past few days.
Continue reading ...
Your patients are rating you online: How to respond. Manage your online reputation: A social media guide. Find out how. (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog)
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - April 3, 2015 Category: Journals (General) Authors: Angie Eakin, MD Tags: Conditions Primary care Source Type: blogs
Reverting the Consequences of Biology Deliberately Made Dysfunctional Rarely Tells Us Anything About Aging
The goal of aging research should, in a perfect world, be to repair the causes of age-related degeneration, frailty, and disease. Forms of damage to cells and tissue accumulate as a side-effect of the normal operation of metabolism, and that leads to a chain of consequences that is eventually fatal. Think of rust or wear on toothed gears and the consequences of that; aging is much the same thing, only far more complex because we are very complex, self-repairing machines. The best therapies for aging will be those that revert damage and rescue us from the consequences of that damage.
Researchers often work with animals who...
Source: Fight Aging! - April 2, 2015 Category: Research Authors: Reason Tags: Medicine, Biotech, Research Source Type: blogs
Top stories in health and medicine, March 20, 2015
From MedPage Today:
Folate Supplements Cut Strokes in Hypertension. Folic acid supplements significantly decreased risk of first stroke in those with hypertension.
Patients Will Record Encounters, and Docs Must Adjust. Physicians must accept the possibility that every conversation with a patient may be secretly recorded by the patient.
Legalities of Body Cams Raise Many Questions. With any new proposed use of technology comes a new need to review potential regulations and laws. Video recordings of patient interactions would be no exception.
Focusing Care on Patients Who Need It Most: Easier Said Than Done? Now that our a...
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - March 20, 2015 Category: Journals (General) Authors: MedPage Today Tags: News Heart Primary care Source Type: blogs
Reconciling Prevention And Value In The Health Care System
The term ‘value’ (commonly defined as health improvements attained per dollar spent) has become ubiquitous in discussions around improving the health care system. Increasingly, payers are adopting value-based purchasing programs (paying more for higher value care) and providing benefits that follow the principles of value-based insurance design (aligning patient cost-sharing with the value of the service). These programs typically focus on services widely regarded as relatively low-cost and clinically effective, such as beta-blockers prescribed for patients following a myocardial infarction (i.e. heart attack)....
Source: Health Affairs Blog - March 11, 2015 Category: Health Management Authors: Michael Chernew, J. Sanford Schwartz, and Mark Fendrick Tags: All Categories Chronic Care Consumers Coverage Health Care Costs Health Reform Insurance Long-Term Care Medicare Policy Prevention Quality Source Type: blogs
Is Bare Minerals 100% Natural lipstick worth the hype?
Bandana asks…Since I’ve been trying to get pregnant over the last year, I’ve become more concerned about toxicity. I probably eat a sizeable amount of lipstick. I am not your usual “organic” type, but I was surprised to see the list of ingredients for my favorite lipstick, Avon’s Beyond Color Plumping Lipstick. Are organic lipsticks worth the hype?? I’ve seen that Bare Minerals has a natural lipstick, but I’m not feeling $25 per tube. I’m more of a drugstore type girl. I’m not loaded with money and don’t want to be more paranoid than I should be.
The Beauty Brains responds
“Regular” lipstick like...
Source: thebeautybrains.com - January 18, 2015 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Randy Schueller Tags: Natural Safety Source Type: blogs
Go For the Gold
A 44-year-old-man with a past medical history of alcohol abuse was brought to the emergency department by EMS. He was found sleeping on a bench and appeared intoxicated. His initial vital signs were temperature 90.9°F, heart rate 62 bpm, blood pressure 130/84 mm Hg, respiratory rate 16 bpm, and pulse oximetry 98% on room air. He is disheveled patient, and has a depressed level of consciousness, slurred speech, and the distinct odor of mint and urine. Pertinent lab findings include an ethanol level of 340 mg/dL.
The minty odor is tipoff in this case that he is inebriated from mouthwash. The ethanol concentration in mout...
Source: The Tox Cave - January 2, 2015 Category: Emergency Medicine Tags: Blog Posts Source Type: blogs
Go For the Gold
A 44-year-old-man with a past medical history of alcohol abuse was brought to the emergency department by EMS. He was found sleeping on a bench and appeared intoxicated. His initial vital signs were temperature 90.9°F, heart rate 62 bpm, blood pressure 130/84 mm Hg, respiratory rate 16 bpm, and pulse oximetry 98% on room air. He is disheveled patient, and has a depressed level of consciousness, slurred speech, and the distinct odor of mint and urine. Pertinent lab findings include an ethanol level of 340 mg/dL.
The minty odor is tipoff in this case that he is inebriated from mouthwash. The ethanol concentration in mo...
Source: The Tox Cave - January 2, 2015 Category: Emergency Medicine Tags: Blog Posts Source Type: blogs
Top stories in health and medicine, November 14, 2014
From MedPage Today:
Future Uncertain for the National Children’s Study. What was once considered a ground-breaking U.S. study to track the health of children from birth to adulthood may be stopped before its official start, causing alarm for advocates and researchers who say its findings are crucial to developing prevention strategies for childhood illnesses like asthma, autism, and attention deficit disorder.
Vitamin B Doesn’t Reduce Cognitive Risk in Healthy Elderly. Lowering plasma homocysteine levels with oral vitamin B12 and folic acid does not appear to be an effective strategy for reducing memory loss ...
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - November 14, 2014 Category: Journals (General) Authors: MedPage Today Tags: News Diabetes Endocrinology Neurology Source Type: blogs
MKSAP: 66-year-old man seen for a preoperative evaluation
Test your medicine knowledge with the MKSAP challenge, in partnership with the American College of Physicians.
A 66-year-old man comes for a preoperative evaluation before total joint arthroplasty of the left knee. He has a 25-year history of rheumatoid arthritis. He has had progressive pain in his left knee with activity, which limits his ability to hike. The patient has similar pain in the right knee, but it is less severe. He reports no recent morning stiffness. He is able to climb two or three flights of stairs without chest pain or shortness of breath. He has no other medical problems and reports no additional sympt...
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - November 8, 2014 Category: Journals (General) Authors: mksap Tags: Conditions Radiology Rheumatology Source Type: blogs
The Shadow Boxer
Conclusion
The patient was admitted to a monitored setting with a diagnosis of GHB withdrawal. He had multiple episodes of agitation and combativeness during his admission. He was administered escalating doses of diazepam, a total of 480 mg of diazepam IV during his eight-day hospital stay. The patient recovered in eight days, and was referred to drug rehabilitation.
References
1. Dyer JE, Roth B, Hyma BA. Gamma-hydroxybutyrate withdrawal syndrome. Ann Emerg Med 2001;37(2):147.
2. Tarabar AF, Nelson LS. The gamma-hydroxybutyrate withdrawal syndrome. Toxicol Rev 2004;23(1):45.
3. Craig K, Gomez HF, et al. Severe g...
Source: The Tox Cave - October 2, 2014 Category: Emergency Medicine Tags: Blog Posts Source Type: blogs
