Pearls for Abscess Incision and Drainage
Part 2 in a Series
Abscess incision and drainage should be loved and adored by all emergency providers because another abscess is waiting just behind the curtain. This month we highlight general guidelines for abscess incision and drainage, and show how to treat one in the video below. We will follow up with some additional videos in the months to come focusing on scalp, vaginal, and facial abscesses. And, just when you think you have seen it all, we will reveal a few more surprises.
Axillary abscess from hidradenitis. Photo by Martha Roberts.
The Approach
n Identification of an abscess appropriate fo...
Source: The Procedural Pause - March 31, 2015 Category: Emergency Medicine Tags: Blog Posts Source Type: blogs
10 secrets to success as an academic surgeon
1. Be yourself and learn to be flexible. Don’t ever change who you are as a person. It’s OK to have a personality of your own. If you secretly listen to Taylor Swift’s Shake it Off on the way to work, it’s OK. As a junior member of the team it’s very unlikely your iPhone playlist will make the cut for the operating room (OR) entertainment anyway, so go ahead and keep it on your most played list. On the flip side, being successful means being flexible, learning new things, being wrong sometimes, and even changing the way you do things. It can be mind-blowing to learn that there is more than one way to accomplis...
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - March 30, 2015 Category: Journals (General) Authors: Sarah Bryczkowski, MD Tags: Physician Surgery Source Type: blogs
BioChemics, Inc. Pays the SEC $17.9 Million For Allegedly Misrepresenting FDA Review and Drug Trial Status To Investors
BioChemics, Inc., a Massachusetts-based biopharmaceutical company was ordered Wednesday to pay a total of almost $18 million to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The SEC had accused the company of making false statements to investors about its collaborations with major pharmaceutical companies, FDA review of its products, and the status of drug trials of the company’s main product. BioChemics also allegedly created fraudulent valuations of the company’s stock in order to raise millions of dollars from investors.
The SEC originally filed an enforcement action against BioChemics, the founder and former...
Source: Policy and Medicine - March 27, 2015 Category: American Health Authors: Thomas Sullivan Source Type: blogs
Same Old, Same Old - Johnson and Johnson Settles Charges it Concealed Adverse Effects of Risperdal, Vaginal Mesh Device, Pleads Guilty to Selling Adulterated Tylenol, Announces CEO Got 48% Raise to $25 Million
We have devoted a lot of bytes over the years to the stream of allegations and ethical questions about Johnson and Johnson, the giant pharmaceutical/ biotechnology/ device company, and resulting legal actions. Meanwhile, the company has bestowed a gushing stream of money on its top executives. Its almost spring, 2015, and it seems nothing has changed.Johnson and Johnson's Latest Legal MisadventuresJury Verdict that Company Concealed Harms of Risperdal Let us start with the latest legal news about J&J. In late February, 2015, as reported on the PharmaLot blog by Ed Silverman,In a setback to Johnson &am...
Source: Health Care Renewal - March 18, 2015 Category: Health Management Tags: adulterated drugs adverse effects Alex Gorsky crime deception Johnson and Johnson legal settlements manufacturing problems William Weldon Source Type: blogs
Pharmacist Pill Color Debate Goes Viral.
The color of the dress, that is clearly black and blue, take a strange and unusual turn Friday after a Walgreens pharmacist posted a picture of some Advil gel cap pills on his Facebook account asking, "Are these pills green or black?" Thousands of pharmacists painfully debated the color for hours with both camps escalating the discussion to profound levels with ever more creative variations of cat pictures and Michael Jackson eating his popcorn, resulting in a nationwide pharmacist shortage for hours.At the height of the viral argument, thousands of pro-spanking, vaccine denying, and end-stage fibromyalgeurs hi...
Source: The Happy Hospitalist - February 26, 2015 Category: Internal Medicine Authors: Tamer Mahrous Source Type: blogs
Common Pain Drugs Linked To More Problems After A Heart Attack
The cardiovascular safety of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen and diclofenac has been the subject of considerable uncertainty and controversy. Now a new study published in JAMA raises specific concerns about the safety of these drugs in the highly vulnerable population of people who have had a recent heart attack. … Click here to read the full post on Forbes, including comments from Peter Berger and Sanjay Kaul. (Source: CardioBrief)
Source: CardioBrief - February 24, 2015 Category: Cardiology Authors: Larry Husten Tags: Prevention, Epidemiology & Outcomes aspirin bleeding clopdiogrel ibuprofen NSAIDs Source Type: blogs
Amy’s Wheat Belly life transformation
Amy shared her amazing Wheat Belly experience with me. I believe that, like me, you will be astounded as how much misery she endured before she found this simple, inexpensive, powerful solution to health.
Dear Dr. Davis, Thank you for saving my life. I mean this in a literal sense, truly – I thank you.My name is Amy. I am a culinary artist (chef) and own a restaurant, A. Renee, in Bloomington, IL.My story is very complex so I’ll share the most condensed version I can. I lead a hectic lifestyle, as do most. Owning a demanding business in a field with the highest failure rate while raising two children...
Source: Wheat Belly Blog - February 18, 2015 Category: Cardiology Authors: Dr. Davis Tags: Wheat Belly Success Stories gluten IBS inflamation ulcerative colitis Source Type: blogs
Knee Arthritis Treatments Ranked By Relative Effectiveness
In conclusion, the elephant in the room is that weight loss and exercise are still the very best treatments for knee osteoarthritis. Check out the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgery’s recent list of evidence-based recommendations for the treatment of knee arthritis for more information about the full spectrum of treatment options. (Source: Better Health)
Source: Better Health - January 5, 2015 Category: American Health Authors: Dr. Val Jones Tags: Health Tips Research Acetaminophen Annals Of Internal Medicine Celecoxib Comparative Effectiveness Corticosteroids Diclofenac hyaluronic acid Ibuprofen Knee OA Osteoarthritis What Works For Knee Pain? Source Type: blogs
Top stories in health and medicine, January 5, 2015
From MedPage Today:
For Better Medication Outcomes, Help Patients Do the Math? One-third of patients in private rheumatology practices can’t follow dosing instructions for ibuprofen correctly, and one-fifth can’t follow instructions for methotrexate.
Metformin: A Great Lakes Disaster? There is more than one way to measure prescription drug use in modern society.
Flu Deaths Hit Epidemic Threshold. The CDC is reporting that the flu season is well and truly underway, with the proportion of deaths attributed to pneumonia and influenza reaching the epidemic level.
Meniscus Lesions Tied to Neuropathic Pain in Knee ...
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - January 5, 2015 Category: Journals (General) Authors: MedPage Today Tags: News Source Type: blogs
"So Does Ibuprofen"
This study was a proof of principle to show that common, relatively safe drugs in humans can extend the lifespan of very diverse organisms. Therefore, it should be possible to find others like ibuprofen with even better ability to extend lifespan, with the aim of adding healthy years of life in people."
The goal of taking decades and billions to add just a few years to adult life expectancy doesn't fill me with glee. If that much time and money are to be expended, and I am to become old waiting, I want far better expected outcomes for success: decades of healthy life and rejuvenation, not pills to very slightly slow down ...
Source: Fight Aging! - December 18, 2014 Category: Research Authors: Reason Tags: Medicine, Biotech, Research Source Type: blogs
Research and Reviews in the Fastlane 062
This study is a meta-analysis looking at whether tamsulosin increases the rate of spontaneous stone passage in patients with renal colic. The authors report a benefit to the drug with a RR for passage of 1.50. However, this meta-analysis is significantly flawed as the studies entered into it had significant bias mainly due to issues with randomization as well as a high level of heterogeneity. This meta-analysis typifies the issue of garbage in equals garbage out and does not change the fact that tamsulosin has little good evidence to defend its use in these patients.Recommended by: Anand SwaminathanEmergency Medicine, Res...
Source: Life in the Fast Lane - December 17, 2014 Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Anand Swaminathan Tags: Education critical care emergency Emergency Medicine Intensive Care Press Ganey R&R in the FASTLANE recommendations Review Source Type: blogs
Top stories in health and medicine, December 2, 2014
From MedPage Today:
Medicare Tightens Non-Emergency Ambulance Use. Seniors living in three states will need prior approval from Medicare before they can get an ambulance to take them to cancer or dialysis treatments.
NSAID Effective for RA Symptoms, Celebrex Easier on Stomach. Pelubiprofen, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that is related structurally and pharmacologically to ibuprofen, is as effective as celecoxib for reducing pain and stiffness in moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis (RA) but it has a less favorable gastrointestinal (GI) profile than the COX-2 selective NSAID.
Comorbidities Frequent in...
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - December 2, 2014 Category: Journals (General) Authors: MedPage Today Tags: News Rheumatology Source Type: blogs
Is this acute STEMI? LV Aneurysm? Would you give Thrombolytics?
Recently I posted a case describing "Acuteness" on the ECG and how to assess whether it is too late for reperfusion, especially thrombolytics.This case was recently posted by Tyron Maartens on Facebook EKG club (he agreed to let me post it here), with the following clinical information:"42 year old male with two weeks of intermittent chest discomfort, awoke 4 hours prior to this ECG with a more severe, heavy chest pain (5/10). Self-medicated with 600 mg Ibuprofen and 750 mg Paracetamol (no change) prior to driving to the ED. BP 112/80, SpO2 100%. Patient appears only slightly anxious. No risk factors, leads a healthy ...
Source: Dr. Smith's ECG Blog - November 17, 2014 Category: Cardiology Authors: Steve Smith Source Type: blogs
A Young Woman with Chest Pressure and Subtle, Focal ST Elevation/Depression
A very healthy woman in her 20's (who, however, is a heavy smoker) presented with 4 days of waxing and waning substernal chest pressure radiating to the throat and both shoulders. It was not sharp, not pleuritic. There were no myalgias, no viral symptoms, no F/C/S.Looking at her, she was the picture of health, and I thought to myself: "Is there any possible way she could have an MI?". My answer, of course was yes. I've seen it too often before in young women, as for instance:in this case, and in this case, and others.So we ordered an ECG, of course:I found this very interesting and worriso...
Source: Dr. Smith's ECG Blog - November 2, 2014 Category: Cardiology Authors: Steve Smith Source Type: blogs
Prevent the overdose of OTC pain medications
Recently in the emergency room, I saw a 35-year-old patient — we’ll call her Jane — who was vomiting blood. The source of the vomiting turned out to be a bleeding ulcer caused by unintentionally overdosing on ibuprofen. Jane was in pain — she was taking prescription ibuprofen for her chronic knee pain — but she was also taking over-the-counter (OTC) Advil® during the previous five days for menstrual cramps. Jane did not know that the active ingredient in Advil is ibuprofen, so she was doubling up on this pain reliever.
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Your patients are rating you online: How to respond. Man...
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - October 6, 2014 Category: Journals (General) Authors: Byron Cryer, MD Tags: Meds GI Medications Source Type: blogs
