On binge drinkers
Doing hospital medicine, we often have patients come in for complications of binge drinking – acute pancreatitis, GI bleeding, trauma, hypothermia, etc. Many such patients know they are alcoholics, and have spent considerable time not drinking. Over time (often I am a slow learner) I have realized that most such patients are drinking to become numb.
I should have known. How often do we watch a television show or movie and see a character go off on a bender because of some traumatic event? Just last night I was watching Lethal Weapon (the TV show). Riggs (the main character) starts drinking very heavily as t...
Source: DB's Medical Rants - January 26, 2017 Category: Internal Medicine Authors: rcentor Tags: Medical Rants Source Type: blogs
Acute Pancreatitis via Now@NEJM
Posted oninfosnack. (Source: Kidney Notes)
Source: Kidney Notes - November 16, 2016 Category: Urology & Nephrology Authors: Joshua Schwimmer Source Type: blogs
MKSAP: 54-year-old woman is evaluated for fatigue, anorexia, polyuria, and nocturia
Test your medicine knowledge with the MKSAP challenge, in partnership with the American College of Physicians.
A 54-year-old woman is evaluated for fatigue, anorexia, polyuria, and nocturia of several weeks’ duration. She had otherwise felt well until the onset of her current symptoms. Medical history is significant for autoimmune pancreatitis diagnosed 1 year ago, treated with a prednisone taper that was completed 8 months ago with resolution of her symptoms. She takes no medications.
On physical examination, temperature is 36.2 °C (97.2 °F), blood pressure is 110/58 mm Hg, pulse rate is 72/min, and respiration ...
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - July 30, 2016 Category: Journals (General) Authors: < a href="http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/post-author/mksap" rel="tag" > mksap < /a > Tags: Conditions Nephrology Source Type: blogs
MKSAP: 66-year-old man with polyuria and polydipsia
Test your medicine knowledge with the MKSAP challenge, in partnership with the American College of Physicians.
A 66-year-old man is evaluated in the office after being treated in the emergency department for an exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. While in the emergency department, he was noted to have a random blood glucose level of 211 mg/dL (11.7 mmol/L). His HbA1c was 7.8% at the time. A repeat random fingerstick blood glucose level in office is 204 mg/dL (11.3 mmol/L).
The patient reports recent polyuria and polydipsia. He has lost 6 kg (13.2 lb) over the last 3 months. He has chronic epigastric pa...
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - July 23, 2016 Category: Journals (General) Authors: < a href="http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/post-author/mksap" rel="tag" > mksap < /a > Tags: Conditions Diabetes Endocrinology Source Type: blogs
When interns fight an enemy they didn’t choose, over a cause they don’t fully understand
I glanced at my watch before responding to the pager. It was almost 2 a.m., with the end of my 24-hour call as the in-house surgery resident still dangerously far away. The page was for a new consult from the medical service, on a patient with necrotizing pancreatitis. Apparently, she had been in the hospital for over a month, in and out of the ICU with multiple drain placements, and had finally started to improve in the last week. Tonight, though, she suddenly developed new left-sided abdominal pain and tachycardia. The medical intern covering her overnight was calling for backup. I could hear the fear in her voice as she...
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - July 11, 2016 Category: Journals (General) Authors: Laura Mazer, MD Tags: Physician Primary care Surgery Source Type: blogs
The Insanity of the Hepatitis B Vaccination
Conclusions
The hepatitis B vaccination program targeting newborns and infants does NOT make sense. The vaccination itself has not proven to be effective in preventing hepatitis B. There is very little risk of children becoming infected with hepatitis B.
Hepatitis B is a disease that is not highly infectious and tends to affect adults in high risk groups. The course of the disease is usually self-limiting with lifelong immunity acquired.
In contrast, many serious health consequences have resulted from the hepatitis B vaccination, including permanent disability and death.
References
http://www.nvic.org/nvic-archives...
Source: vactruth.com - July 8, 2016 Category: Allergy & Immunology Authors: Michelle Goldstein Tags: Logical Michelle Goldstein Top Stories adverse reactions Hepatitis B vaccine truth about vaccines Source Type: blogs
Harvard Medical School Teams Up with Makers of Bacardi Rum, Smirnoff Vodka, Jim Beam Bourbon, and Jack Daniels Whiskey, Providing Great PR at Bargain Rates
Last July, Harvard Medical School and its Cambridge Health Alliance accepted $3.3 million from the Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility to create an endowed chair in behavioral sciences research at Harvard Medical School and the Cambridge Health Alliance. The Dean of the Harvard Medical School proudly announced the acceptance of this money and praised the Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility, while acknowledging a long-standing alliance between the two entities: "The Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility has long been a strong supporter of the research program at Cambridge Health Alliance, ...
Source: The Rest of the Story: Tobacco News Analysis and Commentary - May 4, 2016 Category: Addiction Source Type: blogs
Anheuser Busch "Smart Drinking" Initiative is a Complete Farce
Last December, Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev) announced its commitment of more than $1 billion over ten years to promote "Smart Drinking," whose major purported purpose is to "reduce the harmful use of alcohol" by reducing "binge drinking, underage drinking and drink-driving." The company claims that this represents "Doing Right, While Doing Well." A major goal is to reduce the "harmful use of alcohol" by at least 10% in six cities within 10 years.The Rest of the StoryThe truth is that this initiative is essential a huge scam designed to promote alcohol use, to divert attention away from the alcohol industry's culpability...
Source: The Rest of the Story: Tobacco News Analysis and Commentary - May 3, 2016 Category: Addiction Source Type: blogs
Lynn’s facial redness gone in 3 days on the Wheat Belly Detox!
Lynn shared her “before” and “during” photos, just 3 days into her Wheat Belly 10-Day Detox experience.
“This is how much my skin redness has calmed since starting my Wheat Belly Detox 3 days ago. I was always getting asked if my blood pressure was up. I have always had great blood pressure, so that was never the issue. However, I never understood why my face would get red like this. Then I noticed it was especially after I ate.
“The ‘before’ pic was taken during Christmas time, therefore the redness isn’t from sun but from the wheat and grains. Also both pics are witho...
Source: Wheat Belly Blog - April 8, 2016 Category: Cardiology Authors: Dr. Davis Tags: Wheat Belly Lifestyle facial change gluten grains Inflammation redness skin Source Type: blogs
Can I Get a Side of Fat with that Overdose?
An 88-year-old woman with a history of dementia presented with dizziness. Her daughter reported that she may have taken at least 12 tablets of diltiazem, which she mistook for her other medications. She is alert and oriented with normal vital signs. Her heart rate is 40 beats per minute and blood pressure is 70/45 mm Hg. Boluses of calcium gluconate and high-dose insulin therapy are initiated. The patient remains hypotensive at 80/40 mm Hg. Toxicology is consulted about intravenous lipid emulsion therapy.How does lipid emulsion therapy work?Two main theories describe the mechanism of action of intravenous lipid emulsion...
Source: The Tox Cave - April 1, 2016 Category: Emergency Medicine Tags: Blog Posts Source Type: blogs
You Decide: The Risks and Benefits of the MMR Vaccination
Most of us weigh the risks and benefits of medical procedures prior to obtaining them. We sign an informed consent form with an understanding of the potential harm versus the perceived benefits.
In the case of vaccinations, the great majority of parents obtain vaccinations for their children, influenced by the “sales pitch” and “scare tactics” used by physicians. We are assured that the vaccination is safe and will protect us and our children from the various targeted deadly diseases. If we blindly trust our doctors, as I once had, we readily agree.
It is important that we think critically before agreeing to any va...
Source: vactruth.com - February 18, 2016 Category: Allergy & Immunology Authors: Michelle Goldstein Tags: Logical Michelle Goldstein Top Stories autism Centers for Disease Control (CDC) MMR vaccine vaccine injury Source Type: blogs
Wheat Belly: Self-Directed Health?
Director chair, film slate and load horn.
Here’s a proposal for you: If, by following the Wheat Belly lifestyle, a long list of conditions are reduced or reversed at no risk, almost no cost, reversing even chronic and potentially fatal conditions . . . does that mean that the notion of self-directed health might be on the horizon, i.e., putting control over health back in our own hands?
I think it does. No, we will never implant our own defibrillators or take out our own gallbladders. But so many chronic health conditions afflicting modern humans recede that I believe that it is entirely reasonable to start talking a...
Source: Wheat Belly Blog - February 16, 2016 Category: Cardiology Authors: Dr. Davis Tags: Wheat Belly Lifestyle arthritis autoimmune diabetes eating disorder gluten grains Inflammation joint Weight Loss Source Type: blogs
The Radiology Report
By SAURABH JHA, MD
“’Normal’ is one of the most powerful words a radiologist can use”: Curtis P. Langlotz MD PhD, Professor of Radiology, Stanford University
After I used “clinically correlate” thrice in a row in my report, the attending radiologist asked, “How would you feel if the referring clinician said on the requisition for the study “correlate with images”? When you ask them to clinically correlate, you’re reminding them to do their job.”
I had been a radiology resident for six months – too soon to master radiology but not too soon to master radiology’s bad habits. I had acquired several h...
Source: The Health Care Blog - February 12, 2016 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Simon Nath Tags: THCB Saurabh Jha Source Type: blogs
Funtabulously Frivolous Friday Five 134
Just when you thought your brain could unwind on a Friday, you realise that it would rather be challenged with some good old fashioned medical trivia…introducing Funtabulously Frivolous Friday Five 134
Question 1
You do a ketamine sedation and the patient develops laryngeal spasm. What physical manoeuvre can you preform to try and resolve the laryngeal spasm while the nursing staff draw up a paralytic?
+ Reveal the Funtabulous Answer
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Larson’s point or the ‘laryngospasm notch’ [Reference]. Accordi...
Source: Life in the Fast Lane - February 5, 2016 Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Neil Long Tags: Frivolous Friday Five coffee FFFF fox's sign Hammon's crunch larson's point pancreatitis Source Type: blogs
