Many people know that doctors who prescribe and patients who seek antibiotics to treat illnesses for which those drugs are not right threaten our ability to combat infections. Those are the people who know that the term “superbug” is not about a heroic critter. It’s about bacteria that, thanks to the overuse of antibiotics, have….
Continue ReadingArchives for July 2015
Do Fitness Trackers Work?
Getting more exercise and getting more out of your exercise are essential for anyone who wants to get fit and stay fit. Setting workout goals and remaining aware of them is part of the exercise prescription, which is why fitness trackers are so hot. But do they work? Nobody really knows. According to a story….
Continue ReadingMedical Device Bill Needs Greater Scrutiny and Patient Protections
Earlier this month, the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation that was promoted as a way to streamline the FDA’s process for approving medical devices in order to deliver new treatments to patients sooner. But some voices have been raised in opposition to the measure because they believe it feeds the worst of commercial instincts….
Continue ReadingHeartburn Drugs and Osteoporosis — A Dubious Connection
Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are drugs widely prescribed for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). In recent years, concerns have arisen over a perceived association with PPIs and increased risk of bone fractures. Commonly referred to as acid reflux, symptoms of GERD include burning in the chest, neck or throat caused by stomach acid moving up into….
Continue ReadingThe Potential Cost of Waiting to Name the Baby
Of all the medical mistakes that could be made in the first hours of a newborn’s life, few lay people would think to attribute any of them to a delay in naming the infant. But neonatologists (doctors who treat ill or premature newborns) know that the unnamed wee ones under their care are more likely….
Continue ReadingPatient Deaths at NIH Lead to Blood Banking Reforms
July 25 marks the anniversary of a blood transfusion error between two federal health agencies in 2011 that was implicated in the deaths of two patients at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Md. Two patients being treated at NIH received transfusions of platelets from a single donor that were contaminated with the….
Continue ReadingMedical Considerations for Buying Travel Insurance
At this time of year, many people are in vacation mode, and some purchase travel insurance. But if you don’t have pre-existing medical conditions, should you insure your trip with medical coverage? According to KaiserHealthNews.org, “Most comprehensive travel insurance policies cover pre-existing conditions if you buy coverage within 14 to 21 days of making your….
Continue ReadingDoctor Who Defrauded and Disabled Is Sentenced to Prison
In a particularly offensive and harmful misuse of professional authority, a doctor in Detroit was sentenced earlier this month to 45 years in prison for defrauding insurance companies of millions of dollars and poisoning hundreds of patients with chemotherapy treatments when they didn’t even have cancer. Those weren’t the only crimes committed by Dr. Farid….
Continue ReadingA Wise Man Analyzes the Renewed Attention on Statins
A couple of years ago, the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology revised the guidelines for prescribing statins, drugs that compromise the body’s ability to produce cholesterol, to recommend that many more people take statins to prevent heart disease. It was a controversial decision, as we described in our blog. Last week,….
Continue ReadingFeds Issue Stronger Warning Against Some Kinds of Pain Relievers
For some people, it’s almost a reflex to reach for the ibuprofen when they’re hurting. But the FDA has strengthened its warning on these over-the-counter (OTC) drugs because they might increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. Although these popular drugs currently bear packaging that says they “may cause” an increased risk of heart….
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