Acute sinusitis is often treated with antibiotics, and possibly also a topical steroid. However, a recent study found this common treatment to be no more effective than a placebo. Commenters on the study have noted that there may be some patients for whom antibiotics might help, but there is no reliable way for a clinician….
Continue ReadingChecklists to Save Lives in the ICU
An article in the New Yorker by Atul Gawande highlights the simple ways in which hospitals can be made less dangerous places for their patients. A checklist to make sure intensive care doctors and nurses handle catheters correctly has been proven to dramatically reduce the risk of deadly infections. Gawande focuses on the work of….
Continue ReadingNew Study: Doctors Reluctant to Report Errors
A new study shows that although an overwhelming majority of doctors believe they should report colleagues who make serious medical errors or otherwise violate professional standards, most do not actually do so. This hesitance to report colleagues is understandable. But it makes detecting, tracking and studying medical error very difficult. The senior author of the….
Continue ReadingHospitals Try to Combat MRSA
Hospitals have been getting some negative attention recently as a result of their high rates of infection. That is why it is good to hear that they are stepping up efforts to fight MRSA, one of the worst “superbugs” that infect patients in hospitals. Their efforts can be boiled down to two categories: testing and….
Continue ReadingNew Factors for Breast Cancer Risk for African-American Women
When breast cancer experts recently reassessed their risk-evaluation formulas, they found that they were significantly underestimating the risks for African-American women. This reevaluation is likely to result in changes in counseling for women in this demographic, including more recommendations to go for mammograms and more encouragement to sign up for studies of breast cancer. This….
Continue ReadingHospital Commits 3rd Brain Surgery on the Wrong Side of the Head
Rhode Island Hospital has, for the third time this year, done a brain surgery on the wrong side of the patient’s head. The hospital has been fined $50,000 and has received a reprimand from the state Department of Health. In this most recent instance, the patient was 82 years old. Fortunately, the patient was unhurt….
Continue ReadingRisk Disclosure and Organ Donation
Recently, four organ transplant patients were infected with HIV and hepatitis–a rare occurrence. One of the patients claims, through her lawyer, that the risks of the procedure were not disclosed to her. A major issue here is that the kidney donor was considered “high risk” by the standards set by the Centers for Disease Control….
Continue ReadingPlastic Surgery: Still Safe, but Know the Risks
The risks of plastic surgery have been in the news lately thanks to the death of Donda West, mother of Kanye West. West died following a “tummy tuck,” a common plastic surgery operation. At this time, the cause of her death is unclear. In the wake of her death, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons….
Continue ReadingEnergy Drinks Linked to Heart Problems
A new study, presented to the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions, has found that consumption of energy drinks is linked to heart disease and high blood pressure. The linked article contains a description of the study. These results are unsurprising because most energy drinks contain caffeine. Any problems associated with coffee, particularly excessive coffee drinking….
Continue ReadingMRSA Discovered in Virginia Communities: What You Need To Know
Recently, a 17-year-old in Bedford County, Virginia died of an infection known as MRSA . MRSA stands for “methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus” and is also referred to as a “staph infection” or a “superbug.” MRSA is a particular kind of staph infection that is resistant to common antibiotics. The MRSA bacteria was found in many other….
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