For a long time, we’ve been critical of Americans’ love of dietary supplements, and often write about the dangers they pose, and that they’re a waste of money. Now, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has measured this harm in real terms. Last week CDC researchers published a study in the New England….
Continue ReadingEmergency Medicine
When a Toothache Becomes a Medical Emergency
Although rumblings have begun to include dental care under Medicare coverage, medical plans generally don’t cover your teeth. And for some people who forgo dental care because it’s not subsidized, a routine tooth problem can escalate into a serious medical issue. Christopher Smith was one of those people. His story, as told by USAToday.com, started….
Continue ReadingERs Often Misdiagnose Urinary Tract Infections
Anyone who’s ever had an urinary tract infection (UTI) understands the misery it causes and the urgency of its victims to resolve it. Even worse is when you’re diagnosed with a UTI and you actually have something else. It’s more than a little unnerving that urinary tract and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in women are….
Continue ReadingHow Escalating Tests Can Lead to a Sad Outcome
The medical community increasingly accepts that care in the U.S. often involves unnecessary and inappropriate diagnostic testing, a subject we’ve written about for years. But sometimes showing in detail how overtesting can be dangerous is far better than just talking about it. A recent post on KevinMD.com by Dr. Rourke Stay, a radiologist (physician who….
Continue ReadingSuggested Reading: When It Comes to Heart Attack, Speed Heals
In the 10-year period between 2003 and 2013, the U.S. death rate from coronary heart disease fell about 38%. In a long, anecdote-filled story that was part of its series on heart disease, the New York Times detailed how the decline reflects not only that we’re giving up cigarettes and controlling our cholesterol and blood….
Continue ReadingImproving Weekend Surgical Outcomes
Unless it’s an emergency, having surgery on a weekend is not common, and it’s usually not a good idea. Patients who go under the knife over the weekend generally stay longer in the hospital, are more likely to be readmitted within 30 days and have higher mortality rates, according to the American Association for the….
Continue ReadingWhen Advanced Care Is a Step Back
America is a country of newer! Better! Now! More! But in medical care, as readers of this blog know, more is not always better, and the point was driven home recently in a New York Times commentary. “Doing More for Patients Often Does No Good,” by Dr. Aaron E. Carroll, a professor of pediatrics at….
Continue ReadingBetter Outcomes for Heart Patients When Their Doctors Are Away
Boy, talk about less is more! A recently published study showed that if you’re having symptoms of serious heart trouble and your cardiologist is out of town, you’re more likely to live. The report, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, followed frail patients who were admitted to teaching hospitals with two common types of heart problems…..
Continue ReadingImmunizing Doctors from Lawsuits Doesn’t Reduce Medical Costs
An article of faith among doctors is that they order huge numbers of unnecessary and expensive tests like MRIs and CT scans solely to protect themselves from malpractice lawsuits. If this “defensive medicine” really happens, immunizing doctors from lawsuits should cut down on wasteful testing and save us all a lot of money. A new….
Continue ReadingUltrasound Is Better than CT for Kidney Stones
Despite the increased use of CT scans to diagnose kidney stones for emergency department patients, the imaging technology is no better than an ultrasound exam, and ultrasound is safer. Ultrasound, according to a recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, (NEJM) is the preferred first-line diagnostic tool when someone presents at the….
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