August 2007
Monthly Archive
Fri 31 Aug 2007
Posted by Luis under
UncategorizedComments Off
Pulled from the Brink: Remember the girl who
survived rabies? How's she doing?
Very well:
Twenty-seven months after exposure, the patient continued to have fluctuating dysarthria and gait difficulties, plus an intermittent sensation of cold in the feet. She had no difficulties with her instrumental activities of daily living, including driving. In high school, she took college-level courses in English, physics, and calculus. She scored above average on a national college achievement test, graduated from high school in 2007, and planned to attend a local college in the fall. She had no problems with peer relations or mood disorders.Alas, others have been
unable to duplicate the success of her treatment, so if you are bitten by a bat be sure to get your rabies shots.
Fri 31 Aug 2007
Posted by Luis under
UncategorizedComments Off
Remembering Katrina: The medical feats we
didn't hear about:
Besides rescuers and local first responders, another big story at the Dome was the medical center. Like a Chinook helicopter landing on your roof, that sure was hard to miss. Fifteen doctors and a total of 65 medical personnel set up at the New Orleans Arena, within spitting distance of the Dome. It was primarily for survivors brought in by air and boat, but also for people in the Superdome with medical problems. There was never any shortage of medical care, Dressler and Bush both said.
The Arena medical center cycled through triage and treatment of up to 5,000 injured or sick victims, Dressler said. Those in the worst shape were evacuated to the New Orleans airport and out of the region, those in good shape hydrated and sent to the Superdome. The success of the makeshift medical center was such that there were just six deaths at the entire Superdome complex: four of natural causes, one drug overdose, and one suicide during the week of supposedly rampant anarchy and death.
Triage (there was another medical facility at the airport) may have been the most critical element in limiting deaths once the levees broke and the city flooded. Rescue operations were brisk, but survivors of that kind of trauma aren't always coherent or aware of their own life-threatening injuries, particularly dehydration. Absent care, hundreds if not thousands could have died even after they were rescued and brought to the Dome.
Most of the national media also neglected to mention the seven babies that National Guard physicians delivered, something Maj. Ed Bush said he pointed out repeatedly. Overall, the false claims of up to 200 dead at the Dome, including murder victims, had clueless FEMA officials showing up at the end of the week with a refrigerated 18-wheeler to claim the stacks of bodies. And
questions unanswered.
Mon 27 Aug 2007
Posted by Luis under
UncategorizedComments Off
Seeking Perfection: The stressed out world of
opera singers:
Singers often overuse steroids in the form of cortisone to control inflamed vocal cords — sometimes in amounts that can permanently impair their abilities, say performers and their doctors. Others drink too much. Still others snort cocaine, according to insiders.That post nasal drip which is just a minor annoyance for most of us, can be
devastating for a singer, especially an opera singer who can't hide behind the drums and bass guitar. If someone could come up with a sure-fire cure (that didn't have the side effects and health hazards of steroids) he'd make a lot of money.
Mon 27 Aug 2007
Posted by Luis under
UncategorizedComments Off
American Medical Reform: The American Medical Association's
recommendations for health insurance reform.
Thu 9 Aug 2007
Posted by Luis under
UncategorizedComments Off
$$$$: Money makes people do
strange things:
The red cross symbol is an icon of relief from disaster. For months, it has also been the subject of a festering disagreement between major American institutions: the health care company Johnson & Johnson and the American Red Cross.
The dispute over rights to the symbol erupted to the surface yesterday in federal court in Manhattan, where J.& J. sued the American Red Cross. It looks as if Johnson and Johnson might have a good case, even though we identify them more with the
script "J" than the
red cross. (Actually, judging by this
collection of boxes, it's been a very long time since Johnson and Johnson have used the red cross as a trademark symbol.)
— Next Page »
