Monthly Archive for July, 2008
The Lighter Side of Medicine
With healthcare being the stressful and serious environment it is, sometimes we can lose the lighter side of medicine. I wanted to share a few funny stories that have arisen from my training, in hopes that other professionals can get a chuckle, and share their own tales.1. When I was a medical student rotating at Moss Rehab in Philadelphia, we had a long term patient who had been there for over a year. He was a happily demented gentleman, but he suffered from psoriasis on the backs of his arms and fronts of his knees which were very bothersome. We saw him on rounds, and he inquired about something to help out his condition. We told him we would prescribe some cream for him to use.
Viruses Cause Cancer?
In the 11th Report on Carcinogens, the US government added Hepatitis C, Hepatitis B, and certain papilloma viruses to their list of substances known to be carcinogenic. This represented the first time ever that viruses were included.At the sixth annual International Conference of the American Association for Cancer Research, Dr. Andrew J. Dannenberg stated, "I believe that, conservatively, 15 to 20% of all cancer is caused by infections, however, the number could be larger, maybe double."
There Is No Sham In Acupuncture
The randomized controlled trial (RCT) is the gold standard for evaluating whether or not a therapeutic modality works. In RCTs testing the effect of acupuncture to improve symptoms, researchers often use "sham acupuncture" as a control procedure, on the theory that sticking needles into points that are not on acupuncture meridians should have no effect.The problem with this approach is that there is really no such thing as sham acupuncture.
Finding New Ways to Treat Depression
I think it's good to think outside the box. Especially when it comes to finding solutions to some pretty major problems. Let's take depression for example.Starting in May 2007, the FDA started requiring that a warning be posted on antidepressant drugs. The warning was about the increased risk of suicide for patients in the 18-24 age range. This warning was the result of a FDA analysis of patient data.So it seems to me that depressed young people need more options besides medication. Of course, all people who suffer from depression need options but for this age group, in light of this study, it seems necessary.
Popular Posts
- Mind Games - Science's Attempts at Thought Control
- The Science of Stuttering
- Risks of Personalized Medicine
- Intelligence - Are You Holding Back Your Brain?
- Is Grief a Mental Illness?
- The Brain's Buying Power
- The Cost of a Good Night's Sleep
- Risk Factors for Recurrence of Depression
- Salvia Divinorum - DEA Control over Magic in the Mint
- The Many Emerging Roles of Astrocytes
Future Posts
Latest Posts
- Thinking Fast Equals Risky Business
- A Gateway to Weight Loss?
- Intelligence – Do You Need it to be Successful?
- A Trip for Terminal Patients
- Memory Ain’t What It Used to Be – And That’s Good for Psychotherapy
- The Science of Stuttering
- Are Your Friends Making You Fat?
- Beer – The Smarter Drink
- Macroeconomics and Suicide
- From Nymphomania to Hypersexuality
Comments
- Ryan: Great post! I agree with the p
- : I have used heroin for 20 year
- Lino Baine: I am not aware that people wit
- Lulu Jones: Hmm....this is interesting. I
- Robert A. Yourell, MA: Hi Stephanie...OR they tried a
- Stephnie: Based on the facts in the arti
- Sammy: I was a test subject for one o
- Veronica Pamoukaghlian, MA: Thank you for your insightful
- Richard Kensinger, MSW: I agree w/ Howard Gardner's pe
- Melbzi: Muso's and smoked pot.I q
- Melbzi: I am 36 and from Melbourne Aus
- CODER: When we get sick, really sick
