Gastric distress-related ED visits may increase during the holidays

At hospitals, gastric distress is a part of the holiday tradition." Indeed, "in the early hours of Thanksgiving...emergency rooms are typically empty," but certain turkey-cooking practices "can easily strike a blow" to diners. Typically, a frozen turkey is left on a countertop for 12 hours, while a roasted bird may sit "for two or three hours before" reaching the table. "During that time, a virus or bacterium can land on the food and start growing," causing gastroenteritis. "Although bacteria will die" once the bird is reheated, "the toxins made by the bacteria that cause illness can survive even in a hot oven." Bones have also been known to trigger "trips to the hospital," and those "with heart conditions should avoid too much salt, which can trigger an accumulation of fluid in the lungs."

Please remember, as with all our articles we provide information, not medical advice. For any treatment of your own medical condition you must visit your local doctor, with or without our article[s]. These articles are not to be taken as individual medical advice.

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For more health info and links visit the author's web site www.hookman.com

Small study indicates paroxetine may damage men's sperm, impair their fertility

Add anti-depressants to the list of substances that can damage men’s sperm and potentially impair their fertility.

According to a study published online in the journal Fertility & Sterility, antidepressants may "damage men's sperm and potentially impair their fertility." For the study, researchers from the Weill Cornell Medical College "followed 35 healthy men who took paroxetine for five weeks." The investigators then performed tests "to examine DNA fragmentation, which occurs when sperm DNA is missing pieces of the genetic code. The results showed that 50 percent of men had signs of abnormal DNA fragmentation while taking the drug, compared with less than 10 percent at the start of the trial." Following discontinuation of the drug, "the men's sperm returned to normal." The authors theorized that the "antidepressant caused men's sperm to slow down as it makes its way through the male reproductive tract," thereby "allowing it to age and become damaged."

“It’s fairly well known that SSRI anti-depressants negatively impact erectile function and ejaculation. This study goes on step further, demonstrating that they can cause a major increase in genetic damage to sperm,” said Dr. Peter Schlegel, the study’s senior author and professor of reproductive medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York.

“Although this study doesn’t look directly at fertility, we can infer that as many as half of men taking SSRIs have a reduced ability to conceive. The amount, concentration and motility of sperm were not significantly changed by the medication.
Though men may not know it, sperm can be damaged by various substances, including smoking, alcohol, heat, anabolic steroids, drug abuse, sexually transmitted diseases and some environmental exposures.

Please remember, as with all our articles we provide information, not medical advice. For any treatment of your own medical condition you must visit your local doctor, with or without our article[s]. These articles are not to be taken as individual medical advice.

Deepen your understanding of "medical malpractice"... www.MedMalBook.com

For more health info and links visit the author's web site www.hookman.com

Study indicates top medical journals published significant number of ghostwritten articles

"Six of the top medical journals published a significant number of articles in 2008 that were written by ghostwriters financed by drug companies," according to a study in The Journal of the American Medical Association. The findings are of "concern" because "the work of industry-sponsored writers has the potential to introduce bias, affecting treatment decisions by doctors and, ultimately, patient care," the researchers said. The study included "authors of 630 articles who responded anonymously to an online questionnaire." Researchers found that "7.8 percent acknowledged contributions to their articles by people whose work should have qualified them to be named as authors on the papers but who were not listed."
       
The New England Journal of Medicine had "the highest rate of ghostwritten articles" at 10.9 percent, while "Nature Medicine had the lowest rate of unnamed writers, at two percent." Annette Flanagin, managing deputy editor of the Journal of the American Medical Association, said that with ghostwriters, "you lose transparency and potential accountability." She added, "Why would they be ghosted if they didn't have an agenda?"

Please remember, as with all our articles we provide information, not medical advice. For any treatment of your own medical condition you must visit your local doctor, with or without our article[s]. These articles are not to be taken as individual medical advice.

Deepen your understanding of "medical malpractice"... www.MedMalBook.com

For more health info and links visit the author's web site www.hookman.com

Survey suggests fatigued, stressed hospital residents report making more major medical errors.

"Internal medicine residents who report higher levels of fatigue, sleepiness, and distress are at greater risk for reporting major medical errors," according to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Researchers issued questionnaires to residents who had enrolled in a "Mayo Internal Medicine Well-being Study between July 2003 and February 2009."

Among the "356 participants, 139 (39 percent) reported making at least one major medical error." Of those who reported an error, "68.7 percent screened positive for depression at some point during the study." The researchers also found that "one-point increases on the fatigue and sleepiness scales were associated with 14-percent and 10-percent increased likelihoods of an error being reported during the subsequent three months."

Other factors associated with subsequent error were "burnout, depersonalization, emotional exhaustion, lower personal accomplishment, a positive depression screen," and overall quality of life. The study authors concluded that "in addition to the national efforts to reduce fatigue and sleepiness, well-designed interventions to prevent, identify, and treat distress among physicians are needed." Still, they stressed that "additional research is necessary to determine the most effective strategies for accomplishing these goals."

Please remember, as with all our articles we provide information, not medical advice. For any treatment of your own medical condition you must visit your local doctor, with or without our article[s]. These articles are not to be taken as individual medical advice.

Deepen your understanding of "medical malpractice"... www.MedMalBook.com

For more health info and links visit the author's web site www.hookman.com

CT scans may diagnose heart attacks faster than standard tests.

A rapid CT scan of the heart may provide doctors with a more efficient way to diagnose blocked arteries in people complaining of chest pain," according to research reported at the American Heart Association meeting. In "a study of 701 patients," researchers found that CT angiography "cuts in half the time it usually takes for a doctor to detect a blockage in an artery supplying the heart."
       
The procedure also provides a "cheaper way to diagnose a heart attack when someone goes to the" emergency department (ED) with chest pains. The study showed that CT scan patients' testing cost "$2,137 on average versus $3,458 for standard screening."

Please remember, as with all our articles we provide information, not medical advice. For any treatment of your own medical condition you must visit your local doctor, with or without our article[s]. These articles are not to be taken as individual medical advice.

Deepen your understanding of "medical malpractice"... www.MedMalBook.com

For more health info and links visit the author's web site www.hookman.com

Survey suggests more adults searching Internet for health information.

The number of adults who turn to the Internet for health information has nearly doubled in the past two years, from 31 percent to 60 percent," according to a study conducted by the Pew Internet & American Life Project. Researchers surveyed "2,253 people by landline phone and 502 by cellphone." Ranking highest "as the source adults most often turn to for health information" was healthcare professionals at 86 percent, followed by "family and friends" at 68 percent. Notably, "about half of all online health searches are on behalf of someone else, and...59 percent of users who go to the Internet for health information have read blogs or online comments made by others." Yahoo's Web life editor, speculates that "many adults may turn to the Internet for health advice," because "unlike the doctor's office, the Web is open 24/7, and it's increasingly accessible."

"Unlike the doctor's office, the Web is open 24/7, and it's increasingly accessible in all of the spaces where we live and work," she says.

"People are becoming advocates for themselves as patients by researching illnesses and health care information through the vast resources of the Web."

Please remember, as with all our articles we provide information, not medical advice. For any treatment of your own medical condition you must visit your local doctor, with or without our article[s]. These articles are not to be taken as individual medical advice.

Deepen your understanding of "medical malpractice"... www.MedMalBook.com

For more health info and links visit the author's web site www.hookman.com

THE TWO OTHER INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASES (IBD)

Most people know about the two most common idiopathic [cause not known] inflammatory bowel disorders—Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. There are also two other inflammatory bowel diseases that most people don’t know about.
That is collagenous colitis and lymphocytic colitis. The diagnosis is made by biopsy through a colonoscope. The treatment is a type of steroid called Budesonide.
Results of studies show that Histologic remission was observed in 73% of patients given budesonide compared with 31% given placebo (P = .030). During a mean follow-up period of 14 months, 15 patients (44.1%) experienced a clinical relapse (after a mean of 2 months); 8 of the relapsing patients were retreated with and responded again to budesonide. Budesonide effectively induces clinical remission in patients with lymphocytic colitis and significantly improves histology results after 6 weeks.
Clinical relapses occur but can be treated again successfully with budesonide.

Please remember, as with all our articles we provide information, not medical advice. For any treatment of your own medical condition you must visit your local doctor, with or without our article[s]. These articles are not to be taken as individual medical advice.

Deepen your understanding of "medical malpractice"... www.MedMalBook.com

For more health info and links visit the author's web site www.hookman.com