MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'bug'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 01:56:29 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5139758&cid=t_132293_88_f&fid=39185&url=http%3A%2F%2Fedwinleap.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1803 Discussion to follow. Closing the window. What do those two little thingies at the bottom mean? Why does only one turn blue? Does that mean the card has been contaminated? Hour 7 Paperwork and documentation. Question and answer Hour 8: megarectal proficiency testing with volunteer administrators (Source: edwinleap.com) edwinleap.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5139758 Wed, 17 Aug 2011 18:49:16 +0100 5139758 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5062255&cid=t_132293_88_f&fid=39185&url=http%3A%2F%2Fedwinleap.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1745 Good news on disability:  or should I say ‘disability.’ Anyone working in social services or medicine (well, anyone with half a cerebrum and some rational thinking capacity mixed in with their compassion) knows that the disability system in the US is completely out of control.  We routinely see patients who say, when queried about their disability, ‘well doc, honestly, I don’t know why I’m on disability!’  Which is fine if you’ve had a serious head injury or stroke, but if your complaint is ‘injured back while using chain-saw,’ maybe disability is a little generous. So, here’s some light in the darkness: http://lsolum.typepad.com/legaltheory/2011/07/pierce-on-administrative-law-judge-disability-decisionmaking.html Hallelujah! ... edwinleap.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5062255 Mon, 25 Jul 2011 17:03:37 +0100 5062255 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4952865&cid=t_132293_88_f&fid=39185&url=http%3A%2F%2Fedwinleap.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1676 A physician friend of mine recently bragged that, while driving along a rural South Carolina road, he had stopped, chased a timber-rattler into the bushes, located said rattler, then urinated on it. ‘I wanted to say I had peed on a rattlesnake!’  He beat a hasty retreat (and I imagine a hasty zip-up) when the snake rattled and struck at the air.  Who can blame Mr. Snake? You can take the redneck to medical school, but you’ll just get a redneck with a medical degree. Which brings me to me.  I have to work on our tool-shed/work-shop in the morning.  The tool-shed/work-shop is, however, over-run with red-wasps.  I counted no less than ten nests inside.  These are irritable, contentious creatures with no love of humanity.  If they were humans, they would be Jihadists.�... edwinleap.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4952865 Sat, 18 Jun 2011 04:39:45 +0100 4952865 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4952856&cid=t_132293_88_f&fid=38129&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Flifeinthefastlane%2FWZHV%2F%7E3%2Fh6TXpOjm4ic%2F At long last there has been a truly European epidemic, or ‘Eurodemic’ (an outbreak of truly EU-ge proportions), to use a term originally coined by Broughton-D’Lirium. (Source: Life in the Fast Lane) Life in the Fast Lane blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4952856 Fri, 17 Jun 2011 07:31:24 +0100 4952856 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4615114&cid=t_132293_88_f&fid=39185&url=http%3A%2F%2Fedwinleap.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1467 My column in Sunday’s Greenville News. ‘Medical education shouldn’t cost an arm and a leg.’ I was talking to a young man who is starting medical school this fall. His tuition at one of South Carolina’s newer schools will be $40,000 per year. That’s admittedly on the high end. On the low end, it runs a paltry $33,000 per year. And this is all after college, of course. He and others like him are taking out loans to the tune of $240,000 to pay for their medical educations. Another young woman I recently met is in residency and her loan payments are around $2000 per month. Thinking back on my own medical education, it seems my tuition was around $5000 per year. But then, what with all the Saber Toothed Tigers, Neanderthals and stone surgical tools, things ... edwinleap.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4615114 Mon, 21 Mar 2011 03:14:49 +0100 4615114 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4377568&cid=t_132293_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fhead-lice-fda-approves-new-treatment%2F2011.01.20 Good news for parents, teachers, pediatricians, and others engaged in the ongoing battle against lice: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) just approved a new treatment for head lice in children age four and older. Called Natroba, it’s a liquid that is rubbed into the hair and allowed to sit for 10 minutes before being rinsed off. Natroba is a useful addition to the anti-lice arsenal, since some head lice have become resistant to permethrin and pyrethrins, the active ingredients in over-the-counter anti-lice products such as Nix and Rid. Head lice are tiny insects that go by the big name Pediculus humanus capitis. They thrive in the warm tangle of human hair, feeding off blood in the scalp and breeding with abandon. A female lays eggs called nits that she attaches to strands of hair.... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4377568 Thu, 20 Jan 2011 21:30:14 +0100 4377568 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4304886&cid=t_132293_88_f&fid=39185&url=http%3A%2F%2Fedwinleap.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1408 Animals are wonderful, but they just aren’t people! My Greenville News column from yesterday. (Incidentally, this column has the distinction of generating the most immediate hate-mail of anything I can recall writing in years!) We have five dogs and two cats. They are standard-issue canines and felines. We enjoy their company. We expect the dogs to kill rats, frighten snakes, chase coyotes, bark at strangers and generally to hold the porch in place against the random disappearance of gravity. The cats are for entertainment and otherwise useless. They leave hair-balls on narrow counters, shed and keep their kids awake by rubbing bristly kitty faces against them, all night long, in ecstacies of purring and love. So they are tolerable despite their cat proclivities. I’ve had many... edwinleap.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4304886 Mon, 03 Jan 2011 15:03:07 +0100 4304886 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4249064&cid=t_132293_88_f&fid=39185&url=http%3A%2F%2Fedwinleap.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1383 So, Jan’s tonsil fragment was not malignant, so we don’t know where the primary site is.  It isn’t showing up on any of her biopsies, except in some lymph nodes on the left (all of which appear intact on the pathology report…that is, they haven’t spilled out locally). Therefore, it will be a combination of chemotherapy and radiation, then frequent follow-up for a primary site to manifest itself.  Then, possibly more surgery. I knew most of it already.  I was happy the nodes were intact, and had prayed hard for good news today.  I feel as if I received some, and I’m glad we now have a plan. Still terrified, but confident that God will provide.  We are hopeful and prayerful and believe in healing miracles.  In Psalm 103, it says it is God ‘who ... edwinleap.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4249064 Fri, 10 Dec 2010 19:47:50 +0100 4249064 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4139248&cid=t_132293_88_f&fid=39185&url=http%3A%2F%2Fedwinleap.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1341 When we physicians don’t get our way, or don’t get the response we desire, we can be intimidating.  I have seen this play out many different ways.  I have been treated rudely by other physicians.  I was once threatened by a very prominent one, who told me (in response to the fact that I dared question his tone), ‘be careful son, you’re digging yourself a deep hole.’  I don’t know what kind of hole, or where it would have taken me, but he was certain I was digging it.  Oddly enough, I rather like digging holes.  (Very zen.) Physicians yell at one another, or curse.  Physicians stomp and slam down charts.  I don’t like it at all.  I think it suggests immaturity.  I always tell students and residents that in the ER, especially, the physician... edwinleap.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4139248 Fri, 05 Nov 2010 01:37:42 +0100 4139248 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4133806&cid=t_132293_107_f&fid=36672&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSciencebaseScienceBlog%2F%7E3%2FBAJCxwTGdNs%2Fspectroscopic-news.html Shrinking synchrotrons – Details of a tabletop synchrotron device has been revealed by an international team of scientists in the journal Nature Physics. The new device could revolutionise X-ray work and preclude the need for large-scale synchrotrons in many structural studies without compromising resolution or atomic detail. Kicking up a stink bug – Japanese researchers have used UV-Vis and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to help them develop a potential repellent for the invidious stink bug, an invasive pest species that has been spreading rapidly through the USA, invading homes and damaging crops. Odour vie – Electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy has allowed researchers to study how nanoparticles can eliminate offensive household odours by removing the o... Sciencebase Science Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4133806 Tue, 02 Nov 2010 13:00:00 +0100 4133806 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4074074&cid=t_132293_88_f&fid=38129&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Flifeinthefastlane%2FWZHV%2F%7E3%2FoxiTLnRb_gA%2F Time to challenge that cerebral cortex and put on those 'mental' dancing shoes as we trip the light fantastic of medical trivia, and lift the latch on the cage of the tiger of tease...so fasten your brastraps in anticipation of the Funtabulously, Frivolous Friday Five...and try not to think too much! (Source: Life in the Fast Lane) Life in the Fast Lane blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4074074 Fri, 15 Oct 2010 01:35:48 +0100 4074074 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4031251&cid=t_132293_88_f&fid=39185&url=http%3A%2F%2Fedwinleap.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1297 This is my most recent Greenville News column, concerning free speech.  Does it exist anymore?  Maybe not… Where do we draw the line between our public and our private lives? It’s a difficult question in an era of constant electronic communication. We certainly seem hell-bent on making our lives public; and I’m not throwing stones since I live in a big glass house. From blogs to Facebook, MySpace to Twitter, texting to sexting, we seem eager as a culture for our actions, our images and our ideas to fly across the world to others, eager to view them, eager to love or hate us; but who will at least see us and rescue us from anonymity. There is no question that these are perilous times for privacy and good taste. Men and women have lost jobs and opportunities over images ... edwinleap.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4031251 Mon, 04 Oct 2010 17:11:29 +0100 4031251 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3987062&cid=t_132293_88_f&fid=38129&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Flifeinthefastlane%2FWZHV%2F%7E3%2F6uSLl-QUllM%2F Management has synonymously been associated with bad decisions, selective cost cutting, raising it's own salary and attempting to rob others of their ideas. This perception has led people to view managers as parasites, which according to new scientific data may be more correct than we previously thought. (Source: Life in the Fast Lane) Life in the Fast Lane blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3987062 Mon, 20 Sep 2010 22:00:36 +0100 3987062 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3961924&cid=t_132293_133_f&fid=35129&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwhitterer-autism.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F09%2Fsuperflex-is-this-good-program-for-my.html by Stephanie Madrigal and Michelle Garcia WinnerComic Book by Stephanie Madrigal/Illustrated by Kelly KnoppSuperflex is a behavioral program that addresses some of the behavioral and psychological issues that our children struggle with on a daily basis. There could be a number of different ways of explaining this program. The authors describe it as follows:-Superflex®: A Superhero Social Thinking Curriculum provides educators, parents and therapists fun and motivating ways to teach students with Asperger Syndrome, high-functioning autism, ADHD and other diagnosed and undiagnosed social difficulties how to build social thinking skills. Superflex combines a book, comic book and CD to create a curriculum that develops in each student's brain their own superheroic thinking processes that can ... Whitterer on Autism blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3961924 Mon, 13 Sep 2010 06:34:00 +0100 3961924 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3957878&cid=t_132293_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Ffeel%2Fpearly-white-pain-daily-health-quiz%2F photo: Thinkstock Today’s Question: Sometimes pain in your teeth can stem from unusual sources. Which of the following activities could indirectly lead to tooth pain: Lifting weights, painting your house, or cooking? #MicroPollDiv_275366 { width: 250px; margin: 0px auto; } Answer to Yesterday’s Question: If you’re sporting those bites we showed you yesterday, well — you’re kind of screwed. You’ve got bedbugs. The good news is that bites aren’t harmful, and bedbugs don’t carry disease. The bad news is that you’re going to have to get rid of the critters. Good luck! Post from: BlissTree Pearly White Pain: Daily Health Quiz (Source: Healthbolt) Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3957878 Fri, 10 Sep 2010 14:45:59 +0100 3957878 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3899368&cid=t_132293_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fan-open-letter-to-paranoid-humans-from-misunderstood-bedbugs%2F photo courtesy of SteamVictoria.com.au Dear paranoid, irrational, germophobic humans: We understand from recent media reports that some of you have become infatuated – dare we say, obsessed – with us lately. We can’t blame you, but this madness really has to stop. We live together, and yet we don’t know each other at all. You’re so critical, so judgmental, so hateful, so unwilling to work on the problems in our relationship. It’s sad, really. Now, we don’t want to get into a whole name-calling thing here, but we think you’re being hypocritical – and we don’t take pleasure in saying so. But you go to the beach. You sit outside. Mosquitoes bite you. You scratch, complain briefly, apply ointments, and perhaps suggest to your host that he invest ... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3899368 Tue, 24 Aug 2010 14:30:50 +0100 3899368 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3750031&cid=t_132293_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fsummer-secret-weapon-fans-keep-mosquitos-away%2F We love stretching our muscular backs next to our fans./photo: Thinkstock While we don’t use bug repellents that contain DEET anymore (because of both the health and environmental effects), we do remember the days of blissful DEET-ignorance. We didn’t have bug bites on every limb, and we could spend a summer evening lounging on our porches without swatting and scratching every two seconds. But those days are over, so we might as well make the best of it. We were thrilled to hear that something we do in the summer anyway could actually keep bugs away. According to Lifehacker, using a fan (both indoors and outdoors) disperses the carbon dioxide you emit. Carbon dioxide is one of the major chemicals that attracts mosquitos. Also, if you’re keeping cool with a fan, you’... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3750031 Tue, 13 Jul 2010 18:45:12 +0100 3750031 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3687107&cid=t_132293_88_f&fid=39185&url=http%3A%2F%2Fedwinleap.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1183 As anyone in hospital medicine knows, the EMTALA law (Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act) is an enormous unfunded mandate for emergency physicians, hospitals and anyone who takes call in a hospital which receives Medicare funds.  Basically, to review, the law has been in place since the eighties, and it says that no one can be asked for payment as a requirement for emergency care.  They can be billed later, but not compelled to pay. It was initially a good idea, designed to protect the poor.  Except for one teensy, weensy problem.  The government put this burden in our laps without providing any funds to pay for the ‘free care’ they so graciously granted America.  Nevertheless, physicians and hospitals who treat non-paying patients are not in any way protecte... edwinleap.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3687107 Tue, 22 Jun 2010 22:03:30 +0100 3687107 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3683595&cid=t_132293_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fdeet-free-protection-diy-natural-bug-spray%2F photo: Thinkstock What’s the most annoying thing about being outside during the summer? Those damn mosquitoes. They make us squirm, scratch, and even swear, and nothing is more frustrating than pairing an awesome sundress with killer sandals and having big, red welts all over your legs. Another frustrating fact of life: DEET, the active ingredient in most bug sprays, is a pretty nasty chemical that could cause brain cell death and behavior changes after prolonged use. Quite the dilemma, right? We’ve got a recipe for natural bug repellent that could fix our mosquito problem. We’d guess that it’s not going to keep bugs away as well as products with DEET, but we’ll take a few bites here and there over the health risks DEET poses. We’ll just be using the few... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3683595 Mon, 21 Jun 2010 18:28:43 +0100 3683595 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3676668&cid=t_132293_88_f&fid=39185&url=http%3A%2F%2Fedwinleap.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1177 My wife and sons have been in Louisiana on a mission trip.  So, my daughter Elysa and I have been enjoying a week of papa/daughter time.  Despite the fact that we miss the rest of the Leap family immensely, we have enjoyed our days and nights.  And one of the things we’ve enjoyed most has been our evening swims. Around 7 PM, we slip into the pool.  The sun is going down behind the Blue Ridge Mountains, and sometimes light streams through broken clouds, leaving golden halos around the water vapor suspended far above us as we float in its related, liquid H2O.  Tonight, even Ajax the dog paused and looked up, taking it all in with the kind of perfect peace only a dog can enjoy; right before running into the woods to chase something and immediately forgetting whatever sublime emotio... edwinleap.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3676668 Sat, 19 Jun 2010 01:35:36 +0100 3676668 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3665980&cid=t_132293_88_f&fid=39185&url=http%3A%2F%2Fedwinleap.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1173 This is my column today at KevinMD.  I hope you find it relevant.  It’s shorter than the average medical chart, which is a plus! http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2010/06/medical-chart-improve-patient-care.html (Source: edwinleap.com) edwinleap.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3665980 Wed, 16 Jun 2010 03:04:10 +0100 3665980 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3662680&cid=t_132293_88_f&fid=39185&url=http%3A%2F%2Fedwinleap.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1170 Conclusion:   Dogs don’t like to be shot by pellets; even ones moving at an almost pointless 150 feet per second.  Dogs use their keen intellect and natural skills to associate the sound of the gun and the thump of the pellet hitting them, with the maniacally happy man on the bicycle. Report:  After initial salvo, dogs remained under bushes when we returned. Problem solved.  Aren’t dogs smart?  And ain’t science cool? Edwin (Source: edwinleap.com) edwinleap.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3662680 Tue, 15 Jun 2010 04:41:36 +0100 3662680 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3610313&cid=t_132293_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Feco-friendly-living-15-other-ways-to-use-toothpaste%2F photo: Thinkstock Since we just learned that those who brush their teeth fewer than twice a day have a 70% greater risk of heart disease, we’ll be stocking up on toothpaste from now on. So we may as well learn some new uses for it, which will save money, and help us avoid using chemical-filled cleaning products. Check out this handy list of alternative uses for toothpaste, thanks to Care2. 1. Put a drop of toothpaste on a bug bite, sore, or blister to stop itching and decrease swelling. It will dry the blemish out, and make it heal faster. 2. If you burn yourself on a cookie sheet or anything else that results in  a minor (unopened) burn, apply toothpaste delicately to the burn after it develops. The toothpaste will cool the sting and stop the burn from opening or oozing. 3. Before ... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3610313 Fri, 28 May 2010 18:15:08 +0100 3610313 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3585832&cid=t_132293_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FsrwCU4QU9zQ%2F The combination sounds like a winner, yes? But Braintree Labs, which sells gastrointestinal lavages, was tagged by the FDA for violating good manufacturing practices. This usually involves a host of serious, but somewhat dry, technical problems, but Braintree was cited because assorted bugs - such as spiders, and unnamed insect parts - showed up in its meds, which are used to clear the bowels before undergoing a colonoscopy. To wit, there were 21 consumer complaints back in 2008 and 2009 about “foreign materials” in five finished products. In its warning letter, the FDA notes that Braintree insisted its manufacturing practices simply could not have been responsible for the bugs, yet the agency also noted Braintree failed to conduct a thorough investigation and retorts that the ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3585832 Fri, 21 May 2010 13:18:58 +0100 3585832 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3794807&cid=t_132293_93_f&fid=34787&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthegirlwiththebluesteth.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F05%2Fenough-already.html I am so exhausted right now. I feel like I just want to lie down and sleep for months. I am happiest when I'm busy and have a list of things to do, but right now I just get to sit back and watch the anaesthetist do most things, and when the surgery is happening, I am pretty much watching somebody watch somebody else, which is the most exhausting kind of watching of all. I would jump in and assist the surgeon, except there are third-year medical students on prac who should be doing it before me.I would jump in and help intubate or put lines in, except there is a paramedic student there who takes precedence. I can sort-of see the point of this, except she is only in her second year out of four and is not very keen to touch a real patient, and I am in my last year and almost a doctor and will... The Girl with the Blue Steth blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3794807 Tue, 11 May 2010 06:43:00 +0100 3794807 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3526715&cid=t_132293_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2F176855%2F Hate Bug Bites? Maybe It’s Time to Stop Drinking Beer. A new study finds that mosquitoes prefer the blood of beer-drinkers, according to Treehugger.com. Post from: BlissTree (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3) Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3526715 Mon, 03 May 2010 14:31:09 +0100 3526715 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3398878&cid=t_132293_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fsex-bugs-and-rock-n-roll%2F Killing bugs with magnifying glasses is fun for a while, but can get tedious. Killing them with chemicals is efficient, but bad for humans. Killing them with sex? Sounds titillating. Researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem are sterilizing male leaf-hoppers and feeding them a high-protein, bacteria-enhanced diet that makes them irresistible to all those sexy she-hoppers. After a few drinks, the sterile mates do it like rabbits, and effectively reduce the population of pests. Fewer pests mean fewer pesticides. Problem potentially solved. Euthanasia by sex? We think there are worse ways to go. via inhabitat.com Post from: BlissTree (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3) Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3398878 Wed, 24 Mar 2010 02:26:16 +0100 3398878 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3331225&cid=t_132293_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2010%2F03%2Fchagas-disease%2F Pathophysiology 1) systemic infection caused by protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi 2) occurs in an acute and chronic form (which is usually asymptomatic but can affect heart and cause megacolon and megaesophagus) 3) transmitted via bite of triatomine or reduviid bug, which defecates onto skin after taking a blood meal Signs and Symptoms Acute phase – 1) fever 2) malaise 3) anorexia 4) indurated lesion at site of parasite entry (chagoma) 5) hyperplasia of regional lymph nodes 6) positive Romana’s sign 7) morbilliform rash 8) facial swelling 9) lower extremity edema 10) hepatosplenomegaly 11) in virtually patients, the acute illness resolves Chronic phase – 12) can appear years to decades later 13) chronic constipation 14) abdominal pain 15) volvulus 16) chest pain 17) dysphagia 1... Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3331225 Wed, 03 Mar 2010 20:41:21 +0100 3331225 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2712300&cid=t_132293_133_f&fid=35129&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwhitterer-autism.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F08%2Ffirst-birthday.html Puppies one year birthday.If you enjoy caption competitions and photographs, you may wish to nip along to"DJ Kirkby" over at "Chez Aspie" and test your brain power.And don't forget to add your name to the "book giveaway" and spare a thought for "Nonna."If you like what you read, send it to someone in 'need.' (Source: Whitterer on Autism) Whitterer on Autism blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2712300 Wed, 19 Aug 2009 06:15:00 +0100 2712300 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2660757&cid=t_132293_105_f&fid=35048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FMedicineAndMan%2F%7E3%2FU5hWfAG2MAY%2F Another great talk at TED: “Drug-resistant bacteria kills, even in top hospitals. But now tough infections like staph and anthrax may be in for a surprise. Nobel-winning chemist Kary Mullis, who watched a friend die when powerful antibiotics failed, unveils a radical new cure that shows extraordinary promise.” addthis_url = 'http%3A%2F%2Fmedicineandman.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F07%2F31%2Fnext-generation-cure-for-killer-infections%2F'; addthis_title = 'Next+generation+cure+for+killer+infections'; addthis_pub = ''; (Source: Medicine and Man) Medicine and Man blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2660757 Fri, 31 Jul 2009 15:12:21 +0100 2660757 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2553189&cid=t_132293_132_f&fid=35006&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnsaunders.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F06%2F29%2Fat-a-complete-rails-loss%2F I’ve been banging my head against the wall for almost a week with a Rails application. This post is not a plea for help – I’d use a forum for that – just a record of the problem. That said, feel free to comment, especially if you have a similar problem. This is all using Rails 2.3.2, Mongrel 1.1.5, installed as gems on Ubuntu 9.04. The basic issue: 2 models, 2 controllers, 2 sets of views. Identical in almost every respect, little more than basic CRUD (index, create, update, destroy). (1) works, (2) does not. The details: 1. The models Model Organism: class Organism < ActiveRecord::Base has_many :chromosomes has_many :platforms validates_presence_of :name,:binomial,:taxid validates_numericality_of :taxid validates_uniqueness_of :name,:binomial,:taxid ... What You're Doing Is Rather Desperate blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2553189 Mon, 29 Jun 2009 01:29:34 +0100 2553189 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2512256&cid=t_132293_129_f&fid=36035&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-chronic-pain%2Fself-pity-is-lousy-company-in-a-life-with-chronic-pain%2F Sometimes you feel like the windshield; sometimes you feel like the bug. Which would you rather be? I know, it’s a silly question, just bear with me. I may take a circuitous route but I always take you somewhere, don’t I? If I am to answer my own question I would say I would rather be the windshield. It can recover; it can be cleaned into renewal and can appear to be all shiny and new. The bug? Well, he’s toast. There are still many days when I, and probably you, am certain you have just been smeared all over a dirty, crusty, hot windshield and you will never put all of your moving parts back together again. Remember Humpty D.? We all grew up hearing about that poor cracked egghead. Thankfully, those windshield days don’t last forever. It’s a funny thing feeli... Life with Chronic Pain blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2512256 Tue, 23 Jun 2009 21:19:27 +0100 2512256 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2414363&cid=t_132293_146_f&fid=38266&url=http%3A%2F%2Fsleepeducation.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F05%2Fdont-let-bed-bugs-bite-act-of-2009.html Earlier this year the Sleep Education Blog reported on the recent resurgence of bed bugs. Now Rep. G.K. Butterfield of North Carolina is sponsoring federal legislation to fight back.H.R. 2248 was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives on May 5. It is called the “Don't Let the Bed Bugs Bite Act of 2009.” The bill would “establish a grant program to assist States in inspecting hotel rooms for bed bugs.” It has been referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.The bill has eight cosponsors. Among them are Rep. Corrine Brown of Florida, Rep. Bobby Rush of Illinois and Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas.The bill reports that the population of cimex lectularius – or bed bugs – has increased in the U.S. by 500 percent in the past few years. Lodging facilities are m... Sleep Education blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2414363 Wed, 13 May 2009 15:10:00 +0100 2414363 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2311096&cid=t_132293_105_f&fid=35048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FMedicineAndMan%2F%7E3%2FPocpp7nfcoc%2F “Using genetic sequencing, needle-haystack research, and dogged persistence, Nathan Wolfe has proven what was science-fiction conjecture only a few decades ago — not only do viruses jump from animals to humans, but they do so all the time. Along the way Wolfe has discovered several new viruses, and is poised to discover many more. His research may open the door before the next pandemic may happen.” Watch this awesome presentation at TED 2009. A related presentation was given by Joe DiRisi at TED 2006 in which he described a DNA Microarray test (Virochip) that can not only detect all viruses in one test but also has the capability (and technology) to detect relatively unknown viruses. addthis_url = 'http%3A%2F%2Fmedicineandman.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F03%2F31%2Fpreventing... Medicine and Man blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2311096 Wed, 01 Apr 2009 02:04:36 +0100 2311096 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2287229&cid=t_132293_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F03%2F24%2Fperfectionism-ring-the-bells%2F I recently dragged my kids to Baltimore so that I could have lunch with an old colleague (he’s young…but we’ve known each other for 13 years) at the National Catholic Education Association convention. A gifted writer and speaker, my friend can get his audience to laugh right after they’ve cried. As my Katherine and David grabbed his pieces of watermelon off his plate after rolling in the aisles of the publishers’ exhibit, he described his process of becoming comfortable in front of a large group of people who expect him to inspire them and say something spiritual that they can take home in their tote bags. The next day I sent him an e-mail thanking him for our time together and for sharing his gifts with the world–even though that’s, at times, a s... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2287229 Tue, 24 Mar 2009 14:57:54 +0100 2287229 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2207962&cid=t_132293_146_f&fid=38266&url=http%3A%2F%2Fsleepeducation.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F02%2Fare-bed-bugs-biting-while-you-sleep.html First, the basics. Yes, bed bugs are real. Yes, they can bite you while you sleep. And yes, it appears they are making a comeback.This week the New Jersey Assembly passed a “bed bug bill.” It requires landlords to promptly exterminate known bed-bug infestations.It was believed that bed bugs had been eradicated from the U.S. Strong pesticides such as DDT seemed to wipe them out.But recent reports indicate that the bed bugs are back. Not just in the U.S., but also in Canada and England.What happened? DDT was banned in the U.S. in 1972. Common pesticides used today seem to be less effective against bed bugs.Also more people today are traveling to other parts of the world where bed bugs may have been thriving. The tiny bugs can easily hitch a ride on clothing or in a suitcase.Bed bugs tend... Sleep Education blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2207962 Fri, 06 Feb 2009 20:23:00 +0100 2207962 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1968932&cid=t_132293_105_f&fid=35048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FMedicineAndMan%2F%7E3%2F456655795%2F What if HIV mutates and can now be transmitted by sneezing and coughing - just like common cold?? What would this graph look like?   addthis_url = 'http%3A%2F%2Fmedicineandman.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F11%2F17%2Ffood-for-thought%2F'; addthis_title = 'Food+for+Thought'; addthis_pub = ''; (Source: Medicine and Man) Medicine and Man blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1968932 Tue, 18 Nov 2008 03:37:20 +0100 1968932 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1947172&cid=t_132293_132_f&fid=35028&url=http%3A%2F%2Flurena.vox.com%2Flibrary%2Fpost%2Fcongratulations-to-the-newcastle-uni-igem-team-2008.html%3F_c%3Dfeed-rss Congratulations, Bug Busters! You didn't just get a gold star, you got a gold award! Though I was not involved, many of my friends were part of the Newcastle University iGEM 2008 team, either as supervisors or students. You can read more on the N... Read and post comments | Send to a friend (Source: Systems Biology & Bioinformatics) Systems Biology & Bioinformatics blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1947172 Mon, 10 Nov 2008 09:49:53 +0100 1947172 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1723424&cid=t_132293_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2008%2F08%2F21%2Fso-whats-bugging-biting-you%2F Some news reports tell us that ‘bed bugs are back’ and they are invading our hotels and our homes. Others warn us about outbreaks of Lyme and West Nile disease. But could you recognize what is actually biting you? Could you tell a bed bug from a black-legged or deer tick, a black widow from a brown recluse, or a head lice from a flea? And would you recognize the bite? WebMD has put together a very graphic and creepy slideshow that features all the bugs and bug bites that you could run across. And alongside all the slides is information on the bug, the bite, and what to do about it all… By the way, did you know that there is actually a poisonous caterpillar lurking in the Southern states, feeding off shade trees such as the elm, the oak, and the sycamore. It’s called... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1723424 Thu, 21 Aug 2008 10:47:49 +0100 1723424 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1551317&cid=t_132293_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2008%2F06%2F27%2Fgoing-buggy-go-green%2F Ah, summer. Tis the season for grilled dinners al fresco, lazy days in the hammock, and…mosquitoes! Image details: Mosquito served by picapp.com Sure, you could grab your can of OFF! or even some hard core DEET, but if you’re looking to go a little more natural (and green) consider one of these alternatives. Unconventional? Yes. Effective? You bet. 1. Lemon Eucalyptus - This scent is yummy for humans, purely disgusting for bloodsuckers. Even better, it is claimed to be one of the most effective repellents available. Find it at Drugstore.com. 2. Soybean Oil - Probably not a great idea to slick cooking oil all over yourself, but you can find this zapper in Bite Blocker, which is available at Amazon.com. And the wackiest of all? 3. Catnip Oil - Turns out Fluffy’s “fix&... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1551317 Sat, 28 Jun 2008 01:55:00 +0100 1551317 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1488300&cid=t_132293_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F302899323%2F Kissing bug blood sample being taken from a giraffe (Photo courtesy www.bbc.co.uk)  Wildlife continues to make a revival in medical diagnostics and treatment - leeches are back in favor for blood letting and wound management along with maggots for cleaning wounds.  Now we have blood sucking bugs being used for blood collection. Kissing bugs are being used to collect blood from zoo animals in a pilot project underway at two London zoos.  This method has been used to successfully collect blood samples from a hippo, cheetah, giraffe, elephant and white rhino. The Kissing bug gets its label from silently and painlessly collecting blood from a human victim’s lips and eyelids. The Kissing bug crawls onto the animal and releases a pain-reducing enzyme as they bite and suck the blo... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1488300 Mon, 02 Jun 2008 11:40:59 +0100 1488300 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1223825&cid=t_132293_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fmultiple-sclerosis%2Flife-with-ms%2Fthe-cold-and-flu-season-with-multiple-sclerosis%2F In the cold, wet, gray (and bloody short!) days of February, we notice people sniffling, snuffling and sneezing and wheezing all around us. The last thing we want is to succumb to another person’s bug but, alas, there isn’t much we can do. We are in the heart of cold and flu season in my neck of the woods, and everyone seems to be either coming down with, just getting over or in the midst of suffering some viral thing or another. It’s like walking into a germ fog anytime you go out in public. I used to have a failsafe for this time of year. I used a tincture of echinacea and goldenseal, which a friend would brew up every year from her organic gardens. A few drops of this stuff at the first sign of a cold and I was good to go. Now, of course, I’m not really into the idea of boosting... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1223825 Mon, 11 Feb 2008 23:40:59 +0100 1223825 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=883680&cid=t_132293_93_f&fid=34787&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthegirlwiththebluesteth.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F09%2Fwhy-is-it-that-it-is-easier-to-accept.html Why is it that it is easier to accept the decision of a parent to not vaccinate their child if you aren't close to them, but when they are very close to you and they tell you about the alternative literature they are reading and believe, and have decided against vaccination, it is something that is very hard to accept?Yes, I respect the right of the parent to not give their children "pointy kisses." (See The Underwear Drawer's comic on Paediatricians.) It is just difficult when they accept the word of complete strangers over the opinion of those closest to them. (Source: The Girl with the Blue Steth) The Girl with the Blue Steth blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=883680 Wed, 19 Sep 2007 07:14:00 +0100 883680 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=770725&cid=t_132293_107_f&fid=35762&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2Fgrrlscientist%2F%7E3%2F139311742%2Fwheel_bug.php tags: Wheel Bug, Arilus cristatus, Image of the Day Wheel Bug, Arilus cristatus, a late-instar nymph. [Here are a couple pictures of] the Wheel Bug, also taken in the last week. The critter (a member of the Assassin Bug family, Reduviidae) is named for the gear-wheel structure on its thorax; only the adults have this structure (see adult, below the fold). That nasty-looking beak, which is more visible on the image of a late-instar nymph can inflict significant damage if it pokes you. I have never been bitten, but descriptions of the bite include "ten times worse than a hornet sting" and "painful and long-lasting". In the early fall here you can see them flying around like slow-moving dirigibles; very awkward but they eventually get where they are headed. Image: David A. Rintoul, K... Living the Scientific Life (Scientist, Interrupted) blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=770725 Tue, 31 Jul 2007 19:59:03 +0100 770725 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=738848&cid=t_132293_114_f&fid=34646&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthcarebloglaw.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F07%2Finspired-by-rick-lee-bugs.html I haven't been posting a lot because I've been very busy at work. However, I was inspired by Rick Lee tonight. In tribute to Rick's "Friday the 13th bug post" I thought I better post what's been bugging me. After returning from the grocery store (Monday night is grocery night at the Coffield House) I found this guy hanging out in our kitchen.Not sure what he is (maybe someone out there can offer assistance). I have saved him for the night in the kids bug catcher so they can check him out in the morning. (Source: Health Care Law Blog) Health Care Law Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=738848 Tue, 17 Jul 2007 03:34:00 +0100 738848 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=675174&cid=t_132293_93_f&fid=34787&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthegirlwiththebluesteth.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F06%2Fthings-that-bug-me-part-1.html Warning: rant alert!People who think that they know more than their specialist because they can use Google bug me.*** Particularly when they don't realize that they are coming across as being at least as arrogant as the doctor they are criticizing for the exact same flaw. (Arrogance, not using Google. Although if my doctor used Google in front of me during a consultation, my eyebrows would raise slightly.)Yes, everybody has a right to educate themselves. Everybody SHOULD educate themselves as much as they can. We would all be a lot healthier if we all took responsibility for our own health.However:I have friends who do this, and it bugs the hell out of me, particularly when they insist that something they have read on the web contradicts what the doctor says, so the doctor must automatical... The Girl with the Blue Steth blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=675174 Sat, 09 Jun 2007 10:20:00 +0100 675174 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=501795&cid=t_132293_87_f&fid=35060&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthnewsblog.com%2Fcgi-bin%2Fhnblog.pl%3Fhnblog%3D308071 Ynetnews is reporting that an bacteria that is resistant to antibiotics hes killed dozens of patients in hospital in Israel. The bacteria is called Klebsiella pneumoniae. A deadly bacterium known as Klebsiella pneumoniae is believed to have killed some 120-200 patients in hospitals across the country. "Between 400 to 500 people have been infected by the bug, and 30 to 40 percent of them have already died. However, it is important to note that most of them were in a serious condition, and some were suffering from prior medical conditions," said Prof. Yehuda Carmeli, the head of the epidemiology unit at the Sourasky Medical Center in Tel Aviv. According to Carmeli, most of those infected have been hospitalized for over 25 days, and their average age stood at 74-75. The virulent stain o... HealthNewsBlog.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=501795 Thu, 08 Mar 2007 21:50:00 +0100 501795