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 'error'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 01:56:32 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5181886&cid=t_134043_109_f&fid=34504&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blacktriangle.org%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D2239 This blog has been slightly lacking in posts over the past few months, but I’ve decided to throw some coal in the fire and get some steam pumping out the cobwebs. First up, is the red tabard story that turned up in the Telegraph last week. Christine Odone cited it as an example of death [...] (Source: Black Triangle) Black Triangle blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5181886 Fri, 02 Sep 2011 12:44:40 +0100 5181886 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5028522&cid=t_134043_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.drmalpani.com%2F2011%2F07%2Fpreventing-medical-errors-role-of.html Most patients feel that when an error occurs , it’s the doctor who is to blame. It’s true that sometimes there’s very little a patient can do to prevent an error - for example , when the surgeon leaves a swab inside the abdomen during the operation . However, a lot of the times medical errors can be actively prevented if the patient is alert, active, aware and takes an interest in his treatment. Patient’s relatives need to be watchful and observant, so they can make sure that the right medicines are being administered by the nurse in the hospital ; and that the doctor’s orders are being properly carried out.Isn’t this the medical staff’s job ? Won’t the doctors and nurses get upset if relatives ask questions ? Patients need to speak up – and this is not being meddlesome o... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5028522 Sat, 09 Jul 2011 03:00:00 +0100 5028522 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4921413&cid=t_134043_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FQeyJQ0P52KI%2F Anna Gawlinski The following is a guest post by: Anna Gawlinski, RN, DNSc, FAAN, Director, Research and Evidence-Based Practice and Adjunct Professor at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center and UCLA School of Nursing and Elizabeth Henneman, PhD, RN, Assistant Professor at The School of Nursing at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. It’s easy to criticize the current state of our health care system. All over the place, even outside of Washington DC, people are talking left and right (politically, that is) when they should be talking right and wrong (care, that is). But, one important talking point that’s almost always left out of the equation is our role, the role of the nurse. Or more specifically, the critical care nurse whose job it is to save you or your family members’ lives... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4921413 Thu, 09 Jun 2011 13:02:44 +0100 4921413 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4893796&cid=t_134043_134_f&fid=35179&url=http%3A%2F%2Fscottsdiabetes.com%2F2011%2F06%2Fdiabetes-basketball%2F Diabetes and exercise is something incredibly hard to manage.  It is difficult to get my blood sugar where I want it for exercise, and even harder to get it to stay there.  For many people, managing blood sugars before, during, and after, is so hard that they just don’t exercise.  I don’t blame them.  It introduces a million new variables. I shot some video during basketball of me checking my blood sugars and talking about what was going through my head at the time. I still ended the day at 277 mg/dl.  Do I blame it on a few too many gulps of Gatorade?  Maybe a temporary basal rate reduction that was too aggressive? Who knows.  I’m extremely lucky that I enjoy basketball enough to keep working through the hard blood sugars to find a way to play.   Diabetes an... Scott's Diabetes Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4893796 Thu, 02 Jun 2011 00:33:08 +0100 4893796 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4872182&cid=t_134043_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F05%2F27%2Fintroduction-to-social-psychology-and-social-cognition%2F (Source: The Situationist) The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4872182 Fri, 27 May 2011 15:09:32 +0100 4872182 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4852858&cid=t_134043_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fphysician-almost-places-feeding-tube-in-wrong-patient%2F2011.05.23 Photo Credit I barely escaped from an embarrassing situation recently in the hospital. I was consulted to place a feeding tube, called a PEG, in an ICU patient. We gastroenterologists are rarely consulted for our opinion on whether these tubes make sense, which they often don’t. We are recruited to these patients simply to perform the technical function of inserting the tubes, so that Granny, or Great-Granny, or Great-Great… , won’t starve. Multiple medical studies have demonstrated that providing this nutrition to individuals with advanced dementia doesn’t benefit them. In addition, while it may seem intuitive that artificial feeding provides comfort, this may not be the case. It may provide more comfort to the physicians and family than it does to the patient. (more…) ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4852858 Mon, 23 May 2011 12:00:00 +0100 4852858 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4758752&cid=t_134043_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fkilled-by-tpn-a-never-ever-hospital-event%2F2011.04.27 Recently, nine patients died in Alabama when they received intravenous nutrition that was contaminated with deadly bacteria. This type of nutrition is called total parenteral nutrition, or TPN, and is used to nourish patients by vein when their digestive systems are not functioning properly. It is a milestone achievement in medicine and saves and maintains lives every day. What went wrong? How did an instrument of healing become death by lethal injection? What is the lesson that can emerge from this unimaginable horror? This tragedy represents that most feared ‘never event’ that can ever occur – death by friendly fire. No survivors. Contrast this with many other medical ‘never events’ as defined by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, such as post-operative infections,... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4758752 Wed, 27 Apr 2011 22:00:00 +0100 4758752 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4753786&cid=t_134043_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.drmalpani.com%2F2011%2F04%2Fhow-to-prescribe-information-therapy-to.html View more presentations from Aniruddha Malpani. (Source: The Patient's Doctor) The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4753786 Tue, 26 Apr 2011 03:14:00 +0100 4753786 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4723805&cid=t_134043_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Folympian-impregnated-with-the-wrong-embryo%2F2011.04.17 Olympic winner and motivational speaker, Jim Stovall once said “Integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one is looking.” In September 2009, I wrote about a blog about Carolyn Savage, a 40 year old woman with a poor obstetrical history. Savage married her college sweetheart and had an uncomplicated first pregnancy. However, her second child was born prematurely. She had 4 subsequent miscarriages and ten years later she became pregnant through in-vitro fertilization (IVF). Because the Savages wanted a large family, they tried IVF again. Unfortunately, Savage was impregnated with the wrong embryo. To their credit, everyone rose to the highest level of integrity. The infertility clinic informed the Savage family as soon as the mistake was discovered and then gave them the option o... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4723805 Sun, 17 Apr 2011 18:00:26 +0100 4723805 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4734248&cid=t_134043_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.drmalpani.com%2F2011%2F04%2Fconference-on-preventing-medical-errors.html Medical errors are a leading cause of preventable deaths. When a patient dies because of perceived medical negligence, hospitals get burnt down and doctors get beaten up. However, not all deaths are because of negligence - and not all errors can be prevented. In order to learn about what we can do to make sure that medical errors are minimised , India's first Patient Safety Workshop is being organised in Mumbai. This is the first conference in India which focuses on this key issue, which is usually misunderstood; and often ignored.I am especially excited about the fact that this workshop will be involving patients as well, as I deeply believe that well-informed patients can play a very important role in preventing medical errors !We've got some great speakers - please do come and join us !... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4734248 Sun, 17 Apr 2011 08:55:00 +0100 4734248 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4723981&cid=t_134043_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.drmalpani.com%2F2011%2F04%2Fconference-on-preventing-medical-errors.html Medical errors are a leading cause of preventable deaths. When a patient dies because of perceived medical negligence, hospitals get burnt down and doctors get beaten up. However, not all deaths are because of negligence - and not all errors can be prevented. In order to learn about what we can do to make sure that medical errors are minimised , India's first Patient Safety Workshop is being organised in Mumbai. This is the first conference in India which focuses on this key issue, which is usually misunderstood; and often ignored.I am especially excited about the fact that this workshop will be involving patients as well, as I deeply believe that well-informed patients can play a very important role in preventing medical errors !We've got some great speakers - please do come and join us !... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4723981 Sun, 17 Apr 2011 08:55:00 +0100 4723981 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4684549&cid=t_134043_122_f&fid=37835&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iqscorner.com%2F2011%2F04%2Ftime-to-stop-executing-mentally.html I am pleased to announce that the following IAP Applied Psychometrics 101 (#11) report is now available for viewing and download. I had the unique opportunity to tag along on this paper with Kevin Foley, who is conducting extensive research and writing re: Atkins MR/ID cases. This manuscript is intended more for individuals in the legal profession (judges, lawyers) and is thus written in law review review article format.Although this report is intended primary for readers of the ICDP blog, I am also posting it to the IQ's Corner blog as those readers may find the attempt to explain SEM in terms understandable by non-psychologists of interest.Double click on the image below to enlarge.- iPost using BlogPress from my Kevin McGrew's iPadintelligence intelligence testing Atkins cases ICDP blog... Intelligent Insights on Intelligence Theories and Tests (aka IQ's Corner) blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4684549 Tue, 05 Apr 2011 14:59:00 +0100 4684549 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4575056&cid=t_134043_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Frobotic-pharmacy-prepares-350000-doses-of-medication-without-a-single-error%2F2011.03.11 The University of California-San Francisco (UCSF) has made a significant announcement that could be a watershed moment for how medications are given to hospital patients in the United States. In a typical hospital setting, patients are receiving many different types of prescription medications — ranging from mundane vitamins to more intense drugs such as chemotherapy. In the thousands of times medications are given to patients, and with the high number of humans handling the process of organizing and giving the medications, human error is bound to occur. And medication errors can be life threatening — especially if related to a chemotherapy agent. UCSF wants to make the rate of error for medication administration to be zero. In order to do this, they are using robot technology ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4575056 Fri, 11 Mar 2011 20:00:25 +0100 4575056 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4517168&cid=t_134043_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Ffaces-of-medical-error-the-story-of-michael-skolnik%2F2011.02.24 I was very sad and quite angry after watching a powerful video this weekend entitled ”The Faces of Medical Error: From Tears to Transparency.” It’s the story of Michael Skolnik. His mother, Patty, gave me the video when I met her recently. Michael had what may have been unnecessary brain surgery in 2001 and died three years later. The Skolniks worked on this video as part of an educational campaign on medical error, and they created an organization now named Citizens for Patient Safety. Here’s a trailer to the video: You can also watch a Today Show segment that profiled the Skolniks from a few years ago: While much of the message is about medical errors and malpractice, the Skolniks also promote a message of the “critical need for shared decision-making.&#... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4517168 Thu, 24 Feb 2011 20:00:53 +0100 4517168 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4389243&cid=t_134043_118_f&fid=34702&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fmspblog%2F%7E3%2FgVswygHYrAw%2F This study provides a timely reminder that we all need to treat one another with respect, even when we think a mistake has been made.  Patient safety is a key concern in today’s complex healthcare setting, and part of that safety plan must be that healthcare workers have access to the resources they need, whether that’s appropriate equipment, or confidential mental health counseling. (Source: MSSPNexus Blog) MSSPNexus Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4389243 Sun, 23 Jan 2011 12:50:36 +0100 4389243 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4304875&cid=t_134043_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Ffalse-positives-in-medical-tests-how-they-can-kill-patients%2F2011.01.03 I’ve written in the past that more medicine and tests do not necessarily reflect better care. There is no test that is 100 percent specific or sensitive. That means tests may be positive, when, in fact, there is no disease (“false positive”), or tests may be negative in the presence of disease (“false negative”). It’s the latter that often gets the most media attention, often trumpeted as missed diagnoses. But false positives can be just as dangerous. Consider this frightening case report from the Archives of Internal Medicine: A 52-year-old woman presented to a community hospital with atypical chest pain. Her low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels were not elevated. She underwent cardiac computed tomography angiography, which showed... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4304875 Mon, 03 Jan 2011 18:00:49 +0100 4304875 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4294627&cid=t_134043_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fpsychiatric-diagnosis-and-early-closure%2F2010.12.28 Meg sent me a link to Happiness in The World (what an upbeat name for a medical blog!) and The Danger of Early Closure. She wanted to know how it pertains to psychiatry. The author writes: Sometimes doctors gather all the clues correctly, think all the right things based on those clues, and still get it wrong. But in this case, another significant thought error contributed to the misdiagnosis: My tendency to come to early closure. Early closure, it turns out, is a danger that lies in wait mostly for seasoned clinicians (far more commonly, at least, than for medical students and residents). Because seasoned clinicians rely more on pattern recognition to make diagnoses and often come to their conclusions rapidly, they’re at far greater risk for leaping toward those conclusions without exam... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4294627 Tue, 28 Dec 2010 21:00:00 +0100 4294627 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4230199&cid=t_134043_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F12%2Fmedical-errors-discuss-them-or-switch.html Patients won’t confront doctors if they think there’s been a mistake. They’ll just find a new doctor, even if there’d been no medical error. Researchers looked at adult visits to seven primary care practices in North Carolina during 2008. They asked patients about their perceptions of medical mistakes and how did it influence the choice to switch doctors. Of 1,697 patients, 265 (15.6 percent) reported a mistake had been made, 227 (13.4 percent) reported a wrong diagnosis, 212 (12.5 percent) reported a wrong treatment, and 239 (14.1 percent) reported changing doctors as a result. Results appeared in the Archives of Internal Medicine. But anecdotes cited by patients as mistakes were often normal diagnostic or therapeutic challenges. A typical scenario might be the patient reported sy... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4230199 Sun, 05 Dec 2010 18:44:00 +0100 4230199 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4082197&cid=t_134043_118_f&fid=34702&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fmspblog%2F%7E3%2Ff6diU0znEEM%2F Health.com reports that  Surgery Mix-Ups Are Surprisingly Common. A recent study in Colorado covering a period of  six and a half years, indicated that doctors operated on the wrong patient at least 25 times and on the wrong part of the body 107 times.  Considering the number of patients who would have had surgery in the State during that time period, these serious medical errors are rare, but not rare enough. Health.com also provides advice on What to Do if the Hospital Makes a Mistake.  Ask what happened Get a copy of your medical records Start keeping your own notes Speak to a higher-up File a complaint Consult a lawyer (Source: MSSPNexus Blog) MSSPNexus Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4082197 Tue, 19 Oct 2010 11:55:25 +0100 4082197 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4055822&cid=t_134043_118_f&fid=34702&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fmspblog%2F%7E3%2Fr423Navnz94%2F Readers Digest provides a first-hand account of the stress and anxiety medical professionals can feel after a medical error in Doctors Confess Their Fatal Mistakes.  Former Cleveland, Ohio pharmacist Eric Cropp talks about, not just his regret over his error and the subsequent death of a child, but also the enormous impact the event had on his life.  Patient safety advocate Peter Pronovost, MD, PhD, a professor at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, speaks of the culture of medicine that continues to inhibit physicians from admitting a mistake. On a related note, in an op ed piece for USA Today, medical blogger Kevin Pho, M.D., writes about the costs of career burnout to both physicians and patients.  These articles remind us of the need to continually work to improve h... MSSPNexus Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4055822 Mon, 11 Oct 2010 13:04:49 +0100 4055822 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3957915&cid=t_134043_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fdealing-with-medical-error-together%2F2010.09.10 The “Running A Hospital” blog has another discussion of dealing with medical error. This time, the hospital has opened up an error of its own (a “wrong side” surgery) for examination by the Open School of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI). Sample comments: – From IHI’s Jim Conway: “Our systems are too complex to expect merely extraordinary people to perform perfectly 100 percent of the time. We as leaders must put in place systems that support great practice by people who suffer from being human and will make mistakes.” – From a patient who had two surgical errors in ten months: “After years of suffering through our incredibly brutal tort(ure) system I finally had the chance to talk to the surgeon. The most meaningful words he spoke ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3957915 Fri, 10 Sep 2010 16:00:01 +0100 3957915 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3954259&cid=t_134043_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fpatients-starved-for-time-with-the-doctor%2F2010.09.09 If you’re into health care consumerism, you’ll enjoy my guest blog post at CDHC Solutions magazine. CDHC Solutions focuses on consumer-driven health plans. Consumer-driven plans are a form of “high deductible” health coverage that is more popular than ever. For whatever you want to say about these plans, one thing is clear: They don’t solve the fundamental problem of patients not having enough time with their doctors. Here’s a taste of what I wrote: Researchers have been trying to pinpoint the impact of this time starvation on the quality of medical care, and they’re finding disturbing results. A recent study in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that because of time pressures and related factors, doctors deliver “error-free” care as rarely as 22 percent of the ti... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3954259 Thu, 09 Sep 2010 19:00:36 +0100 3954259 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3902992&cid=t_134043_118_f&fid=34702&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fmspblog%2F%7E3%2F1JFWKcOIZUw%2F You may know the story of Taylee Blischke, a newborn who nearly died in April 2009 at Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo, California. Morphine was mistakenly given to Taylee, instead of her mother who was holding the infant. California investigators say mother and baby had IVs that were mixed up.  To add insult to injury, the hospital initially accused the baby’s mother Jessica of being a drug addict and passing the morphine along to her baby through her breast milk.  Fortunately, Taylee survived and now appears to be a healthy toddler.  In May, the California Department of Public Health fined Mission $50,000 for the error. What bothers me most about this story is not the mistake, or even the initial accusation, as egregious as they were, it’s the official, carefully word... MSSPNexus Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3902992 Wed, 25 Aug 2010 13:10:19 +0100 3902992 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3889168&cid=t_134043_118_f&fid=34702&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fmspblog%2F%7E3%2FMGfFECfX8OM%2F “I care for you, I care about you, and I know you in ways no one else does; I am your doctor. ” The physician patient relationship is unique, sensitive, and vitally important.  Imagine for a moment, that you are the physician who made the opening statement, and that the patient to whom you spoke those words has suddenly, unexpectedly, died. You grieve, and you have a right to.  That patient and those who love him matter to you. Now imagine that the death is attributable, at least in part, to a medical error that you made.  How do you deal with the stress of that knowledge? Most physicians want to do what you or I would want to do if we made an unintentional error that harmed someone.  We’d want to offer a sincere, heartfelt apology, and tell those left behin... MSSPNexus Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3889168 Fri, 20 Aug 2010 12:08:04 +0100 3889168 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3679817&cid=t_134043_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2FJI8jqU2_BUM%2F           My oldest son always carries an EPI-pen (short for Epinephrine); as I have to give him three shots for his severe allergies to just about everything ‘green’.  It is a life saving drug that is used for cardiac arrest, allergic reaction, asthma attacks and emphysema patients.  Early this month the U.S. Food and Drug Administration put Epinephrine on its list of drug shortages.  The time of year couldn’t be worse – the sudden heat increases cases of difficulty breathing, cardiac arrest and even insect bites.  Hospira is currently the only manufacturer of the drug.  It is struggling to meet demand after another company stopped making it late last year.  Apparently professionals have started a back-up plan that involves mixing a vial of Epinephrine that is a hig... Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3679817 Sun, 20 Jun 2010 14:24:51 +0100 3679817 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3632425&cid=t_134043_147_f&fid=39202&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnicolaziady.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F06%2F04%2Fseo-marketing-terms-for-the-rest-of-us%2F 301 redirect - Code meaning “moved permanently” used to point browsers, spiders, etc. to the correct location of a missing or renamed web page. 404 Error - Code meaning “file not found” used for missing or deleted web pages. Algorithm - Rules and calculations a search engine uses to determine the rankings of the sites it has indexed. Every search engine has its own unique algorithm. Algorithmic Results - Results that have not been paid for. These are results which the search engine has determined are worthy of inclusion without a Pay Per Click plan. ALT Tag - Used to describe the content associated with a non-text based file, typically an image. Backlinks – The number of quality links from other websites directed to your website. This is part of link popularit... Nicola Ziady blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3632425 Sat, 05 Jun 2010 02:55:27 +0100 3632425 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3590275&cid=t_134043_139_f&fid=38879&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedia.rawvoice.com%2Fpmn_twiv%2Fwww.twiv.tv%2FTWiV083.mp3 Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, Rich Condit, and Kirsten Sanford On episode #83 of the podcast This Week in Virology, Vincent, Alan, Rich, and special guest Dr. Kirsten Sanford talk about her career in science media, then consider whether smallpox eradication led to the AIDS pandemic, high fidelity RNA synthesis, and a new Ebola virus vaccine. This episode is sponsored by Data Robotics Inc. Use the promotion code TWIVPOD to receive $75-$500 off a Drobo. Win a free Drobo S! Contest rules here. Download TWiV #83 (66 MB .mp3, 91 minutes) Subscribe to TWiV (free) in iTunes , at the Zune Marketplace, by the RSS feed, or by email, or listen on your mobile device with Stitcher Radio. Links for this episode: Does smallpox vaccine protect against HIV? (thanks, Srinivas; Washington Post and B... virology blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3590275 Sun, 23 May 2010 10:56:53 +0100 3590275 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3573712&cid=t_134043_99_f&fid=35344&url=http%3A%2F%2Fzackarysholemberger.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F05%2Fadventures-in-error-bars-cell-phone.html So if you're worried about an exposure, and the exposure is difficult to measure (because, oh, you have no idea what the causal link would be between the exposure and the disease, so you don't know what you're measuring), and you keep doing studies about the exposure, you are eventually going to find a positive result (or weakly positive) because of the nature of chance. That doesn't mean cell phones cause cancer. It means epidemiology is inexact. (Source: Zackary Sholem Berger) Zackary Sholem Berger blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3573712 Tue, 18 May 2010 13:32:00 +0100 3573712 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3551987&cid=t_134043_139_f&fid=38879&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.virology.ws%2F022_W3310_10.wmv Download: .wmv (393 MB) | .mp4 (102 MB) Visit the virology W3310 home page for a complete list of course resources. (Source: virology blog) virology blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3551987 Mon, 10 May 2010 16:47:38 +0100 3551987 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3298393&cid=t_134043_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F02%2F23%2Fthe-situation-of-suspicion%2F This article examines this claim by exploring in depth the cognitive biases and abilities that serve respectively as obstacles to, and opportunities for, police making accurate judgments about individualized suspicion. The article concludes that requiring police consciously to justify their intuitions can improve their accuracy, that the greatest accuracy comes from constructing institutions in a way that combines the best of unconscious intuition with more systematic critique, and that police training can be improved in various ways to enhance cognitive accuracy about the individualized suspicion judgment. * * * For a sample of related Situationist posts, see “The Legal Situation of the Underclass,” “Jennifer Eberhardt’s “Policing Racial Bias” – Video,” and “Th... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3298393 Tue, 23 Feb 2010 04:01:00 +0100 3298393 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3294773&cid=t_134043_136_f&fid=37852&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdonnatrussell.com%2F2010%2F02%2F21%2Fah-copy-editors-ah-humanity%2F The Guardian, for crying out loud! On February 21, 2010. For posterity: Re photo caption: Tales, not tails, fellas. Perhaps you were thinking of Godzilla? Filed under: Music - TV - Film, Writing Tagged: copy editor, error, guardian, hiroshima, james cameron, journalism, newspaper, typo (Source: Donna Trussell) Donna Trussell blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3294773 Sun, 21 Feb 2010 20:34:24 +0100 3294773 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2745545&cid=t_134043_115_f&fid=37661&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnottotallyrad.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F08%2Fmr-fail.html We who work around MR scanners well know that odd sensation when something you forgot to take out of your pocket starts tugging you firmly toward the giant magnet.Most of us have also idly speculated about the following question...So, what if you actually did push a really big ferromagnetic object into the scan room?This picture from Fail Blog pretty well answers that question.Hat tip to Better Health. (Source: Not Totally Rad) Not Totally Rad blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2745545 Sun, 30 Aug 2009 08:12:00 +0100 2745545 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2699670&cid=t_134043_109_f&fid=34504&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blacktriangle.org%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D2016 Some people in the US seem to think Obama is Hitler, because he wants to reform their healthcare. If only Hitler had stuck to being a healthcare reformer, instead of annexing the Sudetenland… The majority of US citizens think US health care is the best in the world. Therefore it is understandable that they would be [...] (Source: Black Triangle) Black Triangle blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2699670 Thu, 13 Aug 2009 20:50:56 +0100 2699670 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2561353&cid=t_134043_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2FUpfBMCGn-84%2F When someone comes in for treatment to the hospital, you’d like to believe that they won’t be back in for the same condition. However, readmission are a huge problem in hospitals today. Elderly and chronic disease patients account for a large part of readmission, but it can really happen to anyone. The reasons why someone would need to come back days or weeks later for the same condition can vary. We’ve all seen someone sent home from the hospital far too early. Add that to poor communication with health care staff and “trouble getting a prompt doctor’s appointment after discharge” and you’ve got a lot of patients in need of additional care. How to correct this? One suggestion has been a pay system that rewards quality. When patients are treated a... A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2561353 Tue, 30 Jun 2009 22:14:35 +0100 2561353 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2523663&cid=t_134043_136_f&fid=35294&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.psa-rising.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F06%2Fva-hospital-botches-prostate-treatments-report%2F Today’s New York Times reports:  “A unit in Philadelphia operating with virtually no outside scrutiny botched 92 of 116 prostate cancer treatments over a span of more than six years.” Dr. Gary D. Kao, according to the report, ran a “rogue” cancer unit which covered up botched procedures in which radioactive “seeds” intended for the [...] (Source: psa-rising.com/blog) psa-rising.com/blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2523663 Sun, 21 Jun 2009 23:52:25 +0100 2523663 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2380898&cid=t_134043_109_f&fid=34504&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blacktriangle.org%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1956 Please read this post and consider signing the attached petition. It may increase the safety of the medicines you are given in the future. In the UK, Section 64 of the Medicines Act 1968 says, that if a pharmacist makes a single dispensing error they have automatically undertaken a criminal act. So why should you care [...] (Source: Black Triangle) Black Triangle blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2380898 Thu, 30 Apr 2009 10:21:00 +0100 2380898 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2348641&cid=t_134043_109_f&fid=34504&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blacktriangle.org%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1951 Here’s a paper in the The British Journal of Diabetes & Vascular Disease I’ve just published with a colleague about prescribing errors in diabetes that may be of interest to some readers. Prescribing errors in diabetes have the potential to cause serious adverse effects. Antidiabetic agents are a significant cause of admission to hospital. Prescribing errors [...] (Source: Black Triangle) Black Triangle blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2348641 Mon, 20 Apr 2009 14:01:21 +0100 2348641 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2313668&cid=t_134043_109_f&fid=34504&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blacktriangle.org%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1943 This is more common than you think, although superglue is the usual culprit. Paula Griffin, 29, squirted the hazardous liquid into her right eye by mistake after waking up with blurred vision. Her eye was glued shut for eight hours and was only prised open again when doctors cut off her lashes. Miss Griffin was warned she could [...] (Source: Black Triangle) Black Triangle blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2313668 Fri, 03 Apr 2009 21:07:21 +0100 2313668 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2317743&cid=t_134043_115_f&fid=37661&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnottotallyrad.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F03%2Fgrand-rounds-vol-5-no-28-is-up.html The latest issue of Grand Rounds is hosted this week by Paul Levy, at Running a Hospital.This week's episode is devoted to "When things go awry". My contribution -- "Getting the Finger From a Patient" -- is about 4th from the top. (Source: Not Totally Rad) Not Totally Rad blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2317743 Tue, 31 Mar 2009 07:12:00 +0100 2317743 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2317745&cid=t_134043_115_f&fid=37661&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnottotallyrad.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F03%2Fgetting-finger-from-patient.html A patient gave me the finger not long ago.Not once, but twice.How did that make me feel?The first time, intrigued.The second time, embarassed but relieved.Here's why:It started when her dematologist ordered an MR scan to "R/O glomus tumor" of the middle finger. In case you're not completely up on your small, rare, soft tissue tumor lore, here are a few facts: glomus tumors are usually small (often 1 - 2 millimeters in diameter), benign , rare (we only see a few a year), typically occur in the tissues under the nail bed, and can be exquisitely painful.Looking for something this small is a real challenge -- even with current MR technology. Most MR machines are optimized to look at large chunks of human tissue -- sometimes as large as the abdomen on a 350 pound dude. In this patient's case, w... Not Totally Rad blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2317745 Mon, 30 Mar 2009 02:11:00 +0100 2317745 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2182287&cid=t_134043_109_f&fid=34504&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blacktriangle.org%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1902 This is a regrettable error, that should not have occurred. Vanessa Hart had taken five-year-old daughter Ellie to Hollybrook Medical Centre for two jabs ahead of a holiday to the Dominican Republic. The youngster had been due to be given injections against hepatitis A and typhoid during the appointment at the surgery last Thursday. But when a nurse [...] (Source: Black Triangle) Black Triangle blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2182287 Thu, 12 Feb 2009 02:04:35 +0100 2182287 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2175376&cid=t_134043_88_f&fid=38203&url=http%3A%2F%2Fprecordialthump.medbrains.net%2F2009%2F02%2F10%2Fto-the-night-shift-ae-doctor%2F It’s four in the morning. It’s been a long night… I know, believe me. But before you discharge the 60 year-old man who came in gasping for air a few hours earlier, take the time to consider a few things. Listen to the history, the patient may tell you the diagnosis. Having to get out of bed at night to stand up and breathe, and frequently passing urine at night,  might bring to mind the simple equation: paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnoea + orthopnea + nocturia = heart failure. Yes, he smokes like a chimney, but less than a quarter of smokers develop clinically significant chronic obstructive airways disease. It seems that many people are resistant to the ravages of cigarette smoke on their lungs. “Not all that wheezes is asthma” - remember that old chestnut? Hold... AEQUANIMITAS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2175376 Tue, 10 Feb 2009 17:39:26 +0100 2175376 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2074392&cid=t_134043_136_f&fid=35294&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.psa-rising.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F12%2Ferrors-in-cancer-med-common%2F Seven percent of adults and 19 percent of children taking chemotherapy drugs in outpatient clinics or at home were given the wrong dose or experienced other mistakes involving their medications, according to a new study led by Kathleen E. Walsh, MD, assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, and published in [...] (Source: psa-rising.com/blog) psa-rising.com/blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2074392 Wed, 31 Dec 2008 07:50:51 +0100 2074392 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1811490&cid=t_134043_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F397245755%2F Why? Earlier this week, the FDA issued an import alert that allows authorities to stop Ranbaxy drugs and ingredients from entering the US, and issued warning letters for failing to meet manufacturing standards at two plants in India. And the Justice Department alleges Ranbaxy used raw chemicals from unapproved sources, fabricated in-house test data to meet FDA standards and attempted to conceal the ruse from FDA inspectors (back story here and here). Nonetheless, the FDA says its move has nothing do with drugs or active pharmaceuticals ingredients made at Ranbaxy’s other plants, which the FDA has inspected and determined meet requirements for drug manufacturing. In fact, the agency recommends consumers continue taking their existing Ranbaxy meds and “not disrupt their drug ther... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1811490 Fri, 19 Sep 2008 14:17:48 +0100 1811490 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1717683&cid=t_134043_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F08%2F19%2Fseeing-michael-phelpss-gold-medal-situation%2F Sam Sommers has another excellent (situationist) post, titled “The Greatest Ever? Not So Fast . . .” over at Psychology Today Blog. Sommers’s post is worth reading in its entirety (here), but here are a few particularly situationist excerpts. * * * U.S. Swimmer Michael Phelps just won his 8th gold medal of the Beijing Olympics tonight, the 14th gold of his career. These are feats that have never been accomplished before, and it’s hard to argue with the conclusion that his is the greatest Olympic performance of all time. Some in the sporting world (and beyond) are also calling Phelps the greatest athlete of all time. But not so fast—a number of psychological considerations suggest that the pundits (and public) are likely getting a bit carried away. Before I go an... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1717683 Tue, 19 Aug 2008 20:00:50 +0100 1717683 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1600750&cid=t_134043_115_f&fid=37661&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnottotallyrad.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F07%2Fsome-days-in-radiology-are-like-this.html I look at things for a living, presumably because I am good at spotting tiny abnormalities in a sea of noise. Some days, however, The Force is clearly not with one...(via Bad Astronomy) (Source: Not Totally Rad) Not Totally Rad blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1600750 Thu, 03 Jul 2008 17:04:00 +0100 1600750 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1531700&cid=t_134043_150_f&fid=35779&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pharmamanufacturing.com%2Fonpharma%2F%3Fp%3D2141 Once again, had to miss the best part of this presentation, but did hear Robert Bottone of Genentech discuss the problem that some managers in biopharm and pharma have with Operational Excellence. Many of them still expect “silver bullet’ solutions. This was also a conclusion reached by those who took our recent survey. Silver bullets simply [...] (Source: On Pharma) On Pharma blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1531700 Fri, 20 Jun 2008 15:02:44 +0100 1531700 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1600766&cid=t_134043_115_f&fid=37661&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnottotallyrad.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F06%2Fi-not-real-patient-but-i-play-one-on-tv.html What do you call a patient who fakes their history, symptoms and physical exam to gain medical care? For many of us, this sounds like a classic case of Munchausen syndrome.So what would you call it when a hospital administration hires such people to covertly evaluate the quality of care in their facility? Users and purveyors of this service use a variety of terms, including "mystery shoppers", "secret shoppers", "ghost shoppers", "undercover patients" and "sham patients".This concept of Munchausen management is currently being pushed, ironically enough, by the ethics council of the American Medical Association. During their current 5 day meeting (which began on June 14) the AMA ethics council is pressing the rest of the AMA to endorse the use of undercover patients to evaluate the quality ... Not Totally Rad blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1600766 Mon, 16 Jun 2008 22:31:00 +0100 1600766 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1475140&cid=t_134043_111_f&fid=34834&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FMentalNurse%2F%7E3%2F299043945%2F Conclusions Serious events, as indicated by a hospital admission or death, are frequent following the short-term use of antipsychotic drugs in older adults with dementia. Antipsychotic drugs should be used with caution even when short-term therapy is being prescribed.” The report is obviously skewed in as far as the three groups studied for the report were not randomised so the increased mortality and admission rates may have been due to the underlying psychopathology. Those not receiving anti psychotics were also presumably fitter and healthier on average that the people in the other groups but the results do beg the question should we be using these drugs at all with elderly confused patients especially if the drugs are being used as a substitute for adequate nursing care? (Source: Men... Mental Nurse blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1475140 Tue, 27 May 2008 11:47:46 +0100 1475140 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1380655&cid=t_134043_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F04%2F18%2Fthe-rational-choice-myth-abstract%2F Michael Dorff recently posted his interesting paper, “The Rational Choice Myth: The Selection and Compensation of Critical Performers,” on SSRN. Here’s the abstract. * * * Some positions within an organization wield unusual impact over the entity’s success. The decision makers who hire these critical performers face a daunting task: to distinguish among closely comparable finalists in a context where small differences in talent can produce enormous outcome divergences. I apply research from psychology and behavioral law and economics to argue that decision makers demonstrate unwarranted confidence in their ability to distinguish among nearly identical candidates. The illusion of validity, representativeness bias, insensitivity to predictability, and the fundamenta... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1380655 Fri, 18 Apr 2008 04:49:01 +0100 1380655 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1362344&cid=t_134043_109_f&fid=34504&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blacktriangle.org%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1759 The past few weeks have had a few interesting papers published on the subject of medicines and children. Children are often ill-served by medication, partly due to the difficulties associated with medication use in children and running clinical trials, and partly because of pharmaceutical companies lack of interest in obtaining paediatric licences for a small [...] (Source: Black Triangle) Black Triangle blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1362344 Wed, 09 Apr 2008 23:30:07 +0100 1362344 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1241729&cid=t_134043_109_f&fid=34504&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blacktriangle.org%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1724 The following is an article published in Pharmaceutical Marketing I co-wrote in 2002. I can’t remember exactly how my colleague and I came to write it, but I think I was asked because of my membership of a working group on safety and pharmaceutical packaging. I thought it might be of some interest here. Cox [...] (Source: Black Triangle) Black Triangle blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1241729 Tue, 19 Feb 2008 16:12:02 +0100 1241729 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1084105&cid=t_134043_109_f&fid=34504&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blacktriangle.org%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1684 The New Yorker has an interesting article on attempts to improve medical care by the use of checklists and standard operating procedures. Discussing the state of medicine in the US, Peter Pronovost states: “The fundamental problem with the quality of American medicine is that we’ve failed to view delivery of health care as a science. The [...] (Source: Black Triangle) Black Triangle blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1084105 Mon, 10 Dec 2007 23:37:50 +0100 1084105 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1014859&cid=t_134043_109_f&fid=34504&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blacktriangle.org%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1668 Currently there are calls to obtain a head on a stick for the death of Jean Charles de Menezes at the hands of armed Police. One head of interest is that of Sir Ian Blair, who some wish to see resign - he does not wish to do so. Others, such as the de Menezes [...] (Source: Black Triangle) Black Triangle blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1014859 Fri, 09 Nov 2007 01:14:47 +0100 1014859 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=838646&cid=t_134043_109_f&fid=34504&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blacktriangle.org%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1644 The NPSA has issued an advisory bulletin about the risks associated with confusion between amphotericin formulations, after the deaths of two patients (via adr.org.uk). The deaths may have been the ones noted in this news article. The BBC report on an insulin overdose given by a junior doctor, who cites a lack of training as mitigation. A [...] (Source: Black Triangle) Black Triangle blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=838646 Tue, 04 Sep 2007 10:47:06 +0100 838646 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=832700&cid=t_134043_158_f&fid=36018&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcaregiversbeacon.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F08%2Fgoogle-apology-for-violation-error-on.html The Caregiver's Beacon was mistakenly listed as being in violation for several days due to an error made by the beta anti-spam software used by Google.Today an email arrived apologizing for the error made by the beta anti-spam software from Google and for the inconvenience this has caused to the website.When I searched the internet to try to solve the problem, it became apparent that other sites were asking for help in the google support forums for the same thing. If this happens to your site you can go to google blog support and find a contact form to send to them. (Source: The Caregiver's Beacon - Resources, Links, Ideas, News) The Caregiver's Beacon - Resources, Links, Ideas, News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=832700 Thu, 30 Aug 2007 23:54:00 +0100 832700 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=817494&cid=t_134043_109_f&fid=34504&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blacktriangle.org%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1638 The Guardian reports on concerns about nurse prescribing, although any concerns may extend to other non-medical prescribers, and the editor of Pulse magazine is stated as saying: “The whole nurse prescribing scheme has been rushed through with only the bare minimum of piloting and evaluation, and it won’t be until academics start analysing the rates of [...] (Source: Black Triangle) Black Triangle blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=817494 Thu, 23 Aug 2007 12:40:11 +0100 817494 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=815157&cid=t_134043_87_f&fid=34865&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecancerblog.com%2F2007%2F08%2F22%2Fwrong-cancer-drug-prescription-costs-walgreens-millions%2F Filed under: Breast Cancer, Daily newsOn Friday, Walgreen Co. was ordered by a jury to pay $25.8 million to the family of a cancer patient given a medication that caused a stroke and then several years later, death. Beth Hippely was prescribed Warfarin, a blood thinner, in 2002 while being treated for breast cancer. According to court documents, the prescription she received at a Walgreen's pharmacy was 10 times what it should have been. The overdose caused a cerebral hemorrhage which led to permanent bodily injury, disability, pain, and then death. Hippely, a mother of three, died at the age of 46. Apparently, the error occurred when a 19-year-old pharmacy technician misfiled the prescription. Hippely's family has been seeking justice for five years."We're truly sorry for what the Hippely... The Cancer Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=815157 Wed, 22 Aug 2007 04:00:00 +0100 815157 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=806560&cid=t_134043_127_f&fid=34828&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdrclouthier.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F08%2Fbreast-fed-baby-killed-by-effects-of.html Another alert about the side effects of prescription drugs. There were so many of these similar articles on the web today that I don't even want to count them all. What a shame that the penalties for these drug companies are negligible. Who pays ? Those people who continue to take these drugs, their children and their families who have to deal with the effects of the damage in their lives. Please make different choices now while your health is intact. (Source: Dr. Steve Clouthier) Dr. Steve Clouthier blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=806560 Sat, 18 Aug 2007 01:01:00 +0100 806560 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=804374&cid=t_134043_127_f&fid=34828&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdrclouthier.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F08%2Fpredicting-future.html I will boldly predict the future. We will continue to see more and more of these warnings regarding medications and drugs that are prescribed regularly in the medical community. At my office we will continue to educate our patients on natural forms of health care and the best ways to maintain health in a world of increasing toxicity. Going back to the basics are key.1. Rest2. Peace 3. Organic and Whole Food nutrition4. Healthy relationships5. Hydration with healthy water6. Spiritual practice7. Belief in something greater than yourself (God) (Source: Dr. Steve Clouthier) Dr. Steve Clouthier blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=804374 Fri, 17 Aug 2007 01:43:00 +0100 804374 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=752808&cid=t_134043_87_f&fid=34865&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecancerblog.com%2F2007%2F07%2F24%2Fbrain-cancer-patients-treated-with-faulty-radiation-machines%2F Filed under: Brain Cancer, Daily news, RadiationTomorrow I report for one of my six-month radiation follow-ups. My radiation oncologist will review how I've fared for the past two years since my left breast was zapped, day after day, week after week, in an aggressive attempt to keep cancer from returning to the same local area where it first reared its ugly head. How horrified I would be if I learned the machines used to treat my cancer were faulty, that they did not in fact do anything aggressive, that they were essentially ineffective.Hundreds of brain cancer patients may be hearing this horrific news, now that malfunctioning machines have been ordered shut down following a manufacturer's warning.Brainlab of Munich, Germany claims a small targeting error occurred with their machines but ... The Cancer Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=752808 Tue, 24 Jul 2007 04:00:00 +0100 752808 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=658928&cid=t_134043_132_f&fid=35014&url=http%3A%2F%2Fharijay.wordpress.com%2F2007%2F06%2F05%2Ferror-bars-and-experimental-biology-and-the-bbgm-podcast%2F I will try to keep this post real short. The Journal of Cell Biology carries a very useful article on error bars in experimental biology. Sadly the article is only available with a subscription, but here is a link to the abstract on pubmed. The article talks about error bars in different context and how they should be used. Targeted at the non-statistics geek the article is easy to follow and quite useful. My good friend Deepak who got me into blogging , recently started podcasting. Like his excellent blog the bbgm podcast is mostly about technology and computing and other things biotech . Deepak is extremely well plugged-in to the web 2.0 world and his podcast is fun medley of the things that catch his attention and the biotech-Bio IT business world . Recently he interviewed me on the fif... The Omics world blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=658928 Tue, 05 Jun 2007 15:31:37 +0100 658928