2003

db’s top ten medical stories of 2003

December 31, 2003

This list represents my arbitrary ranking of the top ten stories covered which I covered this year. Factors which I used to develop the ranking concern the health of patients and the medical community. Limiting and ranking the list proved much more difficult than I first thought. Readers will disagree with my list, and I [...]

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Need abdominal aortic aneurysm surgery – find a vascular surgeon

December 30, 2003

The surgery your doctor shouldn’t perform A growing body of medical literature suggests that only highly trained vascular surgeons should, in the majority of cases, be allowed to perform the surgery. Because it requires the surgeon to close down a section of the aorta — akin to replacing a fuel hose in a plane at [...]

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Damned if you do, damned if you don’t (or how to get caught between a rock and a hard place)

December 30, 2003

Worried Pain Doctors Decry Prosecutions In recent years, similar charges of illegally prescribing prescription narcotics, criminal conspiracy, racketeering and even murder have been brought in dozens of states against scores of doctors who treat chronic pain with prescription narcotics. At least two have been imprisoned, one committed suicide, several are awaiting sentencing, many are preparing [...]

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Ephedra – banned!

December 30, 2003

Bush Administration to Ban Ephedra I have ranted extensively about ephedra – just go and search for multiple rants (22). Ephedra, also known as Ma huang, Chinese Ephedra and epitonin, poses health hazards ranging from high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, nerve damage, injury, insomnia, tremors and headaches to seizures, heart attack, stroke and death, the [...]

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Infant formula companies and breastfeeding

December 29, 2003

Just go read it. You will be amazed. Or you might not be. The Milky Way of Doing Business by Katie Allison Granju viagra free viagra buy viagra online generic viagra how does viagra work cheap viagra buy viagra buy viagra online inurl viagra 6 free samples viagra online viagra for women viagra side effects [...]

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One of the unintended consequences

December 29, 2003

Sometimes I feel like a broken record. I rant about the working conditions for physicians. I rail about the bureaucracy which now increasingly surrounds medicine. Mostly I complain about a reimbursement system which makes no sense. The outcome of this and other problems is a growing physician shortage. Physician shortage predicted to spread The AMA [...]

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The battle for tort reform continues

December 29, 2003

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On bureaucracy

December 28, 2003

Does bureaucracy drive you crazy? Most physicians rail against bureaucracy. I found this page with great quotes about bureaucracy. First a couple of gems: Bureaucracy is the art of making the possible impossible. He who has trusted where he ought not will surely mistrust where he ought not. –Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach The only thing that [...]

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Howard Dean, the Democratic party and tort reform

December 28, 2003

Go over and read Rangel’s take. He has been on a roll recently, and this particular rant is great. Howard Dean: compromising on tort reform? I like this line particularly: But the rest of this statement seems as if Dr. Dean had two henchmen from the DNC looking over his shoulder making sure that he [...]

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On fighting obesity – state laws

December 28, 2003

State legislatures have taken heed. They are passing positive laws to attack the obesity epidemic. Worried about obesity, states mulling laws for restaurants, schools and public employees Under the laws that have passed, states will: * Test the BMI — body-mass index, a ratio of height to weight — of students in six Arkansas schools, [...]

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