Blog Archives

Stupid Guideline Tricks: Am I Fat Enough, Yet?

On: July 19, 2013 By: Douglas Perednia, MD Posted in Blog, Health

Thinking is hard work. This is why so few people bother. At least voluntarily. So whenever it seems like the threat of brainwork looms in modern American medicine, we can thank our lucky stars for the geniuses behind healthcare “reform” and guidelines of care. This comes up as a result of a conversation that I had with a patient the other day. A pleasant, obese gentleman. He had been struggling with his weight and Type II diabetes for some time, and there were now some early indications of some potentially serious long-term complications. He mentioned to me that he was » » » [Read more]

Why Don't Patients Take Their Meds

On: July 17, 2013 By: Danielle Ofri, MD, PhD Posted in Blog, Health

A good chunk of every medical visit is spent writing prescriptions. Before we had an electronic medical record, this was often an arduous task, leading to serious writer’s cramp. Now the computer makes it easier on the doctor, but it doesn’t seem to have much effect on the patient. An article in the Journal of General Internal Medicine highlighted what most doctors have suspected all along, that a good chunk for these beautifully printed, fully legible prescriptions never make it to the drug store to be converted into actual pills. The study utilized an electronic system to trace nearly 200,000 » » » [Read more]

Diabetic Ketoacidosis In A Patient With Thyroid Storm: A Case Report

On: July 10, 2013 By: Odessa Wilson, MD, FPCP Posted in Blog, Medical Journals

M.K., a 25 year-old female, Filipina-Japanese, presented at the Emergency Room due to abdominal pain. Her aunt stated that she had been noted to be very irritable for the past week before consult but attributed it to stress from the patient’s new job. She had been complaining of epigastric pain but only took AlMgOH, an antacid, which provided slight relief. The patient also claimed that she had been having nausea and had poor appetite, hence did not inject insulin for the past 2 days. She also experienced palpitation, heat intolerance, hyperdefecation and lightheadedness. The patient is a diagnosed case of » » » [Read more]