Information and Critical Thinking for Your Health
(Snippets from the frontline) COVID-19: Screening hospital personnel rapidly Forty years ago while working in a VA Emergency Room, I examined a veteran who I thought could be anemic…low red … Continue Reading →
(Snippets from the frontline) COVID-19: No visitors allowed Our mother, who is 98 years old, lives close by. Because of potential exposure to the coronavirus, I sometimes have to avoid … Continue Reading →
(Snippets from the frontline) COVID-19: Having an end-of-life discussion, now There are horror stories around the world. Not enough medical life-saving equipment, with difficult decisions who will live and who … Continue Reading →
(Snippets from the frontline) COVID-19: “Hose me down..!” Being a geriatric healthcare professional, when I come home, my wife forces me to “hose down.” I come through the garage, close … Continue Reading →
(Snippets from the frontline) COVID-19: Stay home, now what? We are in the midst of a COVID-19 pandemic and should listen to Public Health and CDC updates with the hope … Continue Reading →
(Snippets from the frontline) Who’s under the sheets? Sometimes medical care can be impersonal. My first surgical rotation included morning rounds where hospital admissions were identified by “the patient closest … Continue Reading →
(Snippets from the frontline) The seven year itch Both lost their spouse in their early 80s. They found each other at church seven years ago as a bothersome itch kept … Continue Reading →
(Snippets from the frontline) A message to my colleagues Your patients are suffering. Healthcare is in shambles, and the consequence is not just physical weakening of bodies, but the degradation … Continue Reading →
(Snippets from the frontline) Wiping out sepsis Sepsis is a potentially fatal blood infection leading to hospitalization, and costing millions of dollars a year. Commonly, patients are older women that … Continue Reading →
(Snippets from the frontline) Cocaine in your soda In the late 1900s, soda pop contained cocaine and caffeine as acceptable ingredients. Not until a sensible President, Theodore Roosevelt, was it … Continue Reading →
(Snippets from the frontline) Someone should make an app! When I see a patient for the first time, being able to obtain information is sometimes difficult. There are many details … Continue Reading →
(Snippets from the frontline) Trumping algorithms While away for the weekend, my patient developed dizziness and “couldn’t walk straight.” Because of his symptoms, he sought help and was seen at … Continue Reading →
(Snippets from the frontline) Patient have patience Physicians see patients in the office, hospital, and sometimes on housecalls. Doctors attempt to stay on schedule, but many factors slow us down: … Continue Reading →
(Snippets from the frontline) To protect and to serve Keeping a medical practice afloat is not easy as every day there is more paperwork and hoops to jump through. Many … Continue Reading →
(Snippets from the frontline) Home Health Care vs. Home Care: Aging in place You break your hip. After hospitalization, Medicare provides 20 days of Home Health Care including nursing with … Continue Reading →
(Snippets from the frontline) Public trust When those in responsible positions take money for personal benefit, public trust is threatened: – Votes of elected politicians swayed by special interest dollars: … Continue Reading →
(Snippets from the frontline) Dodging bullets He fell and couldn’t get up, requiring hospitalization. A surgical procedure corrected the problem. On discharge, medications were changed including stopping a water pill … Continue Reading →
(Snippets from the frontline) Advice to new doctors Learning the art of medicine for 40 years allowed me to accumulate an abundance of clinical experience while being of service to … Continue Reading →
(Snippets from the frontline) Dissecting Life Expectancy statistics Life Expectancy for Americans is decreasing. This is a trend. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) publishes data annually along with interpretation … Continue Reading →
(Snippets from the frontline) The indignity of getting old Eventually, we all get there. Some say it starts at 40; most hope not until 80: We see … Continue Reading →
(Snippets from the frontline) Embarrassed Gradually over 6 weeks, her symptoms worsened. Being a diabetic two decades, this 70 year old was sensitive to bodily changes. Now with progressive and … Continue Reading →
(Snippets from the frontline) Gatekeepers My senior neighbor, an avid walker, developed a knee problem with pain, swelling, locking, and popping. She went to an HMO primary care doctor who … Continue Reading →
(Snippets from the frontline) The business takeover of medicine For centuries, American doctors were guided by the Hippocratic Oath caring for their patients. About 30 years ago though, business saw … Continue Reading →
(Snippets from the frontline) Because they can… Raise drug prices Increase rent Boost gasoline costs Inflate health insurance including premiums and deductibles Kick you out of the hospital after 4 … Continue Reading →
(Snippets from the frontline) In the nick of time She is an 88-year old diabetic discharged from the hospital two days earlier after a three-day stay. Her admitting sugar was … Continue Reading →