Sometimes we have to wonder: Would we get the best care possible if we were to be transported to a hospital emergency room? Our local hospital has a good reputation, but it is managed by humans, correct? And humans are known to make mistakes. The quality of care was debated…
A new study by the Institute of Medicine has found that over treatment is costing the nation’s health care system $210 billion each year. More important, too many treatments — x-rays, CAT scans, blood checks and procedures — are harming patients. “What people are not realizing is that sometimes the…
Radiation has been a great boon to medicine, helping doctors reveal hidden problems, including broken bones, lung lesions, heart defects and tumors. It can be used to treat and sometimes cure certain cancers. Now researchers are pointing to its potentially serious side effects: the ability to damage DNA and, 10…
A new study shows that white children are more likely than black or Hispanic children to receive CT scans following minor head injuries, exposing them to the dangers of excess radiation. The study was conducted by Dr. Prashant Mahajan of the Children’s Medical Center of Michigan and other researchers. The…
A hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit is the triumph of modern medicine’s investment in technology, pharmacy and know-how, says Dr. Rahul K. Parikh, a pediatrician in Walnut Creek, Calif. Dr. Parikh wrote an essay published in a recent edition of the New York Times. Dr. Parikh points out that babies…
Hip fractures are a significant risk for the elderly, often forcing a victim into a wheelchair and even a nursing home. A new study has found that the elderly who have eye surgery to remove cataracts and improve their vision also significantly reduce their risk of breaking a hip in…
A new study raises questions about whether surgery for early-stage prostate cancer is really necessary — or even advisable. This particular surgery, which often leaves men impotent or incontinent, does not appear to save the lives of those newly diagnosed with the disease, according to a study published in the…
We look to our surgeons in emergencies when we are in pain and need intensive medical attention. Surgeons must obtain written consent from the patient before any operation. The surgeon should fully explain the procedure and perform only what he or she explained to the patient. Those steps were not…
More than 40 million American women are the primary caregivers for a sick person, very often their husbands. According to a recent New York Times article, when a caregiving wife runs into a friend, acquaintance or even a relative, the most frequently asked question is, ”How is he doing?” The…
Good news for people who have suffered cardiac arrest: Your chances of survival are higher than they were ten years ago. That is the conclusion reached in a recent study and reported in the journal Circulation. Researchers who completed the study theorized that the survival rate is higher now because…