RedScrubs
The Resource for Medical Professionals

A study conducted in the Netherlands sought to describe the current practice in diagnosing and treating malnutrition by medical doctors, medical students and nurses prior to, during and after hospitalization. Registered Dietitians were not mentioned in their study objective.

A role for Boron has been hypothesized since at least the early 1990’s. Because a biochemical function was never clarified, its nutrition essentiality has never been firmly established. Some scientists believe that dietary guidance should be offered as Boron has proven beneficial in the diet of the individual at various phases in the life cycle. Current Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) guidelines do not exist for infants, but range from 3-6 mg/d for children and 11-17 mg/d for adults.

First, the Alabama Department of Public Health was advised by the USDA to alert consumers regarding a product recall for Total Body Formula in the flavors of Tropical Orange and Peach Nectar. Apparently, this supplement caused significant hair loss, muscle cramps, diarrhea, joint pain and fatigue. On the foot heels of this advisory in Alabama came warnings from FDA regarding the same product sold in Florida, California, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Misssouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Virginia.

I have raised the question on my own blog site Healthcare Today whether healthcare itself is a privilege or a right; citizenship and immigration issues aside. After reviewing the bill of rights I was unable to determine if there was any clear mention of such related topics and I wasn’t able to find any reference. Clearly the founders had many other issues of more importance on their plates at the time. The only small mention that perhaps one could tie into healthcare was from the Declaration of Independence …that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness…;hardly a strong case for the right of healthcare for all.

Interventional cryoablation is a minimally invasive, outpatient procedure that is relatively painless. Using imaging to pinpoint the tumor, an interventional radiologist guides a probe through the skin to the tumor and then releases gas to freeze it. The freezing process kills the tumor. Patients leave the hospital with only a band-aid and return to normal activity almost immediately.

News stories are abounding about the fact that health professionals really don’t know what they are talking about when they make recommendations regarding how much water a person needs per day. It is true that hydration needs are individual based on age, sex, activity and overall health conditions. However, Registered Dietitians have had calculations for years to determine the general amounts of fluid that is needed for a variety of individuals in a variety of situations.

How do we as a country solve the problem of escalating costs associated with healthcare? I have written several pieces regarding the business aspects of healthcare and how in some cases the business portion of providing care is killing us. Reports have been in the news of late listing the death rates per state of people that die prematurely because they don’t have adequate health insurance. We have all read ad nauseam article after article about the reimbursement problems providers and hospitals are having, the mounting bad debt that healthcare organizations are carrying, and many such stories. At this point even for a healthcare provider the news makes me weary, and to read yet another story or blog entry is becoming difficult. Many times I just want to ignore it all and go and put on Sponge Bob on Nickelodeon.

The importance of lipid therapy in the cardioprotective and treatment aspects of heart disease is well documented, particularly in the elderly population. Statins have been used along with diet, to control lipids for years.

More recent studies have lowered the recommendations from < 100 for LDLs to < 80 or <70 mg/dl. The authors state that more intensive statin therapy has resulted in more marked cardiovascular event reduction. The authors, in particular, review the safety and efficacy of intensive vs. less intensive statin therapy. Their studies reviewed that safety and efficacy standards were met for dosages of 80 mg./day. Dietary intervention was not a variable considered here.

The Weekly Wrap-up is still in its infancy, and the increasing number of viewers is causing our pale cheeks (from the long, cold winter) to glow with pride. A sad, but true description. This week’s winner is our very own Mike Pringle. Remember, we said we appreciated narcissism! Mike also has his own blog going, Be sure to check it out.

Remember, we make an effort to find blogs from a variety of medical topics. So, if you don’t find one here that tickles your particular fancy then check back next week. Or, you can submit one of your own: A free pair of red scrubs goes to each week’s winner (by our great partner in crime at NW Scrubs).

—Dr. Incognito