RedScrubs

Regular Screening for Colorectal Cancer Remains Effective in Preventing and Detecting Disease Early

As the nation marks National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month this March, the American Cancer Society is encouraging Americans to get lifesaving screening tests that have been proven to reduce the risk of the third leading cause of cancer death in both men and women.

“This may not come as news to cardiologists, but the rest of us (ok, me) were impressed that statins appear to reduce the severity of strokes.”

I guess I would say to this blogger to give it a break. The news was only released on Feb. 26th , 2009 in a press release stating that Mayo Clinic researchers have shown that patients who were taking statins before a stroke experienced better outcomes and recovery than patients who weren’t on the drug — even when their cholesterol levels were ideal.

“In India, many doctors are forced to practice low-cost or poverty medicine, because the vast majority of patients are poor and have very limited budgets. Most doctors are quite good at this, and hone their clinical skills, so that they don’t have to rely too much on lab tests or imaging studies to make a diagnosis or formulate a treatment plan.

The key is to develop clinical protocols which can be documented and justified, so we can practice cost effective medicine without hurting our patients, just because they are poor.”

I can see how this idea could translate into more efficient care for our nation’s uninsured.

“In a paper from January 2009, doctors out of Canada proposed a new theory about treating a suppressed HPA axis (which may be an issue for CFS patients), by suppressing it further.

This is just a theory and hasn’t yet been used in humans or even animals. But is a new an interesting way that the HPA axis could be restored after being stuck in a hypocortisol state.”

Read the entire blog to find out more about this current theory on chronic fatigue treatment.

When you think about how many bits of personal information hospitals and other healthcare providers gather on every patient or client who comes through their doors, it’s amazing most are able to keep those bits private. A thoughtless moment is all it can take to cross that HIPAA line into uncharted and unintended territory.
So what do you do when you’re on the other side of that line?
This blog discusses an incidence where HIPPA lines are crossed and what one employee did to rectify it.

Stanford researchers have published the results of a study that reinforces the link between postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy and increased incidence of breast cancer.

According to the study results, women who take combined estrogen plus progestin hormone therapy for at least five years after menopause, have twice the annual risk of developing breast cancer. The risk of breast cancer is not associated with women who only take estrogen.

Read the entire blog for the rest of the study highlights.

Albuterol inhalers that contain chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) will not be sold in the U.S. after December 31, 2008. Albuterol inhalers that contain hydrofluoroalkanes (HFAs) will take the place of albuterol CFC inhalers. Here are some questions and answers to help you understand the change.

This blog highlights why certain inhalers are being taken off the market, cleaning, potential problems, priming and other aspects of caring for the inhaler and understanding the reasons for change.