MedBlogs Grand Rounds 3:24

Thanks for coming!  It’s an honor to be the first four-time host.  As for how much things change, here’s the first time I hosted (November 9, 2004, #7).

The biggest change is the number of blogs, hence submissions, and the quality of the submissions has increased every time.  Also, GR is no longer dominated by a few ‘bigger bloggers’ but is now quite wide-open, hence the increasing quality and scope of the posts submitted.  By the way, I didn’t have 200 posts when I made the announcement, I had 5 (the +/- 195 was meant to be a joke), but I did wind up with 60 submissions.

Oh, and no theme.

 

Editor’s Choice:

M.D.O.D. and the Unintended Consequences of EMTALA.  In case you weren’t aware there is a problem with US healthcare in general, and in ED’s in particular.

 

Rants:

Oasis of Sanity, with instructions for doctors and their staffs to completely tick off a patient.  (This doc is on his way out of business, but doesn’t know it yet).

Nurse Ratched doesn’t think much of Patch Adams, especially after he called her a Nazi.  Really.

Hospital Impact reminds you that if you’re smoking, it’s not just you you’re harming.  Quit today.

 

Amusements (second only to the rant as my favorite blog post style):

ImpactEDnurse : make your own faux poo.

Axis Deviation tackles one of the Questions of Our Time: Scrubs or Grey’s Anatomy?  Axis makes the correct diagnosis.

Medskool discusses the fact that in training we don’t practice what we preach about rest, diet, etc.  Bonus:video! 

Vitum Medicinus and the Top Ten med school app gimmicks to avoid.

Blogborygmi on loss of domain, from more than one standpoint.

 

 

Medical Training and Practice:

Scalpel or Sword isn’t feeling the EMR love.

Clinical Cases and Images has made available (free!) some PDA friendly ‘how to’s’ for procedures.  Neat (just don’t ask the nurse to scroll the pages during the procedure…).  Also, check the software requirements at the bottom of the post.

Med Valley High with a meconium delivery during training.

New York PI Law Blog (yes, a plaintiffs’ attorney) sends a link to a patient in Rio with a retained scalpel after surgery.  For 23 years.

Sumer’s Radiology Site alerts us to a study of realtime remote sonography.  Could have a lot of telemed applications.

Odysseys of George informs us of the hazards of smoking around a gas leak.  With pictures!  I’m guessing HIPAA isn’t big in Malaysia.

Health Business Blog discusses the pros and cons of giving kids ‘labels’ for psych diagnoses.

Medicine for the Outdoors is by Dr. Paul Auerbach (whose Wilderness Medicine is the reference book for outdoor medicine) sends an article about recognizing the erythema migrans rash, and what to think about when you see it.

Transplant Headquarters (by a transplant recipient) gives the Cliff-notes of rejection, and things to do after a transplant.

Borneo Breezes discusses care of Special Children in the undeveloped world.

On the Wards alerts us to occult HepB infection, HBV DNA in wrestlers’ sweat, and has some questions.

The Doctor Blogger and how the ‘you need to exercise more’ conversation really goes.

Type-B Premed wonders if some docs are difficult to work with on purpose.

The Fitness Fixer says all the exercise injuries are mainly from choosing bad exercises to perform.  I had no idea.

Junkfood Science is unhappy about the coverage of childhood obesity in general and one child/family in particular.

Shrink rap has a podcast, and the show notes indicate some good topics, including management of those who’ve Lost It In Space.

Doctor Moxie on communication, and its limits.

Doc Around the Clock on how patients really feel when considering suing their doc.

Improbable Optimisms discusses the ‘what have you done for me’ of illness, and advocates docs talk to their patients about it.

Paralell Universes dissuades a neighbor from taking Viagra as a fertility treatment.

Gardner’s Gate has the first ‘Spring Break’ casualty of the year. 

Parcho, MD tells about his first two recent intubation attempts.  Entertainingly.

 

Healthcare Financing / Reform / MacroPolitics:

NHS Blog Doc  and the increasing numbers of maternal injuries and deaths in Britain. 

DB’s Medical Rants has some thoughts on the poll showing people want universal care, and will accept higher taxes for it.  He’s not too sanguine about the future, single-payor wise. 

Universal Health talks about the Walter Reed debacle, military healthcare mission creep, and what to do about it. 

Kevin, MD has some thoughts, and a link round-up, on the Walter Reed scandal as well as the larger question of Big Brother and healthcare.

Dr. Val & The Voice of Reason with a good analogy of HC Finance, and why it’s so incredibly dysfunctional, and counterproductive. (Extra credit: linked to the Grand Rounds host in submitted post).  (Heh).

Healthcare Forum on docs as employees. (HCF is a new blog by an Endocrinologist).

InsureBlog calls BS on the HPV vaccine requirement.

The Diet Dish is for moderation, against food bans.

Blog, MD write about cows’ milk, the lactase enzyme, and infant anemia.  Hint: there’s a connection.

Dr. Wes asks if we’re doing no harm, when we do everything possible, and encourages us to think about living wills.

Emergiblog is on the same wavelength as Dr. Wes.  Talk about your desires for end of life care, now.

Teen Health 411 lauds Rev. Debra Haffner for her stand on adolescent sexuality education.

Colorado Health Insurance Insider on a very hard case, and their desire for Universal Healthcare.

Health Observances says US healthcare costs set to double by 2016.

MSSPNexus Blog notifies us that a WV physician is self-insured, and the State is OK with it.  (A mil to put into an account?)

AADT notifies up that the American Psychological Association has found military health services deficient.

 

Research:

ScienceRoll informs us of the Human Variome Project, to collect data on mutations causing disease.

Doc in the Machine analyzes the DARPA major achievements, sees links to medical applications, and looks forward to more.

NeoNurseChic posted her paper about a possible relationship between PFO and migraines. (Answer: close only if prior stroke).

Diabetes Mine interviews Dr. Pugilese of the Diabetes Research Institute on reversing autoimmunity.

The Tangled Neuron on statins and current Alzheimer’s research.

 

Life, Death, and the Pursuit of Happiness:

Musings of a Distractible Mind discusses ho hard it is to be a patient.  Especially when you’re a doctor.

ChronicBabe and setting attainable goals.

Six Until Me with a personal story of low blood sugar and the urge to overtreat.

Indian Medic on how blood donation, and transfusion, is arranged in India.  A very personal tale.

Wandering Visitor seems way too happy to be a resident.

Neonatal Doc, the Blue Man Group, death and days off.  I hope that entices you to read it.

Codeblog (hello, Geena!) has a patient write about how nice the ICU nurses were to her. 

Rangel, MD talks about docs, death, and expectations. 

Surgeonsblog has two posts this week about professional burnout.  Recommended reading.

 

Addenda:

As always, heartfelt thanks to Nick for getting this started, and for entrusting his Grand Rounds to me this many times.  I’m as humble as I can be.

Next Week’s host: ScienceRoll