DocTalk

I'm sure doc has a better answer, but as far as I know, flaxseed is high in the omega-3s, like fish oil--good for your heart. Lowers bad cholesterol, controls blood sugar, reduces inflammation, and might lower the risk of some cancers.

I asked because I've heard some debate that the fish oil is better because of the way flaxseed is digested/metabolized...but trying to get two 'experts' to agree on this stuff is impossible.

As far as I know, there is no evidence that flaxseed oil aids in the hitting of home runs, although it has been shown to improve eyesight which could in turn aid in the hitting of home runs. I hope someone remembered to tell the grand jury about that.

 

Ask an emergency doc about drunk drivers and the answer will usually involve a few expletives. Frustration abounds at the senseless injuries and deaths caused by those who turn cars into lethal weapons. There is more of that anger on the website this week thanks to Carmello Anthony.

www.MDdirect.org/blog

 

What would happen if you showed up at the hospital and were told that the medication you needed had been recalled...something about a foreign factory supply problem. Welcome to the new world of pharmaceutical manufacturing that is starting to look more like the automobile industry. The ongoing saga of the heparin recall now has the FDA and the Chinese government sparring as to who is at fault for the contaminated drug.

Heparin's recall is the subject of the web entry this week. Remember not to have your heart attack until this is sorted out.


Thanks for reading.

 

I am always impressed when a batter stands in when the pitcher is throwing near 100mph. It takes an umpire injury for me to remember that there's another person just as close to the ball. I was reminded all too well when Kerwin Danley took one on the chin. Fortunately, he was up in a few seconds and needed only a quick trip to the hospital.

Concussions can be frightening, but who needs what with a minor head injury? There's more on the website.

www.MDdirect.org/blog

 

It has been an interesting couple of days in the world of disasters. Myanmar is frightening; the death toll seems to be rising by the hour. But equally sad were two reports that came out this week. The first talks about how hospitals don't have the capability of caring for disaster victims anymore and the second talka about how we should ration care in times of epidemics.

My semi-rant happens on the website.

www.MDdirect.org/blog

How close would we be to death toll in Myanmar,if the Atlanta tornadoes would have hit the Georgia Dome directly?

 

While the cyclone toll is horrifying, people might be surprised to know that thousands are killed almost yearly by such storms in Asia and the Sub-Continent.

 

And more than that die from hunger in Africa daily. There is no doubt that western civilization is often insulated from the horrors of life and death elsewhere on the planet.

 

This week's web entry will be delayed due to the unfortunate crash of a medical helicopter in our city this weekend.

I remind myself that working in the ER is pretty easy. I have nurse and techs who get the patients undressed, cleaned and ready to be seen. I have plenty of light and the best possible conditions to perform procedures. Now imagine being with an ambulance paramedic or a helicopter flight crew, caring for an accident victim on the side of the road, in the mud, in the dark.

Our world is a safer place because of people who provide emergency medical care on the streets. They are often nameless, faceless and unrecognized for the work they do. When a crew dies, it is a sad day for all.

 

Senator Kennedy seizes and the whole of cape Cod mobilizes to get him to Mass Gen Hospital. This may be very appropriate for his condition, but it may give false expectations to the many people whose initial seizure may be evaluated and cared for in their local hospital.

The chance of a person having seizure in their lifetime is about 10%. More stuff is available on the website as this week's edition on www.MDdirect.org

 

Unfortunately for Senator Kennedy, his family and all the nation, the cause of his seizure is a malignant tumor. of the brain.

 

One of the benefits of having a website is that editorial control is absolute.

If you ask people who work in ERs (nurses, docs, techs...anybody), what them most unhappy, the vast majority will talk about the drunk patient. Drinking, drug abuse and a laissez faire attitude by society's role models, the athletes, the actors, the politicians, gets me routinely riled.

This week I get to vent about Joakim Noah. His crime is minimal but my frustration is the arrogance that a celebrity can put himself in a position where he negatively influences people that look up to him.

www.MDdirect.org/blog

 

According to the latest news reports, Kelsey Grammer is resting comfortably after suffering a mild heart attack. Mild is not a word I have in my vocabulary for heart attack. I usually think about admission to CCU and the cath lab, sudden death, life changing events, all the usual stuff. It's also the subject of my latest attempt on the website.

Thanks for reading.

www.MDdirect.org