If the FDA pushes to weaken sleeping pills, the study that they are doing that shows too much sleep can result in negative health problems would strengthen their case. Excessive sleep can result in different disorders such as hypersomnia, depression, diabetes, and others including narcolepsy.
Knowing that a sleeping pill I was taking all of a sudden got the dosage cut in half would scare me. Researches for most of these drugs are still figuring out long lasting effects while they are out on the market. Some drugs you cannot just stop taking, you want to taper yourself off of it. So, if I was taking this drug I would slowly taper myself off of it and then if I still was not getting any sleep then I would try low doses of the other drugs that does not contain the zolpidem. Plus, any sleeping pill you take you should take it early enough so that you are not driving in the morning while the drug is still in its therapeutic index levels.
Dying is a subject few want to talk about especially with a person that is dying. Medical professionals are taught how to keep people alive, but not how to help them die. That's what she shared with the nursing students. Not about pancreatic cancer, but how to aide people in the dying process which is ultimately a part of life. With my uncle in hospice care now, the nurses have said they are not only there for the patient, but also for the family. I'm certain at first, no one wants to discuss their mortality but when one is diagnosed with a fatal condition, thats probably all they think about. As time progresses with my uncle, he seems to adjust more and seems almost at peace with dying. He wants a little more quality time, but knows the end is near. She felt the same and wanted to share with the students to educate them about dying. I believe some are better then others with knowing what to say to someone dying. I think it is acqward for all, but she showed the students that once you are at peace with death, it is not something to fear.
I agree with Erik, nobody wants to know they are dying or they don't want to accept it if they are. I think it is great that even on her death bed, as a nurse, she felt that she could help other nurses learn how to cope with a patient facing death. As nurses, you learn at school, during clinicals, or even in books about death and what is the best way to react, but actually being in the situation is a completely different story. All the healthcare providers that were taking care of my grandpa and grandma that passed away within this past year were wonderful. They were all so caring and helpful, but they never became overbearing. Since, I am becoming a nurse I hope that I can help my patients cope with death and be as good as those nurses, but also that I don't get too emotionally attached or I would be a mess all the time!
New pay structure for doctors http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/12/nyregion/new-york-city-hospitals-to-tie-doctors-performance-pay-to-quality-measures.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20130112&_r=0
I believe it's good to make everyone accountable for their pay. Why not doctors? I think if physicians knew they had to reach certain benchmarks for patient care, they would strive to meet those goals. I do believe physicians should be judged on keeping patients informed and not ordering unnecessary tests, but on the other hand, should a physician be held accountable for a patient if they refuse to take prescribed medications and are readmitted? I don't think that is fair. We can't hold our mechanics accountable for our car once it leaves the shop. I believe physicians need to be more respectful of a patients time, but I don't want a physician to rush through my surgery to be on time for his next appointment. I surely don't want my surgeon paid based on whether or not he met the time frame the surgery should be performed. I want quality care. If a physician does not want to order pain medications for a known drug seeker and then is rated and paid based on that decision is not right. I do think there needs to be some accountability standards for physicians. Maybe an anonymous rating of their peers or nurses, or patient surveys. To strictly say physicians need to be paid on performance is too subjective. People are all so different and what one person thinks may be inappropriate care others may feel their medical care was excellent. I think physicians need some accountability but not at the cost of patient care.
I understand that this doctor can say she cares very much about each one of her patients and people do make mistakes, but you should not be making a mistake on a surgery you are completing on someone else especially a child! Yes, and the parents do have the right to know as soon as the doctor figures out it was the wrong eye, but another doctor should come in and inform the parents and the doctor that was doing the surgery of the best way for finish or stop the surgery without doing any harm to the child. I think it is even crazy that each year in the United there are as many as 2,700 surgeries completed on the wrong side of people. I have heard of people have like surgical scissors or bandages left behind in them, but never this.
Reading this article, I felt like researchers are being pressured by the journals to be published. And the journals want to publish good results instead of research that has found bad side effects. I do think that the researchers themselves should not be fudging their results because it will make people think that the medication is helping more than it truly is. But, I feel this is more of an issue dealing with the journals who will publish the false information and put pressure on all of these researchers. I think that journals should publish articles even if they have failed outcomes just to show people what went wrong and find solutions.
Here's the more extensive NYTimes article (cited in Tyler's post): http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/19/science/earth/research-to-bring-back-extinct-frog-points-to-new-path-and-quandaries.html?pagewanted=1
Really interesting Wall Street Journal timeline of lab-made body parts. The timeline goes through the history with an up to date progress on scientists continual growth in the field. Currently, Cornell University made a human ear using live cartilage cells. Amazing growth in less than 20 years. It will be very interesting to see the progress and advancements that are made in the very near future!
President Obama is announcing today the funding of $100 million to the project of mapping the human brain. In what scientists are calling similar to the human genome project, the initiative will begin in 2014 without many goals or expectations due to the advanced degree of the project. Scients believe that it could lead to treating diseases like Alzheimers and brain injuries. Many different technologies need to be developed for the project even to begin, and the controversy lies in the vast spending in something that may not even be possible for years to come without first developing the technologies.
This has so much potential for multiple areas of medicine and psychology. Very little is actually known about the brain currently and the mapping of the brain could allow for development of treatments that are currently unknown. It is also crazy that we have the capability to actually map the brain. Our world has made many great advances and I hope this turns out as great as everyone expects it to.
Interesting article about how circumcision can reduce the risk of contracting HIV. I also say that the research done was performed on Uganda men. Plays into our topics about doing research on the underprivileged in poor countries.
Deadly meningitis outbreak in New York City. Interesting article that is also scary to think about because it is on our country and many people die before they can even make it to the doctors.
The first article is talking about the new strain of bird flu is one of the most lethal of it's kind. The second talks about the first case of the bird flu outside of China; a man from Taiwan has contracted the disease after a visit to china.
I saw an article today that scientists are developing a simple blood test to earlier detect autism. Not only is this an incredible advancement in autism awareness but to detect all different types of disorders and diseases. The fact that it is just a blood test could lead to all children being tested and thus resulting in earlier detection which will allow for earlier and possibly better treatment. In a disorder that affects so many children, this possible new test would be an amazing step in treating autism!
Story about new research on sleep medication:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/01/10/169032438/wake-up-call-fda-pushes-drugmakers-to-weaken-sleeping-pills?sc=17&f=1001
An article that goes right along with the sleep medication:
Deletehttp://online.wsj.com/article/health_journal.html?mod=WSJ_topnav_na_lifeculture
If the FDA pushes to weaken sleeping pills, the study that they are doing that shows too much sleep can result in negative health problems would strengthen their case. Excessive sleep can result in different disorders such as hypersomnia, depression, diabetes, and others including narcolepsy.
Knowing that a sleeping pill I was taking all of a sudden got the dosage cut in half would scare me. Researches for most of these drugs are still figuring out long lasting effects while they are out on the market. Some drugs you cannot just stop taking, you want to taper yourself off of it. So, if I was taking this drug I would slowly taper myself off of it and then if I still was not getting any sleep then I would try low doses of the other drugs that does not contain the zolpidem. Plus, any sleeping pill you take you should take it early enough so that you are not driving in the morning while the drug is still in its therapeutic index levels.
DeleteCancer research
ReplyDeletehttp://sciencefriday.com/segment/01/11/2013/doctors-turn-to-genetics-to-search-for-cancer-s-achilles-heel.html
Learning about dying
ReplyDeletehttp://nyti.ms/13lJoU1
Dying is a subject few want to talk about especially with a person that is dying. Medical professionals are taught how to keep people alive, but not how to help them die. That's what she shared with the nursing students. Not about pancreatic cancer, but how to aide people in the dying process which is ultimately a part of life. With my uncle in hospice care now, the nurses have said they are not only there for the patient, but also for the family. I'm certain at first, no one wants to discuss their mortality but when one is diagnosed with a fatal condition, thats probably all they think about. As time progresses with my uncle, he seems to adjust more and seems almost at peace with dying. He wants a little more quality time, but knows the end is near. She felt the same and wanted to share with the students to educate them about dying. I believe some are better then others with knowing what to say to someone dying. I think it is acqward for all, but she showed the students that once you are at peace with death, it is not something to fear.
DeleteI agree with Erik, nobody wants to know they are dying or they don't want to accept it if they are. I think it is great that even on her death bed, as a nurse, she felt that she could help other nurses learn how to cope with a patient facing death. As nurses, you learn at school, during clinicals, or even in books about death and what is the best way to react, but actually being in the situation is a completely different story. All the healthcare providers that were taking care of my grandpa and grandma that passed away within this past year were wonderful. They were all so caring and helpful, but they never became overbearing. Since, I am becoming a nurse I hope that I can help my patients cope with death and be as good as those nurses, but also that I don't get too emotionally attached or I would be a mess all the time!
DeleteNew pay structure for doctors
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/12/nyregion/new-york-city-hospitals-to-tie-doctors-performance-pay-to-quality-measures.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20130112&_r=0
I believe it's good to make everyone accountable for their pay. Why not doctors? I think if physicians knew they had to reach certain benchmarks for patient care, they would strive to meet those goals. I do believe physicians should be judged on keeping patients informed and not ordering unnecessary tests, but on the other hand, should a physician be held accountable for a patient if they refuse to take prescribed medications and are readmitted? I don't think that is fair. We can't hold our mechanics accountable for our car once it leaves the shop. I believe physicians need to be more respectful of a patients time, but I don't want a physician to rush through my surgery to be on time for his next appointment. I surely don't want my surgeon paid based on whether or not he met the time frame the surgery should be performed. I want quality care. If a physician does not want to order pain medications for a known drug seeker and then is rated and paid based on that decision is not right. I do think there needs to be some accountability standards for physicians. Maybe an anonymous rating of their peers or nurses, or patient surveys. To strictly say physicians need to be paid on performance is too subjective. People are all so different and what one person thinks may be inappropriate care others may feel their medical care was excellent. I think physicians need some accountability but not at the cost of patient care.
DeleteCancer trials can lack clear information on biopsies
ReplyDeleteRead more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/11/09/cancer-trials-can-lack-clear-information-on-biopsies/#ixzz2HtZ4rj2Dhttp://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/11/09/cancer-trials-can-lack-clear-information-on-biopsies/
Should health care be for-profit?
ReplyDeletehttp://nyti.ms/XiirgP
Did you know this was a thing? Yeah, it's exactly what it sounds like http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/04/28/ep.wrong.side.surgery/index.html
ReplyDeleteI understand that this doctor can say she cares very much about each one of her patients and people do make mistakes, but you should not be making a mistake on a surgery you are completing on someone else especially a child! Yes, and the parents do have the right to know as soon as the doctor figures out it was the wrong eye, but another doctor should come in and inform the parents and the doctor that was doing the surgery of the best way for finish or stop the surgery without doing any harm to the child. I think it is even crazy that each year in the United there are as many as 2,700 surgeries completed on the wrong side of people. I have heard of people have like surgical scissors or bandages left behind in them, but never this.
Deletehttp://www.nbcnews.com/id/50415417/ns/health-cancer/#.US_o_KKkpik
ReplyDeleteReading this article, I felt like researchers are being pressured by the journals to be published. And the journals want to publish good results instead of research that has found bad side effects. I do think that the researchers themselves should not be fudging their results because it will make people think that the medication is helping more than it truly is. But, I feel this is more of an issue dealing with the journals who will publish the false information and put pressure on all of these researchers. I think that journals should publish articles even if they have failed outcomes just to show people what went wrong and find solutions.
DeleteI thought this was pretty interesting. It is about the baby who is apparently cured of HIV.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/03/baby-cured-of-hiv_n_2803041.html
http://www.thedailybeast.com/cheats/2013/03/19/extinct-animals-could-come-back.html
ReplyDeleteExtinct Animals could come back
Here's the more extensive NYTimes article (cited in Tyler's post): http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/19/science/earth/research-to-bring-back-extinct-frog-points-to-new-path-and-quandaries.html?pagewanted=1
Deletehttp://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324103504578378442789601104.html?mod=e2tw
ReplyDeleteReally interesting Wall Street Journal timeline of lab-made body parts. The timeline goes through the history with an up to date progress on scientists continual growth in the field. Currently, Cornell University made a human ear using live cartilage cells. Amazing growth in less than 20 years. It will be very interesting to see the progress and advancements that are made in the very near future!
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/02/science/obama-to-unveil-initiative-to-map-the-human-brain.html?ref=science&_r=0
ReplyDeletePresident Obama is announcing today the funding of $100 million to the project of mapping the human brain. In what scientists are calling similar to the human genome project, the initiative will begin in 2014 without many goals or expectations due to the advanced degree of the project. Scients believe that it could lead to treating diseases like Alzheimers and brain injuries. Many different technologies need to be developed for the project even to begin, and the controversy lies in the vast spending in something that may not even be possible for years to come without first developing the technologies.
This has so much potential for multiple areas of medicine and psychology. Very little is actually known about the brain currently and the mapping of the brain could allow for development of treatments that are currently unknown. It is also crazy that we have the capability to actually map the brain. Our world has made many great advances and I hope this turns out as great as everyone expects it to.
Deletehttp://www.cnn.com/2013/04/19/health/time-hiv-circumcision/index.html?hpt=he_c2
ReplyDeleteInteresting article about how circumcision can reduce the risk of contracting HIV. I also say that the research done was performed on Uganda men. Plays into our topics about doing research on the underprivileged in poor countries.
http://vitals.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/04/21/17726549-deadly-meningitis-outbreak-among-gays-worries-officials?lite
ReplyDeleteDeadly meningitis outbreak in New York City. Interesting article that is also scary to think about because it is on our country and many people die before they can even make it to the doctors.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/24/us-birdflu-china-idUSBRE93L0EF20130424
ReplyDeletehttp://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/04/24/178777314/first-case-of-new-bird-flu-found-outside-china
The first article is talking about the new strain of bird flu is one of the most lethal of it's kind. The second talks about the first case of the bird flu outside of China; a man from Taiwan has contracted the disease after a visit to china.
I saw an article today that scientists are developing a simple blood test to earlier detect autism. Not only is this an incredible advancement in autism awareness but to detect all different types of disorders and diseases. The fact that it is just a blood test could lead to all children being tested and thus resulting in earlier detection which will allow for earlier and possibly better treatment. In a disorder that affects so many children, this possible new test would be an amazing step in treating autism!
ReplyDelete