MajorHealth News - Physicians

Jobs: Physician Assistant

Jobs: Physician Assistant
Mon, 29 Sep 2008: Physician Assistant

A Better Mosquito Net

Malaria remains one of the world’s great scourges, striking more than 500 million people every year. The groups most at risk are pregnant women and children younger than five years old. In sub-Saharan Africa, 20 percent of all childhood deaths are from malaria. Pregnant women who contract the mosquito-borne disease can develop severe anemia and give birth to underweight babies. The World Health Organization estimates that 10,000 pregnant woman and 200,000 infants in Africa die from malarial infections every year.

To combat the disease, many development agencies have focused on distributing mosquito nets that would protect Africans from being bitten while they sleep. This strategy has resulted in a huge upsurge in the number of bed nets supplied to the population as a whole and particularly to pregnant women and young children. The widespread distribution, however, has not resulted in a significant decrease in malaria. Many doctors in sub-Saharan Africa attribute the failure to an overreliance on nets in lieu of other interventions, such as the indoor spraying of dwellings with insecticide. Other experts say the problem is the misuse of mosquito nets; there is anecdotal evidence that some people have employed the nets as wedding veils or fishing aids. Some economists argue that charging a small fee for the nets would increase the likelihood that they would be used appropriately. Others claim such a fee would prevent a large part of the population from receiving nets. These are valuable debates. Before delving into behavioral economics, though, it might be useful to consider a more basic problem: the mosquito nets are poorly designed.

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Jobs: PA ? Physician Assistant

Jobs: PA ? Physician Assistant
Mon, 06 Oct 2008: PA ? Physician Assistant

FDA Panel Wants Closer Scrutiny of Drug Ads

FDA Panel Wants Closer Scrutiny of Drug Ads
Many of the ads are misleading, doctors complain.

EliteXC on CBS II: Lawler vs. Smith Preview & Predictions
EliteXC will be looking to continue to massive amount of mixed martial arts action we've seen this month with their second event on CBS. Although Kimbo Slice won't on the card, Robbie Lawler will be taking on Scott Smith in a rematch of their previous CBS bout that saw Smith being stopped by the doctor due to an accidental eye gouge. The ensuing uproar by fans and the awesome battle that had happened during the bout should ensure this fight to be another war.

Also on the card, Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva will take on former UFC fighter Justin Eilers while Jake Shields will be tested by veteran Nick "The Goat" Thompson. Nick Diaz will take on Thomas Denny, notably known for crushing Malapeit in ShoXC and then being spectacularly KO'd by illegal elbows to the head. In a marquee women's matchup, Shayna Baszler will hope to continue her dominance against a very tough Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos.

Robbie Lawler vs. Scott Smith

Once again, we'll see two hard-hitting strikers in both Robbie Lawler and Scott Smith square off in a war of attrition. While both men have the knockout power to end this fight instantly, look for this matchup to go into the late rounds once again.

The most significant difference between my previous analysis of their first fight and this fight is Smith's chin. During their first battle, Smith displayed a rock solid iron chin that Lawler was tagging consistently. If not for that chin, Smith would have easily been out by the second round. Can Smith's determination win him this fight?

I'm still leaning toward Robbie Lawler in this fight. He has the reach, size, and a new found patience to wait opponents out before moving in for the kill. Smith still found it tough to move close to Lawler to land the big blows during their previous matchup. I don't believe Lawler will end it early, but I think he'll be able to stand with Smith for most of the fight and wear him down.

Leland's Prediction: Robbie Lawler via TKO, Round 4

Antonio Silva vs. Justin Eilers

This isn't much of a challenge for "Bigfoot" Silva. Silva will not only be bigger and stronger, but he'll likely have a huge advantage on the ground. Eilers isn't a slouch by any means, but his striking will likely be ineffective against Silva's size and reach. I don't see Eilers knocking out Silva or challenging him on the ground in any facet of jiu-jitsu or wrestling. Look for Silva to end this quickly in either the first or second round.

Leland's Prediction: Antonio Silva via TKO, Round 1

Jake Shields vs. Nick Thompson

This could very well be a fight of the night candidate. While Thompson is likely being underdog'd in this fight, he does stand a decent shot at defeating Shields potentially on his feet. Thompson's all-around game is venerable, but his ground game will be the area where Shields will try to win.

Shields, training out of Cesar Gracie Academy, has high jiu-jitsu credentials and trains with MMA veterans Nick Diaz and Gilbert Melendez on a consistent day to day basis. His grappling will likely be superior to Thompson's jiu-jitsu, but the question is how far of a gap will there be?

Shields is weak in the standup, but he's still scrappy enough to avoid the big shots. If this hits the floor, look for Shields to pull away for the win in the later rounds.

Leland's Prediction: Jake Shields via submission, Round 3

Nick Diaz vs. Thomas Denny

Nick Diaz needs to stop trying to pepper opponents with shots from his boxing training and begin to try to end fights as quickly as possible. Not only will it help him extend his career and protect his face from being cut up significantly, but it'll actually help the fans understand that he does have some potential to be one of the best in the sport. Unfortunately, Diaz seems to be content with showing how tough he is rather than finishing a fight in the first round.

Denny is a finisher on the ground, but Diaz is a much better jiu-jitsu practitioner. Look for this fight to hit the floor after Denny gets peppered with shots early. Hopefully, Diaz will submit Denny inside two rounds so we won't need to sit through another boring decision.

Leland's Prediction: Nick Diaz via submission, Round 2

Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos vs. Shayna Baszler

I would normally go with Shayna Baszler's killer instinct to finish her opponents quickly and her superior grappling abilities against most women in the division, but the buzz surrounding Santos is significant to give her a look here.

Santos is a power striking beast in the cage, and it wouldn't surprise me if we see a similar win by Santos over Baszler as we did when Larosa TKO'd Baszler in their past fights. While I think Baszler could potentially submit the Brazilian, it's likely that Santos has very good defense on the ground due to her Brazilian training. From what I've seen from her, she'll be a tough competitor for Baszler to steamroll.

Leland's Prediction: Cristiane Santos via TKO, Round 1

Quick picks
Anthony "El Toro" Ruiz vs. Jeremy Freitag: Ruiz has beaten Freitag twice in the past, and I don't see why this fight should go any different. Freitag's chin will be exposed, and Ruiz should take advantage. Ruiz via TKO, Round 2.

Wilson Reis vs. Brian Caraway: Reis is a nightmare, and his name will be known throughout the world before we know it. While Caraway has an impressive streak going for himself, he's primarily a submission fighter. Reis won't be susceptible to the submission, especially with his superior training on the ground. Reis is also a ball of steel in the cage. Look for his power, speed, and abilities to overwhelm Caraway quickly. Reis via submission, Round 1

Travis Galbraith vs. Rafael Feijao: Feijao should put the leather on Galbraith early in this one. Galbraith will be looking to hit the floor, but Feijao will have some decent takedown defense and likely defend against the submission well on the ground if it gets there. Look for Feijao to find the stunning knockout in this prelim. Feijao via TKO, Round 2

Ubiquitous Computing: Trust Issues for a "Healthy" Society

Ubiquitous Computing: Trust Issues for a "Healthy" Society

The notion of ubiquitous computing (ubicomp) has important implications for health care. Ubicomp scenarios involving the rapid communication of information between interested parties assume that health consumers will be willing to place their trust in agents rather than physicians, but are these assumptions reasonable? This article discusses what is known about the role of trust in health care and ways in which the trust relationship has changed with the impact of new technologies. Differences between the current, predominantly web-based environment and that of ubicomp are highlighted in relation to health care. A key point to note is the move away from consumers making their own trust judgments toward a scenario in which these decisions become the domain of intelligent agents.

Mind: When All Else Fails, Blaming the Patient Often Comes Next

Mind: When All Else Fails, Blaming the Patient Often Comes Next
Lots of patients elude doctors’ clinical skill and therapeutic cleverness. That’s often when the trouble starts.

8 Women Blame Dead Doc for Shoddy Breast Ops
Eight patients are suing Greenwich Hospital in tony Greenwich, Conn., accusing officials there of allowing a drug-addicted doctor to perform surgeries.

HHS Secretary Announces 12 Communities Selected to Advance Use of Electronic Health Records in First Ever National Demonstration
HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt today named 12 communities that will participate in a national Medicare demonstration project that provides incentive payments to physicians for using certified electronic health records (EHR) to improve the quality of patient care. The five-year, first-of-its-kind project is expected to improve the quality of care provided to an estimated 3.6 million Americans.

Erection problem

Erection problem
Question: Hi I have had erection problems for about 2 years now. I did not discuss with my doctor until last august and he prescribed viagra. This works but removes any spontaneaty from sex. Over the past 2 years, at the same time I had lower back/leg pain issues, which were eventually diagnosed as being scia . . .

Answer: It is not clear if the back problems are or were related to the erection problem. You might want to seek out a neurologist and have EMG (Electromyography) testing done. Even then, the answer may still be elusive. For a more spontaneous s . . .

Ask an Expert: Allen Seftel MD, Erectile Dysfunction (ED)

Woman awakens from coma to marry

Woman awakens from coma to marry
An Italian newspaper says a terminally ill 50-year-old nurse was briefly awoken from an induced coma to get married to her longtime partner. The woman was diagnosed with a terminal strain of hepatitis in July.  According to her husband Enzo, this is “a last wish that finally became reality.”

Oregon tourist stabbed in Ecuador is evacuated to U.S.
… to Miami and would then be transferred to Loma Linda University Medical Center in California. Ana Maria Cisneros, the doctor who attended to Leis in Quito, confirmed that he …

Petition calls for FDA to regulate energy drinks
One hundred scientists and physicians have written a letter to the Food and Drug Administration asking for more regulation of …

"Extraordinary Hope" From New Cancer Drugs

"Extraordinary Hope" From New Cancer Drugs
Doctors tell of progress with therapies targeting genetic mutations. Michelle Gielan explains.

Really?: The Claim: Coffee Eases Headaches From Epidural Injections
Doctors and medical texts have long advocated a simple antidote to headaches caused by epidurals: a cup of Joe.

The Ultimate Blood Test

The Ultimate Blood Test

As the dizziness began to fade and the nausea to subside, I kept thinking how two tablespoons did not sound like a lot of blood. During regular checkups, my physician draws only about half that amount. I suppose I might have guessed, especially after a 12-hour fast, I would sicken when my blood pressure and glucose levels dipped–I’m a terrible blood donor in that regard.

The nurse who drew my blood helpfully looked around my office for a sweet drink. “Do you have any soda or juice?” she asked. But the only thing I had was a can of Diet Coke. Which in a way is ironic: I used to drink regular Coke but switched to the sugar-free form after blood tests revealed that my triglycerides were too high.

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Mississippi Gets Worst Rating in Physician Oversight

Mississippi Gets Worst Rating in Physician Oversight
Alaska ranked best by Public Citizen.