It is More About Dollars than Saving Lives.
Getting to a trauma center matters for patients who are gravely injured. Previous studies have shown that chances of survival are 25% better than in a general hospital. A Stanford research team looked at more than 4,500 trauma admissions at 636 hospitals around the United States. that are not designated trauma centers. Patients with health insurance were more likely to be kept rather than transferred to a trauma center. Who makes the decision to admit or transfer isn't clear, but the E. R. staff doesn't know (or care) about insurance. Hospital administrators often weigh-in on decisions to “dump” patients without insurance to a public hospital. This study would indicate that the same dynamic is at work, but in the opposite direction. It appears the cash register makes the decision.
The Chappaquiddick Law Rules Whenever a Cover-Up Seems Tempting.
The federal government is setting a probe in motion against General Motors for a faulty ignition switch. The defect affected more than 1.6 million vehicles and has been tied to more than a dozen deaths. A spokesman for GM acknowledged that its employees knew about the problem for nearly a decade before it conducted a full recall. Moreover, the National Highway Traffic Safety Commission had been made aware also, but failed to follow up, citing insufficient evidence. The public was failed on two counts. Simultaneously, Toyota Motor Corp. is facing a criminal penalty of $1.2 billion for misleading consumers about safety problems over a stuck accelerator pedal. The judgment is the largest to date against an automaker and took four years of investigation. What it means for consumers is that big business and even federal agencies cannot be trusted to act when necessary.
The Genome Cannot Be Denied.
Back in 1997 the body of a teenage girl was found by some hunters in a remote wild-life refuge near Racine, Wisconsin. The corpse had been beaten, sexually abused and suffocated with a plastic bag. She was thought to be a runaway and was listed as a Jane Doe until she was identified 15 months later. DNA specimen and partial fingerprints were found on the plastic bag and sent to the FBI and every state crime lab, yet no ID could be established. A recent misdemeanor arrest in Oklahoma got a fingerprint match, and a 36 year-old Illinois man was suspected. Police followed the suspect, waiting until he tossed his cigarette and grabbed the butt for DNA. The analysis proved conclusive, and the arrest was made. Watson and Crick strike another blow for justice. And yet more proof that smoking can be hazardous to your health.
Sad Coffee is Called Depresso.
Caffeine is the seemingly benign drug of choice that keeps so many of us fueled for the challenges of the day. After some study, the American Psychiatric Association in the current mental disorder manual (DSM-5) includes both caffeine intoxication and withdrawal. They are both considered diagnoses when they impair a person's ability to function in daily life. Intoxication was included in the previous manual but withdrawal was not. The current manual is not without controversy. Professor Allen Francis, previous task force chairman, is a critic. “We shouldn't medicalize every aspect of life and turn everyone into a patient.” Hey I'm with you, Professor.
Greedy Big Pharma has Hooked America.
Conventional medicine (enthusiastically encouraged by Big Pharma money) lives by the mantra if you have high cholesterol levels you should take a statin. Thanks to this line statins have become the most profitable class of medications on the market. Doctors have prescribed statins for countless patients with the warning that if they don't take a statin they are at risk for a heart attack. Yet research has shown: (1) there is no indication for taking a statin drug if you have not had a cardiac event; (2) if you are a man and have had a cardiac event, the best the statin drugs can promise you is approximately a 1–5% reduction in preventing a non-fatal heart attack; (3) statin drugs have been around for 15 years, but have never been shown to prolong lives; (4) in women there are no solid studies that demonstrate that it is beneficial to take a statin for any purpose. The Cochrane Collaboration, an independent group that is not associated with Big Pharma stated, “Statins do not have a proven net health benefit in primary prevention populations and thus when used in that setting do not represent good use of scarce health care resources.”
So That's Why Women Put Scent Behind Their Ears.
Chances are that you have never wondered about earwax odor. Scientists at the Morell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia report that compared to other races, earwax of east Asian people contains significantly less amounts of odor-causing substances called volatile organic compounds. George Preti, an organic chemist at the research institute, said earwax odor can be used as a quick diagnostic tool for certain rare metabolic diseases. He is optimistic that the earwax of cancer patients might contain a telltale fragrance that could be detected by dogs. Scientists have long known that earwax of east Asians is dry and whitish whereas that of others is moist and yellowish-brown. The difference is due to a genetic mutation and scientists have found the very same mutation causes east Asians to have less underarm odor. Go figure.
“Doc in the Box” Happy Hours 6 – 8 PM
Set in drugstores, supermarkets and big box stores, walk-in retail health clinics staffed by nurse practitioners, are playing a bigger role in delivering health care. They are usually open seven days a week and evenings, and do not require an appointment. They accept more types of insurance than physicians and charge 30% to 40% less than pediatricians or family doctors for similar services. The American Academy of Pediatrics said they are detrimental to the concept of a “medical home” where patients have a personal physician who knows them well. After plateauing in recent years, the clinics are again expanding. Retailers are betting that the Affordable Care Act will bring longer waits at doctors' offices. CVS Caremark Corp. and Walgreen Co. expect to double their locations by 2017.
Add Poo-Pourri to Your Pharmacy List. Classy Product - Not!
The makers of a product called poo-pourri won a “coveted” award from USA Today as one of the five worst ads of 2013. Toilet users who are worried about smell are advised to spray Poo-Pourri on the commode pre use. The TV ad shows a British-accented woman sitting on the throne. She praises the product with the opening line “You would not believe the mother lode I just dropped.”
Addenda
Nearly 25% of American adults did not read a book in the past year, a percentage that has tripled since1978.
Old age is the most unexpected of all things that can happen to a man.
In Miami everything is in the 80s, the temperatures, the ages, and the IQs.
In India a man set the world's record for longest ear hair. Now that must be an ugly comb-over.
We are all amateurs, it's just that some are more professional about it than others.
ALOHA AND KEEP THE FAITH rts
(Editorial comment is strictly that of the writer.)