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Late 20s. Resident Physician. Life.

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You know, I think like this blog linked above. It's a good study tool that builds an online brand for professional purposes.  He probably studies too much, though.

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Treating a child’s cancer is not an abuse

In similar cases, where parents have refused life-saving medical interventions for religious reasons (such as Jehovah’s Witnesses refusing blood transfusions) or because they reject mainstream medicine for whatever reason, the courts have been quick to intervene and compel treatment.

But in this case, the court decided that the parents’ aboriginal rights take precedence over the life, liberty and security of an individual child. A judge’s role is often to find the proper balance between conflicting rights; in this case, the scales of justice tipped the wrong way.

-- Andre Picard in the Globe and Mail

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A native ‘right’ to refuse life-saving medicine? It does natives no favours

The judge is referring to Section 35 of the Charter of Rights, which enshrines aboriginal rights that existed prior to contact with Europeans. Normally, that means the right to occupy and use land. Now Judge Edward has stretched the section to create an aboriginal right to traditional medicine, arguing that because 16th-century native Canadians treated illnesses with slippery elm and turkey rhubarb root, 21st-century natives must be allowed to do the same, regardless of any medical advances in the interim.

Also, I'm not sure how intravenous Vitamin C infusions in a Florida spa can be considered traditional healing. 

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16 new physicians recruited to Sudbury this year.

16 Physicians: 2 ER docs, 5 family physicians, and 9 medical/surgical specialists. 

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'Doctor' treating First Nations girls says cancer patients can heal themselves

This is the kind of article I know will upset and sadden me before I read it, but I can’t help but keep reading.

The judge’s ruling in this case sets a terrible precedent. This little girl needs chemotherapy, otherwise she’ll probably die. The judge said the constitutional protection of her mother’s cultural beliefs trumped the legal protection of this child’s medical treatment from her mother.

If I’m not mistaken, I think the only alternative now is for the hospital to go to the consent and capacity board to remove her mother as PoA. Unfortunately, that processes takes months to play out, and by that time, she’ll be a dead child.

That sounds paternalistic, I know. The ruling is just out of keeping with previous legal precedents set before from cases involving Jehovah’s Witnesses. 

In other news, another Aboriginal girl who refused chemo in favour of traditional healing is critically ill when her leukemia relapsed.

This “naturopathic doctor” is a piece of shit. Read the article: he’s a fraud selling false hope to worried parents for profit. (To be fair, the response from the Canadian College of Naturopathic medicine at the end of this article seems sensible and fair; the naturopathic doctor at the centre of this case, though, is a fuckwit).

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" How do you inform an at-risk population, when they use hook-up apps and sites to find partners for anonymous casual sex?"

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Full Body CT images rendered together

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Listen/Feel: Nicolas Jaar - Colomb

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Just Friends - Avalanche

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Found a less controversial study (but pretty interesting): In this epidemiological study of roughly 3000 primary care patients 75 years and older, use of PPIs was associated with a significant increase in incident dementia during the 18 month follow-up period (Hazard ratio 1.57 (1.14–2.15); p=0.006). This is true even when controlling for covariables such as age, education level, polypharmacy, ApoE4 status, stroke, cardiovascular risk factors, and depression (i.e.: known risk factors for dementia). 

Interesting. The paper mentions some basic science research showing PPI's crossing the blood-brain barrier and increasing amyloid beta peptide levels in rats. There's also an association with decreased VitB12 levels (which is of course associated with dementia).

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My poor legs. I ran a 10km race yesterday, and then I took the stairs everywhere in the hospital today because I'm always too impatient for elevators.

I'm on Geriatrics now. What a change from ICU! At the same time, though...still taking care of patients at the terminal end of their disease, hanging on, trying to identify fixable problems. But it's not all that bad.

I have to do a presentation tomorrow on some hot research topic related to Geriatrics. I found this systematic review in the Annals last year that basically says that, although we have the tools to screen for dementia in the elderly, it doesn't matter because screening doesn't lead to any demonstrable clinical benefit. That kind of calls into question a core function of Geriatrics and Family medicine. It's maybe a bit to controversial for tomorrow (probably shouldn't argue to Geriatricians that a large part of what they do doesn't help anyone) The paper: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24145578?dopt=Abstract

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must try harder

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FDA Approves "FUROSESONEROLAQUINOX" for Undifferentiated Dyspnea - GomerBlog

Finally a drug that will treat any kind of dyspnea

Haha.

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Facebook so full of baby pics (no, not mine).

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Motown Swift

Shake it off Cover.

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wow. damn. Listen to this.

Maroon 5 cover.

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Chillggity.