Four-year-old Sophie Kim of Sunnyvale, Calif. has a form of muscular dystrophy so rare that an experienced pediatric neurologist might see her diagnosis only once …
Category: Patient care
A closer look at Stanford's free clinics
My open enrollment period at work ended last week. A yearly routine, it's easy to forget how lucky I am to be able to make …
Physicians call for creation of regional disaster plans for neonatology
Previous research (subscription required) has shown that traditional triage systems used during natural disasters are not effective for treating newborns. Now a group of doctors …
When the call button calls, part two: Helping four patients in one round-trip transatlantic flight
Okay, just one final post on air travel. This morning a colleague called my attention to another fascinating account of in-flight health care, wherein an …
A low-cost way to keep premature babies warm and well
More than 20 million babies are born prematurely worldwide each year, and keeping them warm is crucial for keeping them well. Traditional incubators - priced …
When the call button calls: A hospitalist's thoughts on delivering care at 30,000 feet
I spend a lot of time on airplanes. And - surprise, surprise - I also spend a fair amount of time traveling with doctors on …
Can smoking bans help improve fetal outcomes?
In 2004, Ireland became one of the first countries to enact a workplace smoking ban; five years later, a study showed that the ban was …
The dangers of caffeinated alcohol drinks
Much has been in the news lately about the dangers of caffeinated alcohol drinks, and experts weighed in with their concerns in a recent HealthDay …
New insight into asthma-air pollution link
Air pollution - whether from diesel exhaust in a big city or cooking-fire smoke in a developing nation - is bad for children with asthma. …
Study analyzes video game-related injuries
Earlier this year, the New England Journal of Medicine reported that a teenager in England fractured her foot after an intense Wii Fit session. Injuries …
TED Talk looks at porcine parts in medicine
In this TED Talk, Christina Meindertsma, author of Pig 05049, looks at the absolutely stunning range of products that are produced using parts from a …
Move over, Apgar score? Researchers design method to determine preemies' health risks
A new, non-invasive scoring system to predict poor health in premature babies could dramatically change how doctors treat fragile preemies. The method, announced today by …
Social media brings up questions, ethical unknowns for doctors
As more and more physicians embrace social media - Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare and the like - more and more (unaswered) questions arise about how best …
ED physician recounts a high-speed motor-vehicle accident
StorytellERdoc's frightening account of the emergency room aftermath from a high-speed automotive accident: Our eyes met. I walked up to the head of the bed …
Districts pushing back bells for the sake of teens' sleep
Last month, sleep researchers from Brown University confirmed what any adolescent already knows: School starts too early. Their study, published in the Archives of Pediatrics …
Emergency room interventions may reduce alcohol-based violence among teens
A brief counseling session or computerized intervention with teens who show up at the emergency room could help them avoid future alcohol use and violence. …