Monday, November 30, 2015

The twists and turns of naming diseases - BBC News



When a new disease is identified in agroup of patients it needs a name so it can be described, researched and treated. But, unlike naming a child, there is no little book of
names for diseases. So how do you choose the right name for a new condition? It isn't easy.
In the 1970s, Dr Graham Hughes, a rheumatologist working at London Bridge Hospital noticed that a group of his patients suffered from "sticky" blood that increased their risk of
dangerous blot clots. His colleagues decided to name the condition after
him, a recognition which is rare these days.

"It was an honour for me," explained Dr Hughes. "Hopefully, when I kick the bucket, I'll be remembered for it."


 read more:

The twists and turns of naming diseases - BBC News

Saturday, November 28, 2015

Cost of diabetes escalating | Arab News



 JEDDAH: Of youths under the age of 20, 5 to 10 percent suffer from
diabetes, said Vice President of the Saudi Society for Children’s
Medicine and head of the third annual conference for diabetes patients
Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah Al-Toweim.

The two-day conference launched on Wednesday at the InterContinental Hotel in Jeddah, under the auspices of Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, with attendance of 40 professors
and lecturers from inside and outside the Kingdom.

According to Al-Toweim, “treatment for type I diabetes patients without any
complications costs the Ministry of Health SR10,000 annually for insulin
needles, while treatment for type 2 diabetes per patient ranges between
SR5,000 and SR8,000 annually.”........

 read more:

Cost of diabetes escalating | Arab News

67% of visits to emergency ‘not urgent' | Arab News


 JEDDAH: A whopping 67 percent of people who seek help at the emergency
units of hospitals do not need urgent attention, says a study.
The research, published by a local publication on Friday, found that these
people are only likely to delay others from getting treatment. Only 24
percent required urgent medical intervention.

In addition, over 50 percent thought that the medical staff were unfriendly and tactless.
However, 70 percent expressed satisfaction about waiting areas and
access to parking.

Fares Al-Hamzani, a consultant in health services management, said that researchers interviewed 544 people. The study revealed that only 2.79 percent of people were happy about services at emergency units, which was often the first place of contact for the
public.

Al-Hamzani urged the government to increase the number of primary health centers in some areas. He also said that a board should be set up to monitor the way patients view services, so that it could improve on them.

read more:
67% of visits to emergency ‘not urgent' | Arab News

Friday, November 27, 2015

Program makes women aware of breast cancer risks | Arab News



 RIYADH: More than 200,000 women were tested for breast cancer and only
15 positive cases were detected in the capital during the monthlong
campaign to fight breast cancer which ended here on Tuesday.

Speaking at the closing ceremony of the campaign, Deputy Minister of Health for
Public Health Abdulaziz bin Saeed said it was a successful campaign
where 2,200 women underwent mammograms and the Ministry of Health was
able to reach more than 200,000 women through this campaign.

Thenational campaign was organized by the Ministry of Health under the
auspices of Minister of Health Khalid Al-Falih. Sponsors of the program
were honored with certificates of appreciation for their contributions
toward the success of the project.

Pointing out that breast cancer is the second biggest cause of death among the cancer diseases after lung cancer, Bin Saeed said that around up to 70 percent of cases in the
Kingdom are detected in the late stages . He pointed out that early
detection will have a 97 percent chance for complete recovery.

 read more:
Program makes women aware of breast cancer risks | Arab News

Medical app for emergencies soon | Arab News



 RIYADH: Prince Sultan University students will launch an application on
Dec. 9 for emergency medical services, which would link patients with
ambulances.
The app would allow people to share their locations,
determine the time for an ambulance to arrive, and a section to rate the
service for efficiency, according to a statement issued by the
university.
 The launch will take place on the university women’s campus. Hundreds of
students from Princess Nora, Prince Sultan, King Faisal, King Saud and
other local universities are expected to attend.


 read more:

Medical app for emergencies soon | Arab News

Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Patient-Generated Data: How's a Doctor to Interpret It All? medscape.com



Was the EMR Price Tag Worth It?
Eric J. Topol, MD: We have a problem that with the Affordable Care Act, about $40 billion were used to encourage doctors and hospitals to use electronic medical records (EMRs). Was this a good decision, Greg? Where do we stand with the liberation of the data to people?

When Your Doctor Is on a 30-Hour Shift - The Daily Beast

Source: the Daily Beast
A new program has medical residents working for up to 30 hours without sleep in ICUs—putting patients in danger of hospital errors.
I cannot even count the number of times that I have been told by medical faculty members that nowadays “residents have it SO easy.”
Their tone indicates that they have clearly suffered more terrible work hours and conditions than any resident today, so complaints from our end should be stifled entirely. And accordingly so, I very seldom complain about the number of hours I find myself at work. Sure, it is rather unfortunate that most months I only get one day off a week and weekends are luxuries, but hey, I make the most of it.