The last two years have graced us with atypically mild flu seasons. This year we’re not so lucky. The flu season seems to have started early, and at least on the East Coast is quite severe. This week Boston has declared a public health emergency as their emergency departments became swamped with flu cases. In Pennsylvania, a hospital erected a tent outside its emergency department for the increasing number of flu patients. The number of flu cases is increasing in California too, though we may ...
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Many Women Who Don’t Need Them Are Still Getting Pap Tests
My regular readers know that I frequently bemoan the fact that we have no effective way to test for most cancers, and that in many cancers early diagnosis does not improve survival. Cervical cancer is one of the few exceptions. Since Georgios Papanikolau developed the test named after him, the Pap test has dramatically reduced the incidence and mortality of cervical cancer.
More recent advances have shown that cervical cancer is caused by human papilloma virus (HPV), a sexually transmitted in...
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A Reminder about Earthquake Preparedness
The stories and pictures from Sandy’s wake are heartbreaking. The loss of life, the destruction of property, and the prolonged disruption of routine seem overwhelming. I’m sure you join me in wishing for the prompt return of electricity, transit, and normalcy to the millions whose ... Multivitamins May Slightly Decrease Cancer Risk in Older Men
My regular readers already know my deep skepticism about the benefit o... Ninth Hantavirus Case Linked to Yosemite
In 1993 in the Four Corners region of the US Southwest a woman developed a cough and progressive shortness of breath and died shortly thereafter. A few days later, her fiancée, a young physically fit man developed similar symptoms was rushed to a hospital and also died. A series of laboratory tests failed to identify any known infectious agent. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Special Pathogens Branch was notified. Further testing revealed a previously unknown strain of han...
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Get Your Flu Shot
Temperatures are dropping. Children are returning to school. (Parents are elated.) Families are planning a last summer outing on Labor Day. It must be time for flu shots.
This season’s influenza vaccine has shipped from manufacturers. Our office just received th... Preventing Falls in Older Patients
Falls are the most common cause of injury in adults 65 years or older. About one third of adults in that age group fall at least once per year, and 5% to 10% of those falls result in a broken bone, a laceration, or a head injury. Injuries sustained due to falls can cause a permanent decrease in mobility... West Nile Virus Cases at Eight Year High
It’s summertime! Summer is the perfect time for swimsuits, outdoor grilling, throwing Frisbees, and contracting dangerous untreatable viral infections.
West Nile is a virus that is transmitted by mosq... A Reminder about Water Safety
I’m always dismayed when people try to exaggerate the health risks of certain substances by calling them “chemicals”. “We have to worry about chemicals in apple juice” they’ll warn, or “chemicals in plastic bottles”. As anyone who’s taken a chemistry class can tell you, “chemicals” is just an intimidating word for “stuff”. Calling it a chemical doesn’t tell you anything about what it is or how it affects people. Roses and clouds and rocket fuel and spaghetti are all made of chemicals, because ...
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Why I Won’t Have a PSA Test When I Turn 50
Generations of patients and doctors have been steeped in the myth that any kind of cancer should be found as soon as possible and when found, removed. The image of a gray-haired doctor on television telling the frightened patient “if only we had cau...