Breathing Dirt

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In the PARSIFAL study (6843 participants), researchers analyzed mattress dust samples for environmental bacteria via DNA signatures, which detect bacteria that cannot be measured by culture. In the GABRIELA study (9668 participants), researchers used culture techniques to evaluate bacterial and fungal taxa in dust from children’s rooms. Both studies showed that farm-dwelling children had a lower incidence of asthma and atopy and were exposed to a larger variety of environmental microorganisms than non–farm-dwellers. Microbial diversity was inversely related to asthma risk. An inverse relationship was seen between asthma incidence rates and exposure to certain fungal and bacterial species…

http://dermatology.jwatch.org/cgi/content/full/2011/401/1?q=featured_jd

 

“How to Conquer Your Fear of Doctors”

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The term “content farm” describes a company that employs large numbers of often freelance writers to generate large amounts of textual and/or video content which is specifically designed to satisfy algorithms for maximal retrieval by search engines. Their main goal is to generate advertising revenue through attracting reader page views (source: Wikipedia).

This is what the content farms are producing nowadays:

How to Conquer Your Fear of Doctors (). A mix of good and bad advice, don’t take it seriously:

Average time patients spend waiting

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The average time patients spend waiting to see a health-care provider is 22 minutes. Orthopedists have the longest waits, at 29 minutes; dermatologists the shortest, at 20.

Patient satisfaction dropped significantly with each 5 minutes of waiting time. Even the term “waiting room” has a bad connotation. Many offices prefer “reception area” instead.

“I live my life in seven-minute intervals,” says Laurie Green, a obstetrician-gynecologist in San Francisco who delivers 400 to 500 babies a year and says she needs to bring in $70 every 15 minutes just to meet her office overhead.

Measures the health-care industry is trying to minimize waiting time include:

– “Open-access” scheduling
– Minimize office visits
– Advance preparation
– Huddling up: “Mr. Jones is in a 15-minute slot, but we know he’s a 45-minute guy”
– Teamwork
– Cutting “cycle time”
– Keep patients informed
– Survey patients

References:The Doctor Will See You Eventually. WSJ..

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CasesBlog/~3/2jXbtbZ5gQE/average-time-patients-spend-waiting-to.html

Prescribing of Fibrates

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Comment: In large trials published in 2005 and 2010, fenofibrate did not improve cardiovascular outcomes significantly in patients with type 2 diabetes (JW Cardiol Jan 5 2006 and Mar 14 2010). Although gemfibrozil lowered rates of cardiovascular endpoints in older trials involving high-risk nondiabetic patients conducted largely before the statin era — for example, the Helsinki Heart Study (JW Gen Med Nov 17 1987) and VA-HIT Trial (JAMA 2001; 285:1585) — most such patients would now receive statins as first-line therapy. Thus, the recent rapid expansion of fenofibrate prescribing is unwarranted. One reason for this phenomenon is aggressive marketing of fibrates; another is confusion among clinicians about the lack of hard evidence to support add-on triglyceride-lowering therapies in patients receiving statins.

Prescribing of Fibrates Is Booming in the U.S. – General Medicine.

Self-strengthening polymer

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Check out: “Self-strengthening polymer nanocomposite works best under pressure” – www.engadget.com

http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/27/self-strengthening-polymer-nanocomposite-works-best-under-pressu/?icid=engadget-iphone-url


No one keeps carbon nanotubes down — especially not these ones. The always popular allotropes have been enlisted by researchers at Rice University to create a composite material that gets stronger under pressure. When combined with polydimethylsiloxane, a rubbery polymer, the tubes form a nanocomposite that exhibits self-strengthening properties also exhibited in bones. During testing, the team found the material increased in stiffness by 12 percent after 3.5 million compressions. Apparently, the crew is stumped on why it reacts this way, but is no less eager to see it working in the real world — discussion is already underway to use the stuff as artificial cartilage. And here we thought aerogel was cool…

Health care out to bid

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A story from AP Mobile: Now that us a novel idea!

Created by a doctor, a lawyer and a former benefits manager, Open Health Market is an online matchmaker of sorts: Employers submit requests for proposals for a category of medical services and procedures – knee surgeries, for example, or cardiac care. Health care providers then submit competing bids, which are then evaluated by the employer…

New site lets employers put health care out to bid

For some primary care, try your local pharmacist

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The average adult fills about a dozen prescriptions and refills every year; after age 65, they fill more than 30 prescriptions annually. For many people, their local pharmacist may be as familiar as their doctor — and often a lot easier to get time with. Some pharmacists are building on that position, expanding their role from drug dispenser to drug educator and chronic disease coach. By doing so, they may fill a void created by the shortage of primary-care physicians while boosting their business…

Here is the link: http://fluentnews.com/s/26594619

Superbug Spreads in Southern California

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Roughly 350 cases of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae, or CRKP, were reported in Los Angeles County between June and December of 2010, according to a study from the L.A. County Department of Public Health to be presented April 3 in Dallas at the annual meeting of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America…

Here is the link: http://fluentnews.com/s/26598629