Healthcare Update Satellite — 08-12-2014

** CLEAR! ** Not dead yet. Having withdrawal symptoms from lack of blogging and actually violating a cardinal rule of blogging by posting from work. Now that travel is done and life is getting back to normal, will hopefully have more time to write. Sabrina Kropp had damaged the cartilage in her nose from all of her cocaine use. She went to a plastic surgeon who repaired her nose and who then published anonymous before and after pictures of her nose on his web site. Ms. Kropp then sued the doctor for violating her privacy. The pictures pretty much isolate the patient’s nose, so it appears unlikely that anyone would be able to identify the patient just based upon the pictures. Now that she’s filed a lawsuit, everyone can identify her both as a plastic surgery patient and as a cocaine abuser. Paging Barbara Streisand … Patient in Maryland’s Calvert Memorial Hospital emergency department steals $4600 in medical equipment from room, is discharged and then goes to a local car dealership and tries to sell the equipment to customers shopping for a car. Genetic therapy may revolutionize treatment of heart failure. Study in London involves infusion of genetically engineered virus to increase production of SERCA2a protein that in turn increases contractility of heart muscle. Studies show good improvement in animal models and in laboratory human heart models. Human studies beginning soon. Medical apps worrying doctors? Not me. If people are dumb enough to think th...
Source: WhiteCoat's Call Room - Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Tags: Healthcare Update Source Type: blogs