AU Blogspot

Although we primarily discuss the serious health and medical issues of the day, we also think it’s important to share in a good laugh, especially when we’re examining the somewhat contradictory nature of our fitness/entertainment obsessed culture. The following video parody of “Wii Fitness” perfectly satirizes the aforementioned dichotomy in a very humorous way. By they way, the video game fitness craze did not begin yesterday, and I’m not talking about the Nintendo “Power Pad” either–does anyone remember “Foot Craze” by Atari? This game was designed to get lazy kids to exercise back in the 80’s. I think you’ll enjoy this video. Please comment on what aspect amused you the most. Talk to you soon.

Kathy Carter
Nutrition, Diet, And Health Science Instructor
Ashworth University

It’s well chronicled that the leading cause of Cardiovascular Heart Disease is high cholesterol, yet the statistics indicate that a staggering 20 million Americans suffer from some form of heart disease, therefore one must at least partially conclude that, despite the amount of educational materials, informational resources, and medical support available to the public at large; the message may be being heard, but people are generally not listening.  One explanation I believe carries some weight is that most people simply do not understand how to apply the indirect messages they are hearing directly to their everyday lives and diet. 

             Thanks to B Baltimore for permission to use this Photo.

I’ve provided the following two videos to help you directly apply the aforementioned messages in a safe, simple, and healthy way.  In the first video, the characteristics of heart disease are defined, so that we can first identify the nature of this deadly disease and its’ manifestations before developing misinformed prevention plans.  In the second video, a certified fitness coach provides a concise analysis of what factors contribute to high cholesterol levels and also offers some practical exercise tips you can take advantage of while conducting your daily routine.  I hope you enjoy these brief, but informative videos and begin applying the knowledge you have gained.  I’m interested in hearing about some of the heart disease related challenges that either you or your family have faced over the years.  Please feel free to share your experiences with the Ashworth student community. I’ll talk to you again soon.  In the meantime, stay focused on your program studies and achieving your goals.  Take care.

Kathy Carter
Nutrition, Diet, And Health Science Instructor
Ashworth University

              Thanks to Lee Gillen for permission to use this Photo.

A recent episode of 60 Minutes featured a timely report on the possible link between lack of sleep and obesity.  I describe the report as timely because it’s been widely documented that human beings are getting less sleep than ever, a particularly troubling fact when you consider that we’re also working more intensive schedules, and balancing this imbalance with drive through diet practices.  The resultant obesity effect is simply another in a long line of health problems related to sleep deprivation; the most dangerous being heart disease and diabetes.  Alright, so this isn’t the sunniest subject to discuss at the dinner table, but it’s a dialogue that must begin between families if this crisis is to be scaled back before reaching the epidemic stage.  Check out the following “Science Of Sleep” video to learn more about the implications of your potentially harmful sleep patterns.  Go to bed early tonight!  Take a nap tomorrow!

Ryan Rode
Interactive Services Manager
Ashworth University Health Care Program

           Thanks to Monica Semergiu for permission to use this Photo.

Experience has taught me that it really doesn’t matter how rational, educated, or seemingly healthy a person is—any one of us is susceptible to “chasing dragons” in search of that instant and painless answer to our problems.  Consider the aggressive expansion of an already billion dollar weight loss industry into younger and younger market sectors for additional proof.  Not quite as sinister, but perhaps more humorous is the following weight loss video by British hypnotist, Paul McKenna.  By blindfolding his study participants as they eat, McKenna is attempting to creatively demonstrate the often argued relationship between what we see and how much we actually desire to eat.  I’m not sure that this experiment is revelatory in any sense, but there are some interesting implications to consider regarding the role of visual perception, craving, and consumption.  Check out this video and let us know what’s the strangest weight loss method you’ve ever tried…

Ryan Rode
Interactive Services Manager
Ashworth University

           Thanks to Kevin Trotman for permission to use this Photo.

I wrote a blog entry on this topic yesterday, then deleted it, as it wasn’t very nice. Kevin, MD’s Dr. Pho has covered 75% of what I wanted to say on his blog today (nicely), here; read his blog entry then come back here for the rest of what I wanted to say:

Glenn Beck’s hospital horror story is getting some attention. Apparently, he had a surgical procedure with marked post-op pain. As physicians tried to control his pain with increasing doses of narcotics, he suffered adverse reactions as a result.

This is one of those amazing occurrences in medicine that makes all of us in Emergency Medicine alternately furious and incredulous, the “Just go to the ER” from a physician who knows the patient much better than the EM doc will, knows what outcome they want, what the patient will need, but cannot be bothered with the 10 minutes of administrative time it’d take for the direct admit to happen. This is what Mr. Beck should have had in the first place, and then a lot of his problems / complaints wouldn’t have happened. He didn’t need the ED, he needed his doctors to take care of their patient.

Mr. Beck was operated on that day in the same facility he was sent back to for re-admission, after having clearly been identified by the anesthesiologist on the case as having significant problems with pain control. (more…)

Defensive medicine is indeed a problem. This isn’t the example that tells that story. Oh, and my friend Kevin looks pretty good on TV.

From cbs.com:

“It started as a simple stomach ache, but Alexandra Varipapa, a sophomore at the University of Richmond, decided to go to the emergency room. There, doctors ordered a full CT scan, a radiation imaging test, which found a harmless ovarian cyst. She never questioned the CT scan, CBS News correspondent Wyatt Andrews reports.”

Wow, she walked in and just got a CT scan! Oh, wait, she also got a history and a physical exam, but you wouldn’t know that from the slant of the article.

But her father did - when he got the $8,500 bill, $6,500 of which was that CT scan.“I was pretty flabbergasted,” said Robert Varipapa, himself a physician. Varipapa says his daughter’s pain could have been diagnosed far more easily and cheaply with a $1,400 ultrasound.“A history, a pelvic examination and probably an ultrasound,” he said. And he would have started with the ultrasound.

              Thanks to Rick Audet for permission to use this Photo.

Aah, a doctor relative with a retrospectoscope. Stepwise testing works just fine in the clinic, but in the ED we need to do a lotta things in a hurry:

• rule out the horrible thing
• get a diagnosis, or exclude the killer diagnosis
• get the patient out of the ED to make room for the next patient

But the hospital defends the CT scan, saying an ultrasound might have missed something more serious.“It would not have ruled out appendicitis obviously, it would not have ruled, necessarily, out a kidney stone,” said Dr. Bob Powell, ER medical director of Bon Secours St. Mary’s Hospital.Varipapa agrees, but asks why not start simple - and do the CT scan only if necessary?“Well it’s my opinion this is defensive medicine,” Varipapa said.

Well, you may be right that it’s defensive medicine, but that doesn’t make it incorrect, or bad medicine. A better question would be the 6K charge for a CT scan, but bashing the ED is a lot easier. Frankly, this is not a terrific example of defensive medicine, but is a good example of a) the different though processes between clinic and EM doctors, and b) a cautionary tale of current ED costs. Kevin looked very reasonable and professional (and wasn’t wearing his pajamas)! Here’s his CBS video. I recommend it, mostly to see my friend Kevin before he moves to Hollywood.

Dr. Allen
Creator of GruntDoc
Ashworth University Contributing Blogger 

*Allen earned the alias GruntDoc through is his work as a doctor in the USMC infantry and has carried the name through his current work as an Emergency Physician.  Dr. Roberts obtained his MD from Texas Tech University and is board certified in emergency medicine.  In recent years, he has become one of the most popular and respected bloggers on matters related to health care and medicine.  We’re honored to welcome Allen as a member of our contributing bloggers’ network and would like to specially thank him for the opportunity to share his knowledge, skills, and experience with our student community.  To learn more about the life and work of Dr. Allen, visit his outstanding GruntDoc blog.  Thanks Allen!  

The candidates for the Presidency of the United States are in the news every day and will will continue to be until the November election in 2008. One of the issues that needs to be addressed by each of the candidates is healthcare or healthcare reform. It will be very interesting to hear how each candidate responds to healthcare queries and if their declarations will maintain a consistency throughout the campaign.

Listen to Mitt Romney’s early stance on healthcare and how he believes he can help all Americans receive proper healthcare without burdening the taxpayer.

Isaac Jefferson
Contributing Blogger
Ashworth University