Guidelines – a major problem

Guidelines are wonderful; guidelines are dangerous.  Over the past decade I have thought often about the benefits and the problems.

Journalistic malpractice – the diet soda study

Aaron Carroll – the Incidental Economist – has a great analysis – They did not prove that diet soda causes Alzheimer’s Disease.

My developing thoughts on adult pharyngitis

I hope these clues stay in your memory and triggers concern and further evaluation if your patient has one or more of these cues.

Things that bug me – 5 – ordering orthostatic BP rather than doing it oneself

This happens too often in my opinion.  A patient comes to the emergency department after a syncopal episode.

Old school medical education

Students and residents seem extremely interested in learning the skills of history taking and physical examination.

Things that bug me 3 – vanc and pip/tazo

We should all follow the subbers philosophy.  We should all celebrate everyone’s efforts and personal successes.

We should encourage exercise – but how can we be successful

Given my current exercise obsession, I wish I could do a better job influencing my patients.  Any suggestions?

Thankful to have become an internist

Being an internist has always been a great privilege.  Every time we help a patient, even in the smallest way, we do something worthwhile.

Did you get your money’s worth today?

Hopefully, with modifications we can provide coverage for more patients, and coverage that actually works for all patients.

The statin controversy

I would not encourage statins for true primary prevention.  Strong genetic predisposition and type II diabetes fit into a separate category.