Well, I happen to be in Tampa right now, and the talk is about Arizona Cardinal’s wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald’s hands. However, what is even more remarkable is his eyes, yes his eyes! That is if you know that he actually closes his eyes when catching the ball. Plucking the ball out of thin air with a 200 plus pound linebacker or cornerback speeding at you is no small feat, but Larry Fitzgerald may have an (more…)

Given the financial trouble many ERs and hospitals are facing, concierge emergency care may be on the horizon.

Richard Winters (via GruntDoc) imagines such as scenario, which for a fee, patients receive private rooms, couches and chairs for family, private telephones and internet service, flat-screen television, and events to meet the hospital administration and physicians.

As long as every cent continues to be squeezed out of (more…)

Patients are circumventing the traditional waiting time to find an organ donor by using Craigslist.

In some cases, years have been cut off the waiting times. But are hospitals prepared for the legal and ethical questions that accompany such a non-traditional means of organ donation?

Few medical institutions even consider such cases, with only 10 percent of transplant centers willing to do cases from an altruistic donor unrelated (more…)

In a tough economy, job opportunities exist, especially in health care. According to the American Nurses Association, only six percent of all nurses are men. Further, across the country, hospitals and medical support staff are facing an increasing short supply of nurses. In fact, the American Hospital Association estimates that 75 percent of all medical vacancies are for nurses. This all comes in the (more…)

Mariana Bridi da Costa, a 20-year old Brazilian model, tragically died early Saturday morning from Pseudomonas aeruginosa urosepsis.

How can this happen?

Miss Bridi da Costa initially presented on December 30th, and was diagnosed with kidney stones. An ultrasound, plain film, or CT scan likely would have been done to confirm the diagnosis. I assume that a urinalysis was also performed, and if so, may have (more…)

Victoria Beckham, the 34-year old mother and wife of soccer superstar David Beckham is said to be foregoing her favorite injectable filler, Botox, in favor of a natural alternative. Victoria Beckham is said to be filling up on goji berries, which contain up to 500 times more Vitamin C than oranges and store linoleic acid, which is an essential fat that plumps up the skin and makes it appear more youthful.

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I’m humbled by the honor.

KevinMD.com has been voted the best medical blog in the 2008 Medical Weblog Awards.

Whether your vote was for me, or for one of the other worthy finalists, your participation in the Awards further cements the status of medical blogs as an influential voice to be reckoned with in the national health care dialogue.

Thanks especially to Jeffrey Parks for the nomination, and (more…)

In a time of change, this is the time to boost the numbers of minority physicians. According to a 2004 survey from the American Association of Medical Colleges, only 3.5% of U.S. physicians are black, while blacks make up 12.3% of the U.S. population. There is also a similar gap among Hispanic doctors and the Hispanic population in the United States. In 1975, the proportion of medical school (more…)

A study, authored by Linda D. Scott, PhD, of Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, Mich., shows that hospital staff nurses who work extended hours, work at night, struggle to remain awake at work, or obtain less sleep are more likely to experience a drowsy driving episode. Like many nurses out there, we have surely had such an episode before.

According to the results, almost 67 percent of the (more…)

Surgical residents in the United States are currently restricted to working less than 80 hours per week.

If you think that’s extreme, consider what’s happening the UK, where surgeons are capped at 58 hours per week (via Dr. Wes). Furthermore, that cap is set to go down to 48 hours.

Apparently, these caps are rarely enforced, as “only 25% of surgeons think their human resource departments accurately reflect their actual working (more…)