Who Gets a Vaccine?
Development of a coronavirus vaccine is proceeding at a breakneck pace. What needs to happen to make sure it’s safe and effective? And if a vaccine is successfully made, who should get it first?
Emergency Medicine and First Responders Sub-categories:
- EMT (1)
- Paramedics (8)
Medical Notes: Week of June 7, 2020
Researchers are working on an app with a sensor to test for Covid-19 using only a drop of saliva. Then, life was more stressful than it was 25 years ago… and for middle aged people, it’s much more stressful. Plus, a study shows that emergency room visits for children for mental health disorders has increased 60 percent of the last 10 years. And finally, a …
Medical Notes: Week of May 17, 2020
People with heart attacks and other health emergencies are avoiding the emergency room for fear of contracting Covid-19. Then, a study showing that artificial intelligence can predict with about 80 percent accuracy which moderately-infected Covid-19 patients will get worse and which ones won’t. Next, a study saying that having your first child by C-section …
Will Covid-19 Bankrupt the Healthcare System?
Hospitals are scrambling to get extra equipment and outfit more beds and ICU units for Covid-19 patients. Their treatment is time-consuming and expensive. At the same time, hospitals’ lucrative elective procedure business has largely been eliminated. Will the combination bankrupt hospitals? Two experts who have studied the crisis discuss.
Foreign Accent Syndrome
People who suddenly speak with what sounds like a foreign accent often have a brain injury due to a stroke or other trauma. Experts discuss the syndrome and chances of recovery.
Medical Notes: Week of January 12, 2020
Teenagers are vaping marijuana at rapidly rising rates. Then, a report on concussions and why they can produce lifelong effects. Then, another study confirming the importance of sleep. And finally, a new survey of ERs proves that smartphones make people run into things, triggering a spike in head and neck injuries.
Medical Notes: Week of January 5, 2020
Two experimental drugs that show promise in women with certain types of breast cancer. Then, the federal communications commission has started the process to create a three-digit number similar to 9-1-1 that connects to the National Suicide Prevention Hotline. Then, it appears that teenagers aren’t very good at telling the difference between real and fake …
Christmas in the E.R.: It’s No Holiday
Winter in general, and the holidays in particular, are the busiest time of year in hospital emergency departments, even in places where it doesn’t snow. Experts discuss the increase in deaths of all kinds, including the “Merry Christmas Coronary” and possible reasons those deaths bounce up.
Caring For Strangers
Emergency room physicians have to make sense of and care for complete strangers every day. A recently retired ER doctor looks back at lessons he’s learned that are applicable to everyone’s life.
Medical Notes: Week of October 13, 2019
When you call 9-1-1 for an ambulance, paramedics are supposed to take you to the closest hospital. But a new study shows that doesn’t happen about 40 percent of the time. Then, Flu season is rapidly approaching again. And finally… A study finds that if you want to live longer, take a nap.
Medical Notes: Week of September 1, 2019
Death rates due to heart failure have been increasing since 2012 despite improvements in medicine and surgery. Then, Binge drinking is often seen as a problem among college students and 20-somethings… but a study in the journal of the American Geriatrics Society finds that a lot of senior citizens binge drink, too. Then, ACL tears have traditionally been …
Mental Health in the ER
Many people having a mental health crisis go to the emergency room. However, ER’s are not well equipped to handle them, and many patients are boarded there for hours or even days without treatment. Experts discuss the reasons for the failure, the outcomes it produces, and solutions that have been successful in limited trials.
