Short work weeks make for short posts, doubly so when virtually all the health-related news is about the healthcare bill in Congress. So I’ll end the year with two unrelated bits of good news.
The first is that the H1N1 flu pandemic is mostly behind us. The peak numbers of people getting sick both nationally and in California was about two months ago, with decreasing numbers ever since. As predicted by yours truly in April, the world did not end (though a bunch of my patients were plenty mis...
More
Mollified about Mercury (or Calm about Catfish)
Mercury in high doses is known to be toxic. So if you were thinking about breaking your glass thermometer and drinking the contents on a lark, I beg you to reconsider. This has raised concern about possible harm from eating seafood since many species of seafood are known to contain trace amounts of mercury. Much hand-wringing has ensued. Should we shun salmon? Avoid albacore?
The most recent issue of The Medical Letter, a publication I frequently cite, summarizes the scientific literature ...
More
Expired Medications (or Medicines From The Mesozoic)
Every primary care physician occasionally encounters questions similar to the following.
“I just found some of my blood pressure medicines. The container fell behind the couch a year ago. The expiration date was last month. Can I still use them?”
or
“I know you just prescribed amoxicillin for my sore throat, but I just found some amoxicillin in my cupboard that I bought during the Nixon administration. Can I take that?”
The bigger question is, what happens to medications after they expir...
More
Lemierre Syndrome: Rethinking Pharyngitis in Young Adults
One of the first outpatient problems a primary care trainee learns to manage is sore throat. The current algorithm is fairly simple. Most sore throats are caused by viruses and will not improve with antibiotics. Symptomatic medication for pain and fever is the best we can offer. But a significant minority of sore throats is caused by a bacterium called group A β-hemolytic streptococcus. These cases are more commonly known as “strep throat”. In strep throat antibiotics shorten the duration ...
More