Jacob M. Appel, M.D, J.D., M.P.H. The rationing of scarce resources has long posed one of the most challenging dilemmas in medical ethics. Much of the rationing in the American healthcare system occurs “invisibly” through the allocation of funding, especially with regard to preventive care: Patients may never be offered smoking cessation therapy, for instance, […]
Gagandeep Kaur, M.D., Kanwarjeet Singh Brar, M.D., Steven Lippmann, M.D. Birth order is defined as the sequential order in which siblings are born (1). Discussion about this issue began in the 19th century (2). Since birth order confers a strong impact on development, inquire about birth order when eliciting a history. There are five variables […]
Ahmed Adel Eladely, M.D., Steven Lippmann, M.D. Introduction SARS-CO-2 is a coronavirus causing a worldwide pandemic (1). First recognized in China, it spread, and in just three months has reached at least 199 countries. With an increasing number of people affected, by late-March there were well over 465,000 patients known to exhibit COVID-19 infections and […]
Gagandeep Kaur, M.D., Kanwarjeet S. Brar, M.D., Steven B. Lippmann, M.D. Introduction Stepmother is a term that refers to a woman not someone’s biological mother (1). The Latin prefix “step” means orphan. A stepmother becomes a legal parent of a child only when the biological mother gives permission, is deceased, or has deserted the child; […]
Steven Lippmann, M.D. The EHR: Pro & Cons Some years ago, the electronic health record (EHR) arrived with hopes to advance healthcare, expand research opportunities, and make medical charts readily transferable. These goals were not all realized; to the contrary, the EHR is troublesome for physicians and upsetting to our patients. Some people complain that, […]
Dilip KC, M.D., Vidyulata Salunkhe, M.D., M.P.H., Bibodh Jung Karki, M.D., Amar Sutrawe, M.D., Steven Lippmann, M.D. Many commensal microbiota inhabit the human body, most commonly on skin and in the gastrointestinal tract. There are trillions of microorganisms in the intestine; the most frequent inhabitants of the gut are Firmicutes, Bacterioides, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Cyanobacteria […]
Jacob M. Appel, M.D., J.D. Most Americans take for granted the right to sue their physicians for negligent or reckless conduct. While considerable disagreement exists regarding such related issues as caps on payouts for “pain and suffering,” rare are objections to the basic principle that patients directly injured as a result of substandard treatment deserve […]
Safoora Fatima, M.D., Pavani Nathala, M.D., Steven Lippmann, M.D. Introduction Measles is a highly contagious disease transmitted via respiratory droplets from person-to-person. Before the advent of the measles vaccination, there were over half million cases reported annually in the United States, with 500 measles related deaths each year (1). Clinical Measles starts with a […]
Jacob M. Appel, M.D., J.D. The past thirty years have witnessed an “apology revolution” in medical practice. Prior to the 1980s, the prevailing approach to medical errors in clinical care favored concealment: If patients or their survivors did not discover medical mistakes on their own through legal discovery and litigation processes, self-interest discouraged physicians from […]
Dilip KC, M.D., Steven Lippmann, M.D. We all know that lithium has important pharmacological properties (1). Most famously, it can provide mood stabilization in patients with bipolar disorders (2). Lithium reduces the risk of suicide in individuals with depression (3). Indeed, it may be helpful in mitigating depressions and possibly in other psychiatric disorders. It […]
