Medical 2.0 Pills

The missing social medical learning platform that could change clinical practice

2011-07-12T14:08:00.009+02:00

Here is the point. I can share megabytes of media with my friends and colleagues via facebook, twitter, google plus and similar social platforms, but when it comes to making my social network a learning network, I struggle.I like to keep track and quantify my habits and learning experiences. For example I can log and share the books I have read via aNobii and many other alternative platforms. I

Google+: the ultimate tool for social geeks

2011-07-01T20:25:00.016+02:00

Google+ has arrived! I am confident that the 500 employees & $585 million investment in this new project-platform-product have set the basis for what will be a revolution of our daily internet experience. Nonetheless, what I've perceived today is a lot of skepticism, after the recent flops/setbacks of Google Health and Google Wave. My first impressions are enthusiastic. Google+ has enormous

How to enhance your twitter experience using Diigo: an efficient knowledge sharing tool

2011-06-25T18:33:00.001+02:00

Is Twitter a waste of time? It obviously depends on the tweeting habits of who you chose to follow. Luckily there is freedom of clicking that unfollow button, block specific clients or hashtags, select lists, etc. To make it short there are many ways to filter a redundant feed to meet your needs. But here comes the point I would like to make: even if you select the best accounts to follow and set

Is Inkling a good reason for a medical student to buy an iPad?

2011-06-17T14:08:00.002+02:00

If an iPad should be mandatory in medical school, has started to be questioned at least over a year ago on KevinMD.com. Now some medical schools even require students to own one. Is this marvelous piece of technology capable of directly enhancing learning? @nlafferty has just linked on twitter 5 ways a pediatrician uses her iPad, but also has discussed that on an infographic on UK iPad Usage,

The 2 Mile Challenge: a campaign to promote bike rides instead of car trips for short travels

2011-06-16T09:25:00.001+02:00

Did you know that 40% of all urban travel in the US happens within 2 miles of where people live? 90% of that travel is by car! I love health promoting online campaigns with social tools and motivating challenges. I think it's an interesting approach to fitness and general practitioners in particular could consider suggesting adhesion to their patients. http://2milechallenge.com is a great

Online Journal Club: Twitter, Journalfire, Papers2 Livfe, Mendeley which tool is best?

2011-06-15T11:21:00.000+02:00

Despite the social media revolution we are experiencing, engaging in an online medical journal club remains a tough challenge. Collaborative and social attitude is definitely required (this may already select a restricted population...). But even if you own this philanthropic virtue and are willing to share and enhance your knowledge, you will need to chose an online tool to get connected with

Should StudyBlue enhance Evernote integration to become the future facebook for nerds?

2011-06-08T23:17:00.003+02:00

If you don't know, I am a great adopter of flashcards and I praise for mobile and efficient productivity solutions. This is why StudyBlue has really caught my attention, especially when Evernote announced "Turn Your Evernote Notes Into Flashcards with StudyBlue". But there's a problem: integration isn't really as I had expected it. Once Evernote Notes are imported inside StudyBlue, they are not

Evernote Peek: the ultimate tool for flashcard geeks

2011-06-08T19:38:00.002+02:00

I am a huge fan of Evernote and this news has literally boosted my enthusiasm. I think the video speaks for itself. Quoting the official description: Evernote Peek is the first app designed for the iPad 2 Smart Cover! Studying with an iPad has never been more natural. Simply peek under the cover to prepare for a quiz, practice a language or strengthen your memory. I think that using

Will GE Healthcare's Twitter Challenge "Get Fit” reach the spotlight? #getfit

2011-06-07T18:44:00.000+02:00

GE Healthcare has recently launched a noble cause challenge "to raise public awareness about cancer prevention and healthy living". Rules are simple (or maybe not). For the next two months, the “Get Fit” campaign will encourage people from all over the world to tweet about their own health and fitness activities that have been shown to reduce the likelihood of developing cancer.Continents will

Healthysparx: a Quora-like attempt for health questions

2011-06-07T11:49:00.001+02:00

Thanks to TNW's article Healthysparx is Australia’s Quora for Health Problems I have been giving a try to Healthysparx. I've appreciated the clean interface and simple facebook/twitter signup. Besides the fact that its contents still need to build up, I fear that the lack - at the moment - of user engagement tools, might not bring enthusiasm to this new project. The user profile is way beyond

Papers2 and Evernote integration: my "pro tip"

2011-04-27T15:10:00.008+02:00

Mekentosj's Papers2 has recently published the following "Pro tip" Pro Tip: Integrate Evernote with Papers2 from Alexander Griekspoor on Vimeo. I am currently using Evernote as my memory appendix to harbour whatever I digitally read. I find that what the video is demonstrating is a long unnecessary workaround. To go from Evernote to Papers2 you can easily option click and select "open with...

An outrageous letter on the New York Times minimizes the physician's job and slaps in the face people with rare conditions.

2011-04-21T10:12:00.002+02:00

An outrageous letter regarding "The Girl With Unexplained Hair Loss" has been published on The New York Times. Let me quote: An interesting discussion, but this type of article only feeds our obsession with esoteric and unusual conditions. I disagree. First of all let me highlight that Wilson disease isn't an esoteric and unusual condition. It is 100% curable if diagnosed by time, devastating

Misconceptions on Wilson Disease on The New York Times? (Discrepancies&Doubts 3)

2011-04-09T18:22:00.003+02:00

I have noticed a considerable number of people linking on Twitter an article appeared on nytimes.com:Testing the Medical Expertise of the Digital Herd. (great story!) No one has pointed out anything, but I believe that there have been published some misconceptions on Wilson disease.... an inherited liver disorder, like Wilson disease, where excess dietary copper builds up and injures the liver

42tasks a Wunderlist clone? the productivity apps phenomenon needs to be clear.

2011-04-02T15:49:00.001+02:00

I've recently talked about productivity tools and Wunderlist as a great to-do app for busy medical students and researchers. Yesterday night I've discovered 42tasks, a brand new app on Apple's iPhone store. Not only it reminded me of 43things.com but it seems to be a Wunderlist clone. You can make your own considerations: 42tasks Wunderlist Besides the project idea and website colors, even

Medscape updates with a fresh new and more functional layout

2011-04-02T14:04:00.000+02:00

I was surprised when this announcement popped up on Medscape: What I have noticed and appreciated immediately is the new layout for medical conditions which makes information more quickly accessible though a "presentation - workup - treatment - medication - followup" bar and an ancillary sidebar menu on the left. Search now offers automated results while typing classified in drugs,

The Cochrane Journal Club: a valuable resource worth your time

2011-04-02T00:44:00.003+02:00

I was searching for online journal clubs and bumped into the Cochrane Journal Club, a valuable and authoritative resource which is definitely worth following. Cochrane Journal Club is a free, monthly publication that introduces a recent Cochrane review, together with relevant background information, a podcast explaining the key points of the review, discussion questions to help you to explore the

Discrepancies&Doubts 2: The Duke Criteria (Harrison's vs BMJ's Best Practice)

2011-03-30T23:04:00.002+02:00

Keeping up to date can be challenging if different authoritative resources don't match. Here is how the Duke criteria for infective endocarditis have been presented. Find the differences. BMJ's Best Practice Access Medicine Harrison's Online 17th Edition Is there a reasonable explanation?

Colwiz: a Reference and Productivity Platform for Researchers, Academics and Students

2011-03-20T21:13:00.005+01:00

@nlafferty has kindly notified me of colwiz, a startup from University of Oxford. I have embedded this official slideshow that illustrates the major features: A couple of random thoughts: - I think colwiz has a huge potential but at the moment still needs a critical mass. I have tried to browse through groups but without success. Even with broad keywords, I haven't been able to find public

Maybe medical professionals just don't have the time to be socially oriented.

2011-03-18T15:41:00.002+01:00

An interesting article from 2010 reviewed some of the basic web 2.0 tools for anesthesia education and clinical practice: Chu LF, Young C, Zamora A, Kurup V, & Macario A (2010). Anesthesia 2.0: internet-based information resources and Web 2.0 applications in anesthesia education. Current opinion in anaesthesiology, 23 (2), 218-27 PMID: 20090518 It concluded stating: The ‘Anesthesia 2.0’ concept

Is BMJ Best Practice the best time efficient and authoritative tool for medical students and doctors?

2011-03-17T14:32:00.002+01:00

Finding and assimilating relevant and up to date medical information is a time consuming and demanding task for medical students and doctors. I would like to quote an editorial from the European Journal of Human Genetics: Never before in history has information been so readily available to us, and its exponential rise continues unabated. With multiple media formats, inexorably led by the

SIRS criteria: is it oral or rectal temperature? Harrison's vs the rest: who is more authoritative?

2011-03-14T19:06:00.010+01:00

Uptated June 29, 2011 1. - Respiratory rate Harrison's Online 17th Edition Chapter 265 (Chap. 254 16th Edition) claims in SIRS criteria: tachypnea (>24 breaths/min). Medscape (and Sleisenger and Fordtran's Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease 9th Ed. Chap. 58 p. 973) state it's 20 breaths/min. I am aware this seemingly doesn't change clinical decisions - as trachypnea is part of a broader

An ECG may save a life: Italy plans to mass screen teenagers

2011-03-09T21:43:00.000+01:00

Sudden cardiac death kills 1000 youngsters every year in Italy. Mandatory ECG screening for athletes is mandatory in Italy since 1982, but prevention strategies may go a step further. SIC (the Italian Cardiology Society) and Fondazione Italiana Cuore e Circolazione - Onlus are promoting a fundraising campaign - with Francesco Totti - AS Roma football player - as a testimonial (video on fb), in

Mekentosj's Papers2 Review: My First Impressions

2011-03-08T19:28:00.002+01:00

I have been an enthusiastic Papers user since 2007, when it had truly revolutionized pdf desktop organization and bibliography management. So I had indeed high expectations on Papers 2 which has been punctually released today. As Papers 1, the new application from Mekentosj runs smoothly and offers clear and immediate tools to organize articles and other media. Papers for IOS. There is an

Mekentosj's Papers2 is out!

2011-03-08T16:53:00.002+01:00

And the moment has arrived! Mekentosj's Papers2 is out! I have tried to screencast my very first experience. Download Papers2 Trial here. I am discovering the browser bookmarklet and Livfe at the moment! Share your thoughts and experience too!

The Mendeley API Binary Battle: a great opportunity for developers and Science!

2011-03-08T15:20:00.000+01:00

On the day that Mekentosj's Papers2 was expected (the countdown is zero at the moment but the application hasn't been released yet), Mendeley launches a very interesting initiative that certainly deserves to be buzzed: the Mendeley API Binary Battle! The news has been immediately reported by the TNW blog as "Mendeley, the ‘Last.fm for academia’, holds $10,001 ‘Battle’ to boost its API". I think

Is JoVE (the Journal of Visualized Experiments) the future of scientific publishing?

2011-03-02T19:27:00.001+01:00

JoVE is a video journal for biological research. With the diffusion of broadband connections, the scientific world could indeed publish videos of experiments and lectures (as reviews). Will this be the future of scientific journals? Classic newspaper media has already shifted to a multimedia and internet / social oriented-approach, with interactive and video-rich websites. Will the academic

Rare Disease Day: raising awareness through the social networks

2011-02-28T17:49:00.002+01:00

The European Organisation for Rare Diseases (EURORDIS) has excellently coordinated the online presence of the Rare Disease Day, the awareness-raising event converging around the slogan “Rare but Equal". Social networks were promoted to enhance communication and tighten connections between people. I think that promoting rare disease awareness through these channels is very important and noble.

Bad Project (Lady Gaga parody) gets over 2 million views in one month!

2011-02-27T20:31:00.003+01:00

Shortly before discovering this video, I was reading on Science of Blogging:In short, the use of social media has given us a tremendous outlet by which to translate and promote scientific knowledge and engage the public discourse. We strongly believe that all scientists, researchers, clinicians, government and not-for-profit organizations have much to gain by adopting an effective and viable

Professional Oncology Education Online Presentations from M. D. Anderson Cancer Center

2011-02-26T20:59:00.000+01:00

Please let me know if there are other medical centers in the world that excel in online communication as M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. I was already enthusiastic about Professor Anas Younes, M.D. oncologist and lymphoma expert, sharing his professional expertise and insights on twitter and facebook. But at M. D. Anderson Cancer Center having an online professional and

iProcrastinate for Mac: another great "to-do" solution!

2011-02-26T19:01:00.001+01:00

I've suggested you Wunderlist just a few days ago. iProcrastinate can be an excellent alternative for mac - iPhone users. In my humble point of view: the PROs:- Free mac desktop app.- It's student-oriented: subjects - tasks - steps - You can link files (it copy them in a separate folder, but it remembers the location in your computer).- Calendar view.- Straightforward sync via dropbox with

Webicina goes mobile with a great free iPhone app!

2011-02-26T11:06:00.000+01:00

I am enthusiastic about Dr. Bertalan Meskó's latest news: the Webicina free iPhone app. I consider @berci one of my "twitter mentors". When I opened my @medgeek account he was already there and his posts on scienceroll.com were - and are still today! - a great and unique resource for the latest updates in the Medicine 2.0 world. The Webicina iPhone app offers a selection of medical social media

Polyglot Med Spanish: practice your medical Spanish with a free app for iPhone

2011-02-25T00:04:00.002+01:00

There is clearly a new trend emerging from the AppStore regarding medical apps. We have recently reviewed MediBabble: a free app for medical language translation. Polyglot (version 1.0 has been just released) is another free app for iPhone et similia developed by the Duke Area Health Education Center to help you practice and repeat your medical Spanish or English, viceversa. In other terms:

Health Month: a social game that helps pursuing healthy lifestyle changes.

2011-02-24T14:20:00.003+01:00

Changing unhealthy lifestyle habits isn't immediate and easy. I would like to link an interesting video, before getting to Health Month. Thomas Goetz in his speach "It's time to redesign medical data" states that sense of efficacy works better than fear. Motivation plays a fundamental role in this process. This is why Health Month is worth a try. Health Month is all about making small

Wunderlist: a great to-do app for busy medical students and researchers.

2011-02-24T11:06:00.002+01:00

I am a great fan of to-do apps and services. I have indeed tried many of them in the last few years. The core issue here, is that are many target users, each one with different needs. The universal ideal solution doesn't exist because the more features a service offers, the less minimalist and time efficient it risks to be. Wunderlist is a relatively new option you might want to consider. It's

Find Free Condoms in New York City with an iPhone / Android App

2011-02-23T20:35:00.002+01:00

I was really surprised when I found this iPhone app, promoted by the New York City Health Department. You can find more info on the NYC condom initiative on it's official website (http://www.nyc.gov/condoms) and on its facebook page. Being New York City the most populous city in the USA and a international tourist attraction, I see this as a very important educational and pragmatic initiative for

MediBabble: a free app for medical language translation

2011-02-22T23:28:00.000+01:00

Language can indeed be a serious barrier between health care providers and patients. MediBabble is a free new app worth trying on your iPhone / iPad. MediBabble is a free mobile medical translation tool designed to help healthcare professionals provide safe, timely and quality care across a language barrier. Languages featured at the moment are: Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, Russian and

Mekentosj announces Papers2 for Mac. Does Mendeley tremble?

2011-02-22T08:13:00.007+01:00

Papers2 for Mac will be available from March 8th with new features that will be revealed one a day. Back in 2007 after trying Sente, I switched to Papers from mekentosj. It was a really revolutionary application back then. Unfortunately time passed and I slowly shifted to Mendeley which I found more practical to use. Menkentosj now states:Papers2 not only helps you organize your research

Online medical video consults: is this where healthcare is heading? The hellohealth.com service.

2011-02-20T19:20:00.004+01:00

Just yesterday I bumped into docmein.com. hellohealth.com seems to go a step further in providing tools to connect patients with their geek doctor, other than online scheduling. I think its a very interesting and promising field. I am not sure though if there are enough studies that assess endpoints of effectiveness of such patient - doctor connections, highlighting the real pros and cons.

DocMeIn.com an online appointment scheduling service for private practice

2011-02-19T19:02:00.000+01:00

Having all geek patients would be a dream for a geek doctor. Docmein.com offers a free service that could help this connection come true. A question rises immediately: are there privacy issues? Docmein states: DocMeIn does not manage patient health information and is therefore not subject to HIPAA compliance. I would love to read any feedback from doctors on the feasibility of such service.

Geek tools that help me daily. And Pearltrees will be a new entry!

2011-02-17T00:02:00.001+01:00

Here they are. (try refreshing your browser if the script shouldn't launch) Geek Tools I Use I've discovered pearltrees.com today and - with no doubt - I will start using it on a daily basis to keep organized my online experience. Do you use other tools to help you keep your life organized and efficient? Any suggestions are welcomed.

Medical bloggers that shut down their online presence

2011-02-16T21:18:00.003+01:00

The question is: do we really need to be online? The issue can become truly amletic. Dr. Ves highlights interesting viewpoints. How can we deal with information overload? Can blog posts be valuable and authoritative? Too much feedback could scare physicians, ending up struggling to find the time for online interactions. Too many could indeed interfere with patient care time. But isn't

Ultimatum for Beta Thalassemia Trait Detection

2010-05-19T15:54:00.001+02:00

A very quick question: Is it ethically and professionally acceptable not having detected a thalassemia trait before a certain age? A person may take his first hemochrome at age 30, but if this is not the case, is it tollerable that a general practitioner hasn't investigated more deeply a low MCV value, ruled out iron deficiency and at least informed the patient of the possibility that he might

5 Tips to Make Twitter Your Valuable and Time Efficient Social Tool

2010-01-30T13:58:00.007+01:00

Twitter is a great social web tool: it gives each user an unique opportunity to create a valuable personal network of friends and followers which share the same interests.Nonetheless it can be a time consuming and frustrating experience for many people who strive to keep up with the updates and can get overwhelmed by the continuous buzz.Here are a few suggestions which have helped me keep twitter

H1N1 Prevention Measures, Naples and the Intercession of San Gennaro

2009-09-13T10:40:00.005+02:00

To prevent the spread of the flu, health authorities reccomend to: Stay home if you get sick. Cover your nose and mouth. Wash your hands. Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.What is happening in Naples deserves attention.Recently all Neapolitan public transportation drivers have gone on strike, paralyzing the whole city, to protest on what they believe is a lack of hygiene measures to prevent

H1N1 Swine Flu Panic! Where's the evidence for vaccination?

2009-09-07T21:21:00.005+02:00

The "Swine Flu" is spreading quickly via mass media channels. Italy may close some schools over swine flu. A link to a Daily Mail article concerning a "leaked letter" in the UK written by neurologists concerned by an unacceptable post vaccination risk of Guillain-Barre Syndrome, is virally spreading through social websites such as Facebook.Let's make it clear, CDC website states:In 1976, a

Early diagnosis of Parkinson's Disease: can we talk about it or are we just creating false expectations?

2009-07-15T13:02:00.005+02:00

Some Tweets on Parkinson's Disease caught my attention: Gron_Neurologen Parkinson's Disease: Novel Drug Discovery Tool Could Identify Promising New Therapies http://twurl.nl/n7isha 15 Jul 2009 from twitterfeed Gron_Neurologen Link Between Pesticide Levels In Blood And Parkinson's Disease http://twurl.nl/lj6tfd 15 Jul 2009 from twitterfeed

In vitro creation of human sperm: a case that needs more in depth scientific and ethical analysis

2009-07-12T23:48:00.005+02:00

An incredible number of debates, especially on non-scientific media, have been raised, following the results of K. Nayernia lab research at the North East England Stem Cell Institute, Newcastle University. The scientific publication has recently appeared on the Stem Cells and Development Journal, as an online version with the title: Derivation of Human Sperm from Embryonic Stem Cells.Many are the

23andMe Launches the Research Revolution Program

2009-07-10T01:59:00.004+02:00

The Direct-to-Consumer company, 23andMe, has just launched a program named Research Revolution.By enrolling, you receive access to your own genetic data, including analysis of over 100 diseases and traits. This specially priced Research Edition of the 23andMe service costs $99Seems they are offering a discount to get a certain number of "controls" for research project.For sure this is a new

Janet Rowley’s work established that cancer is a genetic disease

2009-07-02T11:34:00.001+02:00

Cancer Geneticist Janet Davison Rowley to Receive $500,000 Gruber Genetics Prize for Groundbreaking Discoveries in Identifying Chromosomal Abnormalities in Leukemias and Lymphomas — Findings that Established Cancer as a Genetic DiseaseSource: Gruber Prizes“I became a kind of missionary, saying that chromosome abnormalities were important and hematologists should know about them,” Rowley recalls

Are you registered as a bone marrow donor? Any long term data on G-CSF use for mobilization?

2009-07-02T01:18:00.000+02:00

Finding an HLA compatible donor for a hematopoietic cell allogeneic transplant isn't that easy. If a patient doesn't have brothers or sisters, the chances of finding one in a registry can be 50-70% if he is of caucasian origin, but chances fall dramatically if he is of other ethnicity or was born in a location that has seen many migrations / invasions during history for example.Most countries

HIV/AIDS: when is the CDC Classification used and when is the WHO Clinical Staging? Should it be revised?

2009-06-29T17:51:00.000+02:00

At first I found guidelines for treatment at http://aidsinfo.nih.gov/ No idea why the CDC Classification isn't easy to access on that website.At the end I found the tables I was looking for here: http://www.aidsetc.org/aidsetc?page=cm-105_diseaseAnd discovered that, besides the CDC classification, there is a WHO Clinical Staging of HIV/AIDS.This staging system is used in many countries to

Ataxia Telangiectasia heterozygosity: does it implicate any prevention strategy?

2009-06-26T13:24:00.000+02:00

Ataxia Telangiectasia, majorly a neurological disorder, can be also reviewed in a chapter about T-cell primary immunodeficiencies.A-T is a rare autosomal recessive disorder, but 1% of the population is heterozygous for a ATM gene mutation. There is evidence that heterozygosity gives an increased cancer susceptibility (breast and hematological) and radiosensitivity. (GeneReview Link)Are there any

Donating a kidney to the world: an ethical debate

2009-06-23T14:12:00.000+02:00

Just replied on a discussion opened on doc2doc: Would you donate a kidney to a stranger?I am wondering if it is possible outside UK / The Netherlands and if it is, how really willing is a medical équipe to take a kidney from a person who wants to donate it to the world.I find very useful, and ethically accepted, the databases that allow "crossmatching" between different families that have

Endurance sports: you can die because of drinking too much during exercise!

2009-06-18T19:49:00.000+02:00

I was reading: Extreme exercise: an expert opinionhttp://student.bmj.com/student/view-article.html?id=sbmj.b2295When I came into thisOne of the most concerning life threatening conditions seen by sports physicians at endurance events is exercise associated hyponatraemia. This is caused by overhydration with fluids during the race, with dilution of serum sodium that results in encephalopathy and

When to ask for a Thrombophilia screening?

2009-06-18T15:54:00.000+02:00

I hope someone can help me.Dr. Murphy has just posted Factor V Leiden testing not useful?I have left this comment:Dear Dr. Murphy, I remember I have studied on lecture notes some conditions in which to ask for a screening on trombophilia, such as first episode of DVT (age < 45), recurrent DVT without risk factors, DVT during pregnancy and many other. Do you know which is the major ebm reference

Tales of music and the brain: Dr. Oliver Sacks, Musicophilia

2009-05-15T17:57:00.006+02:00

I've just finished reading Dr. Sacks' brilliant book Musicophilia.Dr. Sacks is a neurologist who has written other popular books such as Awakenings, The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and An Anthropologist on Mars.Musicophilia collects many stories and insights on different aspects of music related to the human brain, each analyzed from a different perspective: from epilepsy to musical

Necessary digital competencies for doctors

2009-05-12T20:12:00.002+02:00

Dr. Anne Marie from the blog wishful thinking in medical education has challenged me:Can you tell me some of what you think are the necessary digital competencies for a doctor graduating in 2-5 years time?It is hard to tell. As a start, I think I must say I believe that the "blogosphere" is biased. I don't believe we are the ordinary internet users, we are technology geeks who are excited about

Will BLS rescuers be fit enough for chest-compression only CPR?

2009-05-06T02:08:00.003+02:00

So this is what I just readGarza and his research colleagues analyzed the effect of new resuscitation protocols implemented in 2006 by the Kansas City Emergency Medical Services. Under the changes, the highest priority became chest compressions, and rescuers were told to perform 50 chest compressions before pausing to administer two breaths to the patient. Current American Heart Association

Fatties support global warming

2009-04-27T12:29:00.003+02:00

A recent paper, Population adiposity and climate change, published online by british epidemiologists on the International Journal of Epidemiology is giving rise to various controversies.The authors of the study compared a "normal" population with mean BMI of 24.5 and 3.5% obese with a population with a mean BMI of 29 and 40% obese. The first reflects the UK situation in the 1970s, the second the

QuizMD: free questions and cases for medical students

2009-04-15T01:43:00.002+02:00

Just happened to surf on QuizMD: http://quiz.mdIt was created to help students help each other succeed, to collectively scratch each others' backs. Education doesn't need to be difficult. Take control and make it yours.I found it simple and very well organized. It supports also a variety of websites with the same format such as dermstudent.com, emcases.com and plasticstudent.com all from the

World Tuberculosis Day 2009

2009-03-24T13:22:00.002+01:00

In 1882 Robert Koch announced he discovered the cause of tuberculosis, the Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Today more than 2 billion people are infected with the Mycobacterium.There were 9.2 million new TB cases in 2006.More facts on the 2008 WHO - Tuberculosis Fact Sheet - spread the awareness!I've talked on MedicalPills about TB in the post: Misdiagnosed tuberculosis kills 25 year old

DiagnosisPro: easy differential diagnosis tool

2009-03-16T18:15:00.004+01:00

I just discovered DiagnosisPro, a differential diagnosis tool.It's free, simple, quick and fairly well categorized. Can be definitely useful for a medical geek to have a quick broad view of possible differential diagnosis and for brainstorming.Any suggestions of similar online tools are welcome.Link: en.diagnosispro.com

Vatican arises against Obama's choices on stem cell research

2009-03-10T09:17:00.002+01:00

"It is about ensuring that scientific data is never distorted or concealed to serve a political agenda — and that we make scientific decisions based on facts, not ideology," US President Obama.The Vatican condemns embryo stem cell research as immoral and useless, fearing "designer babies".The sleep of reason produces monsters.

Overweight and Obesity in Italy: Michelangelo's modern David

2009-03-05T15:19:00.005+01:00

I was just reading that the 2008 epidemiologic essay by Osservasalute states that Italians are getting fatter.Overweight people are now 35% and obese 10,2% of the population.So the Happy Hospitalist is right when showing the restored Michelangelo's DavidVia HH, via David returns to Italy.

Brainstorming on St. Vitus' Dance as Sydenham's chorea

2009-03-04T20:24:00.006+01:00

Many diseases are identified with medical eponyms. Other have been called for centuries with a Saint's name, according to the catholic tradition, and some people might still recall a different nomenclature.I found some time to google St. Vitus.According to the Roman Catholic tradition, St. Vitus is one of the fourteen holy helpers - whose intercession is particularly effective in the cure of

Sudden death in young athletes: USA needs more screening?

2009-03-03T18:53:00.003+01:00

I was reading this statement:The rate of young athletes in the United States dying of sudden cardiac failure is relatively rare, on par with the same age group being involved in a lightning-related death, researchers say.Source: Sudden Cardiac Death Rare in Young Athletes - MedlineplusSudden deaths are more then half due to underlying cardiovascular disease.While ECGs are used regularly in

Misdiagnosed tuberculosis kills 25 year old

2009-02-19T14:51:00.003+01:00

A local newspaper reported this story which has particularly touched me.A 25 year old social worker (contact with immigrants from high prevalence countries is a great TB risk factor) started to cough and lose weight.Her visits to the family doctor went on for 5 months. What her doctor diagnosed was stress, probably a psicosomatic disorder, influentia, and anorexia. One day there wasn't her usual

Licensing your genetic information to 23andME

2009-02-19T11:55:00.004+01:00

23andME is a "direct-to-consumer" DNA testing company that is raising many ethical issues in the genetics and the personalized medicine world.Dr. Murphy's Gene Sherpas Blog has many interesting thoughts on these issues and is one of my favorite online readings at the moment.In his last post Dr. Murphy questions: why Facebook and not 23andME?Why in the hell do you care about that Drunk Photo more

Lifestyle changes: might genetics help?

2009-02-10T17:39:00.005+01:00

I just read this: - Disease Diagnosis Can Spur Change in Lifestyle. Study found smokers, obese more likely to change when given bad news about health -Being diagnosed with a serious condition such as heart disease or diabetes can prompt middle-aged and older adults to make health behavior changes, such as quitting smoking or losing weight, a Yale University study shows.The full article can be

Genetic Tests for Heart Disease Risk

2009-02-09T19:09:00.003+01:00

From an article on MedlinePlus:Such tests probably wouldn't be used in childhood, Erdmann said. "But I can imagine a 30-year-old man with a family history of heart disease having one," she said. "It would be good for him to get a test of these genetic variants and find out if it is important to modify the other factors that lead to heart disease, such as obesity and high blood pressure."I am

Eyetube: ophthalmic video resourse

2009-02-06T11:51:00.003+01:00

There are some ophthalmology videos on Youtube but Eyetube rocks in comparison!Eyetube features a wide collection of video tutorials, especially on eye surgery, regarding the cataract, cornea, glaucoma, laser vision correction, oculoplastics, refractive IOL and retina. Excellent symposia are also offered.For example I've just finished watching a magistralis tutorial on the capsulorhexis procedure

Physicians aren't prescribing enough exercise

2009-02-05T23:47:00.004+01:00

Although the proper exercise can help people deal with and alleviate chronic neck and back pain, a new study shows that health professionals may not be prescribing it as often as they should.It really doesn't always have to be a drug to kill the pain. Unfortunately the benefits of exercise aren't in our knowledge fundamentals... But if even physicians fail to "prescribe" it, I don't know if we

Cello Scrotum: no more fear

2009-02-05T20:25:00.005+01:00

Male cello musicians can fear no more the cello scrotum irritation: the hoax was admitted after 34 years from being published on BMJ (ok, it was just a paragraph but still!)References:Original paper on BMJ - hereMore links on Clinical Cases and Images Blog where I read about this.Picture Credits: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamilsoni/96622337/

Breast implants on minors: an open debate

2009-02-05T12:56:00.008+01:00

The "iatrogenic" D-cup size breasts of a participant of Italy's "Big Brother" TV reality, have opened an ethics discussion on Italian newspapers and in various parliament committees.The news claim that recent poll has revealed that 36% of minors don't like their body, that 17% don't like their breasts and that 14% of teenagers 16-17 would go for a breast implant.Politicians are discussing with

Eponyms in Ophthalmology

2009-02-04T16:04:00.007+01:00

Here's a (paradigmatic) list of medical eponyms and technical terminology that tumble upon a medical student studying Ophthalmology.I wonder how many of these a medical doctor still remembers. Any feedback?Albini's EAmsler's testArterial ring of Zinn-HallerBergmeister's papillaBjerrum's scotomaBowman's membraneBruch's membraneBrucke's muscleCloquet's canalCopper's orbitonometerDalrymple's

Can a 7 year old attemp suicide?

2009-01-16T09:07:00.006+01:00

Indeed.Any history of depression or anxiety disorders? No.Any relevant psychiatric conditions in the family? No.So how come?Copycat after watching TV, in particular a movie where soldiers were hanged. He tried to do it himself.Reference: Copycat suicidal attempt by a 7 year old boy after watching homicidal behavior in media: a case report - (CasesJournal)Cases Journal is a peer-reviewed, open

Medical Boards and Medical Mnemonics

2009-01-14T12:55:00.004+01:00

V. Dimov, M.D. has just updated a very interesting post on How to Score Well on the Boards which I highly recommend: many tips and links to useful resources!About USMLE just a quick link to Scrub Notes: A Medical Student Blog - which is sharing the author's current experience in dealing with First Aid for the USMLE Step 1, QBanks, etc.Since we're talking about this, I've also noticed that

Mountain and Expedition Medicine: Kenneth Kamler MD

2009-01-13T10:08:00.008+01:00

I went on fora.tv and was very surprised to find featured this video: Dr. Ken Kamler Remembers 1996 Everest DisasterI'm a big fan of Kenneth Kamler MD (wikipedia). I've read 3 or 4 years ago his booksSurviving the Extremes - a doctor's journey to the limit of human enduranceandDoctor on Everest - Emergency Medicine at the top of the world, a personal account including the 1996 disaster.Dr. Kamler

Top Medical Podcasts: Medicine and Health Audio and Videos

2009-01-12T11:24:00.012+01:00

A podcast is free collection of audio clips (and video sometimes) that you can listen from your browser, download manually or subscribe via iTunes to get updates automatically.The downloaded files can be then uploaded on a portable mp3 player (such as an iPod) and listened "on the go", which makes this kind of media really handy and time efficient for many listeners.Here is a list of interesting

79% of medical doctors are couch potatoes

2009-01-09T18:51:00.003+01:00

This is what a study recently published on the British Journal of Sports Medicine suggests.You can find a detailed discussion on this topic by me here.Do you think physicians should promote healthy lifestyle and prevention or just try to fix patients up when something goes wrong? What is your personal experience with fitness? Do you fulfill the current recommendations of 30 mins of moderate

Genetics: is direct to consumer genome scanning ethical on children?

2009-01-08T23:56:00.007+01:00

Dr. Hsien-Hsien Lei recently posted Testing Children for Sporting Ability Genes on the Eye on DNA blog, discussing how parents might push too much their children in doing something...With genetic test results in hand, parents may feel tempted to wave it in the child’s face and say, “But you can’t give up! Your destiny is here. You have two copies of the ACTN3 gene (note 1). You were born to be a

Staying up to date with the latest medical insights

2009-01-08T20:31:00.009+01:00

Staying up to date and being aware of the latest insights can indeed become a need for the practicing physician and an obsession for the medical student!Useful suggestions can be found in 5 Tips to Stay Up-to-Date with Medical Literature from the Clinical Cases and Images BlogIn brief summary, what you could do is:- subscribe to RSS feeds of medical journals.- listen to podcasts.- subscribe to

Should a medical student promote fitness?

2009-01-08T13:47:00.006+01:00

My personal idea is that medical students should be aware of the benefits of physical exercise and start promoting as much as possible a healthy lifestyle, better if they are the first ones to give the good example to their future patients and colleagues. Prevention is indeed better than cure.What is your experience with fitness? Are you living a sedentary life?I have written a brief post on the

Doctors and Medical Students on Twitter

2009-01-07T21:12:00.004+01:00

On the Medical Student Blog you can find an excellent and fairly large list of physicians and medical students and other people related to medicine that use twitter.The medical twitter community is indeed getting larger and larger. Enthusiastic promoters I follow from a long time are Berci and AllergyNotes.My twitter account is: MedGeek !Lastly you must check out the: 5 stages of twitter

Podmedics: new podcast for medical students

2009-01-07T16:47:00.005+01:00

Podmedics is a fairly new free video podcast run by and for medical students and junior doctors. Excellent audio quality and slides. Brilliant and straightforward contents.You can subscribe via itunes or browse the directory on their website: www.podmedics.co.uk .

ClinicalCases Blog Presents a "Competitor": CasesJournal.com

2008-05-19T18:01:00.002+02:00

I want to make a great plause for the Clinical Clases blog that I have regularly on my feeds. Very honestly it introduces today a new online open access - peer reviewed journal: the Cases Journal.Cases Journal is a peer-reviewed, open access journal publishing case reports from any area of healthcare that are understandable, ethical, authentic and include all information essential to its

Fitnessrocks: an Excellent Podcast on Fitness and Medicine

2008-04-05T18:51:00.006+02:00

I was listening to a news roundup of Johns Hopkins Medicine Weekly Podcast, which I reviewed in the last post. There has been a trial on restriction of computer and television use by kids (which lost weight - but not because they moved more but because they decreased the intake of calories). I was wondering if the same thing happens to medical students who stay online blogging, reading other

Another great podcast and two words on the "chocking game"

2008-03-27T22:07:00.007+01:00

I discovered another great podcast to listen on the go to get updates and have the chance to meditate on interesting medical topics: it's the Johns Hopkins Medicine Weekly Health News with Elizabeth Tracey, director of electronic media for Johns Hopkins Medicine, and Rick Lange M.D., chief of clinical cardiology at Johns Hopkins.I listened to the two latest News Roundups while running and I was

MedlinePlus: NLM Director's Comments - a great podcast

2008-03-25T14:24:00.006+01:00

The MedlinePlus: NLM Director's Comments podcast is a great audio resource. It is constantly updated and presents very interesting insights with episodes around 10 minutes. Donald A.B. Lindberg, M.D., Director of the National Library of Medicine, has a deep and penetrating voice, just excellent. I subscribed to the podcast on iTunes and am getting episodes since 2006.I really really recommend it:

Clinical Cases and Images on Clinicalcases.org

2008-03-11T17:03:00.004+01:00

I finally found a great web resource for clinical cases, it's Clinicalclases.org. This website is so well structured that you can simply not notice it's based on Blogger's platform.There are a good number of excellent clinical cases with essential history, physical examination, diagnosis, treatment and references to go more in detail. There are also pictures and reports of exams prescribed.All

MedPod101: a podcast to review Internal Medicine

2008-03-11T13:47:00.006+01:00

I just love podcasts: they refresh automatically in my iTunes and sync when I plug in my iPod so that I can listen to my favorite talkshows/lectures/discussions on the go.It isn't easy though to pick the right ones, those that are really worth listening to.I will point out some interesting ones in this blog, hoping to get some new suggestions too.Medpod101 already has two podcasts: the DermPod

Disclaimer

2000-01-07T18:13:00.001+01:00

Medical Pills is provided as a free tool for guidance only. It is not intended as a medical service.Do not use the information from Medical Pills to make medical decisions! No responsibility is accepted for any errors, omissions or inferences made based upon site content.Medical Pills does not take responsibility or accept liability for any loss or damage resulting from the use of this website,

About

2000-01-07T17:22:00.009+01:00

Medical Pills is a free medical microblogging project, aiming to be a quick reference tool and friendly resource for readers involved in medicine, genetics, medical practice and online medical geeks in general. Please take one minute to read the disclaimer. Medical Pills features debates on medicine, essays on medical genetics, tips and links to online web 2.0 / medicine 2.0 resources, all

Other Interesting Resources?

2000-01-07T02:07:00.004+01:00

Please leave a comment below if you want to suggest me- medical books- essential scientific papers- medical resources onlineor just have any comment on this website in general