Okay, while relaxing outside and catching up on my journal reading today, I learned the following ground-breaking medical news:
1. Sleep deprivation can impair your thinking, while getting some rest can improve things again (Neurology Reviews, April, 2010).
2. Patients who get two blood thinning drugs have a higher risk of bleeding than patients who get only one (Archives of Neurology, March 8, 2010).
3. People who smoke have an increased risk of stroke and TIA (paper presented at the 2010 International Stroke Conference).
I am shocked! Shocked! I tell you, shocked!!
ReplyDeleteWhoever wrote those studies should be mensas. That's groundbreaking stuff right there!
ReplyDeleteYou would think #1 would be obvious, but you and I both know that most doctors don't actually believe this.
ReplyDeleteYour tax dollars at work.
ReplyDeleteI am living proof of #1 currently. Seven hours sleep in the last 48.
ReplyDeleteWhere are those Haifans when you need them?
ReplyDeleteHey, it's not just not sleeping. ::rueful grin:: I have the fun of not hitting Delta. Whoot!! That's why I get the good weird drugs. :-p Now I just need to find out if they're still doing surgery tomorrow at the hospital I'm supposed to have my TKR at... 47' of flooding so far in the city. I need more sleep.
ReplyDeleteWhat Journal are you reading?
ReplyDelete"Tales of the Obvious"?
@Old MD Girl - unless you were being facetious or making some sort of inside medical joke, I would have to say "Amen, sister!" As a former chronic insomniac, I found a lot of MDs had the attitude of "so what?" when I told them about my inability to sleep. One GP helpfully said, "No one has ever died of insomnia." Yeah, easy for you to say, Mr. 'I get 8 solid hours of sleep per night.' It may be true that no one has ever died of insomnia, but when you are going on day 6 with absolutely no sleep whatsoever (my own personal "best"), you merely wish you were dead.
Wow, so I imagine these studies will dramatically change your practise.
ReplyDeleteThat's why I read blogs. Much more interesting.....and I get to catch up on the latest medical breakthroughs....
ReplyDeleteI agree, #1 seems pretty obvious, but unfortunately it is a cause for heated debate... doctors can't seem to agree that making their residents (and themselves) work continuously for 24-30 hours on an on-call shift may not be a great idea for both doctors and patients.
ReplyDeleteHere is a timely newspaper headline about Quebec residents pushing for a cap of 16 hour call shifts:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/medical-residents-in-quebec-challenge-24-hour-rotations/article1553329/#article
It will be interesting to follow the results of their arbitration hearings.
- A Canadian Resident
Given the nature of my practice, I can only sat that there are a surprising number of prescribers who need to be reminded of # 2.
ReplyDeleteActually, you can die of insomnia. It ain't pretty.
ReplyDeleteWiki page.
Just tell your patients to stop all mood and mind altering substances, get fresh air and exercise daily. The mind will reset and within 6 months they'll be sleeping like a baby. Sadly, most Americans can't wait 6 minutes for what they want so my idea probably won't work.
ReplyDeleteI saw this just recently on Medscape too: NSAIDs May Be More Effective Than Paracetamol for Menstrual Pain
ReplyDeleteDuh.