Pulmonologists
I've got to keep breathing. It'll be my worst business mistake if I don't - Steve Martin
image by: The Children's Lung, Asthma & Sleep Specialists
HWN Suggests
The Stories We Tell
Stories are at the heart of who we are as people. In medicine, patients tell their doctors the story of how their symptoms started and how they have progressed. They tell the story of how they feel now. We document this story in a note from the encounter that we call the “history and physical.” Some patients are great historians. They eloquently tell their story, with all the fitting details. They developed the “classic symptoms” of the disease, which were brought on by the right things. You wheeze and cough when you go out into the cold, when you are near smoke, when you exercise, but you feel normal in between episodes – you have asthma! To paraphrase Anton Chekhov’s directive for…
Resources
Lung cancer screening with CT: Does it work in the real world?
While authors and editorialists fretted at the perceived low utility of low dose CT for lung cancer screening, it measured up quite well against other established cancer screening programs, such as for breast cancer, colon cancer, and (erstwhile) prostate cancer.
Age-adjusted D-dimer to rule out PE: coming of age?
Put a CT scanner in every U.S. emergency department, add the non-specific signs and symptoms of pulmonary embolism, stir in its potential lethality and morbidity, and line up a few thousand lawyers on the sidelines ready to capitalize on any missed diagnoses, and it's no wonder that the use of CT-angiograms to rule out pulmonary embolism has risen 11-fold between 1998 and 2011.
Air pollution and chronic airway diseases: what should people know and do?
The health effects of air pollution remain a public health concern worldwide. Exposure to air pollution has many substantial adverse effects on human health. Globally, seven million deaths were attributable to the joint effects of household and ambient air pollution.
Doctors can only give so much
Medical training is a transforming experience for those who endure it. We enter hallowed halls as bright kids wanting to help people, and somehow, by the end, we exit as doctors who can't always see past our own busy schedules to be kind to our patients.
How many times has giving empiric antibiotics saved your professional behind?
Physicians who liberally prescribe empiric antibiotics are often maligned as irresponsible or unthinking by condescending colleagues and policy wonks. But are these doctors actually courageous and prudent, saving countless lives every year by refusing to bend to misguided pressure from antibiotic-conserving paper-pushers?
How safe is thoracentesis? Giant case series sheds light
Thoracentesis for pleural effusion — that is, inserting a long needle between someone's ribs to drain a fluid collection from the chest — has always come with a scary menu of potential risks, including pneumothorax, hemothorax and pulmonary edema. A new study reports a low complication rate from thousands of thoracenteses. But debate will remain whether the safety results -- achieved by a high-volume, highly specialized hospital-based team -- can be duplicated by less expert practitioners.
Is Critical Care Medicine becoming a Cargo Cult of Vitamin C?
The proliferation of medicine on social media (Free Open Access Medicine or “FOAM") has created a rich discourse. Easy dissemination and discussion of medical ideas has undeniably salubrious effects, catalyzing the rapid adoption of new techniques, fostering collaboration between distant institutions, and emphasizing the importance of high quality medical education. FOAM is a two edged sword however, and its benefits are mitigated by some important flaws: 280 characters is too succinct for nuanced discourse. The loudest voices, not necessarily the most qualified, reach the most followers. Anecdote can be more compelling than reproducible evidence; YouTube videos are more entertaining than meta-analyses.
Oxygen: Are We Peddling Poison?
Oxygen, like all drugs, has dose dependent effects. In fact, as clinicians we have become very complacent regarding the negative effects of hyperoxia.
The Stories We Tell
Stories are at the heart of who we are as people. In medicine, patients tell their doctors the story of how their symptoms started and how they have progressed. They tell the story of how they feel now. We document this story in a note from the encounter that we call the “history and physical.” Some patients are great historians.
PulmCCM
PulmCCM launched in August 2011 as a solution to these related problems of information overload and "journal fragmentation." The mission is simple: make your life easier by helping you stay sharp and up-to-date in pulmonary & critical care in the most efficient way.
PulmonologyAdvisor
PulmonologyAdvisor.com offers healthcare professionals a comprehensive knowledge base of practical information and resources focused on pulmonary and critical care medicine to assist in making the right decisions for their patients
PulmCrit
I hope this blog will create a space to foster critical thinking, free exchange of ideas, and constructive criticism as we collectively stumble through the challenge of caring for critically ill patients with limited information in a rapidly evolving world. The blog is also a nice way to provide asynchronous eduction for trainees and nurses - if we don't have enough time for discussion on rounds, the blog may explain the rationale behind the way I do things.
My Better Doctor
Issues in medicine, humanity and change as seen by a practicing pulmonologist.
PULMcareer
We are a specialized physician JOB BOARD with jobs for Pulmonology physicians and jobs for those who work with Pulmonologists.
ChestX-ray.com
For physicians and medical students interested in imaging of the thorax. Includes lectures, lung cancer information, links and educational resources.
Clot Connect
Clot Connect is an information and outreach project at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Hemophilia and Thrombosis Center. Clot Connect provides patients and healthcare professionals connection to clinically relevant education resources on deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, thrombophilia and anticoagulation.
CTisus
The website ctisus.com enters its 14th year of providing the premier website dedicated to Computed Tomography Scanning (CT scanning). The site provides a range of content ranging from CT scan protocols for CT scanners from Siemens Medical, GE Healthcare, Phillips Medical and Toshiba Medical to a series of over 600 weekly vodcast and podcasts addressing a wide range of CT topics.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
NHLBI leads a national program in the causes, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of diseases of the heart, blood vessels, lungs, and blood; in sleep disorders; and in the uses of blood and blood resources. The Institute is responsible for research on three of the four leading causes of death in the United States-heart disease, stroke, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
MDLinx
Resources in Pulmonology.
MedPage Today
Pulmonology Information Center.
ScienceDaily
Some of the latest news on lung issues.
Introducing Stitches!
Your Path to Meaningful Connections in the World of Health and Medicine
Connect, Collaborate, and Engage!
Coming Soon - Stitches, the innovative chat app from the creators of HWN. Join meaningful conversations on health and medical topics. Share text, images, and videos seamlessly. Connect directly within HWN's topic pages and articles.
