HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: bonnie@nmsu.edu (Bonnie Hargrave)
Subject: mitral valve prolapse and need for antibiotics?
Organization: Computing Research Lab
Distribution: sci
Date: Mon, 28 Sep 1992 20:02:37 GMT


The echo test tells my family practitioner that I have a mitral valve
prolapse.  This doctor nows recommends to me that, before I have any
invasive medical procedures done -- including having my TEETH CLEANED
-- that I should take penicillin, both before and after the procedure.

I think taking antibiotics, especially broad-spectrum type, without a
very good reason is dangerous.  She says the prolapse problem could
result in bacteria reaching my heart during any procedure that results
in internal bleeding -- INCLUDING bleeding gums.

What's the general medical thought about this, please?

Thanks.
--

		bonnie@nmsu.edu         
		Bonnie Hargrave        

Newsgroups: sci.med
From: yozzo@watson.ibm.com (Ralph Yozzo)
Subject: Giving Blood! "Gimme that thing, I'll do it myself"
Date: Tue, 06 Oct 1992 20:32:46 GMT
Disclaimer: This posting represents the poster's views, not necessarily those of IBM
Organization: IBM T.J. Watson Research Center

Has anyone else run into the following situation:

You need to give blood for a blood test and the nurse looks at
your arms and says you have small veins.  Then, the nurse proceeds
to stick your arm and miss the vein.  The nurse then complains that 
you have rolling veins.  The nurse switches to the other arm and
sticks and misses again saying that the vein is deeper than it appears.

The nurse then calls in an expert for help.  The expert has no 
problem drawing the blood.

I suspect that this is not a commonplace occurrence.  

And why is that nurses always seem to blame me when they miss the vein?  
Sometimes, I get the urge to say, "Here! Gimme that thing! I'll do it myself!"
And while sticking myself, I could mutter, "If you want things 
done right, you have to do it yourself."   :-) But in reality :-(

-- 
Ralph Yozzo (yozzo@watson.ibm.com)  
From the beautiful and historic Mid-Hudson Valley area of NY state
From: fzjaffe@hamlet.ucdavis.edu (Rory Jaffe)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: epidural anesthesia questions
Date: 26 Sep 92 20:47:29 GMT
Organization: University of California, Davis

In article <1686CC912.M20614@mwvm.mitre.org> M20614@mwvm.mitre.org (Hugh Pritchard) writes:
> [...part of the story plot deleted...]
>A psycho nurse is in the habit of doping bottles of the local anesthetic
>bupivacaine (referred to by its brand name, Marcaine) with some South
>American toad toxin which the nurse has.  So the anesthesiologist administers
>an epidural to a woman in childbirth using this doped Marcaine.  The woman
>dies -- cardiac arrest.  There's a discussion about using Marcaine .75%
>only in ophthalmic surgery, never for an epidural; the anesthesiologist
>protests that he WAS using only .25% Marcaine.

Let me emphasize that 0.75% Marcaine is safe when given properly.  The
hazard occurs when 1) the catheter is in a vein instead of the proper
space, 2) no test dose is given (or improperly given), and 3) all of the
dose (instead of increments) is given at once.  Pregnant women are at
greater risk.  I want to emphasize this, so people reading these posts
don't go screaming and run from the hospital when they hear they're getting this drug.
From: jfh@duke.cs.duke.edu (Fran Heidlage)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: dementia
Keywords: senile  Alzheimer's
Date: 30 Sep 92 17:42:31 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Duke University Computer Science Dept.; Durham, N.C.



	Is there a difference between senile dementia and Alzheimer's
	disease?  I have the impression that they are two different
	entities, but I have a friend who argues that they are older
	and more recent names, respectively, for the same thing.
	How do the docs on the net use these terms?  Thanks.

	Fran Heidlage
	jfh@cs.duke.edu
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: stone@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (Glenn Stone)
Subject: Re: Med school
Reply-To: stone@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (Glenn Stone)
Organization: Columbia University
Date: Wed, 30 Sep 1992 15:04:15 GMT

In article <1992Sep27.151614.24095@dragon.acadiau.ca> 901371d@dragon.acadiau.ca (D.N.D) writes:
>
> I've heard of people taking pre-med and of people getting
>into med school with a degree in the Arts.
> I find those two statements contradictive.Is a pre-med program
>needed to get into medicine,or could someone get in with say
>an Engineering degree or computer science degree?

If you look at the yearly publication called medical Schools
Admissions Requirements you'll see that most schools simply require a
year each of chemistry, orgo, biology, and physics (sometimes calculus
too).  No med school requires that you major in "pre-med" or a
medicine-related field.  I tell my advisees NOT to major in biology
(the field lots of them assume they'll have to major in) unless they
like biology and are good at it.  And they all seem to get in.  Well,
most of them.

Some schools have a major called "pre-med", but I greatly prefer our
approach at Columbia -- everyone has their own major (or concen-
tration), but there is a pre-med program that makes sure you get the
prerequisites taken care of and get written up properly for the
admissions committees.



-------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Glenn Davis Stone                                BITNET: stone@cunixf
  Columbia University            INTERNET: stone@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: schmidtg@iccgcc.decnet.ab.com
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Followup: Health Hazards from oil based paints?
Date: 30 Sep 92 01:01:32 EST



I would like to thank all those who have replied to my recent post
"Health Hazards from oil based paints?".  The symptoms I described
finally began to fade away approximately 8 days following the exposure.
Via an article in the June 24th 1991 issue of Chemical and Engineeering
News titled "Multiple Chemical Sensitivity", I found a book on the subject
titled "Chemical Exposures Low Levels and High Stakes" by Nicholas A.
Ashford and Claudia S. Miller.  I don't believe that much is known yet
about these effects.  My sensitivity to the naptha solvent must be
greater than the norm.  I spoke to someone in the technical center
at the paint company and they claimed that they have never had anyone
complain of this before.  I requested the material safety data sheet
which unfortunately had little to say about chronic hazards other
than "Intentional misuse by deliberately ingesting, concentrating
or inhaling contents may cause permanent harm or be fatal".  The symptoms
of exposure listed as "headache, drowsiness, dizziness" were consistent
with mine.  I also contacted the local poison control center.  They
had no information on long term effects as they specialize in the treatment
of acute symptoms immediately following an exposure.


Regards,


-- Greg Schmidt		schmidtg@iccgcc.decnet.ab.com
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: yozzo@watson.ibm.com (Ralph Yozzo)
Subject: Treatment for Mononucleosis
Date: Fri, 02 Oct 1992 14:53:41 GMT
Disclaimer: This posting represents the poster's views, not necessarily those of IBM
Organization: IBM T.J. Watson Research Center

I've been told that the only treatment for mononucleosis is
plenty of rest in bed.  That is, no medicine is prescribed.

Is this true?

-- 
Ralph Yozzo (yozzo@watson.ibm.com)  
From the beautiful and historic Mid-Hudson Valley area of NY state
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: kudzu@netcom.com (Michael Sierchio)
Subject: Re: Excess Of Vitamin C?
Organization: True Love, and Home-Grown Tomatoes
Date: Wed, 30 Sep 1992 18:34:32 GMT

In article <16642@pitt.UUCP> geb@cs.pitt.edu (Gordon Banks) writes:

>....  I suppose Pauling just keeps escalating
>the dose and says they having been giving enough to disprove his
>theories.  18 grams is so absurd, it is ridiculous.  There is no
>way we could have evolved to require such high doses....

Well, Gordon, goats produce about 14g/day, canines produce almost that
much.  Gorillas ingest at least several grams daily.  So much for your
evolutionary argument....

And then, there is considerable debate over optimal vs. RDA dose, which
your response ignores. You and Kessler should do lunch.

-- 
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|  Michael Sierchio                          1563 Solano Avenue, Suite 123 |
|  kudzu@netcom.com                                Berkeley, CA 94707-2116 |
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------+
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: ghica@fig.citib.com (Renato Ghica)
Subject: SMOKING gradiations 
Originator: ghica@duck
Organization: Citibank IBISM
Date: Tue, 29 Sep 1992 16:16:59 GMT


Relatively speaking, 

When talking about smoking cigaretts, pipe tobacco and cigars,
is there any gradiation as to the health problems stemming from
their use?

Is cigarette smoking more dangerous than cigar smoking which
is more dangerous than pipe tobacco?

Anyone know?

-- 

"I am a brain, Watson."
"These views are my own. / Mail me or Flame me"

Newsgroups: sci.med
From: hrubin@pop.stat.purdue.edu (Herman Rubin)
Subject: Re: Cost Concerns in Med School?
Organization: Purdue University Statistics Department
Date: Fri, 2 Oct 1992 14:12:47 GMT

In article <BvGJs6.Hs5@wpg.com> russ@wpg.com (Russell Lawrence) writes:
>In article <BvD8zJ.33x@wpg.com> russ@wpg.com (Russell Lawrence) writes:
>rl> Would you be in favor of abolishing the Medical Devices Amendment
>rl> of the Pure Food and Drug Act?

>From article <16695@pitt.UUCP>, by geb@cs.pitt.edu (Gordon Banks):
>gb> I'd certainly be in favor of modifying it if not abolishing it.

>The Pure Food and Drug Act, and the Medical Devices Amendment, didn't
>just drop out of the blue because someone had an overwhelming desire
>to create a bureaucracy.   They were legislative responses to the public 
>outcries that arose from preventable disasters that had caused a lot
>of suffering for a lot of good people.   

And as a result, they suffer from the far too popular attitude that the
"experts", and in particular the government administrators, KNOW what 
products are "good" and what are "bad", and that this decision is almost
independent of who the consumer it.  Now something like thalidomide, where
a few hundred infants were born with defects, far in excess of the normal
number, call for banning by the public.  We would never have found out, even
if it had been approved for intelligent use, if it would have prevented
thousands of accidental deaths from tranquilizers.  In fact, if a drug will
save the lives of thousands, there is little outcry if the approval is delayed
while studies of safety and effectiveness are carried out.  The public
pressures are to prevent the not even always clear injuries, and to ignore
the possible good.

A recent case of this was Alar.  This chemical MAY have been responsible for
a few cases of cancer; this is still problematical.  On the other hand, it
could have prevented some bruising of apples, which is also a cause of cancer.

Government regulators are responsive to demands for protection, and concern 
for the benefits of actions are way down the list.  In addition, when these
people feel it is their Divine purpose to protect people from themselves,
they act as the FDA has acted.  
-- 
Herman Rubin, Dept. of Statistics, Purdue Univ., West Lafayette IN47907-1399
Phone: (317)494-6054
hrubin@pop.stat.purdue.edu (Internet, bitnet)  
{purdue,pur-ee}!pop.stat!hrubin(UUCP)
From: hrvoje@castle.ed.ac.uk (H Hecimovic)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Proscar (w/o prostatectomy)
Date: 26 Sep 92 16:54:58 GMT
Distribution: sci.med
Organization: Edinburgh University


Hi, in a recent issue of "Time" July,6, they were talking about new drug
Proscar. 
It is supposed to help to live w/o prostatectomy in patients who have
larger adenoma and until now the only help would be surgery.
It won FDA approval and:
1. 1/3 patients - clear benefit
2. 1/3            limited improvement
3. 1/3            no help


I am not a patient, but quite interested in this matter. Could somebody
say a bit more about the drug and its usage. 

Thank you, Hrvoje
From: geb@cs.pitt.edu (Gordon Banks)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: dangers of microwaving
Date: 29 Sep 92 16:53:12 GMT
Reply-To: geb@cs.pitt.edu (Gordon Banks)
Organization: Univ. of Pittsburgh Computer Science

In article <1992Sep23.232222.1@kean.ucs.mun.ca> mgomes@kean.ucs.mun.ca writes:
>
>
>    Long ago I came across this controversy about the possibility
>that microwaving food would change some organic molecules in such a
>way that they might become cancer promoters.

Any kind of charring or burning can do this, but I'm not familiar
about microwaving making any difference.  Sounds crackpot to me.
-- 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gordon Banks  N3JXP      | "I have given you an argument; I am not obliged
geb@cadre.dsl.pitt.edu   |  to supply you with an understanding." -S.Johnson
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: geb@cs.pitt.edu (Gordon Banks)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Doctors' credentials
Date: 29 Sep 92 17:18:45 GMT
Reply-To: geb@cs.pitt.edu (Gordon Banks)
Distribution: usa
Organization: Univ. of Pittsburgh Computer Science

In article <1992Sep28.172016.4763@cs.rochester.edu> fulk@cs.rochester.edu (Mark Fulk) writes:
>
>I've never had a doctor refuse an interview, unless it was because she
>was taking no new patients.  Generally, they have included a brief
>examination in the interview; I find that doing so gives me a better
>chance to observe the doctor, and gives natural opportunities for me
>to ask my questions.  Over the last twelve years or so, I've interviewed
>about 15 M.D.'s and six dentists.  I've rejected about five of them.

That's interesting.  I suppose regions and specialties differ.
In 12 years I've yet to have my first request for an interview,
but thinking about it further, I am probably being naive, since
we don't take care of people who don't already have some problem.
I think in neurology it goes under the guise of "getting a second
opinion".  After seeing me for a second opinion, a lot of patients
will say they want me to be their neurologist rather than the one
they are now seeing.  I suppose those that don't like me better
will return to the other guy or solicit a "third opinion".
This way I suppose the insurance pays for their visit
for the second opinion.  If they just said "interview" the
-- 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gordon Banks  N3JXP      | "I have given you an argument; I am not obliged
geb@cadre.dsl.pitt.edu   |  to supply you with an understanding." -S.Johnson
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: cease@carina.unm.edu (Cecilia De Blasi)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: women in science
Date: 29 Sep 92 20:26:31 GMT
Article-I.D.: lynx.fy+p1jd
Organization: University of New Mexico, Albuquerque

In article <1992Sep21.212836.261@news.wesleyan.edu> RGINZBERG@eagle.wesleyan.edu (Ruth Ginzberg) writes:
> This is in part to
>address the widespread apathy toward, or distaste for, science among bright
>women college students. 


The situation at Wesleyan University must be vastly different than that
at the University of New Mexico.

- Cecilia De Blasi

-- 
| courtesy of Cease of the Not Well Defined at This Time |
|        cease@unmb.bitnet    cease@carina.unm.edu       |
|    We're only immortal for a limited time.  - Rush     |
**********************************************************
From: stone@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (Glenn Stone)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: women in science
Date: 30 Sep 92 02:54:37 GMT
Reply-To: stone@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (Glenn Stone)
Organization: Columbia University

In article <fy+p1jd@lynx.unm.edu> cease@carina.unm.edu (Cecilia De Blasi) writes:
>In article <1992Sep21.212836.261@news.wesleyan.edu> RGINZBERG@eagle.wesleyan.edu (Ruth Ginzberg) writes:
>> This is in part to
>>address the widespread apathy toward, or distaste for, science among bright
>>women college students. 
>
>
>The situation at Wesleyan University must be vastly different than that
>at the University of New Mexico.

How do you know?  Do you have any numbers, or is it just a matter of
impressions?

I do have some numbers, from the May 1991 Science.  Data are from an
NSF survey of employed PhD's.


                % white    % female

psychology         95.4        36.0
medical            88.9        29.1
biology            89.8        23.4
social science     90.7        21.2
computer sci       86.0        11.6
chemistry          86.6        10.7
math               88.7         8.7
environment        91.8         8.4
agriculture        92.8         7.7
physics/astr       89.8         4.7
engineering        79.1         3.1

Psychology is the whitest and "femalest" field, but it's hard to know
what to make of this in a discussion of women in "science" --
psychology comprises everything from neurobiology to Jung.

It doesn't look to me like the orthodox view, as expressed by the
usually heterodox Ken Mitchell, that girls get their interest in
science drummed out of them, holds up very well.  Why would we drum
out interest in physics and astronomy, but not interest in medicine
and biology?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Glenn Davis Stone                                BITNET: stone@cunixf
  Columbia University            INTERNET: stone@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: mcovingt@athena.cs.uga.edu (Michael A. Covington)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: dangers of microwaving
Date: 29 Sep 92 17:34:22 GMT
Article-I.D.: athena.1992Sep29.173422.2294
Organization: University of Georgia, Athens

In article <16643@pitt.UUCP> geb@cs.pitt.edu (Gordon Banks) writes:
>In article <1992Sep23.232222.1@kean.ucs.mun.ca> mgomes@kean.ucs.mun.ca writes:

>>    Long ago I came across this controversy about the possibility
>>that microwaving food would change some organic molecules in such a
>>way that they might become cancer promoters.
>
>Any kind of charring or burning can do this, but I'm not familiar
>about microwaving making any difference.  Sounds crackpot to me.

I think he remembered it backward.  I recall a few months ago somebody,
somewhere, pointing out that microwave cooking is apparently _safer_ because
it does not normally char or burn.  It also consumes less energy.


-- 
+ Michael Covington - Artificial Intelligence Programs - U of Georgia - USA 
+ Unless otherwise noted, these are private opinions, not official statements.
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: bhjelle@carina.unm.edu ()
Subject: Re: Early screening for genetic diseases
Date: Wed, 30 Sep 92 13:47:55 GMT
Organization: University of New Mexico, Albuquerque

Chorionic villous sampling can be done much earlier than
amniocentesis. It carries a someone higher risk of loss
of the fetus, but a number of people have opted for this
procedure. The abortion risk is about 3% or so. I believe
it can be done at about 10 wk. It is not available
everywhere- people who need it in Albuquerque often go
to Phoenix.

A separate issue is how they would diagnose *your* infant.
There are >50 mutations causing beta thalassemia, and unless
they know what mutations you and your husband have (in
advance) DNA studies on the placental tissue would be
a shot in the dark. Only a very few highly specialized
labs offer this type of testing -maybe your OB knows
where this can be done.

If not, write me and I'll try to find out.

Brian








Newsgroups: sci.med
From: russ@wpg.com (Russell Lawrence)
Subject: Re: Arrogance, arthritis, & Banks
Organization: WP Group
Date: Sun, 4 Oct 1992 21:01:10 GMT


In article <BvIDIs.9yp@wpg.com> russ@wpg.com (Russell Lawrence) writes:
rl> All the quacks that I've investigated had credentials, Ken.   Rather
rl> than pit one set of credentials against another, wouldn't it be
rl> preferable to provide some pointers to the data?

From article <16752@pitt.UUCP>, by geb@cs.pitt.edu (Gordon Banks):
gb> The quacks I've investigated mostly had mediocre credentials and no data.
gb> THe only exception I can think of offhand is Linus Pauling.

Perhaps you and I aren't investigating quacks with the same degree 
of rigor.  As I recall, you mentioned several years ago that you 
knew a guy who was an outrageous quack but that you didn't dare 
blow the whistle on him.   What's the point of any investigation if
it terminates in silence mandated by legal and political fears?

I've got two guys in my sights right now.  One holds a full 
professorship in an accredited medical school.  The other earned 
a fellowship in the Academy of General Dentistry and won several 
academic prizes reserved for individuals who've made notable 
contributions to dentistry.  Graded on their credentials, they 
both are top-notch authorities;  graded on the availability of 
scientific evidence to support their therapeutic claims, they're 
both luney-tunes.  

Speaking of Pauling and bad nutritional advice, why don't you 
tell us again how us humans have lost the ability to synthesize B12 
because of the meat in our ancestral diets.  

-- 
Russell Lawrence, WP Group, New Orleans (504) 443-5000
russ@wpg.com   uunet!wpg!russ
From: geb@cs.pitt.edu (Gordon Banks)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: FDA
Date: 5 Oct 92 14:47:42 GMT
Reply-To: geb@cs.pitt.edu (Gordon Banks)
Distribution: usa
Organization: Univ. of Pittsburgh Computer Science

In article <KPC.92Oct3172202@zog.arc.nasa.gov> kpc@ptolemy.arc.nasa.gov writes:
>
>who gains from the laws against filling a prescription from out of
>state?  these force non-medical doctors to go to a doctor in state to
>get the same prescription.
>
What states have such a law?  I've had no trouble having my PA
scripts filled in Ohio and WV.

>also, who gains from the prescription laws in general?  sometimes i
>must pay scores of dollars in time and money, simply to get a
>signature for a prescription drug or a refill that i already know for
>certain that i need.
>
You may need another doctor then.  I don't charge my patients
to call in refills, and don't think most doctors do.




-- 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gordon Banks  N3JXP      | "I have given you an argument; I am not obliged
geb@cadre.dsl.pitt.edu   |  to supply you with an understanding." -S.Johnson
----------------------------------------------------------------------------