HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: Daniel.Prince@p327.f531.n102.z1.fidonet.org (Daniel Prince)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Medically proper treatment for sore throat
Date: 11 Apr 92 13:18:02 GMT
Organization: FidoNet node 1:102/531.327 - PC Workshop, Inglewood CA

I have had what I believe to be Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) for 20 years 
(plus or minus one week).  I get sore throats VERY frequently.  My tonsils get 
quite large and have red lines running through them.  When my throat is more 
sore than usual I sometimes go to the Doctor for a throat culture and blood 
tests.  I went to the Doctor yesterday, my temperature was 98.0, my BP was 
102/70.  I told the Doctor that I wanted to wait for the results of the throat 
culture and only take antibiotics if there was an infection but he prescribed 
Ampicillin anyway.  

Is this considered good medical practice?  Thank you in advance for any 
replies. 

          -Daniel


 

--  
Uucp: ...{gatech,ames,rutgers}!ncar!asuvax!stjhmc!102!531.327!Daniel.Prince
Internet: Daniel.Prince@p327.f531.n102.z1.fidonet.org
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: georgec@eng.umd.edu (George B. Clark)
Subject: Re: Is baloon angioplasty safe?
Date: Mon, 06 Apr 92 16:45:20 GMT
Organization: College of Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park
Distribution: na

The subject operation is risky, it has never been shown to benefit the
patient, and it has generally fallen into disfavor with the medical
community. The only motivation for doing it in the first place was that
it is a very expensive procedure that insurance companies have been willing to
pay for, and hence it is highly profitable to the cardiologist doing the
procedure.

I'm busy right now at work, but I will cite you specific statistics from 
references that I have at home later this evening when I get home
from work.

During the interim, my recommendation is that you find a new doctor.
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: ara@zurich.ai.mit.edu (Allan Adler)
Subject: Re: SYSTEMIC MASTOCYTOSIS
Organization: M.I.T. Artificial Intelligence Lab.
Date: Fri, 10 Apr 1992 16:59:48 GMT

In article <17569.29E5A31B@stjhmc.fidonet.org> Mark.Long@p0.f24.n147.z1.fidonet.org (Mark Long) writes:
Path: mintaka.lcs.mit.edu!ogicse!uwm.edu!cs.utexas.edu!asuvax!stjhmc!p0.f24.n147.z1.fidonet.org!Mark.Long
   From: Mark.Long@p0.f24.n147.z1.fidonet.org (Mark Long)
   Newsgroups: sci.med
   Date: 10 Apr 92 13:28:15 GMT
   Article-I.D.: stjhmc.17569.29E5A31B
   Sender: ufgate@stjhmc.fidonet.org (newsout1.26)
   Organization: FidoNet node 1:147/24.0 - ModemLink BBS, Yukon OK
   Lines: 24

   Anyone have have a child or know of a child who has contracted systemic
   mastocytosis?  It is very rare and almost always ends in death.  A close
   family has a child with it.  The doctors can only make guesses on treatment.
   The Mayo clinic made a try but couldn't help.  The little boy has been turned
   down by St. Judes and Shriner's (because of the poor outlook.)  The mother
   like any mother doesn't want to give up and she has a lots of support.
   What I hope to give her is a list of parents who also have "masto" children.
   In case you haven't heard, this disease attacks organs by literally healing
   them to death.  Histamines take over and kill the organ or gland.
   It's like a direct inverse to aids.  So far, his colon has shut down and
   pituitary gland has malfunctioned.  He receives 100% of nutrients from a tube
   connected to his heart valve.  His food is a special pre-digested mixture.
   He is 2 1/2 years old.  Any support information is appreciated.  Send replies
   through here or preferably netmail.....



   ... MAL/OK.CITY,OKLA./USA/FIDONET 1:147/ODSTORE92/MDMLINK.***/



   --  
   Uucp: ...{gatech,ames,rutgers}!ncar!asuvax!stjhmc!147!24.0!Mark.Long
   Internet: Mark.Long@p0.f24.n147.z1.fidonet.org


I don't know anything about this and can't help. But I have a few questions.

Since the problem seems to be an overactive immune system, maybe one way
to treat it is to give the immune system something else to do. For example,
try infecting the person with some disease that will cause the immune
system to fight the disease instead of the body itself.

Since it seems to be acceptable medical practice to cure one disease by
causing another one that will take longer to kill you (e.g. some cancer
treatments, which themselves cause cancer), one might ask, for example,
whether it takes longer to die of AIDS than it does to die of this disease.
AIDS must do wonders to cure an overactive immune system.

I realize these are people's lives we are talking about. But we also have
to ask naive questions in order to learn anything.

I hope these questions don't offend anyone.

Allan Adler
ara@altdorf.ai.mit.edu
From: rowhite@wrdis01.af.mil (Ronald D. White)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Earwax Removal
Date: 17 Apr 92 19:30:52 GMT
Organization: 1926CCSG Robins AFB


		Is there a good home remedy for removal of excess ear wax?
	While using a Q-tip to clean his ear, a friend of mine seems to hav
	clogged his ear canal with wax.  He is experienceing ringing in his
	ear and partial hearing loss.  Regular ear drops seem to be having
	little effect.  He has also tried Hydrogen Peroxide.e
From: rind@binoc.bih.harvard.edu (David Rind)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Anesthetic Alopecia Areata and Headaches
Date: 15 Apr 92 02:27:58 GMT
Reply-To: rind@binoc.bih.harvard.edu (David Rind)
Followup-To: sci.med
Organization: Beth Israel Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston Mass., USA

In article <14360@pitt.UUCP> geb@dsl.pitt.edu (gordon e. banks) writes:
>Isn't alopecia areata where *all* the hair falls out, including eyebrows?

No, alopecia areata is (and I think translates as) patchy baldness.  I
think the condition you're thinking of is called alopeica universalis.
-- 
David Rind
rind@binoc.bih.harvard.edu
From: David.Seiver@p4.f60.n273.z1.fidonet.org (David Seiver)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Attention Seeking Fits
Date: 14 Apr 92 04:26:02 GMT
Organization: FidoNet node 1:273/60.4 - Metro Hub Five, Philadelphia PA

On (11 Apr 92) Michelle Woltman, EDP, Fo wrote to All...

 MW> The doctor said that this is called an Attention Seeking Fit/Anoxic
 MW> Reflex
 MW> Seizures. I disagreed with him as before she often starts she has all
 MW> the attention she can possibly
 MW> get and sometimes before she passes out we are already holding her. 
 MW> The
 MW> doctor said just to ignore it when it happens and she will stop doing
 MW> it. 
 MW> O.K. we did that but she hasn't stopped doing it and if we do ignore
 MW> it she
 MW> sometimes passes out with her falling on something or off something.

 Sat 04-11-1992 | 22:43 DST
 --------------------------
 The conditions are too dangerous to just ignore.  Get more opinions
 immediately.  Apparently your doctor is not delving far enough into
 the problem.
 
 DAS
 
 


 

--  
Uucp: ...{gatech,ames,rutgers}!ncar!asuvax!stjhmc!273!60.4!David.Seiver
Internet: David.Seiver@p4.f60.n273.z1.fidonet.org
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: dyer@spdcc.com (Steve Dyer)
Subject: Re: Sources of Used/Antique Medical Equipment
Organization: S.P. Dyer Computer Consulting, Cambridge MA
Date: Wed, 15 Apr 1992 05:44:30 GMT

In article <181077@pyramid.pyramid.com> dgoodin@pyrtech.pyramid.com (Dianna Goodin) writes:
>>After reading some of the recent posts here, I may want to have
>>a couple of people lobotomized.  Let me know if you find them.
>So Gordon, 
>    Since no one has time to talk about something of interest to you, why
>don't you post something to educate the rest of us?
>
>Dianna

Ah, a volunteer, I see.  But applying for a second lobotomy is
like trying to lose your virginity twice.

It should not need to be said that Gordon posts more than his
share of educational and informative articles.

-- 
Steve Dyer
dyer@ursa-major.spdcc.com aka {ima,harvard,rayssd,linus,m2c}!spdcc!dyer
From: rind@binoc.bih.harvard.edu (David Rind)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Physicians & Responsibility
Date: 6 Apr 92 16:30:14 GMT
Reply-To: rind@binoc.bih.harvard.edu (David Rind)
Followup-To: sci.med
Organization: Beth Israel Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston Mass., USA

In article <1992Apr6.145812.29694@ircam.fr>
 francis@ircam.fr (Joseph Francis) writes:
>On the basis of safety, I have yet to hear of a Zovirax side-effect.

I think you could probably come up with better examples of prescription
drugs that could safely be made OTC.  There is still relatively
little experience with long term use of acyclovir, and there are 
still concerns about the development of resistant viral strains.
Also, acyclovir can damage the kidneys, and while this is only
supposed to happen with IV acyclovir, I've seen two people develop
kidney failure where the only explanation seemed to be oral
acyclovir.
-- 
David Rind
rind@binoc.bih.harvard.edu
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Question on long term use of Amitryptiline
From: macridis_g@kosmos.wcc.govt.nz (Gerry Macridis)
Date: 14 Apr 92 15:19:08 GMT
Organization: Wellington City Council, Wellington, NZ

In article <14288@pitt.UUCP>, km@speedy.cs.pitt.edu (Ken Mitchum) writes:

> Tricyclics as a rule are safe, but may cause problems in
> elderly patients and patients with cardiac problems. In general,
> I think most clinicians would prefer nortryptiline to amitryptiline
> because of these considerations. I am not aware of any cost
> difference.

Doxepin has relatively low cardiotoxicity and is a useful alternative
to amitriptyline as it retains the sedative effect.  Nortriptyline
produces relatively little sedation and is more suited to withdrawn
patients whereas the more sedative tricyclics are more suited to
agitated patients.

-- 
Gerry Macridis,      /\/\     .... Email: macridis_g@kosmos.wcc.govt.nz
Private Box 3929,   ( oo )    :... Voice: +64 4 3899444
Wellington,           \/......:
New Zealand.                       Learn first aid; it saves lives.
From: geb@dsl.pitt.edu (gordon e. banks)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: O2 a "prescription-only" drug?  Why?
Date: 16 Apr 92 18:36:54 GMT
Organization: Decision Systems Laboratory, Univ. of Pittsburgh, PA.

In article <1992Apr15.162016.24816@kestrel.edu> king@reasoning.com (Dick King) writes:
>
>Breathing gases necessarily have purity requirements that industrial gases
>don't.  I'm not sure about O2 in particular, but ask your local SCUBA shop.
>
>The contaminant i would worry about is oil.  If i knew more about how
>industrial O2 was made i would probably be able to figure out other
>contaminants to worry about.
>
Industrial grade O2 is far purer and less contaminated than anything
you can breathe from room air nowadays.  It doesn't have oil in it.
Of course, since there is a liability question, they won't give it
to you if you say you are going to use it for medical purposes,
even at the scuba shop.




-- 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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: fortmapl@UDAVXB.OCA.UDAYTON.EDU ("Paul Fortman : free spirit")
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Why allergies come in "attacks"?
Date: 15 Apr 92 05:16:00 GMT

From: suhre@meltami.dsd.trw.com (Maurice E. Suhre)
Subject: Re: Why allergies come in "attacks"?
 
	The phemonemon of weather matters.  When it rains, that tends to wash
	the air and beat the pollen off the plants.  And the allergy sufferers
	are better for a few days.  Then the renewed growth from the rain causes
	the pollens to be even worse than usual.  And so are the allergy
	sufferers :-(
 
I get much worse when it rains.  Perhaps I am allergic to molds and mildews
rather than pollen.

*Paul
From: linda@frcs.Alt.ZA (Linda Jacobson)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Osteochondromatosis? (dog)
Date: 14 Apr 92 19:37:30 GMT
Organization: Onderstepoort School of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria

Another hopeless quest on behalf of a puppy...

I am dealing with a Border Collie pup of 4mths, which has had an abnormal
gait since 6wks. The dog has what looks like cartilaginous deposits at the
true intervertebral joints from C3-T3, with severe bilateral compression at
C4/5; there are also deposits at the joints in the lumbar region.
Additionally there is a single, large area of calcification/cartilage
deposition lateral to each carpal joint, which restricts the motion of the
carpus to about 90 degrees (normal for a dog is close to 180). There are
suspicious areas at one elbow joint as well, but nothing specific yet. Tarsi
are hyperextended. Biopsy of the carpal deposit shows islands of cartilage
in a collagen matrix, with some ossification occurring mostly toward the
margin. 

Now... this looks something like osteochondromatosis/multiple cartilaginous
exostoses (except that it should occur at the metaphyses, not
peri-articularly), or synovial osteochondromatosis (except that what I've
seen described is mostly monarticular and in older dogs/humans; also the
descriptions were of tiny areas, not large ones).

Has anyone seen anything resembling this - in animals or humans? I'm really
looking for some names to cling to so I can do some more literature
searches. Any help will be appreciated. Net or email.

Thanks
Linda


 
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: mccurdy@bestsd.sdsu.edu (McCurdy M.)
Subject: Swelling, ice, recovery, plantar injury
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.4-b1  
Organization: San Diego State University - Dept. of Redundancy Dept.
Date: Wed, 15 Apr 1992 22:50:00 GMT


	I currently have a plantar injury which causes soreness to the 
arch area in my foot. I have been told to ice and message my foot to 
facilitate healing. 

	I am wondering about the relationship between icing and 
reduced swelling. Does reducing the swelling via ice/cooling hasten the 
healing process and if so, why?

	Mucho Thanks-a-mundo

Mike McCurdy				
University Computing Services
San Diego State University
mccurdy@bestsd.sdsu.edu			What? 
Xref: sparky sci.med:8696 sci.electronics:8561
From: gee@dciem.dciem.dnd.ca (Thomas Gee)
Newsgroups: sci.med,sci.electronics
Subject: Re: Need help with O2, HR and RR monitor
Date: 15 Apr 92 14:52:42 GMT
Followup-To: sci.med
Organization: Defence and Civil Institute of Environmental Medicine

In article <1992Apr10.175943.11434@coe.montana.edu> ieeu0026@cs.montana.edu (Blaine Kubesh) writes:
>I am building for a design project an infant monitor. The monitor will
>be driven using a Motorola 68HC11 mocrocontroller. I need to sense
>three vitals..
>       1)      Heart rate
>       2)      blood SaO2
>       3)      Respiration rate
> ....
>
>The respiration rate is the one i do not fully understand yet. I have heard of
>using some form of inductance sensor but I am not sure exactly how it works.
>There is also something called an inductance phlesmigraph (spelling?) which.

In my limited experience, an inductance plethysmograph (sp?) is a
device consisting of two wide elasticized bands running about the
subject's upper and lower abdomen.  A looped coil filled with mercury
runs the length of each band.  As the subject breathes, the band
expands along with the abdomen, changing the inductance properties of
the mercury tube.  Low and behold: instant respiration rate count.
You can also obtain a rough estimate of the (relative) volume of
inspiration.

If you're concerned about the mercury being a safety hazard, you can
also use a fibre optic cable, which would employ the same techniques
as those used in laser gyroscopes (I think).

Good luck.

	Tom
---
Thomas Gee  -=-  S/W Development  -=-   gee@dretor.dciem.dnd.ca
Aerospace/Biosciences, DCIEM, CFB Toronto, DND, Canada
Disclaimer: the previous is solely the opinion of the author.
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Our "Best" Lancing Boils (was: Re: Dentists and Doctors
From: geb@dsl.pitt.edu (gordon e. banks)
Date: 6 Apr 92 15:34:31 GMT
Organization: Decision Systems Laboratory, Univ. of Pittsburgh, PA.

In article <6179.29de0492@dcatla.uucp> cuegf@dcatla.uucp writes:
>Again, money is needed, I won't deny that, but what is really needed is a 
>fundamental change in psychiatric residency training, which only a few schools
>employ (I don't think the University of Pittsburgh is one of them.). Such
>a training program includes the following:
>
Yes, the focus here is toward high-powered research psychiatry,
not community psychiatry.  Of course, you could argue that
a breakthrough on the research front may do more than finding
better methods of warehousing the mentally ill in the long run.
Certainly the advent of the anti-psychotics agents did.
>
>	3. Working in an effective treatment system- one with adequate 
>	community supports, including public support, such as the one found
>	in Dane County, Wisconsin.
>
Well, my experience with the U of Wisc. psychiatry program is 15 years
old, but my impressions were not favorable.  The Pittsburgh program
is far better.  Dane County (Madison) is one of the more liberally
funded ones for social programs.  

>hospital population would be reduced by half, easily.  Actually, with the
>deinstitutionalization of state hospitals over the last 30 years, most state
>hospital patients are discharged within two weeks of admission, few are kept
>long term anymore.
>
Doesn't necessarily mean that all the ones they let go can do well.
Again, don't be so sure that it is doctoring them that is going to
make the difference.  The kind of support they need isn't necessarily
medical.

>If you want more information about that group, ask David Kupfer, M.D. or
>Ellen Frank, Ph.D; I think they are both at Pittsburgh.
>
David Kupfer is a prime example of someone almost totally committed
to research psychiatry.  In his case, it is sleep disturbance in
affective disorders.  I'm not saying this is bad.

The world's health problems, mental or otherwise, are not going
to be solved by just having more doctors or cheaper doctors,
contrary to what a lot of people think.  It's more complicated
than that.  Doctors and psychiatrists have roles, but they aren't
the only solution.  In the case of the chronic schizophrenics, I
think the major problem is a social one, not a medical one.



-- 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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: louis@medici.trl.OZ.AU (Louis Denger)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Why does hydrogen peroxide bubble (can be useful)...
Date: 12 Apr 92 10:36:41 GMT
Organization: Telecom Research Labs, Melbourne, Australia

>>>Hydrogen peroxide is a real nasty.... It is very efficient oxidising
> 
> I don't think there's anything wrong with cleaning your wound with H2O2 
> though, since commercially a 3% solution of is available for that purpose.
> There's no risk of major cell death involved with proper use.
> 
I find very useful for bloody nose.
In Melbourne the air pollution is very high, and I get easily
blocked nose. In winter this results in bloody nose.
I found that mixing a few drops of H2O2 in a 15ml bottle
of water, and putting a few drops of this in my nose
 stops blood very fast.
Of course it is a bit itching. But what to do else???


Regards

Louis
From: cunniff@hpfcso.FC.HP.COM (Ross Cunniff)
Date: Wed, 8 Apr 1992 22:52:41 GMT
Subject: Re: Extraction of baby teeth
Organization: Hewlett-Packard, Fort Collins, CO, USA
Newsgroups: sci.med

bjz@sei.cmu.edu (Barbara Zayas) writes:

>My question is about anaesthetics.  The dentist scheduled Jeff for a
>local. There are two reasons for why I'd want to consider something
>a little stronger.  The first is obvious: I want to cause Jeff as
>little anxiety and pain as possible.  This is his first major
>experience with the dentist and I'd like him to remember it without
>pain and fear.

First, a disclaimer: I am not a doctor, and I don't even play one on TV.
That aside, I appreciate your concern for your son's anxiety; however,
you must be aware that general anaesthesia has a non-zero risk of adverse
side affects, including death.  Now, don't panic, the risk is fairly
small; however, it is greater than the risk for local only.  In general,
one should go for the least amount of anaesthesia practical.  Anecdote
follows: when I was in high school, a classmate died from side effects
of a general administered for wisdom tooth removal.  At any rate, discuss
this with your dentist, making sure to relate your misgivings, and the
dentist should be able to help you evaluate alternatives.

				Ross Cunniff
				Hewlett-Packard Graphics Software Lab
				cunniff@fc.hp.com
Xref: sparky sci.med:8401 sci.electronics:8132
From: fzjaffe@othello.ucdavis.edu (Rory Jaffe)
Newsgroups: sci.med,sci.electronics
Subject: Re: Input section of an EKG
Date: 7 Apr 92 17:02:05 GMT
Followup-To: sci.med
Distribution: usa
Organization: University of California, Davis

For some of the information on recording ECG's I refer you to:
"Recommendations for standardization and specificataions in automated
electrocardiography: bandwidth and digital signal processing" in
Circulation, vol 81, p 730.

You need three leads at least.  Electrical safety requirements must be
met for any device you build.  University hospitals generally have
equipment
maintenance departments that have people who know what these are.  These
requirements include limited ground current leak, resistance to
breakdown when exposed to high voltages (from a defibrillator), low lead
leakage currents, etc.
From: geb@dsl.pitt.edu (gordon e. banks)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Suicide prevention; what next?
Date: 16 Apr 92 18:46:12 GMT
Organization: Decision Systems Laboratory, Univ. of Pittsburgh, PA.

In article <45577@mentor.cc.purdue.edu> hrubin@pop.stat.purdue.edu (Herman Rubin) writes:
>>her family to turn against her.  Any suggestion that she see a
>>psychiatrist is met with hostility, as this is part of the general
>>plot.  Should this woman just be allowed to continue to deteriorate
>>until she becomes a street person?  Or should she be made to go
>>to the psychiatrist?
>
>I admit that I have not known any with this entire set of reported
>symptoms, but I have seen them with many.  My opinion is that as long
>as she is functioning well enough as a faculty member that a tenure
>revocation is not a reasonable action based on performance alone, that
>the university should not use any form of force.  Tenure revocation is
>extremely rare, for those unfamiliar with the situation.
>
In this case, as is usual, it is not the employer, but the family
that coerces the patient into seeking medical help.  I would expect
that the university would become involved only if there was no
family support system.  Compassionate employers will hold the person's
job for them until they get straightened out.  Less compassionate
ones will terminate such patients.

-- 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
----------------------------------------------------------------------------