HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: mdkline@rodan.acs.syr.edu (Mark D. Kline)
Subject: Re: Ken's concerns about misuse of net info
Organization: Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
Date: Sun, 30 Aug 92 16:46:01 EDT

>In <16238@pitt.UUCP> km@speedy.cs.pitt.edu writes:  
>Well, I view
>this as the final straw. As I have indicated before, I  have always
>been worried about the possibility of people taking the  net too
>seriously, of view information here as medical advice and to  infer
>some type of doctor-patient relationship from encounters here.   The
>increasing insistence from others regarding the tone, nature,  and
>content of postings from medical people here has me worried.   Gordon
>posted honest, factual information regarding spina bifida and 
>associated conditions, and is being reamed for it because of 
>"netside manner", whatever that is.   The possibility of a lawsuit
>arising from the use of information or  advice carried by the net is
>real, and as mentioned before, I do not  carry malpractice
>insurance.

Respectfully, I think Ken (Dr. Mitchum) is really quite offbase about
this,  and I hope he will check with attorneys at the VA or Pitt about
this issue.  It seems to me that if he is worried about getting sued, he
should not be posting his  medical opinion to the net.  I am not an
attorney, but it seems to me that the liability risk of a physician
posting here is minimal - provided, (as I am sure he is), posting in
good faith, (not intentionally misleading), & posting for free (no
implied contractual relationship).  The docs posting on this net are
essentially good samaritans along the information highway. As far
as "taking the net too seriously" goes, it would seem to me but one
example of the everyday reality that people rely inadvisedly on 
all sorts of strange sources of (mis)information.

If you post something in a public forum, people can "ream" you for
style, content, or both.  The networld is not going to kiss the feet
of us MDs just because we drop a few pearls of our vast wisdom here :).
People may not like what we say or how we say it.  So What?  

I oppose moderating sci.med because this is not just a place where
laypeople ask for information.  There is a lot more than that
going on in this newsgroup.  Too bad some of what goes on here is
unpleasant for doctors (like Ken) who are generous with their time
and store of knowledge.  But, as has been said, may no good deed
go unpunished. 


--
================================================================= 
mark kline                              mdkline@rodan.acs.syr.edu
suny health science center, syracuse    voice: (315) 422-1050
================ courtesy of syracuse university ================
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: gwr@hedonist-1.lanl.gov (Graham W. Redgrave)
Subject: Re: Xanax
Organization: Los Alamos National Laboratory
Date: Tue, 1 Sep 1992 21:36:10 GMT

In article <7232.2aa34153@dcatla.uucp>, cuegf@dcatla.uucp writes:
|> In article <1992Aug26.194604.19032@equator.com>, jod@equator.com (John Setel O'Donnell) writes:

|> > [post claiming Xanax only works for two weeks amidst a flurry of 
      side-effects deleted...]
|> 
|> For those who read this post, the poster expresses views and cites
|> literature commonly known as anti-psychiatry, a vocal, rabid 
|> minority movement which regards all drugs in psychiatry as 
|> dangerous and ignores any positive help persons may have received
|> from medications.

At the risk of stepping in where angels fear to tread, I have a couple
of questions regarding the current climate in psychiatry.  My impression 
from a few conversations I've had with psychiatrists is that the only 
group as such within psychiatry that's leery of medicines is the psychoanalytic 
crowd.  Is this the same as the "rabid minority movement"?  My understanding 
is that the basis of their dislike for medication is the notion that the 
success of psychoanalysis depends on one's ability to clearly see oneself
and one's history, and that drugs impair that ability.  The psychoanalyst
I know, however, says she'll prescribe drugs if it's warranted, but I 
didn't feel comfortable pressing for details.  So, who's in this "rabid
movement" and why?  

My other question is about the future of psychiatry:  if, as Ed Francell 
claims, more and more "mental illnesses" are being shown to be biologically, 
i.e. neurologically, based, then what will psychiatrists' role be?  As far 
as I can tell, psychiatrists would become caretakers for peoples' neuroses, 
and psycho-pharmacologists on the side.  I hope I've overstated the case, 
since of all the specialities in medicine, psychiatry is the most compelling 
to me (a post-bac, pre-med type).  

Thanks a lot,

Graham
 
|> 
|> 
|> Ed Francell

-- 
Graham Redgrave    |    --  I don't speak for the government, 
gwr@life.lanl.gov  |        but I wish the government would speak for me ...  --
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: roihar@cc4.crl.aecl.ca
Subject: RE: wisdom teeth removal
Organization: AECL RESEARCH
Date: Wed, 2 Sep 1992 19:36:22 GMT

gotta reply to David Grenache's response...

Not so with me! A mere ten hours after my surgery I was up and around at
home eating scrambled eggs and felt fine... back at work a day later...


It all depends Dave... My brother Mike's were all impacted and so were mine
(we're identical twins... Go figure!). I was on Percodan for 3 days and then
extra strength tylenol. My brother wasw on Demerol for 2 days, which he spent
in ABSOLUTE agony... I know, I was there... He spent his waking hours (some
40 out of 48) rocking back and forth in his bed and moaning softly. He finally
was put on Morphine so that he could rest. Consider yourself the exception,
my boy, and very lucky!
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: alanj@dadd.ti.com (Alan Jones)
Subject: Re: The dangers of a low cholesterol level
Reply-To: alanj@dadd.ti.com
Organization: Texas Instruments, Inc.
Date: Wed, 2 Sep 1992 12:40:20 GMT

In article 010992201046@seiler.stx.com, seiler@amarna.gsfc.nasa.gov (Ed Seiler) writes:
>  A friend of mine in Phoenix, AZ told me he read an article in the
>newspaper about the results of a study that showed a number of afflictions
>statistically associated with persons who have cholesterol levels below
>150. The article stated that the medical community was reluctant to
>publicize the findings for fear that the general public would perceive
>a risk in lowering their cholesterol levels. Is anyone familiar with
>this study, or any others on this subject, and willing to provide a
>critical assessment?

Uh, let me guess - was this study funded by the American Dairy Association
or the American Cattle Ranchers Association?!?  ;)

---
sincerely,
Alan Jones  /  Texas Instruments, Dallas, TX  /  email=alanj@dadd.ti.com
From: geb@dsl.pitt.edu (gordon e. banks)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Tick Bites
Date: 2 Sep 92 13:45:28 GMT
Organization: Decision Systems Laboratory, Univ. of Pittsburgh, PA.

In article <92245.085341RFLOOD@ESOC.BITNET> RFLOOD@ESOC.BITNET writes:
>About four weeks ago I was bitten by a tick, presumably, since it had
>already engorged itself and fallen off by the time I saw the hole.
>Three weeks later I had the inch wide ring of regenerating skin
>surrounded by dying skin surrounded by inflammation. I went to a skin
>doctor, who prescribed cortisone cream plus tracycline. A week later
>the ring had almost vanished and I thought that was it, *BUT*: this
>morning when I got up the whole area is inflamed again, now about 1.5"
>across. Anyone with any ideas on what strategy to follow now ??

You mean tetracycline?  If you were given enough, it might kill
borrelia spirochetes, but if the ring is inflamed again, you'd
better get back in to the doctor again.  Are you in a lyme area?
Were you out in the woods?





-- 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gordon Banks  N3JXP      | "Skepticism is the chastity of the intellect, and
geb@cadre.dsl.pitt.edu   |  it is shameful to surrender it too soon." 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: wgoble@labs-n.bbn.com (Wendy Goble)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Unorthodox treatments are *not* the problem  (was: ... name right!)
Date: 25 Aug 1992 21:33:19 GMT
Organization: Bolt Beranek and Newman Inc., Cambridge MA
NNTP-Posting-Host: bbn.com

In article <17e4s2INN732@cs.utexas.edu> turpin@cs.utexas.edu (Russell Turpin) writes:
>-*----

>Example post B:
>
>   The herb X calms the liver when it is angry, and invigorates 
>   the spleen, which is crucial to digestion.
>
>Note that both posts discuss the same treatment.  The first would
>raise no eyebrows.  The second is, in the light of scientific
>knowledge, a bunch of hooey, and those in this newsgroup who know
>better rightly point this out. 
>
>Russell

Be a little careful, please.  You may be entirely right in this case, but the
use of metaphor is common in every field, and is no reason, per se, to conclude
that something is no good (i.e., unscientific).  Do quarks have such charm that
they get invited to parties?  Are astronomical strings made of hemp?

Wendy
wgoble@bbn.com
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
From: km@speedy.cs.pitt.edu (Ken Mitchum)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: nursing homes,strokes
Keywords: nursing homes, strokes
Date: 2 Sep 92 13:33:29 GMT
Reply-To: km@cs.pitt.edu (Ken Mitchum)
Organization: Computer Science Dept., University of Pittsburgh

In article <10068@uqcspe.cs.uq.oz.au> cathye@cs.uq.oz.au writes:

>Any tips on how to judge a nursing home during a short visit ?

This is a very difficult subject with which I have some familiarity,
both as a physician who treats chronic ill geriatric patients and
as someone who has a very close relative in an excellent nursing
home. 

The one thing I can tell you for certain is that you cannot
evaluate a nursing home based on a short visit. Most people
react to nursing homes in terms of the physical facility,
cleanliness, and the activities for residents. While these
may be important, there are other factors which are less
obvious, such as access to acute medical care when needed,
how often a physician sees that residents and how things
are handled when the physician is not there, the attitude of
the nursing and medical staff regarding medications,
sedation, and restraint, and how problem or abusing staff
members are handled. 

While you need to talk with people who have had relatives in
the home you are looking at, you cannot always go by their
experiences: people are understandably upset when they have
to put someone in a nursing home, and they don't always
evaluate what happens there rationally. If the relative has
a terminal disease and there is much denial in the family,
small incidents at the nursing home may be viewed by the
family as causing the overall decline, and the home may
be blamed for things inappropriately. (This happens in
hospitals as well). Some families like nursing homes because
they are close by, especially if there are daily visits,
and will overlook things they would not put up with if
the home were more distant. 

I think you will get more information from speaking with
nurses in a hospital which serves the nursing home, or
with physicians who have had patients there. They see
a much larger sample of patients from the homes than
anyone else, and they see the problems and the neglect.
They also know which nursing homes are more tolerant than
others to patient behavior or care problems: some nursing
homes will send a patient back to the hospital for just
about anything requiring a medication change, or for any
kind of "unacceptable" behavior, while others are very
flexible and try to keep the people there and adjust
things within the home. Some nursing homes will keep a
"less desirable" patient until a "more desirable" one
applies, and will then send the "less desirable" one
back to the hospital under some pretense (usually in the
middle of the night).

One problem nursing homes have is their image. It is true
that there are many horrendous homes, but there are also
many excellent homes. Sending someone to a nursing home
should not be viewed as a death sentence, or as neglect,
and should not make everyone feel guilty. 

 -km
From: jfh@netcom.com (Jack Hamilton)
Subject: Suing the Red Cross
Date: Fri, 28 Aug 92 22:14:32 GMT
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services  (408 241-9760 guest) 

This was in sci.med.aids.  I think it's bad news.  I think the Red Cross is
rightly concerned that donations may be affected. 




                        AIDS Daily Summary
                          August 27, 1992 
 The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) National AIDS Clearinghouse makes 
available the following information as a public service only.  Providing 
this information does not constitute endorsement by the CDC, the 
Clearinghouse, or any other organization.  Reproduction of this text is 
encouraged; however, copies may not be sold.  Copyright 1992, 
Information, Inc., Bethesda, MD 

"Legal Beat: HIV-Infected Blood Recipient Can Sue Donor, Appeals  Court 
Rules" Wall Street Journal (08/27/92), P. B8  (Anders, George)
    The Sixth U.S. Court of Appeals in Cincinnati, Ohio, ruled that  the 
recipient of HIV-infected blood may sue the donor, despite  the fact 
that the identity of the donor was revealed in  violation of a lower-
court order.  While the lower-court order  protecting the donor's 
identity was upheld by the appeals court,  it said that in barring the 
blood recipient from suing after  learning the donor's identity, the 
judge went too far.  The blood recipient, Cheryl Coleman, sued the 
American Red Cross--which had provided the blood for her August 1984 
transfusion--for  negligence, and requested the identity of the donor.  
Though the  trial judge ordered the donor's records to be turned over 
with  the name withheld, one record inadvertently included the donor's  
Social Security number.  Coleman's attorney used this information to 
trace the donor's identity.  According to the federal appeals  court, 
Coleman's right to sue the donor outweighs concerns of the Red Cross 
that the suit should not be allowed because it would  discourage future 
donors. 

-- 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Jack Hamilton   jfh@netcom.com   P. O. Box 281107   SF, CA   94128-1107
From: das@voodoo.boeing.com (Deb Schwartz)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Do "deodorant rocks" contain aluminum?
Date: 3 Sep 92 18:13:38 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: Yet Another Graphics Project, Bellevue, WA

In article <16540@ucdavis.ucdavis.edu> peerson@neyman.ucdavis.edu (Jan Peerson) writes:
>>Jan> She would like to get away from aluminum-containing
>>Jan> anti-perspirants, but does not know if the effective ingredient
>>Jan> of this rock is aluminum.
>>
 Unfortunately, anti-perspirant is an absolute
>necessity for her!
>
Unless there's more than one type of deodorant rock out there, be aware that
these are deodarants only, *not* antipersperants.  I've been  using one for
about a year and absolutely love it, it's the best deodorant I've ever used,
but does absolutely nothing to inhibit perspiration (and the literature
that came with it made no claims about being an antiperspirant).  The one
I bought, however, just said 'mineral salts' in the ingredients, didn't
mention aluminum or alum or anything like that (although I guess those could
be included in mineral salts?).

Debbie Schwartz // das@voodoo.boeing.com  // or uunet!bcstec!voodoo!das
From: labiche@crchh561.BNR.CA (Maurice LaBiche)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Relafen Side Effects
Date: 4 Sep 92 16:13:26 GMT
Reply-To: labiche@crchh561.BNR.CA (Maurice LaBiche)
Organization: Bell-Northern Research Ltd.

in the prescribing information, i got from the pharmacy, it says
for dermatologic adverse reactions are:

Bullous eruptions
Photosensitivity
Urticaria 
Pseudoporphyria cutanea tarda

Now if some medically enlightened soul will translate this to 
English you may soon have your answer.  I found the Relafen killed
my stomach so I quit taking it, it also didn't help my phantom limb 
pain.
Good Luck,
Maurice

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Maurice LaBiche (Mo.L.)         |   labiche@bnr.ca
Bell Northern Research          |   Part of Northern Telecom 
Richardson, Texas               |   i'm really in Texas
------------------------------------------------------------------------
No opinions herein expressed have anything to do with the opinions 
of Bell Northern Research or Northern Telecom or CIA or NSA ...
These statements are mine and mine alone, well i guess my wife 
agrees with some of them?
From: Bob.Donovan@p0.f15.n114.z1.fidonet.org (Bob Donovan)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Chest/Rib Cage Pains
Date: 25 Aug 92 13:42:20 GMT
Organization: FidoNet node 1:114/15.0 - St Joes Hospital, Phoenix AZ

I seem to have a problem that I hope someone can help me
with.  It seems unless you have insurance in this state most
hospitals would just as soon let you die in agony at the
front door before letting you in to see what the problem is.
Even at country where you can get in, they just prescribe
medication to cloak the pain and toss you back out without
even really checking out the problem.
 
So, maybe someone can help me on the computer without me
coming in to "waste space" in the hospital.  If so, I would
greatly appreciate it.
 
Nearly 3 years ago I began having upper chest pains that
shot across the top of my rib cage.  It made me nervous and
I went to a hospital (back in Massachusetts) who checked me
out and ran limited tests and told me it was stress.  It has
come and gone many times since this.  Now it is happening
again but this time I am getting VERY sharp pains in other
areas as well.
 
For example, Just below my left rib cage I get pains
regularly and a couple of times they have been so bad I have
been doubled up on the ground in terrible pain.  Now the
same is happening on the exact other side as well as
shooting across and being very sore in the center of my
chest.
 
My blood pressure seems to be fine, temperature seems fine,
no pain in arms, no nausea, no fainting, no shortness of
breath at any time.
 
I am 32 years old, about 185-195 lbs, I smoke 1-1/2 or so
packs a day, don't drink, don't do drugs.  I don't get
"lots" of sleep or eat 3 meals a day, but I do eat and get
sleep.  I used to be in construction and landscape
construction but had to stop due to a back injury a few
years back and, I must say, I don't get much exercise these
days.
 
Can anyone help me here.  It seems I had the curse of being
born an American and made the mistake of working and paying
taxes for quite a few years.  Now I find all that means is I
don't qualify for any State or Federal help to cover my
doctors bills.  All I want to know Is how serious is this
and for how long will I be in this kind of pain and being
afraid every night that I won't wake up ever again
 
Thanks,
 
Bob
 

 



 

--  
Internet: Bob.Donovan@p0.f15.n114.z1.fidonet.org
From: seiler@amarna.gsfc.nasa.gov (Ed Seiler)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: The dangers of a low cholesterol level
Date: 3 Sep 92 22:22:17 GMT
Followup-To: sci.med
Organization: Hughes/STX

In article <kvkns5g.sss@netcom.com>, sss@netcom.com (Small Systems
Solutions) wrote:>

> The article was clear to state that the causal relationship between
> certain diseases and low cholesterol was uncertain -- and in the case
> of alcoholism, etc. it was probably that the low cholesterol level was
> caused by the disease.
> 
> The one disturbing aspect of the report is that, while mortality
> due to coronary artery disease decreases as cholesterol levels decrease,
> overall mortality does not.  And there is probably a causal link between
> low cholesterol ( < 160 mg/dl )  and leukemia, non-malignant lung disease,
> etc.
> 
> The advice to those with elevated levels ( > 240 ) especially those with
> low HDL, is to lower their cholesterol.  What is unclear, as it is with
> so many things we measure, is what the optimal level of this stuff is.

  What evidence is there for a causal link between low cholesterol and
leukemia, etc.? Does anyone know if there is an existing body of literature
on this, or is it only recently that cholesterol levels are being looked at
"from the other end"?

  The idea of an optimal level that is different from a minimal level is an
interesting one, though I suspect that it doesn't rank highly amongst
research priorities. An interesting study would be to measure the tendency
of those with both a low level and an established level-lowering diet to
raise their levels via a level-raising diet. My guess is that you would
find a class of individuals whose levels do not respond much to diet, just
as you do with those starting at a high level. Then, once you have the
extremes of the scale divided into four classes (high/low) (diet
responsive/non-responsive), look for patterns there. Probably the greatest
difficulty with this scheme is to find a sufficient population of
low-leveled persons adopting a level-raising diet (Japanese patrons of
McDonalds?).

Ed Seiler
seiler@amarna.gsfc.nasa.gov
"If puns are outlawed, only outlaws will have puns."
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Whay is the biological role of the epiglottis?
From: Robin.Salmansohn@f715.n273.z1.fidonet.org (Robin Salmansohn)
Date: 22 Aug 92 14:30:09 GMT
Organization: FidoNet node 1:273/715 - Alternative Lifesty, Wyndmoor PA

O.K., gang. What does the epiglottis do? (What is its role)?


 

--  
Internet: Robin.Salmansohn@f715.n273.z1.fidonet.org
From: demartinib@cpva.saic.com
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Need info on `Acromegaly'
Date: 31 Aug 92 12:30:43 PST
Organization: Science Applications Int'l Corp./San Diego

The son of close friends of mine has just been diagnosed with `acromegaly', or
hyper-pituitaryism.  He is ony 19 months old, wears a child's size 5, and
stands tall enough to reach into the kitchen sink.  

Is anyone familiar with this?  Any information at all, from symptoms, to
treatment, to case histories would be greatly appreciated.  My friends are
facing an unpredicted challenge and I'd like to help them in any way I can.

Thank you in advance,

Brenda DeMartini
SAIC, San Diego CA
Xref: sparky sci.med:16594 sci.research:988
From: mcovingt@athena.cs.uga.edu (Michael A. Covington)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Reglan, Zantac: Physiology?
Date: 1 Sep 92 03:37:24 GMT
Organization: University of Georgia, Athens

Can someone briefly explain the mechanism of action of Reglan and Zantac?

-- 
+ Michael Covington - Artificial Intelligence Programs - U of Georgia - USA 
+ Unless otherwise noted, these are private opinions, not official statements.
+ VOTE NO GEORGIA LOTTERY - we need not imitate mistakes of other states.
From: ron@hpfcso.FC.HP.COM (Ron Miller)
Date: Mon, 24 Aug 1992 21:05:17 GMT
Subject: Re: Re: What are the symptoms of Epstein-Barr virus?
Organization: Hewlett-Packard, Fort Collins, CO, USA
Newsgroups: sci.med

What are the symptoms of EBV?


Actually, it's the other way around. A diagnosis of EBV is a sure sign
that your MD is not current in his reading about Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

EBV was an avenue under investigation several years ago that came to 
no useful conclusion.  It is, however, an excellent pop quiz for the 
physician to test his currency on the body of knowlege surrounding
CFS.

If he persists with the diagnosis, drop him (or her).


Hook up with the CFIDS association to continue receiving the latest 
information. CFS is one condition you will have to practically treat
yourself for the forseeable future.

On the brighter side, at least he didn't diagnose "neuromyasthenia."
(Archaic and cryptic term for "mental illness" - one of the default
 diagnoses for CFS.)

Ron Miller
Spouse of 7 year sufferer