Blog & Articles

The discoverer of penicillin, Sir Alexander Fleming, warned many decades ago that the “public will demand [the drug and]…then will begin an era…of abuses.” His prophecy has been realized, and I readily confess that I am guilty. During my 37 years in family practice and emergency medicine, I admit that I prescribed antibiotics for viral and self-limited illnesses. There were times when I bowed to pressure from ill and desperate (but not desperately ill) patients or their parents who demanded a cure for an upper respiratory infection.

February is American Heart Month and an appropriate time to recognize the recent reduction in mortality rate from cardiovascular disease in women. The increased awareness of women and healthcare professionals has resulted in better care and is at least partially responsible for the lower death rate from heart disease seen over the past decade.

However, the battle against women’s heart disease is far from over. Awareness has improved, but the realities of heart disease in women remain underappreciated.

Healthcare is all abuzz about evidence-based medicine (EBM), and legions of clinicians are struggling with how to incorporate EBM into the new paradigm of providing the safest possible high-quality healthcare in the most efficient manner.

Are you prepared for surges in your ED patient volumes?

As we head into the peak of flu season, many facilities are already feeling the effects of increased volumes, such as:

• Longer waiting times
• Staff exposed to more airborne illnesses resulting in increased sick time
• A shift in perceptions of care resulting in lower patient satisfaction scores