It’s time to do an update on the treatment of atrial fibrillation. It’s been a while, and there are worthy things to report from the real world. Stroke prevention in AF: Always start with basics: The most important aspect of treating atrial fibrillation is preventing stroke. Although there are some innovative devices and procedures in […]
Look at this sample question from the American College of Cardiology self-assessment. Tell me whether you see the problem. (It came in a mass advertisement-email, so I don’t think it is a secret.) Sample Question A 75-year-old woman is referred to you with a murmur. She has had the murmur for many years and has […]
The older I get, the less sure I become of basic cardiac issues. Consider the changing role of ICDs, non-statin cholesterol drugs, vitamins, and fish oil. All of these were once darlings of the field. Now, not so much. And it is not just cardiology, other areas of medicine have their uncertainties: breast and prostate […]
Hi Everyone, This may be the longest I have ever gone between posts. As all bloggers do, I will tell you the reason. I was preparing for my invited lecture at HRS 2013. It was a Hyde Park Talk. This means you stand in one of the busiest parts of the convention, and just start […]
I’ve got a good one for you. Who is the better doctor? Is it the caregiver who–by whatever means–gets her patient on the best treatment, or, is it the doc who communicates the options most clearly? I ask because the Institute of Medicine has made shared-decision making (or patient-centered care) a major focus of quality […]
What a trouble it is! As a disease that associates with wear and tear, aging, obesity, sleep disorders, high blood pressure and inflammation, it’s no wonder the incidence of atrial fibrillation continues to rise. AF represents a huge health problem. For the individual patient, it can cause life-altering symptoms, increase the risk of stroke or […]
Smarter people have weighed in on the sadness in Boston. I can’t help it. Writing helps me feel better. I am really sorry for the people who have lost life or limb. As a parent, grandparent, scratch that, as a fellow human, just thinking about bombs and bullets hitting human bodies makes me want to […]
How should doctors behave online? This is a funny question, isn’t it? Medical establishment loves rules and hierarchy. Social media does not. Social media levels the playing field of who gets to talk; it gives real caregivers a voice. That’s very cool. This is just a guess, but I suspect there are many more acts […]
It’s an appropriate day to talk about stress. If you treat heart rhythm problems, you can’t miss the effects of stress. It matters so much. Both acute and chronic–though mostly chronic–stress wreaks havoc on the heart’s electrical system. And it’s not just the heart rhythm; the chronic inflammation that goes with long-lasting stress negatively impacts […]
Wendy Sue Swanson (or @SeattleMamaDoc) is a pediatrician, mother, wife, patient, caregiver and blogger. In the embedded video below, she speaks about the online revolution and the power of social media to enhance the good that doctors can do. I am a believer. What if you could read a post/tweet every time your doctor had […]
Patient safety and hospital quality is a scary topic. I’ll go easy. I’m just a doctor. I don’t know much. Entire departments, filled with cubicles, computers and well-meaning people, now exist to keep hospitals tightly regulated and running perfectly. There is data to analyze, regulations to read, and oh so many meetings to attend. This […]