CF Sauer Foods Inc, of Richmond, VA is recalling all packages of Gold Medal Spaghetti Sauce Mix with the code date as follows: 8119R. People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to milkrun the risk of serious or life threatening allergic reaction if they consume these products.
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Long established medical interventions to help couples with infertility problems do not seem to improve fertility, according to a study published on bmj.com today.
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Time.com - Western drug makers are increasingly outsourcing human clinical drug trials - and India is getting the lion's share of the market. Is it putting millions at risk?
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AP - A new study calls into question the use of two common infertility treatments for couples who have unexplained problems having children.
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Two commonly used treatments for fertility problems do not work, a study of 580 women in Scotland suggests.
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MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Younger men who binge drink and abuse drugs are the gays and bisexuals most likely to transmit HIV to others, and prevention programs should be developed to target them, U.S. researchers said on Thursday.

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HealthDay - (HealthDay News) -- If your child gets migraine headaches, the American Academy of Family Physicians offers these suggestions to help prevent them: Make sure your child eats meals on a regular schedule, and never skips a meal. Keep your child on a regular sleep schedule. Make sure your child gets daily exercise, but don't overdo it. Figure out what triggers migraines in your child, and try to avoid those factors. Common triggers include stress, too much intense exercise, or changes in weather or altitude. Avoid foods that are known to trigger your child's migraines. ...
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HealthDay - THURSDAY, Aug. 7 (HealthDay News) -- Shelley Volz, now 59, got the news about her breast cancer diagnosis 10 years ago, right before she was headed from San Francisco to New York for the wedding of her younger brother.
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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A widely circulated draft U.S. regulation that would define many forms of contraception as abortion will not be proposed in that form, if at all, Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt said on Thursday.

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It seems like there are few (if any) positive news stories and studies about medical blogs nowadays. Most of the coverage focuses on breaching patient privacy and inappropriate product endorsements rather than on the way blogs can be used for medical education and interactive learning. As a regular reader of 30-40 medical blogs and author of 3, I am first to admit the medical blogosphere has its problems. John Sharp from the IT department of the Cleveland Clinic and I worked on institutional guidelines for medical blogs in 2005-2006 and I gave it quite a bit of thought during the years.

The most current negative story is from the Journal of General Internal Medicine and, as you may have guessed it, none of the authors seems to have a blog:

Content of Weblogs Written by Health Professionals (full-text PDF hosted by Pharmalot).

Tara Lagu, MD, MPH, Elinore J. Kaufman, David A. Asch, MD, and Katrina Armstrong, MD, MSCE.

The authors identified 271 medical blogs. Over half (56.8%) of blog authors provided sufficient information in text or image to reveal their identities. Individual patients were described in 114 (42.1%) blogs. Patients were portrayed positively in 43 blogs (15.9%) and negatively in 48 blogs (17.7%). Of blogs that described interactions with individual patients, 45 (16.6%) included sufficient information for patients to identify their doctors or themselves. Healthcare products were promoted, either by images or descriptions, in 31 (11.4%) blogs.

The authors concluded that blogs risk revealing confidential information or, in their tone or content, risk reflecting poorly on the blog authors and their professions. The health professions should assume some responsibility for helping authors and readers negotiate these challenges.

They give plenty of examples and link to 16 blog addresses. Somehow the study authors missed some of the most popular medical blogs such as Kevin, M.D., Medgadget and GruntDoc. May be because they used commonly acceptable language or were not controversial enough but, really, how can you write about medical blogs and miss Kevin, M.D.? The guy is on the front page of Google results for both "medical blog" and "medical blogs" (we are a little bit down the list but still there). Update from 07/26/2008: Dr. RW pointed out that the authors quoted one of my posts as an example to follow in the article references: How to write a medical blog and not get fired? I guess I could be considered one of the "good guys."

These are a few quotes chosen by the study authors to highlight the content of medical blogs:

“The unwritten definition of proper patient: attached to a
breathing machine, a lot of wires and completely sedated
or even paralyzed.” Adrenalin Rush

“She was a stupid, lazy, selfish woman all of which
characteristics are personal problems, not medical
issues or barriers to care” Panda Bear MD

The quotes are obviously taken out of context but they still sound troubling. However, there are many stories of great patient care, self-sacrifice and compassion published on medical blogs but somehow they escaped the search strategy of the study authors.

Tips for Medical Bloggers

- Write as if your boss and your patients are reading your blog every day
- Comply with HIPAA
- List your name and contact information
- If your blog is work-related, it is better to let your employer know
- Inquire if there are any blogging guidelines. If there are, comply with them strictly
- Use a disclaimer, e.g. "All opinions expressed here are those of their authors and not of their employer. Information provided here is for medical education only. It is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice."
- Get your blog accredited by the Heath on the Net Foundation

References:
Content of Weblogs Written by Health Professionals. Journal of General Internal Medicine.
Doctor Blogs Reveal Patient Info & Endorse Products. Pharmalot.
Why Physician Blogs Close Down?
Topics Discussed During the Medicine Consult Service Rotation at Cleveland Clinic in March/April 2008
Dr Flea Blogged His Malpractice Trial, Settles When Outed
Using a Blog to Build an Educational Portfolio
Medical Blog Closed Down by Request of Employer
NPR: Doctor Blogs Raise Concerns About Patient Privacy
Simply Fired - How NOT to Blog About Your Job. Especially If You Are a Doctor

Related:
Should physician blogs be held to a higher standard? Kevinmd.com.
Medical blogosphere subject of Journal of General Internal Medicine study. Notes from Dr. RW.
Another medical journal piles on. Notes from Dr. RW, 08/2008.
What is a blog? Robert M Centor, 08/2008.

Updated: 08/07/2008

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AARHUS, Denmark -- In children who have a febrile seizure, there is an increased mortality risk for the first two years after the event, but none past that point, a large cohort study showed.
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NEW YORK -- An overwhelming proportion of Americans believes the healthcare system needs a fundamental change or a complete overhaul, according to the results of a survey released today.
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NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - New research suggests that just because a woman has family members with breast cancer, it does not mean that she should undergo early screening for the cancer. According to the report, there are certain factors doctors can look for to determine whether early screening is advisable.

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Joel Stein, M.D., a leading national figure in stroke research and patient care, has been named chief of the Coordinated Program in Rehabilitation Medicine at Columbia University Medical Center, Weill Cornell Medical College and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. Dr. Stein is currently the chief medical officer for Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital and an associate professor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Harvard Medical School.
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Stony Brook University Medical Center's Long Island World Trade Center Medical Monitoring and Treatment Program was awarded $9 million from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) for its medical programs over the next year. The program has cared for thousands of 9/11 first responders, many of whom continue to suffer from health issues related to their work at ground zero.
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CHICAGO -- Infants who spend too much waking time on their back may have an increased risk of delayed motor development, a survey of pediatric physical therapists has suggested.
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Most women will take the necessary precautions to protect the health of their newborn babies. They will consume prenatal vitamins, curtail certain behaviors like smoking and drinking and eat healthy foods. But other risks exist, and some women may not even be aware of them.
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CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- Three-quarters of the stroke patients who arrive at the hospital within two hours of symptom onset are not getting the appropriate care, researchers found.
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CHICAGO (Reuters) - More than 80 percent of Americans think the U.S. health system needs either fundamental change or a complete overhaul, according to a survey released on Thursday.

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NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - New research suggests that just because a woman has family members with breast cancer, it does not mean that she should undergo early screening for the cancer. According to the report, there are certain factors doctors can look for to determine whether early screening is advisable.

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ATLANTA -- About one in 100 adults in a recent survey reported active epilepsy, with nearly half not receiving adequate treatment, said CDC researchers.
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NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Results of a study in the European Heart Journal indicate an association between heart disease and lower thinking or "cognitive" performance in middle-aged adults.

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NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Beauty shops are not just a good place for a haircut anymore. In a new study, researchers describe how they used beauty shops to get their message across about stroke warning signs and risk factors.

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NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Parents of children with type 1 diabetes are particularly concerned about the complications of the disease, new research shows.

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NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Adults in treatment for severe mental disorders report greater levels of childhood stress than adults without psychiatric disorders, researchers from Germany found in a study they conducted.

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. efforts to test nearly everyone for the AIDS virus have stalled and just 40 percent of adults in the country have ever been tested for the fatal and incurable virus, according to a government report on Thursday.

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A report into C.diff deaths at a hospital is passed to the procurator fiscal to see if charges should be brought.
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AP - The first federal survey of both men and women on adoption challenges some stereotypes and offers some surprising findings:
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A glistening, lemony summer borscht that is infused with garlic and is utterly refreshing, even thirst-quenching.


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ATLANTA -- In the United States, just over 20% of women of child-bearing age are smokers, but most of them said they have tried to quit, according to the CDC.
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MEXICO CITY -- HIV vaccine researchers have scaled back their expectations, with repeated failures making it abundantly clear that a lack of fundamental understanding of the way the virus works has blocked success.
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New work by researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine describes the mechanism by which p53 regulates cells and protects them against DNA damage that might lead to cancer. The study shows that two p53 target genes - called Sestrin1 and Sestrin2 - provide an important link between p53 and a protein kinase called mTOR, a central regulator of cell growth.
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Sure, getting pregnant is easy for some people. But for couples who need help, navigating the fertility maze -- the doctors, the procedures, the emotional toll -- can be daunting. CNN Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen has some help in this week's Empowered Patient.

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In a study first presented during the Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Urological Association (AUA) in May 2008 and published in the September 15 issue of the journal Cancer, researchers examined prostate cancer incidence and disease characteristics in those exposed to Agent Orange compared to those who were not exposed. They found that twice as many men exposed to Agent Orange were identified with prostate cancer.
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CLEVELAND -- For repair of descending thoracic and thoracoabdominal aneurysms, an endovascular approach and open surgery were comparable in the risk of mortality or spinal cord ischemia, researchers here reported.
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BOSTON -- Ten pluripotent stem cell lines derived from human skin or bone marrow cells are now available for research on disorders with genetic components, ranging from Down's syndrome to Parkinson's disease, said researchers here.
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Orthopaedic surgeons stress the dangers of performance-enhancing drugs.
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It’s easy to love fresh beets, and not just for their nutritional advantages. Roasting is an easy way to cook them.


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In spite of the range of medications now available, major depression remains a challenging disease to treat. Only about half of adult patients respond to the first antidepressant they try, with only one-third achieving remission, reports the August 2008 issue of the Harvard Mental Health Letter. Most adults will try two or more medications before finding one that alleviates their depression.
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CHICAGO -- On paper, I now look normal. My glycated hemoglobin (HbA1C) is 5.7%. My blood pressure is 120/72 mm Hg. My total cholesterol is 126 mg/dL, with HDL at 46 and LDL at 61.
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Antiretroviral medications for HIV do not seem to increase the risk of cardiovascular events, suggest a pair of studies in the July issue of AIDS. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading provider of information and business intelligence for students, professionals, and institutions in medicine, nursing, allied health, pharmacy and the pharmaceutical industry.
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ROCKVILLE, Md. -- Patients who have fungal or parasitic meningitis are 15 times more likely to die in the hospital than those with the more common viral type, according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
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Researchers at the NYU Cancer Institute and the Ronald O. Perelman Department of Dermatology have identified mebendazole, a drug used globally to treat parasitic infections, as a novel investigational agent for the treatment of chemotherapy-resistant malignant melanoma.
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Doctors are urged to offer all children up to 18 the MMR jab amid concern of a growing risk of a measles epidemic.
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Reuters.com features my blog post: Angioedema - a 24-hour photo diary by a patient posted on Flickr.

They used BlogBurst RSS-based Blog Syndication Network for Online Media to re-publish the post from Clinical Cases and Images - Blog.

I was not asked for permission to use the post but since it is based on Flickr (Creative Commons license) and Wikipedia (public domain), I am not inclined to make a big deal about it.

Several media outlets and journals mentioned the blog and ClinicalCases.org in the last 2 weeks alone: The Los Angeles Times, Reuters, Journal of General Internal Medicine and Journal of Medical Internet Research.

Previously, the project was featured and referenced in BMJ (3 times), Journal of the American College of Cardiology, Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine, sBMJ, eMAJ, Clinical Infectious Diseases, BMC Education, Journal of General Internal Medicine, Journal of Medical Internet Research, Nursing Education Perspectives, Baylor College of Medicine Web Digest and Medscape (2 times). It also mentioned by the The Los Angeles Times. The project was presented at multiple national and international scientific meetings.

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Man will 'sell house' to pay for his drug if NHS stops
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The number of drug-related deaths in Scotland has doubled in the past 10 years, according to new figures.
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Five London medical centres join forces to become Europe's largest academic-health science partnership.
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US scientists have discovered people who can "hear" what they see.
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In Mexico and other parts of Latin America, stigma surrounding homosexuality increases the challenges that AIDS experts say they face in combating the disease.


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A colour-changing crystal attached to a soldier's uniform could help doctors decide if they might need treatment for a brain injury, researchers say.
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The global response to the AIDS epidemic has shortchanged children, health workers at the International AIDS Conference said on Wednesday.


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Patients with advanced kidney cancer in England and Wales are to be denied four treatments on the NHS under new guidelines.
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At least 38 Warao Indians have died from an outbreak that preliminary studies indicate might be a type of infectious rabies transmitted by bites from bats.


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The move comes as more retailers, saying they are responding to consumer demand, are selling dairy products from cows not treated with the artificial hormone.


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Investigators explore the effectiveness of stretching by trying to separate real benefits from imagined ones.


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HealthDay - TUESDAY, Aug. 5 (HealthDay News) -- Light to moderate exercise -- just walking a few blocks or even dancing -- can help prevent the abnormal heart rhythm called atrial fibrillation in those most vulnerable to it -- older people, a new study finds.
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AP - The average time that hospital emergency rooms patients wait to see a doctor has grown from about 38 minutes to almost an hour over the past decade, according to new federal statistics released Wednesday.
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PubMed is a free service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine that includes over 18 million citations from MEDLINE for biomedical articles back to the 1950s.

The service has several web interfaces adapted for mobile devices:

PubMed for handhelds web site



Pubmed Mobile also offers a Disease Associations service which searches case reports to find if the typed symptoms and signs match a particular condition:

Disease Associations with GSpell



The National Library of Medicine also has downloads for mobile devices like Palm and Pocket PC (called Windows Mobile since 2003). There is no iPhone application yet.

References:
Mobile Pubmed: Three ways to look up the literature online. The Palmdoc Chronicles.
Medical sites for mobiles. UBC Wiki.

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