January 29, 2009
Commentary by Michael Hanley MD PGY-3 and James D. Koonce MD PGY-3, Department of Radiology, Medical University of South Carolina
www.X-rayRisk.com - A Free Online Calculator that Estimates an Individual’s Additional Risk of Cancer as a Result of Medical Imaging
An estimated 62 million CT scans…
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Posted in Ethics, Radiology
October 25, 2008
Commentary by Bani Chander MD, PGY-3. Reviewed by Antonella Surbone MD PhD FACP, Ethics Section Editor.
On May 21, 2008, president George W. Bush signed the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) into effect. After 13 years of debate in Congress, the…
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Posted in Ethics
October 25, 2008
Commentary by Antonella Surbone, MD PhD FACP, Ethics Section Editor
The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA), passed by the US Congress on May 1st 2008, protects individuals against discrimination by health insurers and employers on the basis of genetic information.(1-4) Genetic…
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Posted in Ethics
September 16, 2008
Q: What is the appropriate response for an internist to the phone call from a friend….”I hate to ask you but,….I have this minor problem and could you help me over the phone or in your/my house?” Some of these friends are officially your…
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Posted in Ethics
August 21, 2008
Commentary by Antonella Surbone MD PhD FACP, Department of Medicine, New York University Medical School, Clinical Correlations Ethics Section Editor
According to the Institute of Medicine (IOM) report of April 14th, 2008, the elderly comprise 12% of the U.S. population, and…
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Posted in Ethics, Geriatrics
May 9, 2008
Commentary by Shrujal Baxi MD, NYU Chief Resident
One of the first things you learn about critically analyzing a medical journal piece is to go to the end and see who sponsored the study. Corporate financing is known to have subtle…
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Posted in Ethics, Pulmonary/Critical Care
March 13, 2008
Commentary by Parul Gandhi MD, PGY-2
Bad news can be defined as “Situations where there is either a feeling of no hope, a threat to a person’s mental or physical well-being, a risk of upsetting an established lifestyle, or where a…
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Posted in Ethics
March 6, 2008
Commentary by Vlad Fridman MD, PGY-3
Futility is a topic which has been debated since the beginning of modern medicine. In Hippocratic times, medical practitioners were called upon to serve three purposes: cure, comfort, and refuse to treat those who were…
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Posted in Ethics
December 7, 2007
Commentary by Shrujal Baxi MD, Ethics Section Editor, and Joseph Lowy MD, Medical Director, Palliative Care Service at NYU Hospital
Mrs. Pleasant is an 85 year old woman brought into the ER by her son for poor appetite. Mrs. P is demented…
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Posted in Ethics
September 6, 2007
Commentary by Sean Cavanaugh MD, Associate Editor, Clinical Correlations
Most doctors are aware that Domestic Violence, or Intimate Partner Violence (IPV), is a serious health care issue, but the statistics are still startling to most of us. Some surveys have reported…
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Posted in Ethics, Healthcare Policy
February 5, 2007
A 76 year old man with a history of coronary artery disease, diabetes and hypertension was brought in by his wife with two days of lethargy, slurred speech and right arm weakness. On presentation, the patient was awake and intermittently…
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Posted in Ethics