Doctors can greatly improve their stethoscope skills and therefore their ability to diagnose heart problems by listening repeatedly to heartbeats on their iPods. Previous research has shown that the average rate of correct heart sound identification by physicians is 40 percent.
In a new study, 149 general internists listened 400 times to five common heart murmurs during a 90-minute session with iPods. After the session, the average score improved to 80 percent.
“If you’re a NASA astronaut and you totally flip out in space, your crewmates are instructed to restrain you with duct tape, tie you down with bungee cords, and inject you with the anti-psychotic drug Haldol or a tranquilizer like Valium. The plan is outlined in 1,000+ page document that the Associated Press obtained this week outlining how to deal with medical emergencies.” [Boing Boing]
More than a third of smokers who had surgery to remove early stage lung cancer were smoking again within a year. That’s one of the findings of a new study involving patients who were forced to quit smoking for surgery. Many were puffing away within two months of the surgery, and nearly half eventually resumed the habit. [LiveScience]
Recorded October 20, 2006
I hesitate to call it that since it was always our intention to do the Living Healthy Podcast for a year. On Tuesday, Dr. Domke and I will record our 50th show and we’re making it our final regular podcast. Let’s just call it the end of our first season. We might produce a few “specials” or bring the podcast back with a different format. But, for now, it’s time to take a break. Our last two topics were Shingles and Irritable Bowel Syndrome so, yeah, it’s hiatus time. I think LHP #50 will be pretty interesting so watch this space for a link.
Recorded October 13, 2006
Recorded October 6, 2006
Recorded September 22, 2006
Recorded September 22, 2006
Recorded September 15, 2006