Following Grand Rounds, the vacation, and a run of radio shows, I admit that I'm feeling a little burned out. So, I'm going to take a few days off from the blog - if for anything else, to catch my breath. I'm on call this weekend. So, that should keep me busy. And Thanksgiving next week. And on, and on, and on. So, I won't be gone for long (heck, I may even post tomorrow if I'm for it). But, if not, just wanted to let you know. Be back soon.....
Blog
Listen LIVE tonight
Thursday, November 15st, 2007 at 10:00pm Eastern Time
Join us tonight for the very popular nurse blogger Kim from the Emergiblog: The Life and Times of and ER nurse. She's also known for the popular blog carnival known as Change of Shift. See you tonight!
For first time Blog Talk Radio listeners:
*Although it is not required to listen to the show, I encourage you to register on the BlogTalkRadio site prior to the show. I think it will make the process easier.
*To get to my show site, click here. As show time gets closer, keep hitting "refresh" on your browser until you see the "Click to Listen" button. Then, of course, press the "Click to Listen" button.
*You can also participate in the live chat room before, during, and after the show. Look for the "Chat Available" button in the upper right hand corner of the page. If you are registered with the BTR site, your registered name and picture will appear in the chat room.
*You can also call into the show. The number is on my show site. I'll be taking calls beginning at around the bottom of the hour. Hope these tips are helpful!
The Emergiblog Interview
This week The Doctor Anonymous LIVE show welcomes Kim from Emergiblog: The Life and Times of an ER nurse. In my opinion, the most popular nurse blogger on the internet. She's also known for the popular nursing blog carnival called Change of Shift.
Join us on Thursday, November 15th, 2007 at 10pm Eastern Time. We'll be talking about her blog, Change of Shift, and a lot more - like who is that guy in the picture above! You can also join us in the live chat room or even call into the show to ask Kim a question. The chat room worked for the last show. Let's hope it works again. You'll just have to tune in to find out.
I also wanted to thank everyone for supporting Grand Rounds this week with your visits and links on your blog. The number of visits yesterday was about 400% more than I usually receive. Plus, the number of people listening to the show continues to increase every week. Get on the Doctor Anonymous Live train now! Tune in tomorrow....
Grand Rounds - Volume 4 number 8
Greetings from Tuscon, Arizona which is only 2,000 miles from the comfy confines of home. Why did I come all the way out here just to host Grand Rounds. Well, not really, but I hope you like the pics (yes, that's really me).
These are the 43 best posts that the medical blogosphere has to offer this week. In my editors picks, I wanted to highlight well-written stories. There is also a short excerpt from each of my picks of the week.
Also, I invite you to check out my interview with the grand poobah himself - Nicholas Genes - on my internet radio show last week. Thanks Nick for being a guest on Doctor Anonymous Live and thanks for the opportunity to host Grand Rounds again.
You can also check out the Grand Rounds 4.08 Premiere Party on my show as well. Finally, don't forget to check out my Pre-Rounds interview on Medscape. Here we go!
Dr. A's Picks of the Week!
In Sickness And In Health tells a touching story about Paul and Mary and how their lives were touched by Alzheimer's Disease.
Paul and Mary were soul mates. They were best friends, lovers, and enjoyed each other’s company above all else. Even after fifty years of marriage, Paul always greeted his wife with a kiss when he returned home from the office. These days, however, his eyes watered a bit as they lingered on her mismatched outfit and the cracker crumbs clinging to her shirtfront. He watched her float from room to room in the house now vacated by their grown children as if seeking sanctuary from the enemies that were slowly stealing her memory.
Other Things Amanzi shares a surgical story that is uniquely South African.
she was massive. her bmi must have been hovering around the 50 mark. then she developed severe abdominal pain, complete obstipation and vomiting. as is common, she went to her local neighbourhood sangoma. he did what sangomas do. he made cuts over the area the patient reported to be the problem (her abdomen) and smeared his muthi (in this case, apparently cow dung) into the cuts. the idea, i think, is that the medicine can get to work directly where the problem is.
Borneo Breezes tells the tale of a medical student cholera workshop in Uganda. (Great pictures!)
As a result of their visit they learned that people in the fishing village were collecting drinking water from the Kazinga Channel frequented by hippos, water buffalo, elephants and a multitude of birds. Boiling was not regularly done because wood and money for fuel was in short supply. Oral rehydration packets in the health unit had all been used up. Juices were being made from unboiled water. Handwashing was not doing regularly and latrines were available in only one-third of the homes. So there were many possible sources for spread of cholera and much need of health education.
Vitum Medicinus, a med student in Canada, tells a story about being corrected by a patient during a physical exam.
Now that I'm in second year, that's something that I've been able to do, and be confident doing: if a patient presents to me in clinic with an ear/nose/throat issue, a heart or lung problem, a musculoskeletal problem, or an abdominal problem, I'm able to do a focused physical exam before the doctor comes in. "The doctor will come in and do an exam as well in a few minutes, but for now could you lay on your back and lift up your shirt so I can examine your abdomen please?"
A Float Floor RN describes a surprise that she really did not want to see.
He is very angry, pacing around his bed. I try to keep my eyes on his eyes. He is yelling about this and that and I am not quite following what exactly it is he is angry about. I am hearing about his dissatisfaction with the hospital food, he's run out of cigarettes, he can't get in touch with his baby momma, there aren't enough stations on the TV, ...you get the idea. I don't talk, I just listen thinking maybe he just needs to vent.
The rest of the medical blogsosphere's best posts this week!
Running A Hospital speaks for statistical transparency to improve patient care and enhance academic medical centers.
The Fitness Fixer shares a story from Afghanistan showing options for pain other than medication.
About A Nurse describes her encounter with the alcoholic patient.
In a poetic style, The D-Log Cabin writes what it means when diabetes and dreams mix.
Who knew suturing was cool? Who says? Well, the Surgeonsblog, of course.
Finally, a technology solution to the healthcare crisis, says Musings of a Distractible Mind.
Kolahun posts for the first time to Grand Rounds and talks about the frustration of health care workers in New Orleans.
Continuing with the New Orleans theme, Daily Interview shares a conversation with the supervisor of Katrina physician Dr. Pou.
Does excess body fat cause cancer? Junkfood Science analyzes the evidence.
Nurse Ratched's Place does a meta-analysis on 20 medical romance novels in the tongue-in-cheek study.
How To Cope With Pain discusses a proposal that the USA buy Afghanistan’s poppy crop and making morphine for the world's poor.
Experts are selling molehills as mountains, Med Journal Watch proclaims, when looking at the obesity/cancer connection.
Is a spinal tap required when evaluating dementia patients? The Clinical Cases Blog analyzes this question.
Dr. Wes explains Why Medical Errors Are Good For You.
Diabetes Mine tells the story of how a girlfriend has learned more about her boyfriend and his diabetes.
Counting Sheep describes a day in the life of taking care of a trauma patient.
Dinah from Shrink Rap tells us the basics of how to select a sleep medication.
Everything Health ask why the revenue of office based physicians is falling while insurance company profits are rising.
Dr. Val tells the story of a friend, a cancer survivor and patient advocate, who received poor treatment in the ER.
A Chronic Dose shares a colleague's dilemma when dealing with the rising cost of health care.
InsureBlog writes how unprofessional medical office managers can be sometimes.
Did you know Chicago is the most caffeinated city in the US? Disease Proof states why this is a bad thing.
Teen Health 411 explains why it's important for teens to receive a flu shot.
Healthline Connects has a solution to EMRs.
Highlight Health gives a good definition of influenza, who should get vaccinated, and why the flu vaccine works.
Marc Andreesen, a venture capitalist, recently gave $27 million to Stanford Hospital. PixelRN theorizes that it could be because he reads medical blogs.
The Diet Dish gives us tips on how to reduce our diabetes risk.
Eye on DNA makes a connection between breastfeeding, genetics, and IQ.
Birth control pills slightly increase risk of cervical cancer. TBTAM, a gynecologist, puts things in perspective.
Episcopal Hospital Chaplain analyzes ethical concerns of basing human studies on animal studies.
Health Business Blog describes a networking site.
Medicine For The Outdoors asks if wildfire conflagrations can be stopped.
Tech Medicine shares his thoughts on handwashing, MRSA, and C. Diff Colitis.
Science Roll lists applications relevant to medicine that can be placed on your Facebook page.
Fruit Of The Womb talks about endometriosis.
Six Until Me shares a personal story on how blood sugar numbers have such a way of planting that little, tiny seed of guilt.
During an ER visit, Rickety Contrivances of Doing Good reflects on the differences between violent movies and real life.
Freedom From Smoking asks why docs do not treat tobacco dependence.
That's It! Sheesh! Thanks to Nick Genes for giving me the opportunity to host Grand Rounds. It was a lot of fun to put together. I hope you have fun reading all these great posts. Next week, Grand Rounds travels south of the border to Mexico Medical Student.
Grand Rounds premieres tonight LIVE
The Red Carpet premiere of GR 4.08 will occur tonight on The Doctor Anonymous LIVE show beginning at 11:30pm eastern time (8:30pm pacific time). Don't forget that this is a black tie event. I will have bouncers at the door looking for the trouble makers. hehe
I hope the technology will work from this hotel. I have my trusty iBook G4 and a wireless connection from the hotel. Hopefully, here will not be too much trouble getting the show up and running tonight. But, that's the beauty of live radio, right? This will either be my best show ever, or my most embarrassing moment in the blogosphere. Either way, history will be made, and you will have to tune in.
As always, you can listen live, participate in the chat room, and/or call into the show. Will you be a first time listener? Well then, make sure to check out the first time BlogTalkRadio tips that I posted last week for Nick Genes' show. See you soon!
Update: I'm happy to say that Blog Talk Radio has chosen to feature tonight's show! This means that the show is placed on the front page for more visibility. How cool is that? No pressure, huh? We'll just have to see what happens later....
Grand Rounds Deadline
I'm having a great time here in Arizona. The weather is perfect. I'll talk about this more on the Grand Rounds Premiere show which will be Monday at 11:30pm eastern time on my internet radio show. Hope your weekend is going well. The deadline for GR submissions will be 11:59pm eastern time, November 11th, 2007. Have you sent me your post yet?
Countdown to Grand Rounds
Last year, when I hosted for the first time, I did a little research on how this whole thing got started. I posted it here last year. But, in case no one read that, I'll re-post the text here, because it is good reading....
Did you know that Grand Rounds was almost called things like "Carnival of the Caregivers," or, "Melee of the Medics," or, "Party of the Providers," or, "Hulabaloo of the Healers?" How different would things have turned out if one of those names were chosen?
Here are some other things I found:
August 6, 2004: Now, a certain fraction of medi-blog posts are too esoteric for the lay reader, but actually not that many. And that's part of the appeal: Each week authors would pick a post that general blog readers could understand and enjoy, and a rotating volunteer blogger would host the links. What gets linked would be at the host's discretion -- hopefully a nice mix of quality patient stories, science news, and policy points.
September 13, 2004: If you're a medical blogger (which so many of you are), and if you're interested in reaching more nonmedical readers, listen to this: I've received a lot of positive feedback about the idea for "Grand Rounds" (Carnival of the Caregivers) -- a series of "best-of-the-week" posts from around the medical blogosphere, with rotating hosts.
September 28, 2004 (The First Grand Rounds): Welcome to the debut of Grand Rounds, the weekly summary of the best of the medical blogosphere. It's our hope that this new feature will introduce a wider audience to the expanding array of talented doctors, nurses, techs and students writing online today. This week, we've got a roundup of new medical reports, opinions on current health topics, and a look into several medical specialties. Plus, some stories from caregivers to make you laugh, cry, or spur the contemplation of your mortality.
I'm off the Arizona for a long weekend. I'm going to try this Twitter thing while I'm out there. So, feel free to follow me on my Twitter site. Don't forget that the Grand Rounds Premiere show on my internet radio show is Monday night, November 12th, 2007 beginning at 11:30pm eastern time.
LIVE tonight: Dr. Nick Genes
Thursday, November 8th, 2007 at 10:00pm Eastern Time
Join us tonight for Nick Genes, MD, PhD. Nick is best known for Grand Rounds, Blogborygmi, and MedGadget. See you tonight!
For first time Blog Talk Radio listeners:
*Although it is not required to listen to the show, I encourage you to register on the BlogTalkRadio site prior to the show. I think it will make the process easier.*To get to my show site, click here. As show time gets closer, keep hitting "refresh" on your browser until you see the "Click to Listen" button. Then, of course, press the "Click to Listen" button.
*You can also participate in the live chat room before, during, and after the show. Look for the "Chat Available" button in the upper right hand corner of my show site. If you are registered with the BTR site, your registered name and picture will appear in the chat room. (If not, you will be designated as "guest")
*You can also call into the show. The number is on my show site. I'll be taking calls beginning at around the bottom of the hour. Hope these tips are helpful!
As far as GR 4.08, I have more than 20 submissions already. Again, a lot more at this point verses last year when I hosted. Keep those submissions coming in. Have you sent something to me yet? Why not? If you'd like more details on what I'm looking for, just click here and read on!!
Update: Thanks so much to Nick for being a great guest! Unfortunately, I had another technical glitch at the beginning of the show. But, not as bad as last week. The sound comes back at around 5 minutes into the show. The good news was that the chat room was working.
We started talking about his emergency medicine residency and how we started blogging. And, then the start of the Grand Rounds blog carnival. How does Nick find hosts for this blog carnival? He answers that question.
For the medical bloggers out there, he also shares his feelings about the idea of using themes during Grand Rounds. I talk about this as well. Later in the show, he share his thoughts about the number of posts per week is just about the right number.
Thanks so much to Dr. Val and MJRN for calling into the show. I'd also like to thank everyone in the chatroom - including the scan man himself tuning in all the way from India. Sorry the sound wasn't working, though. Hopefully, you'll be able to listen to the archives.
After the 60 minute mark, when the live feed was over, Nick and I talked about my upcoming Medscape interview with him. We really hyped it up - don't miss this Pre-rounds interview. It's going to be good.
We closed by talking about Medgadget, the Medgadget medblog awards which will be coming up in January, and advice for first time Grand Rounds hosts. We probably could have talked for another 30 minutes - but that's why I'm going to bring him back for another show. hehe
The Nicholas Genes Interview
This week The Doctor Anonymous Show welcomes Nicholas Genes, MD, PhD. He, of course, is best known for the Grand Rounds blog carnival. He is also known for his Blogborygmi blog and his association with Medgadget.
Join us on Thursday, November 8th, 2007 at 10pm Eastern Standard Time where we will be talking about this and a whole lot more. You can also join us in the live chat room or even call into the show to ask Nick a question. The chat room worked for the last show. Let's hope it works again. You'll just have to tune in to find out. Check here tomorrow for details.
By the way, I already have about a dozen submissions for Grand Rounds - just after day one! This is a lot more than at this point last year when I was hosting. Have you sent something to me yet? Why not? If you'd like more details on what I'm looking for, just click here and read on!
Dona Nobis Pacem
A small group of thoughtful people could change the world.
Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.
-Margaret Mead
I know this post is early, but it's already November 7th in some parts of the world. I wanted to thank Mimi for all of your hard work in putting this together.
Listen to my interview with Mimi on Doctor Anonymous Live. You can also talk to Mimi on The Mo Show which will be on at 7pm eastern time on Wednesday. In addition, join Mimi in her Bloggingham Palace chat room. I'm looking forward to seeing all the globes today. Peace on Earth....
