The following comments are from Bill Hunter, MD, Medical Director of Open Door Community Health Centers, based in Arcata with clinic sites in many Northern California communities:
I was confused by your recent blog post on topical NSAIDs Continue reading
A landmark study from turn-of-the-century England documented that a teaspoon dose of sucrose could improve medication administration and palatability (Poppins M, et.al, 1910, referenced at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Spoonful_of_Sugar). But what if Continue reading
Osteoarthritis pain is one of the more frustrating problems we primary care clinicians have to manage. It is a ubiquitous problem. It is a bothersome complaint. And treatment options are not great. NSAID’s can provide some relief, but Continue reading
Something has clearly gone awry with our efforts to manage chronic non-cancer pain. Emergency departments in the U.S. are facing an epidemic of opioid overdoses. Deaths from opioid overdoses now exceed those from Continue reading
Clinicians should take a cautious approach when considering use of the first medical device approved by the FDA to help diagnose ADHD in children.
The FDA recently approved an EEG-based technology for Continue reading
The evidence against using antibiotics to treat acute bronchitis continues to mount. Most recently, a study published in the October 4, 2013, BMJ looked at outcomes among patients treated with Augmentin, ibuprofen, or placebo. Not surprisingly, Continue reading
As a father of four and grandfather of four I recall feeling a bit guilty when announcing bedtime and signaling an end to the evening’s activities. Actually, my wife more often led the command, with me as her trusty sidekick. We both felt Continue reading
Human behavior fascinates me. And physician human behavior fascinates me even more. What motivates us to treat specific diagnoses in specific patients the way we do? How do we decide what medicines to prescribe? What kinds Continue reading
We live in an age where most young people now alive have never seen illnesses that were common 50-100 years ago. The medical system’s success at eliminating or significantly reducing common and deadly childhood illnesses through the use of vaccines has Continue reading
If you are reading this post, you have repeatedly heard the cautions about avoiding overuse and inappropriate prescribing of antibiotics. Well, the national experts who continue warning us on this topic feel they are speaking into deaf ears. Continue reading