News

Dr. Pullen examines the drop in annual cases of meningitis in recent years, due primarily to vaccines.

I often wonder what might happen if a patient of mine has a condition that would necessitate me contacting the spouse/partner. What if the patient doesn't have the spouse/partner listed as someone I CAN contact? Do I break HIPAA regulations and talk with them anyway? I wonder.

An international team of scientists, led by the University of Edinburgh, has discovered three genes linked to the development of Paget's Disease.

A combination of antibiotics effectively treats Chlamydia-induced reactive arthritis, according to results of a study conducted by researchers from the University Of South Florida College Of Medicine.

Courier, Microsoft's take on the tablet PC, will probably not be released until early 2011 for design and marketing reasons.

The medications were recalled due to manufacturing deficiencies, not adverse health reactions, but consumers have been advised to stop taking them.

Dr. Pullen outlines a number of suggestions physicians can use for maintaining personal interaction with patients while using an EMR in the room.

A recent review of a five-physician practice in Philadelphia reveals that there are numerous unpaid tasks that a primary care physician must complete during the workday

A new study from the Group Health Research Institute reveals that patients with diabetes are at a 40% increased risk for developing atrial fibrillation.

Helicobacter hepaticus, neither an opportunistic pathogen or a beneficial symbiont, has been identified as a disease-causing bacterium when it exists in a particular human gut environment.

Results of this study reveal that the cause of Alzheimer's disease may be different than what scientists have long thought it to be.

Black children with chronic kidney disease suffer from more severe anemia than white children, even when they receive the same medical treatment.

Well, I really do know why I bother with all of the hassle and red tape that is the hallmark of modern medicine – I do it for my patients.

Dr. Pullen's latest blog entry discusses the functions of the knee and the importance of the anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL.

Although the adage that there is no privacy on the Internet is truer than ever, there are several steps that physicians can take to protect their private lives and information while still remaining active online.

Women that abuse pain medications are more likely to be motivated to do so by emotional issues and psychological distress, while male-motivation to do so is derived from problematic social and behavioral problems, according to a Harvard study published in The Journal of Pain.

Good news doctors! Although the current Congress is content to fritter away your future income with so-called healthcare reform, a plucky Republican candidate for Senate in Nevada has offered a sensible (and tasty) alternative to the usual fee for service: poultry!

It has been reported that Bret Michaels, who recently suffered a subarachnoid hemorrhage, has developed hyponatremia.

Scientists at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio developed a new class of non-addictive painkillers based on the discovery of a new family of fatty acids.

Dr. Pullen's newest blog entry reviews the improvements in the pharmacologic management of psychiatric diseases in the past 30 years.

What role inflammation, and in turn the use of anti-inflammatory agents, has in changing the risk of ovarian cancer was the topic of an interesting presentation at the recent AACR meeting.

According to the results of a study conducted by Massachusetts General Hospital, patients with acne who complete a follow-up visit via a secure website may achieve similar clinical outcomes as patients who receive in-person visits.

Tests of the blood sugar control mechanism, developed by Boston University researchers and tested at Massachusetts General Hospital, confirm the feasibility of an approach utilizing doses of both hormones.

Featured on ReachMD's site is a podcast titled, "Appropriate Use, Undermedication and Abuse of Opioid Analgesics."

Researchers unveiled a multi-faceted treatment program for young adults addicted to an opioid drug that includes administering Buprenorphine.

A recent 60 Minutes episode addressed the use of stimulants like Ritalin and Adderal by college students to get better grades. Dr. Pullen discusses the episode and the issue.

A good argument can be made that we could save more lives and prevent more morbidity by aggressively diagnosing, treating and controlling hypertension than with any other condition given the knowledge and tools at our disposal at this time, but, according to Dr. Pullen, we are doing "a miserably poor job of controlling hypertension in America."

Unless you've yet to come out of your winter hibernation, you've likely heard about the subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) suffered-just days after an emergency appendectomy-by Poison front man and "The Celebrity Apprentice" contestant Bret Michaels. But few media sources have gone past reporting the incident to explain how it could affect Michaels long-term (should he survive) and how it might have been prevented; Matt Mealiffe, MD, over at DNA and You, is an exception.

A few weeks ago I blogged how great it was to sleep in on a Saturday. Well, this past Saturday was different.

A new study from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro brings the scientific world one step closer to a urine test for the detection of colon cancer.