Is there a doctor in the house?

[bronco300]

Originally Posted by elfdoctors
Hi Bang Guy! - Scarlet Fever is not the same as Rheumatic Fever. Scarlet fever is the typical rash whenever the skin is affected by strep (and was even described by Hippocrates). I treat scarlet fever with antibiotics as it is a sign of a generalized infection (rather than a simple localized tonsillitis). However, complete recovery is the rule for this disease. Many people with confirmed rheumatic fever used to get permanent scarring of their heart valves.
Tonsillectomy is another procedure which has thankfully dramatically waned in popularity. Tonsils and Adenoids are a NORMAL part of your Immune system. They are supposed to get inflamed as it is their job to filter materials entering the body either from the mouth (tonsils) or the nose (adenoids). The tonsils allow your immune system to get a jump start on dealing with infections before they can get a foothold inside deeper organs. They also reach their maximum size between ages 6-10 and then gradually shrink up - so problems with them are generally temporary. You are less likely to get pneumonia and other deep infections with normal tonsils. IMO, people should really try to keep your tonsils. (Of course, if you talk to an ENT doctor, they still think it is a good (and quite profitable) procedure).
Hi Darknes! - I stopped playing Astrowars this past summer after my mother died. My family was down in your area of Nebraska late this past summer. My tank is doing great. I haven't had a fish die in 20 months except for a clown fish who went carpet surfing (just as it was nearing sexual maturity).
Thanks for the compliment ophiura! I always enjoyed your posts here. My blue linckia has now survived 21 months so I think I am caring for it correctly.

Hey ELF!!! long time....hope all is well for you! good to see you around
hope you feel better soon ryan!

 

[elfdoctors]

Originally Posted by Oceanists
would you agree that the majority of flu cases if left unattended more often than not will lead to sinus infection something that should not be left untreated because of the likeliness it would spread to the brain and kill the patient?
Absolutely not. This rationale was common in the 1980's and early 1990's by older doctors who wanted to continue prescribing antibiotics for infections that they knew were viral. The evidence is clear that such complications happen in the great minority of cases. Complications from antibiotics are much more likely.
Antibiotics clearly have their place. I use them frequently for any infection which is clearly not improving after a week of using home remedies (and stopping obvious harmful elements such as smoking). However, they are clearly being overprescribed in this country. http://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/co...resistance.htm
Even for a known bacterial infections such as ear infections, the data shows that complications from ear infections if untreated happen approximately 1 in 14 cases. However, complications from antibiotics will happen approximately 1 in 9 times antibiotics are prescribed.
I practice a few hours away from the Mayo Clinic. They are an excellent resource for unusual diseases. However, I rarely refer to them if I can help it as their communication back to family doctors is often lousy. In addition, they are so specialty oriented that multi-system diseases tend to get lost in their system. Their style also leads to extremely high medical costs so most of the local insurance carriers will not even accept them for referrals. Medical costs are high enough as it is. I can only imagine how expensive medical insurance would be if everyone practiced the way that Mayo does.
Tamiflu and other neuroaminidase inhibitors (which is how the drugs work) act as "antibiotics" to prevent viruses from growing). However, they are more accurately classified as antivirals. They have no effect on bacterial infections. I used "antibiotics" in the layman's terminology here.

 

[oceanists]

Originally Posted by dmm0724
I work for an answering service for the hospital and so I get to know personalities. There are several that nurses won't even page if at all possible because they are such jerks. They think that just because they are doctors they can talk down to people and be snotty. Well, I have gotten in trouble on several occaisions for dishing it right back out to the doctors.
I think they think i'm some uneducated person working a minimum wage job and that allows them to treat us 'workers' like crap. Whenever I get a nasty doctor who wants to talk crap I say, "i'm sorry sir or ma'am you are going to have to call back, I will not accept being spoken to like i'm an idiot". Typically they ask to speak to my boss who agrees that we all deserve to be treated like humans.

hmmm sounds like you are looking for trouble ... although you should be treated like a human being you still have a job description and outright refusing to perform it no matter what the case unless stated on a sign "we reserve the right to refuse service to anyone" sounds like something you should be punished for.

 

[oceanists]

Originally Posted by elfdoctors
Absolutely not. This rationale was common in the 1980's and early 1990's by older doctors who wanted to continue prescribing antibiotics for infections that they knew were viral. The evidence is clear that such complications happen in the great minority of cases. Complications from antibiotics are much more likely.
Antibiotics clearly have their place. I use them frequently for any infection which is clearly not improving after a week of using home remedies (and stopping obvious harmful elements such as smoking). However, they are clearly being overprescribed in this country. http://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/co...resistance.htm
Even for a known bacterial infections such as ear infections, the data shows that complications from ear infections if untreated happen approximately 1 in 14 cases. However, complications from antibiotics will happen approximately 1 in 9 times antibiotics are prescribed.
I practice a few hours away from the Mayo Clinic. They are an excellent resource for unusual diseases. However, I rarely refer to them if I can help it as their communication back to family doctors is often lousy. In addition, they are so specialty oriented that multi-system diseases tend to get lost in their system. Their style also leads to extremely high medical costs so most of the local insurance carriers will not even accept them for referrals. Medical costs are high enough as it is. I can only imagine how expensive medical insurance would be if everyone practiced the way that Mayo does.
Tamiflu and other neuroaminidase inhibitors (which is how the drugs work) act as "antibiotics" to prevent viruses from growing). However, they are more accurately classified as antivirals. They have no effect on bacterial infections. I used "antibiotics" in the layman's terminology here.
I dissagree. But at least you posed your points tactfully.

 

[dmm0724]

Originally Posted by Oceanists
hmmm sounds like you are looking for trouble ... although you should be treated like a human being you still have a job description and outright refusing to perform it no matter what the case unless stated on a sign "we reserve the right to refuse service to anyone" sounds like something you should be punished for.

They call to complain, not to get stuff done. I will do what they ask no matter what, but if they are rude I am perfectly fine with waiting until they aren't rude. Or if their complaint is warranted, then thats a different story. However, they call to get mad when I can't read their mind. For instance, I am apparently supposed to know when they get home from work. I am supposed to call first then...but....how do I know that you are home? Its a different time every night......and if their children are sick...well i can't wake them up for a dying patient...so they must be paged. But....they don't call and let us know. they call at 2am complaining. I have never had the owner disagree with me, never had them leave our company for a different service.

 

[scotts]

I now have 2 people on my ignore list.