Yesterday I had a wonder day devoted to studying, I was on the RCGP Alcohol Management in Primary Care Course and in addition I squeezed in 2 podcasts from Inside Health! one on the bus there and one back.
So the first had one really interesting interview with a neurology profesor about who can stop their anti-epileptics and when they can do it.
The second had a good article about benign essential tremor again from specialist, but a different one. How to diagnose, features that suggest alternative diagnoses and alarming features of a tremor.
The course was excellent too! Delivered by the wonderful Jenny Keen of the Primary care substance misuse team.
A very productive day!
Friday 19 October 2012
Tuesday 16 October 2012
BMJ podcasts
I don't know why but I've had to re-subscribe to this podcast again and have missed a lot of them. But the latest 2 are great-
12/10/12- Over treatment is discussed mainly with reference to the American system but very pertinent to the UK when changes by the coalition government are in process.
5/10/12 discussed the recent advert by the British Heart Foundation to encourage the public to try hands only resuscitation. Apparently the campaign was hugely successful and viewed by a lot of the public. Perhaps I should be encouraging my patients to look at the advert?
http://www.bhf.org.uk/heart-health/life-saving-skills/hands-only-cpr.aspx
12/10/12- Over treatment is discussed mainly with reference to the American system but very pertinent to the UK when changes by the coalition government are in process.
5/10/12 discussed the recent advert by the British Heart Foundation to encourage the public to try hands only resuscitation. Apparently the campaign was hugely successful and viewed by a lot of the public. Perhaps I should be encouraging my patients to look at the advert?
http://www.bhf.org.uk/heart-health/life-saving-skills/hands-only-cpr.aspx
Wednesday 3 October 2012
B12 and Vitamin D + a new resource
2 Important topics, both covered on Inside Health on 4th September, with interesting opinions and research from 2 specialists.
Firstly, a study showing taking Vitamin D can improve recovery from TB and a discussion about how Vitamin D might be modulating immune response. Apparently one of the first ever randomised controlled trials, conducted by the Brompton Hospital in the last century found patients recieving sunlight or cod liver oil were more likely to survive TB than those who didn't.
Secondly, a specialist who feels we under diagnose and under treat B12 deficiency. He feels anyone with a level under 300 mcg is deficient or at least has an indadequate level. He also believes we should treat with im hydroxycobalamin not to BNF recommended doses in every case- we should be administering more frequently in certain people and using response to treatment instead to judge the amount needed.
This is timely for me as I'm just starting an audit in measuring B12/FBC in patients taking metformin- at Wincobank that is over 400 patients. Other drugs to consider B12 deficiency include phenytoin, h2 receptor antagonists and PPis.
Finally a new resource recommended in the back of the MPS magazine- an app for the iPhone called Medscape. It's from the States, is a free resource and is an encyclopaedia of pretty much everything- Drugs, Conditions, Procedures Drug interactions & calculators. Looks pretty useful, navigated around the app quite easily and have used it to check a drug interaction. I note it also has information about herbal medicines in this category, so could be very useful. I will report back!
www.medscape.com
Firstly, a study showing taking Vitamin D can improve recovery from TB and a discussion about how Vitamin D might be modulating immune response. Apparently one of the first ever randomised controlled trials, conducted by the Brompton Hospital in the last century found patients recieving sunlight or cod liver oil were more likely to survive TB than those who didn't.
Secondly, a specialist who feels we under diagnose and under treat B12 deficiency. He feels anyone with a level under 300 mcg is deficient or at least has an indadequate level. He also believes we should treat with im hydroxycobalamin not to BNF recommended doses in every case- we should be administering more frequently in certain people and using response to treatment instead to judge the amount needed.
This is timely for me as I'm just starting an audit in measuring B12/FBC in patients taking metformin- at Wincobank that is over 400 patients. Other drugs to consider B12 deficiency include phenytoin, h2 receptor antagonists and PPis.
Finally a new resource recommended in the back of the MPS magazine- an app for the iPhone called Medscape. It's from the States, is a free resource and is an encyclopaedia of pretty much everything- Drugs, Conditions, Procedures Drug interactions & calculators. Looks pretty useful, navigated around the app quite easily and have used it to check a drug interaction. I note it also has information about herbal medicines in this category, so could be very useful. I will report back!
www.medscape.com
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