A recent study has put the process of filling out a death certificate in the spotlight. Barbara Wexelman, MD and coauthors published an article a couple of weeks ago in the CDC’s Preventing Chronic Disease which showed that about 50% to 60% of medical residents from more than half of residency programs in New York […]
Cancer Vixen – Death of a Physician
On Monday August 6th, 2012 a former colleague of mine died. She was a mate from my internal medicine residency program who shared with me a passion for infectious diseases, being warm, food, and particularly sweets. Her laughter was contagious and her wry sense of humour always appreciated. While I spent the unpleasant days counting […]
Medical Futility: When Does Death Occur?
When does death occur? I wish I knew honestly. In cases of medical futility, it’s always heart-wrenching to be faced with a patient in whom medical interventions amount to maintaining the status quo which is already not good. A patient whose family members don’t seem to understand that there is no going back to better […]
Wish Upon a Falling Star – Perseid Meteors Shower 2010
A couple of days ago, a colleague at work mentioned going out on the lake with friends and trying to catch a glimpse of this years Perseid meteors shower. I’ll admit, I had no clue of what she spoke. Turns out that every year around this time our dearly beloved planet Earth passes through the orbit […]
Whooping Cough (Pertussis) kills!
Last month, a baby in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania died of pertussis (whooping cough). I suppose death from pertussis (or any other vaccine-preventable illness) is preferable to the speculated possibility of life with autism for vaccine nay-sayers. Thank goodness I’m not a pediatrician because I don’t think I would last long trying to convince parents […]