Background: Residents and medical students have expressed repeated concerns over the years about the inadequate amounts and quality of feedback in the clinical setting. Despite innovative ways to teach the skill of giving feedback, the problem has not been fixed. Methods: In this study, the author introduced the clinical encounter…
Orthopaedic surgery has an extremely competitive residency selection process. The authors discuss which attributes of an orthopaedic surgery residency applicant are the most important in obtaining a position. A comparison of applicants’ opinions to those of faculty was also done. Anonymous questionnaires were filled out by orthopaedic surgery residency applicants…
James Parkinson is credited with the first complete clinical description of the syndrome attributed to his name, Parkinson disease. It is recognized as the first syndrome defined after neurology became a specialty. Descriptions of Parkinson features are rare in antiquity, and famous people with this disorder have not been found…
Objectives: Religion and spirituality provide the means by which many individuals and their families cope with illness. Moreover, there is evidence to suggest that health outcomes may be influenced by patients’ religious beliefs, attitudes, and behavior. Methods: We examined three representative nonspecialty journals (Journal of the American Medical Association, Lancet,…
Expired CME Credit Submission and Evaluation Form – Spirituality
Hansen disease, historically known as leprosy, is caused by Mycobacterium leprae. The disease is rare in the United States but remains endemic among certain immigrant populations, and may manifest years after infection. The US military has a number of active duty troops originally from endemic countries. Recently, three US soldiers…
The extracranial internal carotid artery (ICA) is susceptible to injury and dissection from external shear forces applied to the neck. Traumatic ICA dissection usually occurs in the setting of a sudden, high amplitude force causing significant distortion of surrounding soft tissues. Weaker, repetitive forces applied for longer intervals may also…
An 80-year-old male presented with dyspnea so severe that he could not perform the activities of daily living. Chest radiography and computed tomography of the chest demonstrated a 30-cm left chest mass extending inferiorly to displace the left kidney and spleen. Three incisional biopsies yielded inconclusive results. Positron emission tomography…
The Institute of Medicine’s To Err is Human made headlines by estimating that medical errors account for between 44,000 and 98,000 deaths annually in the United States. Together with the subsequent quality dimension report, Crossing the Quality Chasm, the Institute of Medicine has brought patient safety into the spotlight.1 The…
Objectives: The authors sought to explore patients’ views about discussing spiritual issues with primary care physicians, including perceived barriers to and facilitators of discussions. Methods: The study was a qualitative, semistructured interview of 10 chronically or terminally ill patients who were deliberately selected to represent a range of demographic factors…
A stable, polymerized hemoglobin product has been formulated that overcomes the three traditional hurdles of hemoglobin-based blood substitutes: nephrotoxicity, osmotic diuresis, and blood-borne pathogens. We present a case of a patient with persistent colonic bleeding and a hemoglobin of 2.9 g/100 mL. Since her religious faith prevented her from accepting…
The Uniform Anatomical Gift Act (UAGA) grants any competent adult the legal right to designate whether he or she wishes to donate his or her organs for transplantation after death. However, contextual issues may interfere with organ donation by individuals who want to be organ donors. This case report describes…
The path that any orthopaedic (or other) resident applicant travels—from completed Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) application, to program interview, to rank number, to selection by the residency match—is a complicated, expensive, stressful, and chancy trip. A paucity of signs, billboards, and consensus standards exist to clarify that path.
Positron emission tomography (PET) is based on the observation that tumor cells exhibit high glucose utilization.1 Though not unique to malignant cells, this feature prompted the development of a radiolabeled tagged glucose tracer that can assess tissue metabolism. Fluorodeoxyglucose F 18 (FDG) is the tracer most widely used in clinical…
Religious and spiritual beliefs and practices are fundamental to the identity of many people. But, are such beliefs and practices relevant to health care? Previous work published in a variety of journals suggests that they are. Religious and spiritual variables have been associated with lower levels of mortality in prospective…
Attention to religion, faith, and spirituality in medicine has increased in recent years. The number of papers published on the subject has skyrocketed in the decade of the 90s, and the pace has continued in the new millennium. The topic has been the subject of a number of popular books,…
Jesus said, “I command you, pick up your mat and go home,” and the paralytic man got up and walked.1 Are these truly signs of divine intervention? Does God intervene in our daily miseries? If the answer is affirmative, how can this phenomenon be harnessed in a reproducible manner? Or…
Objectives: The scientific community has recently taken a serious interest in the relation between religious involvement and adult mortality risk in the United States. We review this literature, highlighting key findings, limitations, and future challenges. Methods: Literature from medicine, epidemiology, and the social sciences is included. Results: Taken together, the…
The use of spirituality and religion in coping with illness is widespread among primary care patients. Although the overwhelming majority of healthcare providers agree that they should be aware of patients’ spiritual beliefs, that these beliefs may influence their healing, and that patients benefit from spiritual care, there remains considerable…
A growing body of scientific research suggests connections between religion, spirituality, and both mental and physical health. The findings are particularly strong in patients with severe or chronic illnesses who are having stressful psychologic and social changes, as well as existential struggles related to meaning and purpose. Recent studies indicate…
Research has shown that religiosity and spirituality significantly contribute to psychosocial adjustment to cancer and its treatments. Religion offers hope to those suffering from cancer, and it has been found to have a positive effect on the quality of life of cancer patients. Numerous studies have found that religion and…
Compassionate patient care should be an integral part of the medical profession. Unfortunately, while medicine is making tremendous technologic advances, the potential for offering compassionate care is decreasing. Patients and their families may be intimidated by the health care delivery system and modern technology-based treatment.1 The current health care system…
Objective: To determine the prevalence of burnout in residents in obstetrics and gynecology through the use of a validated tool. Methods: The Maslach Burnout Inventory Human Services questionnaire is a previously validated tool that measures burnout. Obstetrics and gynecology residents from Texas were invited to participate in this study in…
Fellow faculty, parents, guests, and young colleagues: I am greatly honored to have been invited to be the guest speaker on the occasion of your initiation into our special fraternity. In case it crossed your mind, our president has very properly vetoed any semblance of hazing for admission to this…
Many health care professionals will sooner or later be called upon to help someone who has been the victim of a traumatic event, such as a natural disaster, an act of criminal violence, a catastrophic accident, or regrettably, even a terrorist attack. There is little time for reflection during a…
The editor and staff of the Southern Medical Journal would like to extend their appreciation to those who served as reviewers during 2004.
Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is an uncommon disease characterized by idiopathic proliferation of dendritic histiocytes, most commonly diagnosed in children younger than 20 years of age. Though LCH is radioresponsive, the use of radiation has been restricted in children, due to concerns about growth, developmental, and other late toxicities and…
“I just want to run a few tests.” It’s one of the most common phrases that a patient will hear from you. Wouldn’t it be ideal to check off the tests prescribed so that a patient could look them up online at home? Well now you can, with Lab Tests…
Is there anything more frightening than being diagnosed with cancer? Perhaps not. But researchers have found that patients who maintain a sense of hopefulness about their cancer are better able to deal with the emotional and physical traumas of their disease. Faith often provides a framework through which patients can…
Key PointsA growing number of studies suggest that involvement in religion may exert a beneficial effect on the physical and mental health of older people. There appear to be negative as well as positive influences of religion on health. Much remains to be learned about the specific facets of religion…
Key PointsEmpirical studies suggest that religion and spirituality can be both resources for people with HIV and sources of pain and struggle. Practitioners have begun to develop spiritually integrated interventions for this population. “Lighting the Way: A Spiritual Journey to Wholeness” is an 8-session, nondenominational, group program that was designed…
Key PointsAlthough there are methodologic deficiencies in many of the studies that have reported a positive relation between religion and health, the methodologic sophistication of research in this area has steadily improved, especially in the last several years. The application of epidemiologic criteria for inferring causality supports the contention that…
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