Dr. Stress has lost three medical malpractice cases in 10 years. All have resulted in hundreds of thousands of dollars in payments, mandatory reporting of his losses to the National Practitioner's Data Bank, increases in his insurance premiums, and significant loss of time away from his family and patients while trying to defend these cases.
Probiotics will likely play a role in woundcare one day. Modulation of immunity via the gut following oral ingestion of probiotics could reduce the risk of wound infection. They may also aid wounds in the presence of biofilms, which are very difficult to eradicate. Since antibiotics are designed to kill single organisms and not clumps, they do not have great efficacy in eradicating biofilms. Dr. Reid has shown that some probiotic organisms can penetrate these biofilms and potentially pave the way for easier eradication.
First study in humans finds that the innate immune response is systemic, not localized. It bolsters hopes for stimulating this response to better protect against infection.
A population and genotypic study of the USA300 strain of community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) among gay men strongly suggests that the bacteria can be transmitted through skin-to-skin contact during sexual activity.
Atlanta-The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) apparently is serious about finding the causes of and treatments for a mysterious condition known as Morgellons disease.
Change doesn't come easy for most of us, especially when it involves money. If you're like me, you still remember the first time you walked into a bank to open an account - the fortress-like building, the prim and proper employees, tellers behind their glassed and barred cages. It was an intimidating experience, but somehow you knew that your money would be safe behind that imposing brass door to the bank vault.
Dermatologist John David Carey, M.D., did the interview for this profile while multitasking. He was washing dishes and keeping an eye (via baby monitor) on his son, Andr?, as the baby slept peacefully in another room.
Certainly, asset protection planning is a crucial part of a client's wealth planning today - especially for physicians. Everyone acknowledges that there is some risk of a beyond-insurance limits lawsuit for any doctor. If this is true, and proper asset protection may actually help you BUILD wealth, then such planning cannot be ignored.
The basic premise is that anyone can contribute to a 529 plan, regardless of age or income. This includes an individual, a corporation, a partnership, a trust, a guardian, a committee, a trustee, an executor, an administrator or any person acting in a fiduciary capacity. Local governments and some nonprofit organizations may also participate.
By using a protective chamber to shield mouse skin seeded with BCC, researchers say they have created the first reliable means of transplanting these tumors.0
Melanomas can appear very different in the dermoscope and have different genetic mutations, depending on the amount of ultraviolet radiation insult received over the years.0
Transplant patients have a higher risk of developing skin cancers than the normal population, and their specific risk factors must be scrutinized by wary physicians. According to one expert, a proactive treatment approach is crucial in order to control, diminish and even prevent skin cancers in this sensitive and susceptible patient population.
Using a gene-based sunscreen that can literally prevent your skin from developing non-melanoma skin cancer may sound a bit far-fetched. According to a recent breakthrough study, this is precisely what may be available to everyone world-wide, possibly making non-melanoma skin cancers a thing of the past.
New evolving technologies have always been welcomed by practicing physicians if these technologies serve to better diagnose and treat patients. According to one expert, confocal microscopy is one such technology that can positively assist dermatologists in more accurately diagnosing pigmented lesions. However, the sky may be the limit for this up and coming diagnostic tool.
A nonablative 1,550 nm erbium-doped fiber laser effectively treats facial and non-facial photodamage, rhytids and dyspigmentation with a favorable side effect and recovery profile, according to a recent study.
As the cosmeceuticals category explodes, dermatologists need to know how to dispense practical advice while keeping recommended regimens simple, says an expert.
State-of-the-art periorbital rejuvenation requires going beyond skin-tightening surgeries to address underlying structures from a three-dimensional, volumetric standpoint, says an expert.
Zoe Diana Draelos, M.D. answers cosmetic questions about hair shine and sunscreen safety
Results from a repeat treatment study highlight the persistence of the benefits provided by the family of smooth-gel hyaluronic acid fillers (Juvéderm, Allergan) for correction of nasolabial folds. The retreatment was administered within 24 to 36 weeks after the last initial treatment. It required significantly less filler volume than originally, and after 24 weeks, was associated with clinically significant improvement exceeding that achieved originally.
A relatively new trolamine/sodium alginate emulsion has proven to be noncomedogenic, according to a small study.
A clinician's physical assessment of a patient with diabetes should include evaluating the patient's vascular status, bony/structural deformities, footwear and foot sensation. Because diabetic patients may have sensory neuropathy, the nerves in their feet do not provide the alarms or triggers that tell them that there is possible trauma to the foot that could lead to ulceration.
In a recent psoriatic arthritis study, infliximab was associated with lower total medical costs, including hospitalizations, physician visits and OTC drug purchases.
PHOENIX 2 is a phase 3 study evaluating the efficacy and safety of ustekinumab (Centocor), a fully human interleukin-12/23p40 monoclonal antibody in patients with moderate to severe chronic plaque psoriasis.
A recent study shows that melanoma cells expressing the ABCB5 molecule on their surface are key players in the growth and metastasis of melanoma.
San Antonio - Adam Jeremy Freidman, M.D., won first place in the North American Clinical Dermatologic Society (NACDS) Resident Clinical Research Award competition, sponsored by Abbott Laboratories.
Dermatology Times has won five 2008 Gold Triangle Awards from the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD).
Along with the perils of industry support (see main story), controversies facing dermatologists include the impact of biologic drugs for psoriasis, the efficacy of treating actinic keratoses (AKs) for cancer prevention, the advancement of pay-for-performance programs, the rise in Mohs utilization rates and the role of food allergies in childhood eczema, experts say.
It's time for dermatologists to realize the many ways in which accepting industry support can compromise patient care, an expert says. Despite mounting financial pressures, accepting industry support remains a matter of choice, he says.
Diane R. Baker, M.D., outlined the challenges, strategies and successes of her year at the helm of the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), in an address at the 66th annual AAD meeting here in February.
In an address to the American Academy of Dermatology, 2008 president C. William Hanke touts the value of leadership, and encourages dermatologists to become involved in the political process.
