Basically, an employee at a Brooklyn hospital called a patient’s family to inform them that their relative had died.  The family was obviously distraught and started to make funeral arrangements.  When they got to the hospital to take care of the legal matters and collect the belongings, they found their loved one still in the ICU, mechanically ventilated, but moving her limbs spontaneously.  They were shocked and were told that she hadn’t died, but that they were wrongly informed.  Of course this will probably result in a law suit that the hospital will have to settle; however, at this time the family is only asking that the employee who called them be fired.

There are some problems with the health care system that Obama will obviously not be able to change.

Well, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the professional organization that speaks publicly on behalf of the pediatricians in this country, thinks that choking on hot dogs is unacceptable, and that hot dog makers are not helping the problem.  The AAP wants to change the design of the hot dog and revamp packaging to warn of the risk of choking.

ABC News has a great video, complete with an animation of the choking mechanism. Take a look…

More of the article can be read on abcnews.com

Although a child dies every five minutes from choking, and despite hot dogs being the number one choking hazard, hot dog manufacturers are reluctant to change the design or even the package labels for their product.  The claim that placing an ominous label on their product will hurt sales.  They also claim that grapes and peanuts are just as harmful, but since they are naturally-occurring, they are not subject to regulation or scrutiny.

Now, I’m not sure how changing the shape of the hot dog can solve the problem.  It’s not like a square hot dog would be much better.  And I’m sure that whatever shape it will be, it will have to be cut up to serve to children.  But I could definitely say that if I owned a hot dog factory – I’d be the first one to change the shape — sounds at least like a good business plan!

This brings me to another topic – celebrity profiles of mental illness.   Just recently TMZ reported that Growing Pains star Andrew Koenig’s family opened up about his depression.   According to statistics from the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, approximately 5% of the population suffers from a mental illness, and celebrities are not immune.  Recently we’ve heard about the battle Brook Shields fought against her post-partum depression, and just last week the famous designer Alexander McQueen hanged himself after succombing to suicidal thoughts.  Several celebrities have been open about their diagnosis of bipolar disorder, including Axl Rose and Mel Gibson.  There’s a great slide show on organizedwisdom.com that presents several celebrities suffering from mental illness. 

Does this media-driven portrayal of mental illness paint a clear picture?  Maybe.  The fact that celebrities are not ashamed or afraid of opening up about their disease makes it easier for the lay public to be open about it as well.  And publicity leads to better access to treatment for the public and open mindedness helps foster better attitudes about the disease for those who suffer from it.  Does the movie industry do a good job of accurately describing the reality of mental illness?  Sometimes.  But at least it fosters discussion, and a lot of discussion can come from Shutter Island!

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/14/health/14robot.html?scp=5&sq=prostate%20cancer&st=cse

Basically, Murray was charged with manslaughter by the Los Angeles court system, to which he plead not guilty.  If convicted, he could serve four years in prison.   He was charged based on evidence the district attorney’s office presented that indicated Murray acted “without due caution and circumspection.”  Basically – he is charged with accidentally killing MJ by performing a medical procedure without the proper knowledge or training to do so.

Should he be charged?  Absolutely!  He had no idea what he was doing.  Anesthesiologists spend years learning to administer these drugs in controlled settings, with appropriate monitoring devices and support staff.  It cannot be done in the home, and it must not be done by those who have not undergone the proper training.  I wouldn’t go perform a heart catherization on somebody just because I could get a hold of the equipment.  Let Murray stick to cardiology, and the anesthesiologists will stick to anesthesia.

You can comment and blog all you want on Nancy Grace’s blog too.  Medical Barista’s own Double Shot has appeared on Nancy’s program several times regarding the Michael Jackson case.