One way to avoid the reported epidemic of insomnia is to create a routine you follow before you go to bed, resetting your brain to prepare for sleep. That’s according to sleep expert Charlene Gamaldo at Johns Hopkins. Gamaldo: There's … How should you create a sleep routine? Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More »…

Questions? Comments? Send us a message! In this episode, we discuss a complex ethical dilemma concerning a pregnant woman diagnosed with advanced ovarian cancer who refuses recommended termination and chemotherapy due to prior fertility struggles. Several experts in medicine, ethics, law, spiritual care, and social work provide differing perspectiv…

Insomnia appears to be epidemic in the US in some studies, with additional data suggesting the problem is growing. Johns Hopkins sleep expert Charlene Gamaldo says there are things you can do to prevent insomnia. Gramaldo: Blue light wavelength suppresses … What can you do to protect yourself from developing insomnia? Elizabeth Tracey reports Read …

Apple watches and other electronic self-monitoring tools may up the risk that you might think you have insomnia when you don’t. That’s according to Charlene Gamaldo, a sleep expert at Johns Hopkins. Gramaldo: All of our devices are great from … Could your electronic devices mislead you into thinking you have insomnia? Elizabeth Tracey reports Read …

Everyone has trouble at times falling asleep or staying asleep, but when does that become the diagnosis of insomnia, and when should you seek help? Sleep expert Charlene Gamaldo at Johns Hopkins offers a few metrics. Gamaldo: How much time … What questions should you ask yourself if you suspect you may have insomnia? Elizabeth Tracey reports Read M…

When you experience interrupted sleep it can quickly progress to feeling exhausted, but when should you consult a physician about it? Sleep expert Charlene Gamaldo at Johns Hopkins says it never hurts to ask the question. At baseline everybody's going … When should you be concerned that you may have a sleep problem? Elizabeth Tracey reports Read Mo…

Good quality, regular sleep is vital to your health, with many studies finding that when it’s not you are at higher risk for a range of health consequences. Johns Hopkins sleep expert Charlene Gamaldo says you should be asked about … Should sleep be assessed just like blood pressure or vision? Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More »…

Many millions of people worldwide complain of insomnia, putting them at risk for poor health outcomes. Charlene Gamaldo, a sleep expert at Johns Hopkins, says while it is tempting to just turn to a medicine to help you sleep, that’s … Solving sleep problems starts with an assessment, Elizabeth Tracey reports. Read More »…

While it’s been observed that disease and poor sleep seem to sort together, ongoing research is looking into the why of it. Johns Hopkins sleep expert Charlene Gamaldo says a couple of possible causes have emerged. Gamaldo: A couple of … How might compromised sleep put one at risk for poorer health outcomes? Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More »…

If your sleep is chronically interrupted or too long or short in duration, you may be at increased risk for some types of cancer, research suggests. Sleep expert Charlene Gamaldo at Johns Hopkins says it’s unclear whether sleep quality puts … Is compromised sleep related to the development of cancer? Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More »…

Sleep is increasingly being recognized as important in human maladies. Charlene Gamaldo, a sleep expert at Johns Hopkins, says sleep quality is important in both management and prevention strategies. Gamaldo: How is sleep potentially impacting the management and the progression … Increasingly sleep is recognized as a modifiable risk factor for dise…

Questions? Comments? Send us a message! This case report explores the use of botulinum toxin type A (BTX-A) injections for treating post-thoracotomy pain syndrome (PTPS), a chronic neuropathic condition affecting many patients after thoracotomy. The study highlights that traditional treatments often fail to provide adequate relief, prompting invest…

Questions? Comments? Send us a message! I. Introduction This briefing document synthesizes key findings from several sources exploring the potential of cannabinoids in managing neuropathic pain. The sources include pre-clinical investigations, clinical trial reviews, and decision analysis models, offering a multifaceted view of the topic. We will e…

Questions? Comments? Send us a message! Hiccups, while often seen as a minor inconvenience, can become a significant health issue when they are persistent or intractable. This episode explores the science behind hiccups, their potential medical causes, and treatment options, particularly the use of gabapentin as an off-label solution. • Discussion …

Questions? Comments? Send us a message! This case report details a patient with chronic lymphocytic leukemia whose initially misdiagnosed joint pain was ultimately attributed to the rare syndrome of remitting seronegative symmetrical synovitis with pitting edema (RS3PE). The report discusses RS3PE's characteristics, often overlooked due to its rari…

Questions? Comments? Send us a message! This retrospective study from a 21-hospital system analyzed the effect of palliative medicine consultations on 30-day hospital readmission rates for patients with six diagnoses (heart failure, sepsis, pneumonia, COPD, AMI, and stroke). The research found statistically significant reductions in readmissions fo…

Questions? Comments? Send us a message! This article presents an ethics case study concerning a 52-year-old male declared brain dead, whose family refuses to remove life support. Multiple perspectives—medical, nursing, chaplain, social work, legal, and ethical—are offered, exploring the conflict between the family's emotional denial of death and th…

Questions? Comments? Send us a message! This case report details a rare instance of post-radiation lichen planus in a 64-year-old male, following radiation therapy for squamous cell carcinoma. The report examines the patient's medical history, clinical presentation, and treatment response to topical triamcinolone. The authors review existing litera…

Questions? Comments? Send us a message! This case report and accompanying discussion detail Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome (PRES), a neurological condition presenting with seizures, visual disturbances, and altered mental status. Often misdiagnosed as more severe conditions like intracranial hemorrhage, PRES demonstrates reversible br…

Questions? Comments? Send us a message! The BJR method is a novel mathematical approach to methadone conversion that aims to improve upon existing methods by providing a smoother, less discontinuous, and less linear output for a reasonable and safe methadone dose. Here's how it improves upon existing conversion approaches: Addresses Limitations of …

Questions? Comments? Send us a message! The case study underscores the potential for misinterpreting spiritual distress as psychiatric illness, resulting in inappropriate treatment. Clinicians should learn several key lessons from the case of Mr. G, primarily emphasizing the importance of addressing patients' spiritual needs alongside their physica…

Questions? Comments? Send us a message! This ethics roundtable discussion centers on the case of JG, a 45-year-old man who attempted suicide and subsequently suffered severe brain damage. The article presents differing perspectives from medical, nursing, risk management, ethics, pastoral, social work, and legal professionals regarding the ethical i…

Questions? Comments? Send us a message! This ethics roundtable discussion analyzes a case study where a patient's daughter-in-law, the primary caregiver, seeks to withdraw life support, but state law restricts surrogacy to blood relatives or spouses. The discussion explores the ethical and legal implications of this restrictive law, highlighting th…

Questions? Comments? Send us a message! Ethical and legal considerations surrounding a comatose Jehovah's Witness patient's need for a life-saving blood transfusion are debated. The patient's parents, also Jehovah's Witnesses, refuse consent, while her brother advocates for the transfusion, claiming she wasn't a practicing member. The case highligh…

Questions? Comments? Send us a message! Who makes the decision if the patient lacks capacity? Multiple healthcare professionals offer varying perspectives on the ethical and legal dilemma surrounding the care of a 93-year-old comatose patient (JH). A conflict exists between JH's legally appointed Power of Attorney (POA), his hired caregiver, who wa…