WeirdMedical™

Be it a defibrillator or a MRI scanner, patients become increasingly more vulnerable to hackers each day…

According to the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) April 1, 2010 article, “Improving the Security and Privacy of Implantable Medical Devices,”

“…medical devices vary widely with regard to security features, because no specific security guidance or requirements have “     been promulgated by the FDA. In the past, the agency has not viewed itself as a key contributor to the security of medical devices, noting that “the software engineering community, not the FDA, will dictate the solutions.” According to a 2009 report from the Government Accountability Office, the FDA has yet to develop a policy framework for the privacy and security of personal health information.”

Clearly as wireless connectivity becomes more widespread access to device controllers and software becomes even easier. Quoting the MD&DI’s “DeviceTalk” site summary of the NEJM article:

“Hackers could manipulate the technology to:

• Extract data
• Reprogram the devices
• Flood the devices with information to block incoming communication
• Drain a device’s batteries”

As U.S. federal law stands now, medical device manufacturers hold the sole legal responsibility for remaining alert to, aware of, and ready to act on security breeches. This responsibility is dictated by HIPPA (the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) although no guidelines for device controller or systems software are in place.

The authors of the above NEJM article, Drs. W. H. Maisel and T. Kohno, are urging the FDA to change its position on regulating devices systems software and for manufacturing companies’ software engineers to include security features during the design phase.

Read more…NEJM Article Authors: William H. Maisel, M.D., M.P.H. - Medical Device Safety Institute, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston; and Tadayoshi Kohno, Ph.D. – Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle.“

Did you ever wonder what the first x-ray image looked like or how we are mathematically engineered?

Look no further than “Science and Technology in Medicine: An Illustrated Account Based on Ninety-Nine Landmark Publications from Five Centuries.” Author, Andras Gedeon, has researched major advanced technologies of today back to their roots. Nearly 100 technologies are captured in his book on medical therapies and diagnostic equipment dating back to the early 1500′s.

“A most fascinating read,” says Armchair Interviews who gives it five stars, “The visual effect evokes one’s curiosity at a fundamental level, making it an excellent source for inspiring further learning.”

Humane Blood

This books is fascinating in that it respectfully shows very graphic illustrations, images and in later years, pictures, of more primitive applications of science to the art of early experimental medicine. It is available in:

English & German

Any of us who have a fascination with medicine as it converges with science will cherish this book.  For Armchair Interviews’ review…read on…

Keep an eye on dads as well as the kiddies!

A recent study found that children can consume up to 6,000 calories on Christmas day, December 25. This includes all the snacks, cookies and meals found between family dinners and treats Saint Nick leaves behind. The study was performed by experts for the Carnegie Weight Management based in Leeds Metropolitan University. They found on average, 956 calories for dinner 587 for desserts on top of breakfast lunch and treats. While children were the most indulgent Men were also found to be gluttons. While this may not be the weirdest display of human nature, it is definitely not healthy.

Source: Daily Mail (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1236388/Obesity-warning-children-eat-6-000-calories-Christmas-Day.html)

Note about your family:  Watch-out for each other during this special time of the year!

Look-out brewers of America!

In a move that may send many more American workers home jobless the Senate Finance Committee has announced their consideration of a 150% hike on federal beer taxes. This increase would directly fund the Healthcare Reform promised in the 2008 election. Additionally a number of states are considering raising taxes to offset their budgets as well.

If you enjoy freedom of choice and free enterprise as well do, let your Senators know! Read more below…

Weird Way to Fund Reform (Source: Chicago Business)

For more information and to learn how to join others in you state to be heard on your position on this issue visit:

• Beer Advocate
• Beer Activists

A thought…perhaps this tax is a weird effort to reform Americans from “heathen” and “unhealthy” habits?

With the fall of 2009 coming soon, swine Influenza has many looking for ways to protect themselves and there families.

One not just weird but unsafe way that developed in early 2009 and seems to be staying with us is “swine flu parties.“ Similar to chicken pox parties these include parents intentionally exposing their children to others infected with the disease.

Dr Richard Jarvis, chairman of the British Medical Association’s public health committee, recently said “I have heard of reports of people throwing swine flu parties. I don’t think it is a good idea…I would not want it myself. It is quite a mild virus, but people still get ill and there is a risk of mortality.” While this flu does not carry a high mortality rate, this weird way of inoculating children is most likely unwise.

With the World Health Organization (WHO) reporting well over 300 confirmed H1N1 related deaths earlier this year health, and with June report of 263 deaths in the U.S., (see the U.S. Center for Disease Control CDC website) officials do not like this development.

In addition on June 10, the CDC released a “Phase 6″ warning about Swine Flu – Verbatim from the CDC website:

“A Pandemic Is Declared – On June 11, 2009, the World Health Organization (WHO) signaled that a global pandemic of novel influenza A (H1N1) was underway by raising the worldwide pandemic alert level to Phase 6. This action was a reflection of the spread of the new H1N1 virus, not the severity of illness caused by the virus. At the time, more than 70 countries had reported cases of novel influenza A (H1N1) infection and there were ongoing community level outbreaks of novel H1N1 in multiple parts of the world.”

(Doctors warn against 'swine flu parties,' Souce: CNN.com)

Stay tuned for CDC & WHO experts’ suggestions of better safeguards.

HAPPY APRIL FOOL’S DAY…to US All!

Aren’t there just those days when you wondered what you were thinking when you did something?

…you may have been traveling  and just picked-up a bit of the flu, making you a little mentally fuzzy,

…or came down with one of your worst migraine headaches in months and ran out of your most effective migraine prescription med, making thinking clearly through moguls of pain the next new Olympic winter sport,

…or just had a long 14 hours in the office and needed to go home for the day but couldn’t quite get there.

In any case, you were lacking a bit of good judgment just for a few moments.

Well, sometimes we do something that seems harmless, and may even seem like a pretty good solution to a problem at the time to later find out in the light of day (when our thinking is finally a bit clearer) that it may not have been the brightest thing we’ve ever done.

But what’s worse is when we get caught…Others may view what we have done much more harshly (in the much brighter light of day – most likely using a 500 watt spotlight making the Spanish Inquisition look like duffers), and thinking of more crisply succinct adjectives than “brilliant” about  us and our solution du jour.

This is the case for this foolish gent…according to the New York Post a dentist from Long Island was arrested by police for abusing laughing gas after the he had been found by a patient. The dentist stated that he had a migraine. There are far better treatments than illegal use of nitrous oxide…BUT let’s give this fellow the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps his personal supply of Maxalt, Zomig or Imatrex had just run out and he had too much pain to pick up the phone and speak with his pharmacist.

Reportedly his dental license was suspended multiples times before this incident, leading us to believe that he suffers migraines often and, therefore, lacks judgment often. (Is this guy truly human, or what?)

So here’s the deal…let’s cut this guy a break.

Let’s put ourselves in this guy’s blue scrubs and walk around in them for a while…Thus we be judged someday to be fools ourselves!

Dr. Norman Rubin (Source: NY Post DENTIST GASSED OUT AND PASSED OUT: COPS)