Sound Medicine -- May 04, 2002
- Barbara Lewis and Dr. David Crabb talk to physicians and researchers
about:
Hospital mistakes
- Treating
back pain
- Over-the-counter
pain medications
Listen to the show:
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Media | Windows
Media
Hospital mistakes
We've all heard stories of people who have undergone the wrong surgery,
or some similar incredible mistake. While most hospital errors are less
sensational, fatal mistakes do happen. According to a highly disputed
set of statistics from the Institute of Medicine, 98,000 people die
in US hospitals each year due to hospital errors.
Dr. Bill Tierney has studied physician error and presents a practical
viewpoint. He is director of Health Services Research and Development
at the Richard A Roudebush VA Medical Center and a research scientist
with the Regenstrief Institute for Health Care -- both in Indianapolis
and affiliated with the IU School of Medicine.
Dr. Tierney discusses his and other research studies and explains the
types of mistakes doctors in hospitals typically make. He also describes
how Wishard Hospital in Indianapolis uses computer networks to systematize
physician drug orders, which reduces medical costs as well as human
error.
- Resources
 To find
out more about how hospitals are addressing the problem of medical
mistakes, visit the Leapfrog
Group, a collection of public and private institutions dedicated
to troubleshooting hospital errors. Find statistics, surveys, and
information on specific hospitals.
- The
Joint Commission on Accreditation
of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) provides, among other things,
lists of things patients can do to improve their own safety in medical
settings. Click on the "Speak Up" campaign button.
Back pain
Roughly 80 percent of Americans are plagued by back pain, and the
cost of treating it in the U.S. runs about $50 billion annually. Many
back problems involve the spine itself, particularly the soft disks
that form cushions between the vertebrae. Often people suffering from
these conditions assume surgery is the best option, but sometimes less
invasive and expensive treatments can provide relief as well.
Dr. Michael Groff is co-director of Indiana University's Spinal Cord
Injury Center and assistant professor of neurological surgery at the
IU School of Medicine. He joins us to talk about procedures for treating
for back pain, some historical background, and some of the more innovative
procedures now available.
Dr. Groff describes one of the most common back problems, the herniated
disc, and its treatment. He discusses procedures such as lumbar fusion
and vertebroplasty and success rates for such treatments. He also touches
on non-surgical approaches, including gene therapy and chemical treatments.
- Resources
- The
MEDLINEplus
Web site has links to many articles on the subject of back pain.
It's a great place to start researching the subject.
The Spine-health.com
site is provides diverse, copious, and thorough information for
healthy and aching backs -- for both health professionals and patients.
A great bookmark for any back-pain sufferer.
Over-the-counter pain medications
Drugstores have countless forms of over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers,
with aspirin just one of the shelf-full of choices. How can consumers
know what to take for what kind of pain?
Dr. Ann Zerr is an internist and clinical associate professor of medicine
at IUSM. She classifies the most commonly reached-for pain pills and
explains applications for aspirin, ibuprofen, acetaminophen, naproxin,
and other analgesics. Dr. Zerr and Dr. Crabb together discuss ingredients,
side effects, mixing drugs, and the differences between OTC drugs and
those prescribed by your doctor.
- Resources
- This
electronic
booklet from the American Council on Science and Health details
the differences between OTC pain relievers. (To read it you must have
the Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your PC.)
- The
About.com
Web page for headache medicines talks about choosing over-the-counter
medications for headaches and migraines.
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We're pleased to thank our founding sponsors: IU
Medical Group,
Clarian Health
and Wishard Health Services.
Upcoming program:
Marriage expert Dr. Steve Bogdewic talks about what constitutes a healthy
marriage.
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Health Quiz —
Kids & sports injuries
Spring is here, and so is baseball, softball, soccer and other summer
sports that attract millions of youngsters every year. Unfortunately,
these sports also bring with them the risk of injury -- most of which,
fortunately, are minor. When do most injuries in organized sports occur,
anyway?
a. At practice.
b. During games.
What's the answer?
Medical Mystery —
Sometimes symptoms are NOT stress-related
Everyday stress is often the culprit when people feel tired and irritable.
Weight loss and a change in bowel movements also fall under the general
symptoms of being run-down. However, when these symptoms are persistent
and occur in combination with rapid heartbeat, hot flashes, and shaking,
a serious medical condition might be lurking in the shadows, or more
specifically, just below someone's Adam's apple. What is it?
Find out!
Hoosier Asthma Fest, Tuesday, May 7, at the National Institute of Fitness
and Sport
Do you wonder if your frequent breathing problems, such as coughing, wheezing,
and shortness of breath, might be asthma?
Receive a FREE asthma screening at the National
Institute for Fitness and Sport on May 7.
Ask experts your asthma questions from 11am to 1pm and from 5pm to
7pm.
Join the American Lung Association
of Indiana, the IU School of Medicine, and other sponsors on May
7th in the main lobby of NIFS, located at 250 University Blvd. from
8am to 7:30pm. For more information call (317) 554-0036.
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