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Medical notes OTD

2016-08-22 17:38:56.696332+00 by Dan Lyke 0 comments

Medical notes of the morning:

Postgraduate Medical Journal (March 1973) 49, 203-209. CASE REPORTS: Features of a successful therapeutic fast of 382 days' duration (PDF)

Patient A.B. aged 27 years, weighed on admission 456 lb (207 kg). During the 382 days of his fast, vitamin supplements were given daily as 'Multivite' (BDH), vitamin C and yeast for the first 10 months and as 'Paladac' (Parke Davis), for the last 3 months. Non-caloric fluids were allowed ad libitum. From Day 93 to Day 162 only, he was given potassium supplements (two effervescent potassium tablets BPC supplying 13 mEq daily) and from Day 345 to Day 355 only he was given sodium supplements (2 5 g sodium chloride daily). No other drug treatment was given. Initially, the patient was treated in hospital but for the greater part of the time he was allowed home, attending regularly as an out-patient for check-up.

Even 45 years ago. Apparently the hard part is keeping the patient alive during the re- feeding period, this one was successful.

In other news Paracetamol: widely used and largely ineffective. The widely used painkiller isn't effective for pain, and may be a killer.

The bottom line is that paracetamol doesn’t effectively relieve pain but has demonstrable rare but serious adverse events. If it were just a few tablets, then maybe we could ignore it, but it isn’t. Paracetamol consumption is measured not in kilograms, not even tons, but thousands of tons a year. Both public health and ethical questions are being ignored.

[ related topics: Interactive Drama Health Ethics Law Current Events ]

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