Action against a no-show; waiting for medical news; a historic first for a prickly pregnancy – Morning Medical Update

Holding in contempt?

Health care industry watchers are waiting for a possible full Senate vote to hold in contempt the CEO of Steward Health Care, which currently is in bankruptcy and may face other legal and legislative actions. Ralph de la Torre, MD, was subpoenaed to testify before a Senate committee examining its management decisions, but invoked his Fifth Amendment rights, declining to speak publicly while the company goes through bankruptcy court. The Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions has voted to hold him in contempt of Congress, according to The Hill and other news outlets.

Hurry up and wait

Across medicine, many forms of diagnosis and treatment are happening more quickly – hopefully with favorable outcomes for patients. But few test results are instantaneous, which means patients and doctors often must wait. Here is an article and a news release explaining how physicians might relieve the anxiety that creeps into patient minds while they are uncertain about a cancer diagnosis or outcome.

Dakota the porcupette
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Pamper that porcupette

Physicians will affirm that birth and surgery are tough but necessary actions in medicine. Because doctors enjoy a challenge, let’s make it tougher: Imagine your pregnant patient is covered with quills capable of piercing the skin and inflicting a great deal of pain. Here’s the story of just such a patient, Maizey the porcupine, and the veterinarians who performed a cesarean section on that prickly animal, the first in the history of North America.