Surgical instrument left in patient discovered after five months

Czech medical staff will be disciplined after a foot-long surgical instrument was found in the abdomen of a woman five months after she was operated on. The patient, 66-year-old Zdenka Kopeckova, repeatedly complained of severe abdominal pain following a gynaecological operation at a hospital in the south eastern town of Ivancice. She said: 'I said that nobody helps me and I cannot live like this till the end of my life.

'I'll get pills, have a glass of alcohol and hang myself.'

The spatula-like instrument was discovered in her body a week ago and successfully removed.
Mrs Kopeckova is seeking compensation over the blunder, claiming staff initially tried to cover up the mistake by saying there was nothing they could do but recommend pain killers.
She said: 'I told the head surgeon that if I had no pain I would not be complaining. I'm not a hypochondriac.'

She added that when she requested an x-ray, she was told it would needlessly expose her to radiation. Jaromir Hrubes, Ivancice hospital director, said strict operation procedures should have been followed by medical staff.

An unnamed hospital official said those involved in the operation would be disciplined.
Mr Hrubes said: 'The medical procedures at Ivancice seem perfect at the first sight, there is documentation and a list of instruments used, but the person who did the evaluation did not report the missing object.'

"Born in Arizona, Moved to Babylonia, King Tut!"

A revealing article in this week's JAMA reports that King Tut's mother and father were actually sister and brother to one another. Does than make his mother also his aunt? And his father also his uncle? I give up!!

Anyway, this is a really cool article that use modern methods to investigate ancient causes of death. A delicious break from the usual medical stuff.

Here is the article:

http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/reprint/303/7/638

"Don't Know What You've Heard About Me......"

Throughout Pharmacotheray IV and V, occasionally you have hear the term "pimping" used. Of course, we are not talking about this in the literal sense. It refers to the process of "teaching" by asking hard questions on rounds or in confernces, and increasing the difficulty until the person ultimately runs out of answers.

Considered by some to be a viloation of the Eight Amendment to the Constitution (protection from cruel and unusual punishment), it is a time honored tradition in medical education.

In 2009 a tongue in cheek article was published in JAMA describing the "Art of Pimping" http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/reprint/301/13/1379

I thought you might like to see this article as you transition into the clerkship phase of your pharmacy education.

Captain Phil Harris Dies

"It is with great sadness that we say goodbye to our dad - Captain Phil Harris. Dad has always been a fighter and continued to be until the end. For us and the crew, he was someone who never backed down. We will remember and celebrate that strength. Thanks to everyone for their thoughts and prayers." - Jake and Josh Harris

Adding New Meaning to the Phrase "I'll Get BACK to Ya"

The Associated Press
LONDON -- The British government is getting behind a plan to replace drafty open-backed hospital gowns with versions that preserve patients' modesty.
The country's Design Council has asked designers and manufacturers to come up with replacements for the gowns, which it said often leave patients feeling exposed.
One model is being created by U.S.-born designer Ben de Lisi, who has made dresses for stars including Kate Winslet. He told the BBC his design, made from luxury cotton, was "fabulous and aspirational."
Wraparound gowns are already being tested in the western English city of Bristol, and officials said Tuesday that feedback has been positive.
The new gowns will be unveiled next month, and the government says it hopes to have them in hospitals next year.

Sad News from the Real Deadliest Catch

Captain Phil Harris of the Cornelia Marie from Discovery Channel's 'Deadliest Catch.' He is currently in the hospital after suffering a stroke while unloading his boat.

I know that some of you are ardent fans of Discovery Channel's series, "Deadliest Catch." Notwithstanding the sick joke in a previous post, you have come to either love or hate Captain Phil Harris of the Cornelia-Marie.

If you have been watching for a while, you know that Capt. Harris' health has been a subject of several episodes. In fact, you probably watched along with me as he developed a pulmonary embolus while hunting for King Crabs.

Admittedly, Capt. Harris' lifestyle predisposed him to cardiovascular disease; he smoked like a fire, his sleep habits were horrendous, he worked under tremendous stress, he sat in his captain's chair for hours without exercising his lower extremities, and he probably didn't eat very well. And you think Neal Beal was a tough patient to deal with! Imagine having Capt. Harris as your patient, trying to manage his warfarin therapy, getting him to adhere with his prescribed regimen, and convincing him to quit smoking.

Well, apparently his anticoagulation didn't go so well, because he apparently threw a clot while unloading his catch at a port on St. Paul Island, Alaska.

http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2010/01/30/2010-01-30

_deadliest_catch_star_phil_harris_captain_of_cornelia_marie_suffers_stroke_while_.html

Captain Harris underwent 12 hours of surgery for his stroke. The Seattle-based skipper was placed under a medically-induced coma to reduce brain swelling.reports.Read more about his surgery: http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2010/02/01/2010-02-01_deadliest_catch_star_phil_harris_put_into_coma_after_12hour_surgery_following_st.html#ixzz0f2u2o3Ui

The most recent report is that the lovable captain is making good progress during his hospital stay. http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b166040_deadliest_catchs_captain_phil_showing.html.

Let's all hope that he does well. I hate to say it, though, I could see this coming. Stay tuned for more adventure on "Deadliest Catch."

Jury finds 5 guilty in Mobile steroids conspiracy case

Jason R. Kelley and A. Samuel Kelley leave the federal courthouse in Mobile in this file photo. The two men were convicted on Feb. 8, 2010, along with three other defendants of conspiring to illegally sell steroids with no valid medical reason.

By Brendan Kirby, Mobile Press-Register

February 08, 2010, 5:10PM MOBILE, Ala. -- A federal jury this afternoon found the owners of a Mobile pharmacy, the business' supervising pharmacist and the owner of a Colorado anti-aging clinic guilty of a steroids conspiracy. But the jurors acquitted three pharmacists at Applied Pharmacy Services and an investor of the Internet-based anti-aging clinic, Infinite Health.

"This verdict sends a message to medical professionals who would abdicate their responsibilities to their patients in order to profit from illegally selling drugs," U.S. Attorney Kenyen Brown said in a prepared statement. "Athletes and youngsters must realize that those who would prescribe performance enhancing drugs may be motivated by profit and greed rather than their health and well-being."Prosecutors alleged that Applied Pharmacy was in on the conspiracy, submitting dozens of taped phone conversations as evidence.

The pharmacy's owners and employees countered that they believed the prescriptions -- signed by licensed physicians -- were valid."It's a tough loss," said Richard Jaffe, an attorney who represented Applied President and CEO A. Samuel Kelley. Jaffe said he will take a thorough look at the trial record in the coming weeks."We first of all have to digest it," he said. "It's an emotional explosion to the lives of our clients."

In addition to Kelley and Branch, the jury convicted Kelley's cousin, Jason R. Kelley, the secretary and part owner of Applied; Jodi C. Silvio, another part owner; and J. Michael Bennett, who was the supervising pharmacist. Three pharmacists who worked for the compounding pharmacy, J. Mallory Mallon, Roger A. Everett and Robin K. Kelly, won acquittals. Ronald E. Winter, a Colorado sheriff's deputy who was a customer of Branch's and ended up becoming an investor, also was found not guilty.

The jury reached its verdict after deliberating parts of four days following a month-plus trial. Several doctors, who previously had pleaded guilty to steroids charges, testified that they colluded with Infinite Health owner Brett W. Branch to supply steroids to bodybuilders, athletes and other healthy customers. One more steroids trial looms in Mobile. Jesse S. Haggard, an alternative medicine practitioner from Arizona who was named in the indictment, will be tried in April.

Applied Pharmacy

Adding New Meaning to the Phrase "Deadliest Catch"

The day after his wife disappeared in a kayaking accident, an Anchorage man answered his door to find two grim-faced Alaska State Troopers.

"We're sorry Mr. Wilkens, but we have some information about your wife," said one trooper...

"Tell me! Did you find her?" Wilkens shouted.

The troopers looked at each other.

One said, "We have some bad news, some good news, and some really great news. Which do you want to hear first?

Fearing the worst, an ashen Mr. Wilkens said, "Give me the bad news first."

The trooper said, "I'm sorry to tell you, sir, but this morning we found your wife's body in Kachemak Bay ."

"Oh my God!" exclaimed Wilkens. Swallowing hard, he asked, "What's the good news?"

The trooper continued, "When we pulled her up, she had 12 twenty-five pound king crabs and 6 good-size Dungeness crabs clinging to her and we feel you are entitled to a share in the catch."

Stunned, Mr. Wilkens demanded, "If that's the good news, what's the great news?"

The trooper said, "We're going to pull her up again tomorrow."