Dr. Susan Sharma: This is Insidermedicine in 60. From Atlanta - The suicide rate in young males has jumped by 8% from 2003 to 2004, the largest rise in the past 15 years. Some psychiatrists believe that this may be related to lower rates of prescribing antidepressants in this age group because of FDA black box warnings for the increased rates of suicide in minors.
From Virginia - Would medical students become better doctors by attending a few theatre classes? Apparently so. Internal medical residents who received theatrical training became better communicators and became much more empathetic following the training. The program focussed on placing emphasis on eye contact, body language and attentiveness.
From New York City - One of the nation's largest public healthcare systems will soon be releasing data on hospital acquired infections and death rates. In an attempt to improve patient safety, the hospitals will be publishing data on the rates of death, deaths following heart attack, blood infection and pneumonia.
And finally, from Indiana - A new CPR technique focussing on compressing the abdominal organs instead of the chest may increase survival following cardiac arrest. In a research study conducted on pigs, compression of the abdominal organs, where a significant amount of the body's blood is found, improved heart blood flow by 60% over traditional chest compressions.
For Insidermedicine in 60, I am Dr. Susan Sharma.
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