Morning MEDtalks with Dr KK Aggarwal

Avoid using a phone, tablet, or computer screen well before bedtime

New Delhi, September 22, 2018 :

Surgeon admits to mistakenly removing woman’s kidney, but denies negligence. A South Dakota surgeon admitted to mistakenly removing an Iowa woman’s healthy kidney but denied that he breached the standard of care, according to the surgeon’s response to a lawsuit filed by the patient. The surgeon acknowledged in an answer to lawsuit that right kidney was removed instead of an adrenal gland and an associated mass. The patient developed stage 3 kidney disease after her October 2016 surgery.

The patient said she wasn’t told about the mix-up until after she was released from the hospital. The surgeon had known on the day of the surgery that he hadn’t removed the adrenal gland because he was notified by pathology department. But the surgeon said the patient was provided with the information on the day of her surgery. Patients medical records also indicated “a very superiorly located right adrenal gland,” which was near the large lobe of her liver. The surgeon team said they did not breach the standard of care by removing the kidney, failing to remove the adrenal gland and failing to admit the mistake. They also deny that Knapp suffered damages.

The question is whether it was an error of judgment or a negligence. Well, it could easily be an error of judgment.

Here is another study adding to the evidence for benefits of exercise. Compared with those who are physically inactive, adults who routinely engaged in light to moderate physical activity prior to a stroke or TIA are twice as likely to experience a mild event rather than a moderate or severe one. The finding that even light physical activity, as recommended by WHO can have a positive impact in reducing the severity of a future stroke is both new and surprising (Neurology, Sept. 19, 2018).

Avoid using a phone, tablet, or computer screen well before bedtime. A study from the University of Houston College of Optometry published in the journal of Ophthalmic & Physiological Optics has examined the blue light harms of digital gadgets. According to the study, blue light emitted from digital devices could be a reason for increased sleep dysfunction. Participants in the study who wore short wavelength-blocking glasses three hours before bedtime for 2 weeks experienced a 58% increase in their melatonin levels at night. Overall, the quality of their sleep reportedly improved significantly in many ways.

Hormone, sex-steroid, and antibiotic treatment of livestock are major concerns. The main reasons why consumers choose organic foods are concerns about hormone supplementation and treatment with sex-steroids and antibiotics used in conventional livestock farming. Are there sufficient evidences?

Hormone injections, especially with bovine recombinant growth hormone (rBGH), are given to cows to increase milk yield by 10 to 15 percent. Conventional milk does not contain significantly higher levels of bovine growth hormone (GH) compared with organic milk. Also, 90% of bovine GH is destroyed by pasteurization. Bovine GH is biologically inactive in humans, so even if it were absorbed from drinking conventional milk, it would not be expected to cause adverse health effects.
Sex steroids: Treating cattle with sex-steroids accelerates the rate of growth and increases meat yield. It is speculated that ingested estrogen in food derived from sex-hormone-treated animals may lead to earlier development of puberty. Limited studies have not supported this hypothesis in humans.
Antibiotics: On conventional livestock farms, antibiotics are administered in nontherapeutic doses to enhance growth and prevent disease. The presence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in non-organic foods may be related to the routine use of antibiotics. Organic farming that prohibits the use of non-therapeutic antibiotics may contribute to a reduction in disease caused by drug-resistant organisms (Forman J, et al. Organic foods: health and environmental advantages and disadvantages. Pediatrics 2012;130:e1406).

Health Ministry has partnered with Dell and Tata Trusts to provide a technological platform for nationwide prevention, control, screening and management program of Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs). MoUs were signed with Tata Trusts and Dell on Thursday. The NCD screening program addresses Hypertension, Diabetes, Oral, Breast and Cervical cancers and covers all men and women over the age of30 years.