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GPs should not be Facebook friends with patients

Written on July 13, 2011 by George Moowattin

Guidance issued this week sets out the problems that can occur if the boundaries in the doctor-patient relationship become blurred.

‘Using social media: practical and ethical guidance for doctors and medical students’ also sets out advice for doctors and medical student using social media.

The guidance suggests that doctors and medical students consider using conservative privacy settings.

The BMA also stresses that ethical and legal duties to protect patient confidentiality apply equally on the internet as in other media. It

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Risk of Disease After Lagos Deluge

Written on July 13, 2011 by admin

There is a risk of an outbreak of water-borne diseases in Nigeria’s commercial capital Lagos after torrential rainfall led to flooding that may have contaminated drinking water sources in many of the city’s neighbourhoods, the Nigerian Tribune reported on Wednesday. The floods in recent days have killed between 10 and 25 people, according to different reports, and have grounded activity, destroyed buildings, burst sewage canals and overrun wells that people used for drinking water. The paper said inhabitants in some of the worst hit areas were still fetching water from the wells, which had been submerged by the flood and water from a nearby canal.

As Cholera Surges In Haiti, Aid Withers Away

Written on July 13, 2011 by George Moowattin

Cate Oswald/

Mourners attend a memorial service for recent cholera victims in Haiti that took place Wednesday in Savanette, an isolated community in the mountains outside Mirebalais, Haiti.

Cate Oswald/

Mourners attend a memorial service for recent cholera victims in Haiti that took place Wednesday in Savanette, an isolated community in the mountains outside Mirebalais, Haiti.

Cholera is back in Haiti.

Well, in truth, cholera hasn’t gone away since it was introduced last October, possibly by infected U.N.

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Can You Google Your Memory?

Written on July 12, 2011 by George Moowattin

THURSDAY, July 14 — Before the advent of home computers and cell phones, you probably memorized a lot more information — such as phone numbers and birthdays — than you do now.

Not surprisingly, a new study has found that the brain just doesn’t remember information as well if the person knows that the information has been saved on a computer.

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A kinder, gentler defibrillator

Written on July 12, 2011 by admin

When electrical rhythms in the heart go haywire, applying a strong electric shock to the chest can set them straight. But the procedure can also damage heart tissue and cause intense pain, prompting a search for a gentler approach. A technique tested in dogs now claims to be just that: it resets heart arrhythmias by applying a series of five small shocks, instead of one large one, slashing the amount of energy needed by about 84%.

Standard defibrillation, used since the 1950s, works by applying about 1,000 volts of electricity to the outside of the chest in medical emergencies such as cardiac arrest.

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