Reflections on Medicine and Life by Dr. S.P. Kalantri
Clinical stories and reflections on evidence-based medicine, research, and patient care.
Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) has been the biggest buzzword across the world lately. Until December 2019, this was a meek drug, used mainly by rheumatologists, internists, and dermatologists for inflammatory diseases. Its cousin Chloroquine has been the most popular drug for malaria. We have known and used these drugs for decades. The antiviral properties of these drugs … Read more
I woke up this morning, thinking about Hydroxychloroquine and COVID__19 . And wrote a poem…
Why should we insist on rational use of medicines? Because we ought to ensure that our patients receive medications appropriate to their clinical needs, in doses that meet their own individual requirements, for an adequate period of time, and at the lowest cost to them. Irrational use of medicines is a major problem worldwide. WHO … Read more
The Lancet (http://www.thelancet.com/series/low-back-pain) this week has published three papers on low back pain, which should be read by everyone with a back. Authored by an international group of authors, who examine the current evidence and offer recommendations that are based on solid science, these papers make one sit up and take notice. The Lancet says … Read more
Dr. Mandeep Mehra (MGIMS Sevagram alumnus; Class of 1983) today published a landmark trial in the New England Journal of Medicine. His paper showed that a mechanical pump implanted in the heart of patients with advanced heart failure could make the patients breathe better, and walk longer—without increasing the risk of pump-induced strokes. To earn … Read more