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Week #6 Discussions

This week we are going to try to switch things up just a bit. Instead of doing a synopsis type post, we are going to explore a tangent subject to the discussions held in class.

This week the main discussions were focused toward the brain and drugs. For this post we are going to focus on drugs, mainly addiction and society’s viewpoint on them.

What defines a drug? There is no clear definite answer as it varies from who controls the system and the perspective of the recipient. When people use ‘drugs’, whether they be for medical or recreational use, there are always effects that the recipient faces, whether they be good or bad. For most medication the effect becomes one of assisting the body to heal itself. For most recreational use, it is to give the user a sense of euphoria for a limited duration.

Now we focus on the recreational drugs used and their purpose. For most of these types of drugs, there are usually downsides that heavily outweigh the positives of taking the drug. Knowing this, why do people still use them? One of the most common reasons is because of peer pressure. Once we see a mass of people following a certain path we tend to follow our instinctive ‘hive mindset’ setting of our human nature. This was originally to help us increase survival by a power in multitude. Once an individual starts using substances their brain becomes accustomed to that substance, making life without substances abnormal. This initiation starts a positive feedback loop pit in which the individual falls into.

As a society, we fail to see this struggle with individuals, thus we try to shun them out, creating outcasts. Our behavior only increases their struggle in which they turn back to substance abuse. By now we have passed the stage of addiction and reached a point of no return, right? 

I don’t think there is no refuge for those affected by this tragic effect. If you do think that the above sentence is not true, then answer this question: How do patients in hospitals go through uses of intense drugs such as morphine and not leave as addicts?

I believe the key in this system is society’s interaction. A famous saying: “Treat prisoners like animals, and they become animals,” this can be conversly used to describe sociey’s treatment against those going through addiction.

So what can we do to help these people? What specific acts have we done to isolate them? At what scale must this operation take place before we see change in our lives as well as theirs?

To expand on various approaches used around the world to combat this issue, I have linked a TedTalk that greatly expands on this topic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PY9DcIMGxMs

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Week #5 (5.1 & 5.2) Discussions

Hello and we’re back to our regular scheduled programming. Week five, that’s kinda hard to say as it says that there are only two weeks left until classes are over :(

Diving in to our sessions for this week, we now draw our attention toward epidemics and quarantine.

5.1:

What is an epidemic? One might amount this to a spread of disease within a certain area. Looking into the discussions of our class, we delved into how epidemics could be spread as well as certain preventative methods we use for the future. One method that was brought up was the use of vaccines. Although this may seem like a controversial topic, if we were to closely examine vaccines in history, we would see that none of the side effects that were mentioned in current day problems are brought up. One extreme example of this is the belief that vaccines have the possiblity of giving a child autism. The source of these issues sprout from a journal article that was written by Andrew Wakefield, who falsified information of the effects of vaccine. Vaccines work as by inserting part of a dead illness into your immune system so that the immune system can create protective features to protect the individual from the illness in the future. Personally, I believe that vaccines are absolutly necessary for proper development, to optimize the lookout for the immune system of an individual. How do you think others might approach this question? How would they support their claims using references if those references turn to be false?

5.2: 

The second section focused more about quarantine. It is thought to be a place of healing. Although contemporary quarantines are mainly used for immigrants, the quarantine often helped various individuals cure themselves via a mode of isolation. This isolation prevented the spread of any contagious diseases. One of the more interesting topics mentioned was the transport of animals. As certain animals are required to follow quarantine rules, while other can follow certain rules to bypass the system (i.e. a USDA approved tag). Another aspect that came up was how quarantine, disease, and control affected countries in relation to each other. This was really interesting because not much of this is the first thought but actually much of a country’s trust with another, is based upon its trade status. Through one of the readings, we further explored how tourism, and commerism were one of the main causes for the spread of disease and that how this factor could heavily impact a country in different ways from economics to even social standings.

Another look at disease is through Pandemics (a more widespread version of a endemic). One of the most popular pandemics in history was the Bubonic Plague. This attached article below shows information on what the plague is and that the plague is still alive even to this day.

https://www.newsweek.com/bubonic-plague-terrified-tourists-quarantined-after-black-death-outbreak-1413945

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Week #4 Discussions

This was an interesting week. It was special because we went to the Mass General Hospital for a field trip. Specifically, we visited the Ether-dome which was the first surgical observatory center to use a form of anesthetics. This was a huge discovery as it was marked and advertised as “The Death of Pain.” The Ether-dome itself was very interesting in structure with everything having a purpose. Some notable features were that it was located on the fourth floor, which decreased the intensity of screams heard from patients in surgery, it also helped increase the amount of light coming in. The room was built so that any voice is well heard anywhere in the room, no matter how loud or soft. Any seat in the room has a good look into what is going on in the center. 

After visiting the dome, our class walked to the Public Gardens, in which laid the monument dedicated to ether. This is supposedly one of the only monuments that have been erected in the name of a nonliving thing in the world. The monument contained four different verses from important figures and contributors that relayed the importance ether had on the world. Above each of the verses, there are carved scenes from the first ether surgery to other significant resemblant scenes. The vast amount of details that are placed upon the monuments all go to signify the importance of ether to the city, the world, and the medical field itself.

On the topic of monuments, another interesting fact that I came across was the erection of a monument in Russia dedicated toward all the lab rats/mice that have given their lives for the betterment of human existence through science. The statue depicts an elderly mouse wearing glasses while knitting the DNA double helix. This portrays the role mice have played in the various studies, especially the study of the ‘fabric of life’: DNA.

Open-ended Questions of the Week:

What sacrifices has medicine and science made to make a better world for the rest of us? What important factors of the world around us have helped shape what science and medicine are today? What usually goes overlooked in this context?

Here is a link to an article that elaborates more upon the Russian Mouse Monument:

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/russian-statue-honoring-laboratory-mice-gains-renewed-popularity-180964570/

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Week #3 (3.1 & 3.2) Discussions

This week was an interesting week. Our group delved into diagnosis and the other day we were given a case study to defend each of our positions.

3.1

During this lecture, we explored diagnosis and how it was related to where the patient went for care, what type of doctor, different type of ways to diagnose and even an influencial figure of the field.

Through the readings, it was interesting to find the progress of how diagnosis have evolved. (Tyranny of Diagnosis: Specific Entities and Individual Experience) In previous times, diagnosis would be very vague where doctors would say “you’re sick” as an acceptable response. This method held true until different types of technology for the medical field were integrated to be used to diagnose patients. Before the use of the proper instruments, you could even get different diagnosis from different doctors based on specialization. Even though this is true even today, it is less obscure as there is a generalized practice of diagnosis moderated by certain procedures. As time passed and more tools came in place, from new tech to even the germ theory, the art of diagnosis funneled into what we know today. Some interesting aspects of the subject of diagnosis was the question of what diseases were at which time of history. One of the main examples of this is homosexuality because for the longest time many of those who classified themselves with different sexual orientations were ostracized as people with disorders.

Another interesting aspect of medicine was the location of your diagnosis. (The Expressiveness of the Body and the Divergence of Greek and Chinese) Different parts of the world all had focused on health, but all of them had different ways to approach it. The reading only mentioned two, which was the Greek teachings and the Chinese teachings. When looking at the body, the Chinese focused on the various pressure points that were found across the body. By honing in on this aspect, their types of treatment and diagnosis were focused mainly upon the usage of acupuncture. This greatly varied from the Greek teachings which looked away from the pressure points but rather focused on the composition of the body as of muscles. This led to the discovery of the musculatory system. Due to this, much of their procedures and operations were invasive, unlike China. Just like this various locations around the world had completely different ways to look at the body. Such an example that is not touched upon by the reading is the use of herbal medicine in India. In India, much of the treatments were uninvasive, and were focused on different forms of meditation and local herbal use.

3.2

This lecture was unique where we focused not on readings and such but rather were given a case study. During this study, we were assigned different positions and were told to defend our stances. Through this immersive exercise, there were a lot of things that I learned through enveloping the role of a doctor. One of the main ideas that was permeant to the case was how you treated the patient and if your treatment cases were justifiable. As from the role played doctor’s standpoint much of the information was justifiable as a treatment plan for the patient. However, it was unruly for the patient because it had a grim end, leading to her death. By this experience, it was highlighted the different aspects of becoming a doctor other than just care itself. An important aspect that played a vital part was your interaction with the others around you, which included other doctors from other hospitals to even the family of the patient. This lead to the discussion of the risk of becoming a doctor related to malpractice issues and the subject of lawsuits. Our class found out that almost anything can turn into grounds for a lawsuit for doctors. After bringing the subject up with a neurosurgeon, Dr. Farhana mentioned that there is a certain specific checklist that doctors are required to follow in order to avoid these type of problems.

Questions:

What would you define as grounds to sue a doctor? Would your decision differ if you put yourself in the doctor’s shoe? Would your decision differ depending on the different type of doctor that took care of you, considering the fact that different type of doctors have different types of responsibilities and commitments that would make them prone to mistakes compared to others?

For this week’s specialized resource, we are moving away from videos and now are introducing a research article. “International Differences in Medical Care Practices” by Klim McPherson focuses on how different civilizations use different ways to treat their patients. A key feature of the article include that it also highlights more of the logistic aspect of each type of care.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4195144/

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Week #2 (2.1 & 2.2) Discussions

This week much of our discussions focused on the structure and function of hospitals along with the care that is focused outside of the hospital.

2.1

During the first meeting our main focus was toward hospitals and looking into what they are, what purpose they serve, and some aspects that are not really recognized by the common eye.

Our first reading (“Why Boston Hospitals were Ready”) focused on the hospital’s response to the Boston bombings. Usually, in a case of this severity, it is expected that the death toll would be tremendous. However, due to the structure and the flexibility of the hospital itself as well as the immense care given by the professionals, the event only experienced 3 fatalities in the face of its mass amount of casualties. One of the aspects that I found fascinating was the initiation that was taken by all professionals immediately rather than waiting for administrative orders. The articles emphasized this fact saying that 8 operating rooms were prepared focused on certain specialties rather than others. How the personnel accomplished this task was summed up to taking their minor roles and dilating them as necessary to accommodate the mass influx of patients.

An aspect that was mentioned that helped provide the correct frame for the event was the tragic events of 9/11. It was stated that due to the horrific past, America built up what its expectations were for a response to a mass tragic event. Even though 9/11 was a horrific time, it led to the evolution of the future of medicine in certain aspects. What are some horrific aspects of our past that ultimately serve us to become better? Can we learn from all grim situations? When do we know that we are ready in the face of another event?

2.2 

Our second meeting focused on care that is outside of the hospital.

Firstly we focus on the accessibility of healthcare to prisoners vs the commonly insured layman (“Medical Care of Prisoners in the U.S.A”). When we look at the article, it shows that prisoners are given the first response to certain care, even ahead of the regular person if that person has been waiting for some time. This is most likely due to trying to detain the prisoners as fast as possible and trying to restrict time for other human interaction. Even though we see that they have quicker access to care before going into their cell, coming out of the cell with a disease is a different story. For a normal person, an ambulance is rushed to them to deliver them to a hospital as soon as possible. With inmates, the decision mainly falls upon the guards to decide whether or not to go forth with care outside the hospital. Even then, if an ambulance is authorized, there are many levels of security that must be reached before leaving the prison premises. This may be a major delay in treatment time that may affect how the patient’s wellbeing is to be.

Another focus was of more common conventions when mentioning care outside the hospital (“How’s My Sleep?”).  When talking about sleep, the article brings up a point of how several apps have been made to try to ‘monitor’ over your sleep patterns and then use them to report back to you or either wake you up at a time of least disturbance. It also talked about most of these conventions do not take in to account for the various people who face certain issues such as sleep apnea. What are your opinions on this? How do you feel like this could be improved? Our class decided that it was the best we could offer from a device that is not tailored to directly meet such requirements. Aside from sleep and activity tracking, what are some useful apps that we use/can use regularly to help improve our day to day life?

For hospital care outside of hospitals, an article focused on how the future should bring doctors and physicians to the home instead of making the patient come to the hospital (“The Healthcare of Tomorrow will Move Away from Hospitals”). Our class mainly focused on points that would go against this argument. One aspect brought up is that the doctor/physician would be less efficient in taking care of patients where quantity and quality of care is concerned. Also, the sanitary levels in a hospital are regulated to keep patients continuously coming in, unlike in a homely setting. In the class meeting beforehand, we had a discussion that talked about how hospitals have now tried to help patients feel more at home, using more homely decor and such. If you have had to stay in a hospital for an extended period of time (from hours to weeks), how would you expect to be treated? What aspects of the hospital do you feel should be close to a homely feel?

Here is a video that talks about the different types of adaptations made around the world in accordance with the 9/11 incident. Although it focuses on a security aspect, it is an excellent example of how we can adapt to the situations around us.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deG_LTcAjaM

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Week #1 (1.1 & 1.2) Discussions

So here it is: my first blog. Through our adventures, we will be exploring readings and discussions mentioned in the course “Making Modern Medicine.”

So this week much of our conversations were focused on societal views on disease, medicine, and the sort.

1.1

One of the readings, “Social Media as Platforms for Scholarship”, focuses on how social media influences modern view on certain diseases. One of the key points that stood out to me was that due to new advances in technology, a new variety of people are able to join very prestigious and valuable discussions of illness and treatment. This in turns paves a new pathway for the input of contemporary issues with older problems. However, one of the issues that could potentially be faced is the increase in traffic and encountering a mass of problems that need to be visited before any official term is agreed upon. My deduction is that it is best to have a balanced moderation, so thus we can take advantage of the technology that is given to us, but to know when to cut off problems faced. This question brings forth certain uncertainties: Where do we know when to cut off? How do we weigh whose problems and issues are greater than anyone else’s? Who should be given authority to dictate these manners?

1.2

Our second class focused on defining disease. There were many great discussions that came up, but not all were addressed in the name of time.

“Framing Disease: Illness, Society and History”

Our conversations along with this article focused on how diseases are defined and how their effects are changed depending on who defines them and who gets defined by them. The first point that the article brings up is that disease is the basis of learning medicine and the ones who treat them are defined as doctors throughout history (not just MDs, but medicine men and the sort). Through the class, we discussed how certain diseased are officialized. Certain ones are classified because pharma companies make a cure, such as with Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS). Others might be defined more logically, such as Chicken Pox, being able to be spread from one host to another based on contact whether it be by fluid, touch or other. So how should we define disease? Should we stick to the dictionary definition and call everything else illnesses?

Once we define a disease, how does society today characterize people that have, or potentially have, this ‘newfound problem’? More importantly, how do the individuals themselves characterize themselves after going through those experiences? One great example of this, not exactly related to disease, is Milgram’s experiment. In Milgram’s experiment, a research participant was to shock another ‘participant’ behind a wall if they managed to get a question wrong, slowly upping the volts per wrong answer. [**SPOILER ALERT** The ‘participant’ behind the wall was just an audio recording.] After delivering enough volts to kill a person, the ‘participant’ stopped responding. This led to believe that the first participant was the one to kill the other using the buzzers. So when the experiment was over, the participant had to live with the fact that he was willing to kill someone if it was the command of authority, even after being debriefed. This weight that is put upon the shoulders of that participant made him live with a negative newfound aspect of himself, and maybe how he interacted with society thereafter. [Fortunatly, Milgram’s experiment was later declared unethical and immoral]

Here is the link to Milgram’s experiment on Youtube 

(VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED):

tl;dr:

1.1- Social Media is making an impact on how we can connect with others to define disease.

1.2- Defining ‘disease’ is very subjunctive and is based mostly on societal standards. The video is a well-known unethical psych experiment that gives sight to what others can put upon you by the name of authority and what weight it can carry on your shoulders later.