Maryland medical journal (Baltimore, Md. : 1985)
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Delirium, a common psychiatric disorder in the elderly, can be difficult to identify. This article describes the two central features of delirium: diminished cognitive capacity and altered levels of consciousness. Treatment and research into the mechanisms of delirium are discussed.
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Historical Article
Baltimore City Health Department: 200 years of progress and partnership.
The Baltimore City Health Department began its long history of protecting the health of Baltimore citizens in 1793. An outbreak of yellow fever in Fells Point on the northwest branch of the Patapsco River was the impetus for the governor's appointment of the first two health officers. Since that time, the health department has worked closely with the medical community to promote education and preventive measures (e.g., sewer systems, water chlorination, food inspection) in order to stop the spread of communicable diseases. For 200 years, the Baltimore City Health Department has provided "the advocacy and leadership necessary to ensure the protection and promotion of the health of Baltimore's citizens."
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The health department's early development and the protective roles of public health roles are described. Qualifications for public health leadership are examined. The diminishing and changing nature of services resulting from continuing federal and state cutbacks are discussed. New public health policy requires major changes in national ideology and politics.
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Some critics suggest that far too many surgical breast biopsies are performed in the United States. Meanwhile, malpractice suits are on the rise for physicians' failure to detect breast cancer. This creates a paradoxical situation for many physicians. Should the incidence of performing an invasive procedure that may prove inconclusive outweight the risk to women's health and the possibility of a lawsuit?