The Journal of the Louisiana State Medical Society : official organ of the Louisiana State Medical Society
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This paper presents an overview of the ethical issues involved in creating policy regarding the use of cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation was introduced in 1965 as a method to revive victims of acute cardiac insult from near-death conditions. ⋯ Since the introduction of CPR, the scope of its use has widened such that it is often used in situations for which it has shown little, if any, benefit, and also in situations where it is contraindicated. This paper uses the issue of CPR to show how the bioethical principles of beneficence, non-maleficence, autonomy, and justice can be used to analyze issues in medical ethics.
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Review Case Reports
Synovial cyst of lumbar spine presenting as disc disease: a case report and review of literature.
Synovial cysts most commonly involve the joints of the extremities. These cysts are rarely found in the spinal canal or the vertebral facet joints. However, if manifested as such, they can pose serious diagnostic and therapeutic problems due to the presentation, which most often resembles nerve root or spinal cord compression. ⋯ This paper presents a case of synovial cyst in a 62-year-old woman with a 2-year history of refractory low back pain with distal radiation. A facet joint cyst was encountered upon neuroimaging, resulting in excision of the cyst. In this report, we discuss the differential diagnosis of synovial cysts, the role of computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging in the diagnosis, and treatment options for this uncommon entity.
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More children and youth in Louisiana die from firearm injuries than from any other injury, including motor vehicle accidents. Many survive their injuries to lead lives with permanent disabilities. ⋯ It introduces the reader to the Haddon Matrix and the Intervention Decision Matrix. It then reviews six options and offers one model, motor vehicle injury reduction, as a way to consider intervention options.
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Newspapers and television daily attest to the fact that violence is a pervasive element in our society, especially among our youth. We have come to a point in this nation where we see violence everywhere. ⋯ How did this happen to our society? Is this unrivaled period of juvenile violent crime a new phenomenon? Our society demands that children have a safe environment in which to learn and grow, yet continued reports of youth violence indicates that our efforts have not been successful. Is violence prevention a myth or reality? Since children are our future, how can we provide them with the skills that will afford them the opportunity to become productive members of society?
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The authors present an annotated, condensed synopsis of the fundamental basis of public health practice in Louisiana, the state's Sanitary Code. The "tongue-in-cheek" remarks about some of the Code's requirements are just that, poking a bit of fun at the rule and law-making processes, but meant not in the least bit to underestimate the value of the public health rules and laws of the state.