30 most important innovations in Medicine

The 30 innovations chosen on the basis of articles published in The Journal of the American Medical Association and the New England Journal of Medicine in the past 25 years. 225 physicians who graduated before 1980 were surveyed based on several factors. The ranking of the 30 medical innovations in the study are as follows:

1. MRI and CT
2. ACE inhibitors
3. Balloon angioplasty
4. Statins
5. Mammography
6. Coronary artery bypass graft
7. Proton pump inhibitors and H2 blockers
8. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and new non-SSRI antidepressants
9. Cataract extraction and lens implant
10. Hip and knee replacement
11. Ultrasonography and echocardiography
12. Gastrointestinal endoscopy
13. Inhaled steroids for asthma
14. Laparoscopic surgery
15. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and COX-2 inhibitors
16. Cardiac enzymes
17. Fluoroquinolones
18. New hypoglycemic agents
19. HIV testing and treatment
20. Tamoxifen
21. Prostate-specific antigen testing
22. Long-acting and local opioid anesthetics
23. Helicobacter pylori testing and treatment
24. Bone densitometry
25. Third-generation cephalosporins
26. Calcium channel blockers
27. Intravenous conscious sedation
28. Sildenafil (Viagra)
29. Nonsedating antihistamines
30. Bone marrow transplant

An outstanding ad from Pfizer

Stroke: When in doubt, scan please !

There are two types of strokes - ischemic and haemorrhagic. The first is the result of a clot that blocks supply of blood to the brain. The second is due to a burst vessel. Both cause permanent brain damage. Haemorragic stroke has no fixes - once the brain is damaged the only thing really one can do is remove the blood and hope the patient will regain function if the brain rewires. Thankfully haemorrhagic stroke occurs in 17 percent of cases.

700,000 Americans experience a stroke every year, ending up with paralysis or hemiparalysis in large proportions. 1.6 millions are paralyzed today due to stroke.

Mostly people experience a shut off of blood supply - ischemic stroke, a condition that is potentially fixable within a 3-hour timeframe if detected. Detection needs a CT scan. If one can get it done in 45 minutes, there's time to get to a interventional neurologist or administer tpa, a clot-busting medicine that works in a minority of cases

Looks like a very important standard continues to hang in balance. Its an issue that could potentially save thousands from debilitating paralysis. Meanwhile, companies like InTouch, that had a breakthrough communication device being used for remote consults on stroke (amongst other diseases) will continue to be critical to get neurospecialists in front of patients in remote locations that need the help.