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"DJ AM" Adam Goldstein Accidentally Died from a Lethal Cocktail of Prescription Drugs and Cocaine
The toxicology report from the NY City medical examiner's office showed the following drugs in Mr. Goldstein's body:
- Ativan (lorazepam)
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Benadryl (diphenhydramie hydrochloride)
- Cocaine
- Hydrocodone
- Klonopin (clonazepam)
- Levamisol
- OxyContin (oxycodone hydrochloride)
- Vicodin
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Xanax (alprazolam)
Previous stories:
- DJ AM Adam Goldstein, 36, Survived Plane Crash but Dies in Suspected Drug Overdose
- Adam "DJ AM" Goldstein's Autopsy Inconclusive, Toxicology Results Pending
- Adam "DJ AM" Goldstein, Heath Ledger, Anna Nicole Smith, Michael Jackson and Prescription Drug Abuse
- Oxycontin Implicated in Potential Suicide of DJ AM
Ativan, Klonopin and Xanax are benzodiaepines
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Resounding Health(tm) Toxicology |
Hydrodocone, Oxycontin and Vicodin are opioid analgesics
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Resounding Health(tm) Opioid analgesics (painkillers) |
Toxicology refers to various laboratory tests to determine the types and amounts of drugs a person has taken
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Resounding Health(tm) Toxicology |
Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds has Died
Lucy Vodden (1963-2009) and Julian Lennon's nursery school artwork that she inspired
About 40 years ago, when Lucy O'Donnell was in nursery school, John Lennon's son Julian was a classmate. He brought home a picture he had drawn(above right) of a girl surrounded by stars. When asked by his father what the picture was, Julian reportedly said "That's Lucy in the sky with diamonds." This incident occurred in the period (1965-67) during which the Beatles were experimenting with psychedlic drugs and the title and lyrics of "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" became a thinly-veiled reference to LSD and its effects.
Julian Lennon remembered Lucy and, when hearing of her five-year struggle with lupus and her deteriorating condition, reached out to help her, telling the Associated Press: “I wasn’t sure at first how to approach her. I wanted at least to get a note to her. Then I heard she had a great love of gardening, and I thought I’d help with something she’s passionate about, and I love gardening too. I wanted to do something to put a smile on her face.”
Rest in peace, Lucy.
Rest in peace, Lucy.
- There are nearly 250 clinical research trials studying new treatments for SLE or its complications.
- The U.S. Government spends about $790 million per year for research on autoimmune diseases.
| | Resounding Health(tm) Lupus |
Pancreatic Cancer Strikes Again: William Safire Dead at 79
William Safire (1929-2009)
Mr. Safire was an American author, columnist, journalist and presidential speechwriter. He is best known as a long-time syndicated political columnist for the New York Times and a regular contributor to "On Language" in the New York Times Magazine.
Safire is the latest person to succumb to an apparent epidemic of pancreatic cancer among public figures; Patrick Swayze died of this disease less than two weeks ago. Surgery for cancer of the pancreas is called the Whipple procedure.
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Red Sox Pitcher Jon Lester Injured by Hit Ball
Red Sox pitcher Jon Lester was not having a good night. He had already allowed eight hits, five runs, and walked three and it was only the 3rd inning. So it was like adding salt to a wound when a line drive off the bat of Yankee Melky Cabrera hit Lester just above the right knee and he fell to the mound and stayed there. Assisted off the field by trainer Paul Lessard, the star pitcher had "Red Sox Nation" holding their collective breaths. Fortunately, x-rays taken at Yankee Stadium did not show any fracture, and the diagnosis was a contusion of the right quadriceps muscle. According to Lester: “When you get hit like that, with the pain and everything, you’re hoping that it’s not a serious injury. But, like I said, fortunately there’s nothing broken. No bone spurs or nothing like that sticking out that they could see. Everything right now is fine. Everything, as far as I know, is in line for my next start.’’
The quadriceps muscle is actually a group of four muscles (Vastus lateralis, intermedius, and medius, and the Rectus femoris) that make up the front of the thigh. All four muscles attach to the knee cap (patella) by the quadriceps tendon. The muscle also attached to the front of the pelvis. It is the largest and leanest muscle in the body. The main functions of the quadriceps is to extend the knee (straighten the lower leg) and to flex the hips (raise the leg at the hip). These functions are crucial to running, walking, jumping and squatting.
A contusion is simply a bruise (black and blue mark). Blunt trauma to an area causes the tiniest blood vessels, the capillaries, to break and ooze blood into the surrounding tissue. Pressure from this blood on local nerves causes the main symptom of contusions - pain. Over the next two weeks, the bruise's color changes to dark red, then purple or black, and eventually fades to yellow, and then disappears. The color changes are related to the breakdown of hemoglobin in the blood that has leaked into the tissues.
The quadriceps muscle is actually a group of four muscles (Vastus lateralis, intermedius, and medius, and the Rectus femoris) that make up the front of the thigh. All four muscles attach to the knee cap (patella) by the quadriceps tendon. The muscle also attached to the front of the pelvis. It is the largest and leanest muscle in the body. The main functions of the quadriceps is to extend the knee (straighten the lower leg) and to flex the hips (raise the leg at the hip). These functions are crucial to running, walking, jumping and squatting.
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Hospitalized
Justice Ginsburg, 76, was operated on for early-stage pancreatic cancer in February 2009.
| | Resounding Health(tm) Iron-deficiency anemia |
"Big Russ" Russert Dead from Natural Causes at 85
Timothy Joseph Russert was the father of the late Tim Russert, long-standing host of NBC's Meet the Press who wrote about his father's life and times in two books. The younger Russert died suddenly from a heart attack in June 2008 at the age of 58.
"Natural causes" is a frequently given cause of death - but what specifically does it mean? Specifying a cause of death is required by law in all states. Death certification provides public health statistics and prevents cover-ups of murder. A death certificate requires two things:
- A cause of death: a disease or injury directly related to the death (such as heart attack, AIDS, kidney failure) or the circumstances of death (gun shot wound, hanging)
- The manner of death: natural,accidental, suicide, homicide, unknown, pending
Natural causes is a loosely-defined term used by coroners describing death when the cause of death was a naturally occurring disease process, or is not apparent given medical history or circumstances. As long as a physician familiar with the patient agrees to sign the death certificate, no autopsy in required.
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Communicating When Naked
By Helen Osborne, M.Ed., OTR/L
President of Health Literacy Consulting
Talking about health and other medical matters had always been easy for me. As an occupational therapist and health-literacy consultant, I felt confident and in charge of conversations no matter which professional hat I was wearing. But after a routine mammogram turned out not to be so routine, I felt more than hatless. I felt naked. Now I had to communicate not as a provider or consultant, but as a patient.
The diagnosis was....
Helen is a friend of ours and let us know that October is Health Literacy Month. You can read the rest of her story on her website.
President of Health Literacy Consulting
Talking about health and other medical matters had always been easy for me. As an occupational therapist and health-literacy consultant, I felt confident and in charge of conversations no matter which professional hat I was wearing. But after a routine mammogram turned out not to be so routine, I felt more than hatless. I felt naked. Now I had to communicate not as a provider or consultant, but as a patient.
The diagnosis was....
Helen is a friend of ours and let us know that October is Health Literacy Month. You can read the rest of her story on her website.
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Resounding Health(tm) DCIS |
John Travolta Testifies About Son Jett's Seizure Disorder at Extortion Trial
A seizure is the physical findings or changes in behavior that occur after an episode of abnormal electrical activity in the brain. There is a broad spectrum of how this abnormal activity is manifested- anything from a short period of inattentiveness or staring (absence seizures) to a seizure which causes whole body shaking (generalized tonic-clonic seizures). Most seizures last 5 minutes or less. Afterwards, the individual will seem very tired and will go to sleep. We will discuss other aspects of seizures/epilepsy in future blogs on this website, however it is important to know what to do if you witness someone having a seizure.
What To Do If You See Someone Having a Seizure
If you see someone having a seizure with convulsions and/or loss of consciousness, here's how you can help:
- Roll the person on his or her side to prevent choking on any fluids or vomit.
- Cushion the person's head.
- Loosen any tight clothing around the neck.
- Keep the person's airway open. If necessary, grip the person's jaw gently and tilt his or her head back.
- Do NOT restrict the person from moving unless he or she is in danger.
- Do NOT put anything into the person's mouth, not even medicine or liquid.These can cause choking or damage to the person's jaw, tongue, or teeth. Contrary to widespread belief, people cannot swallow their tongues during a seizure or any other time.
- Remove any sharp or solid objects that the person might hit during the seizure.
- Note how long the seizure lasts and what symptoms occurred so you can tell a doctor or emergency personnel if necessary.
- Stay with the person until the seizure ends.
Call 911 if:
The person is pregnant or has diabetes.
- The seizure happened in water.
- The seizure lasts longer than 5 minutes.
- The person does not begin breathing again or does not return to consciousness after the seizure stops.
- Another seizure starts before the person regains consciousness.
- The person injures himself or herself during the seizure.
- This is a first seizure or you think it might be. If in doubt, check to see if the person has a medical identification card or jewelry stating that they have epilepsy or a seizure disorder.
After the seizure ends, the person will probably be groggy and tired. He or she also may have a headache and be confused or embarrassed. Be patient with the person and try to help him or her find a place to rest if he or she is tired or doesn't feel well. If necessary, offer to call a taxi, a friend, or a relative to help the person get home safely.
(Source: NINDS)
| | Resounding Health(tm) Seizures |
The Amazing Race Will Have Contestant with Asperger's Syndrome
This season, CBS's Emmy Award winning reality show, The Amazing Race, will introduce a contestant with Asperger's Syndrome. The 26 year old contestant, Zev Glassenberg, will be partnered with his longtime friend, Justin Kanew, 30. Glassenberg told DisabilityScoop.com: “It’s one of my favorite shows and I thought it would be a really, really cool experience. It’s basically a scavenger hunt around the world and I like to do scavenger hunts, so why not do one around the world?”
Asperger's Syndrome (AS) is a developmental disorder which is part of the Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD)- a group of neurological conditions characterized by a greater or lesser degree of impairment in communication and social skills, as well as repetitive or restrictive patterns of thought and behavior. Individuals with AS are differentiated from others with autism in that they retain their early language and cognitive skills, and tend to be less severely impaired than those with autism.
Like those with autism, those with AS tend to be socially awkward, have difficulty with changes in routine, have clumsy and uncoordinated motor movements, and engage in repetitive routines or rituals. The most distinguishing symptom of AS is an individual's obsessive interest in a single object or topic to the exclusion of any other. They frequently have such expertise in this topic, and speak with such formal speech patterns, that they seem like little professors.Children with AS are isolated because of their poor social skills and narrow interests.
The cause of autism and Asperger's Syndrome are unknown. There is no known "cure," however much can be done to help these individuals. The ideal treatment for AS coordinates therapies that address the three core symptoms of the disorder: poor communication skills, obsessive or repetitive routines,and physical clumsiness. There is no single best treatment package for all children with AS, but most professionals agree that the earlier the intervention, the better.
For more information:
| | Resounding Health(tm) Asperger's Syndrome |
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Notre Dame's Jimmy Clausen Out with Turf Toe
Turf toe is actually an injury to the base of the big toe, right at the joint where the first toe meets the foot bone, called the metatarsal phalangeal joint. It occurs when the big toe gets hyperextended and the capsule around the joint is injured (see diagrams below). It is called turf toe because it tends to happen more frequently when players (usually football or soccer) are playing on artificial turf. Symptoms include pain and swelling at the joint. X-rays will be negative for fractures. Treatment consists primarily of rest, ice, protection of the area, and over the counter pain medications.
| | Resounding Health(tm) Turf Toe |
