iPhone Medical Apps, part 2

Part one was a blog post here.  That page includes comments and suggestions from readers.

National Library of Medicine Launches Mobile MedlinePlus to Meet the Health Information Needs of an On-the-Go Public

Wondering what the side effects are for your new prescription? Go to Mobile MedlinePlus (http://m.medlineplus.gov) while you’re waiting for the pharmacist to fill your order!

Or, instantly look up the symptoms of H1N1 flu if you’re at the supermarket and your child’s school calls you to tell you he doesn’t feel well.

The National Library of Medicine’s Mobile Medline Plus builds on the NLM’s MedlinePlus Internet service, which provides authoritative consumer health information to over 10 million visitors per month. These visitors access MedlinePlus (http://medlineplus.gov) from throughout the United States as well many other countries, and use desktop computers, laptops and even mobile devices to get there.

The mobile Internet audience is large and growing fast, almost doubling from February 2007 to February 2009. Some experts predict that within the next five years, more people will connect to the Internet via mobile devices than via desktop or laptop computers. People use their mobile devices to accomplish a variety of tasks, including finding health information. With this in mind, NLM developed the mobile version of MedlinePlus to bring high-quality health information to users on the go.

“We know that a huge number of people are seeking good health information on the Web, noted NLM Director Dr. Donald A.B. Lindberg. What better way to reach out to them than by offering this new mobile service, which delivers trustworthy, consumer-friendly information instantly, anywhere?”

Mobile MedlinePlus is available in English and Spanish (http://m.medlineplus.gov/spanish) and includes a subset of content from the full Web site. It includes summaries for over 800 diseases, wellness topics, the latest health news, an illustrated medical encyclopedia, and information on prescription and over-the-counter medications.

For instance, you could visit the “Talking With Your Doctor” page on Mobile MedlinePlus to learn how to get the most out of your doctor’s visit.

Mobile MedlinePlus can also help you when you’re trying to choose an over-the-counter cold medicine at the drug store.

And if you’re traveling abroad, you can use Mobile MedlinePlus to learn about safe drinking water.

Mobile MedlinePlus puts reliable health information at your fingertips.

*High resolution screen shot of Mobile MedlinePlus available upon request.

The National Library of Medicine is part of the National Institutes of Health, an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the nation’s largest medical library.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) — The Nation’s Medical Research Agency — includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary federal agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical and translational medical research, and it investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.

From http://www.nih.gov/news/health/jan2010/nlm-22.htm?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Helping others learn more about Cushing’s/Acromegaly

I found this article especially interesting.  This question was asked of a group of endos at an NIH conference a few years ago – if you saw someone on the street who looked like they had symptoms of fill-in-the disease, would you suggest that they see a doctor.  The general answer was no.  No surprise there.

Patients, if you see someone who looks like s/he has Cushing’s, give them a discrete card.

Spread The Word! Cushing’s Pocket Reference

Robin Writes:

This has been a concern of mine for some time. Your post spurred me on to do something I’ve been meaning to do. I’ve designed something you can print that will fit on the business cards you can buy just about anywhere (Wal-mart included). You can also print on stiff paper and cut with a paper cutter or scissors. I’ve done a front and a back.

Here are the links:

• Front: This card is being presented by a person who cares.
• Back (The same for everyone)

This Topic on the Message Boards

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And now, the article from http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/nov/03/doctor-diagnosis-stranger:

Are doctors ever really off duty?

Which potentially serious symptoms would prompt them to stop and advise a stranger on a bus?

By Lucy Atkins

• 
  • Lucy Atkins
  • The Guardian, Tuesday 3 November 2009
    Article history

Passengers on a London bus. Photograph: David Levene

A Spanish woman of 55, Montse Ventura, recently met the woman she refers to as her “guardian angel” on a bus in Barcelona. The stranger – an endocrinologist – urged Ventura to have tests for acromegaly, a rare disorder involving an excesss of growth hormone, caused by a pituitary gland tumour. How had the doctor made this unsolicited diagnosis on public transport? Apparently the unusual, spade-like shape of Ventura’s hands was a dead giveaway.

But how many off-duty doctors would feel compelled to alert strangers to symptoms they spot? “If I was sitting next to someone on a bus with a melanoma, I’d say something or I wouldn’t sleep at night,” says GP Mary McCullins. “We all have a different threshold for interfering and you don’t want to terrify people, but this is the one thing I’d urge a total stranger to see a doctor about.” So what other symptoms might prompt a doctor to approach someone on the street?

Moon face

Cushing’s syndrome is another rare hormone disorder which can be caused by a non-cancerous tumour in the pituitary gland. “A puffy, rounded ‘moon face’ is one of the classic signs of Cushing’s,” says Dr Steve Field, chair of the Royal College of GPs. “In a social situation, I wouldn’t just say, ‘You’re dangerously ill’ but I’d try to elicit information and encourage them to see a doctor.”

Different-sized pupils

When one pupil is smaller than the other, perhaps with a drooping eyelid, it could be Horner’s syndrome, a condition caused when a lung tumour begins eating into the nerves in the neck. This can be the first obvious sign of the cancer. “I’d encourage someone to get this checked out,” says Dr Simon Smith, consultant in emergency medicine at the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals Trust. “People often have an inkling that something’s wrong, and you might spur them to get help sooner.”

Clubbing fingers

Some people are born with club-shaped fingers, but if, over time, they become “drumstick-like”, this could signify serious problems such as lung tumours, chronic lung infections or congenital heart disease. “Because it happens gradually, some people disregard clubbing,” says Smith. “But I’d say something because it can be an important symptom in many serious illnesses.”

Lumpy eyelids

Whitish yellowy lumps around the eyelids can be a sign of high cholesterol, a major factor in heart disease. Sometimes you also get a yellow circle around the iris. “I would suggest they got a cholesterol test with these symptoms,” says Smith. “They can do something about it that could save their life.”

Suntan in unlikely places

A person with Addison’s disease, a rare but chronic condition brought about by the failure of the adrenal glands, may develop what looks like a deep tan, even in non sun-exposed areas such as the palms. Other symptoms (tiredness, dizziness) can be non-specific so the condition is often advanced by the time it is diagnosed. Addison’s is treatable with lifelong steroid replacement therapy. “If someone was saying they hadn’t been in the sun but had developed a tan, alarm bells would ring and I’d probably ask how they were feeling,” says McCullins.

Trench mouth

Putrid smelling breath – even if the teeth look perfect – can be a sign of acute necrotising periodontitis. “I’d be able to tell when someone walks through the door,” says dentist Laurie Powell. “But people become accustomed to it and don’t notice.” Untreated, the condition damages the bones and connective tissue in the jaw. It can also be a sign of other diseases such as diabetes or Aids.

iPhone Medical Apps

I just downloaded a free app from Medscape.  It looks very  nice and there are doctor and hospital finders based on location and, in the case of doctors, by specialty.  Unfortunately, there aren’t any reviews of doctors and I saw some on the endocrinology list that I would never go to but it’s a great start.

There are also drug interactions and more.

More info and flash preview at http://www.medscape.com/public/iphone?

WebMD Mobile offers a symptoms checker, drugs and treatments, and first aid information.

There’s more info and a flash preview here: http://www.webmd.com/mobile

What other good medical apps have you found?

Interview with MaryO

The Call-In number for questions or comments is (646) 200-0162.

Cushing’s Help Founder, MaryO

“MaryO”, Mary O’Connor is the founder and webmaster for Cushings-Help.com and related sites. She is also a Piano Teacher and web designer in northern Virginia. She started having Cushing’s symptoms in early 1983 and finally had pituitary surgery at the NIH in November, 1987, Mary is a 25+ year survivor of Cushing’s Disease.

Due to her Cushing’s experiences and the lack of websites for people with Cushing’s, Mary founded the Cushings-Help website in 2000 to help others who were dealing with the rigors of testing and surgery.

MaryO, as she is fondly called by the members of the support board she runs in conjunction with the website, has been instrumental in educating thousands of people about Cushing’s. Through the use of her website and support boards, these same folks have been able to garner support and information invaluable to their diagnosis and treatment.

Mary is a survivor. Not only has she survived, but she has enabled so many others of us to survive, also.

She has been recognized in Forbes Magazine, many newspaper and journal articles, and is a speaker at Cushing’s Awareness events. She is married to Tom and has a grown son, Michael.

Intro: Hello, I have with us today Mary O’Connor, founder of the cushings dash help dot com website. Mary is a 20 plus year survivor of Cushing’s Disease. For those who do not know what Cushing’s Disease is, you may want to peruse the Cushings-help website. Briefly, it is an endocrine-related disease caused by a pituitary tumor (also called an adenoma) which causes life-threatening symptoms. Cushing’s Syndrome is a similar disease caused by an adrenal or other tumor.

MaryO, as she is fondly called by the members of the support board she runs in conjunction with the website, has been instrumental in educating thousands of people about Cushing’s. Through the use of her website and support boards, these same folks have been able to garner support and information invaluable to their diagnosis and treatment. She has been recognized in Forbes Magazine, many newspaper and journal articles, and is a speaker at Cushing’s Awareness events. She is married to Tom and has a grown son, Michael.

Mary, I know the listeners would love to hear your story. What can you tell us about your symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment with Cushing’s?

Other Topics Discussed:

• Why did you decide to start the cushings-help website?
• What are some of the things that can be found on the site?
• What are the message boards?
• How many members are there on the boards?
• How much work is involved in keeping up the site and the boards?
• How are you doing now? What has happened since your surgery for Cushing’s?

Closing: As you can see, Mary is a survivor. Not only has she survived, but she has enabled so many others of us to survive, also. Please stay tuned for more stories from these survivors! For more information, visit the cushings-help website.

Keywords: adenoma, adrenal, arginine, arthritis, aspirin, awareness, cortef, cortisone, cortrosyn, Cushing’s, diagnosis, endocrine, energy, Forbes Magazine, gland, growth hormone, gym, insurance, kidney cancer, MaryO, menopause, migraine, nap, NIH, obesity, pituitary, Power Surge, rare, renal cell carcinoma, staticnrg, steroid, stimulation, support board, surgery, survivor, symptoms, thyroid, tired, transphenoidal hyposection, treatment, tumor, website, weight, Weight Watchers

Read Mary’s bio.
Listen to MaryO’s Archived Interview from January 3, 2008