Death and medicine: a personal account
Article Abstract:
The author describes the development of an understanding of the emotions surrounding death, and discusses ways of helping people deal with loss and grief. As a medical student, she was first confronted with death in the anatomy lab in the dissection of a human body. However, she felt detached because she did not know the human body as a living person. As a third year medical student, the author began working on hospital wards and came into contact with dying patients. The first experience with a dying patient and his family is recounted, along with her detachment from the process of mourning. As a fourth year medical student, the author spent three months in Africa and was constantly exposed to death that was often avoidable, due causes such as the lack of appropriate medications. In Africa, the author acquired the philosophy that death was a part of the eternal cycle and became better able to deal with death and loss. During the following years as an intern, resident, and fellow, the author continued have difficulty in helping others deal with loss and grief. When her sister died, she first experienced personal grief and loss, which helped her to empathize with dying patients and their relatives. The author suggests that medical students and staff should become more comfortable talking about death, and should try to achieve a better understanding of grief and loss. In this way, physicians can become more empathetic and effective. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)
Publication Name: American Journal of Medicine
Subject: Health care industry
ISSN: 0002-9343
Year: 1990
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Two cases of adult T-cell leukemia associated with acute pancreatitis due to hypercalcemia
Article Abstract:
Adult T-cell leukemia is a cancer of blood cells caused by the human T-cell leukemia virus type I. This cancer is endemic to southern Japan and the Caribbean basin. The disease is characterized by abnormalities of the nucleus of T lymphocytes (a type of immune cell), the presence of antibodies directed against the human T-cell leukemia virus, and an increased incidence of hypercalcemia (abnormally high blood calcium levels). Hypercalcemia has been previously reported to cause acute pancreatitis, or inflammation of the pancreas. However, the development of acute pancreatitis due to hypercalcemia associated with adult T-cell leukemia has not been previously reported. Two cases are described of patients with adult T-cell leukemia who developed acute pancreatitis and hypercalcemia. These conditions were detected after the sudden development of epigastralgia (pain in the epigastrium, the region over the pit of the stomach). The patients had no evidence of other possible causes of pancreatitis with the exception of hypercalcemia. Hence, hypercalcemia associated with adult T-cell leukemia was the most likely factor contributing to the development of pancreatitis. These cases are the first report of pancreatitis as a complication of adult T-cell leukemia. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)
Publication Name: American Journal of Medicine
Subject: Health care industry
ISSN: 0002-9343
Year: 1991
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