Director, Emergency Services, Bikur Cholim Hospital
I have been writing this column for seven years, and it has
changed much over the years. First, we have been very
fortunate to have sponsorship for this column and Glaxo's
support of this venture has led to increasing the medical
knowledge base of us all. I remind you all to think of this
when you need medication. Glaxo has a wide line of OTC
products that are available without a prescription (Zovirax
Cream for Cold Sores, Oxy for Acne, and Tums for heartburn).
Glaxo has shown they care for us, and we should return the
favor.
Also, in all these years, I occasionally got controversial,
like the epidural article, but this has been rare. I had a
meeting with Ezer Mitzion and was made aware I might have
ruffled some feathers there with what I wrote a few years
back, and I must say the following. This organization does
tremendous work, and I did not go into enough depth to make
the comments that I did about them. I respect their work
greatly and will be working, hopefully, together with them on
some upcoming projects.
The tone of the articles has changed. In the past we tackled
a topic and wrote all about it. Recently, my mailbag has been
bursting at the seams, so the columns are basically answering
reader's questions, which was our intention in the first
place.
By the time you read this, I will have already spoken in
Ramot. I am thankful for the opportunity, and remind you all
that I will speak to your group as well. Bikur Cholim will
often sponsor these talks. Someone mentioned that a book of
medicine for laymen that encompasses my columns and is
written for religious people may be a good idea. What do you
think?
Well let's speak a little medicine in the column. Someone
sent me a scandal about blood transfusions in Canada, where
people got AIDS and Hepatitis C. When I was training, we only
had Hepatitis A and B. Since then we have discovered many
more forms of this debilitating disease, and there may be
other hidden diseases in blood as well. So take this as a
guideline. Bleeding patients whose lives are in danger must
receive blood. People who are going for operations that may
require a transfusion should donate their own blood
beforehand or use that of a close relative's known to be
disease-free. People who are elderly are unlikely to develop
some of these the diseases that blood transfusions can cause
because they take many years to develop.
I want to make it clear, however, the chance of disease from
the blood supply is very minimal. Nonetheless, unnecessary
transfusions should be avoided. Write me in care of the
Yated.
A message from GlaxoSmithKline, sponsor of this
column.
By the way, while we already wrote about Glaxo in this
column, I will just add that Hepatitis A and B do have a
vaccine and the one against A — which is a serious
problem
in Israel — is made by Glaxo.
