Director, Emergency Services, Bikur Cholim Hospital
I have been asked to make a retraction. The gemora
talks about the benefits of white bread over whole
grains, and in many places it appears that whole grains such
as barley, oats, brown rice and whole wheat may not be the
ideal food for the ruchniyus of an individual. As I
quoted an article lauding these, I was speaking from the
perspective of medicine. [Editor's Note: The position of the
gemora is not clear and some believe that the
references are to very coarse and unrefined flours and breads
that are not similar to what we call now "whole grains."]
More questions that come to my desk: I will briefly describe
birth conditions that can occur and are true emergencies.
The most dangerous thing for a mother during childbirth
remains bleeding, a rare occurrence nowadays due to the
medications that are used. Other bad diseases are toxemia of
pregnancy where the patient could lose consciousness,
platelets and other blood components and have a seizure due
to unknown reasons. Some women seem to have a tendency to it.
The treatment is usually intravenous magnesium and delivery
as soon as possible.
Premature labor is also an emergency and this fortunately can
also be dealt with efficiently. Amniotic fluid embolism is
when amniotic fluid, that which bathes the baby in the womb,
gets into the blood stream. This can happen after birth and
is catastrophic.
With babies the name of the game is oxygen and things that
can prevent good oxygenation include shoulder dystocia
— where the baby doesn't rotate and both shoulders get
"stuck" — and prolapsed cord where the cord falls out
first and is compressed. Breech presentation is usually dealt
with before birth by turning the baby.
I thank Dr. Rafi Pollack from Bikur Cholim hospital for his
assistance in the above.
I was asked about living with a diabetic. Living with a
poorly-controlled diabetic or one who refuses to take care of
himself is a frustrating experience. Nowadays, insulin pumps
under the skin and pancreatic implants help, but diabetes is
a disease that requires the utmost discipline. Let me remind
you that staying thin lessens your likelihood of adult-onset
diabetes.
I am asked about how much sleep a person really needs. It is
all dependent on the individual. Being sleep deprived is
dangerous and makes a person feel terrible, as well as being
illegal among truck drivers, pilots and, yes, doctors. Write
me in care of the Yated.
A message from GlaxoSmithKline, sponsor of this
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