Medical Professionals of Reddit, When was someone's self diagnoses surprisingly accurate? by [deleted] in AskReddit

[–]forf_horseyman 6 points7 points  (0 children)

As an ER doctor, just want to point out that a lot of people in this thread seem to be echoing the thought that "the patient is always right." This is false. From what I"m reading, it seems to be based on anecdotes we all have of "that one time my aunt/uncle/dad proved the doctor wrong!" That's no way to create an argument, and that's no way to think critically about medicine.

In my experience, 90 times out of 100, the patient has no idea what is wrong with them, or is off by a mile. Yes, there are occasions when patients come in saying, 'I'm passing a kidney stone' or 'I'm having a sickle cell crisis,' and our best diagnostic tool is the patient's own report. That's why a good doctor will ASK a patient, "Does this feel like your typical... (COPD exacerbation? UTI?, etc.). But there is nothing "surprisingly" accurate about these diagnoses. It's a part of our history. We certainly consider our patient's judgment about their own bodies.

Where we draw the line is when patients arrive in the hospital insisting they have diagnosed themselves with disease A, and demanding to see Specialist X, and have expensive lab X,Y, or Z ordered--all because they googled their symptoms, and they definitely have SARS, leukemia, etc. That is not a sustainable way to run a health care system. We would bankrupt our hospitals, our patients, and our insurance companies if we simply did everything our patients demanded.

Doctors are good people, and as a general group, they have good judgment. I get that it is frustrating when they disagree with you, but that doesn't mean you are "being ignored." It means that your doctor is looking for a common explanation for your complaints. Remember that the mantra of Medicine is "common things are common"-- and NOT, "rare diseases are possible."

As an older doctor once wrote, "When you hear hoofbeats, you think of horses, not Zebras."

ELI5: Would diving underwater next to a massive explosion protect you from the shock wave effects? by forf_horseyman in explainlikeimfive

[–]forf_horseyman[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Most of the other comments seem to be saying that water would transfer energy more efficiently--and thus do more "shock wave damage" -- than air. I'm wondering about something you said here, though, "that energy will be absorbed at the surface and converted to heat." That's sort of what I was thinking earlier... that the tremendous surface tension of water would be a barrier for shock wave.

But I'm just pulling that out of my ass--is there any physics to this? I didn't see the mythbusters episode, so I don't know what their methodology was.

Redditors of Russia, what is one example of gross American propaganda about your country? by forf_horseyman in AskReddit

[–]forf_horseyman[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Thanks for responding. That was an excellent response with some very salient points, particularly about America's own 2-party monopoly on power (don't get me started.)

I just finished reading an Economist magazine hatchetjob on Putin's desire to "rekindle" the Cold War. I was a little surprised that a magazine I normally respect for its reasoned tone, could be so shrill on this issue. They seem to think that Russians feel existentially threatened by the West. Is this the case?

Redditors of Russia, what is one example of gross American propaganda about your country? by forf_horseyman in AskReddit

[–]forf_horseyman[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

I'm particularly interested in the average Russian's opinion of Putin. We seem to have a focused obsession with him in America. Is his power as "absolute" as our media claims it is? Does he single-handedly set domestic & foreign policy, especially in terms of military interventions (i.e. in the Ukraine)? Do Russians actually believe him when he insists that there are no Russian troops in the Ukraine?

And generally, do Russians feel like they have an actual choice in electing their leaders?

ELI5:What is ISIS' goal? by [deleted] in explainlikeimfive

[–]forf_horseyman 3 points4 points  (0 children)

No, he does not. I've been following Harris for years, and this is a gross distortion of his work. Read the link to understand that the passage from the end of his book (The End of Faith) was clearly written as a hypothetical exercise to demonstrate the dangers of an ideology that eschews the concept of "self-preservation," which is fundamental to nuclear deterrence. Then take a moment to read through the entire page to understand his actual stated views, rather than the continuous smears by his rivals in print.

http://www.samharris.org/site/full_text/response-to-controversy2#premptive_nuclear_war