A good example of bad medicine

Here's a physician from Louisiana who embodies many of the criticisms that I lay out in my book. He is, to be sure, an extreme example; but not an isolated case.

http://www.lsbme.louisiana.gov/Blog/DocViewer.aspx?decision=true&fID=70957

False positive blood tests are common

... and they can cause further unnecessary testing, or needless treatments.

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/42829175/ns/today-today_health/

Narcotic overdoses in children are common

A new study shows that young children are frequently overdosed when receiving narcotic pain medication.

"Specifically, 61.1% of children aged 2 months and younger who were prescribed a narcotic drug received an overdose quantity. Additionally, 35% of infants aged 3 months to 5 months received an overdose, as did 17.1% of infants aged 6 months to 11 months and 8% of children who were a year or older."

http://health.gresnews.com/ch/Diseases/cl/University/id/283631/Overdose-Risk-for-Young-Children-on-Prescription-Pain-Drugs

CT scans and the risk of cancer

CT scans are frequently ordered in children for the evaluation of abdominal pain. Often these scans are unnecessary, yet they expose children to significant doses of ionizing radiation. This article looks at the lifetime risk of cancer as a result of these scans.

http://www.kmx.cc/resource_pages/Second_Thoughts_Schenkman.pdf