Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

Initially driven by anxiety about the possibility of medical negligence cases, clinical risk management has evolved into the study of iatrogenic disease. The first priority of risk managers is to ensure that all therapies in medicine are as safe as possible. Allied to this is a recognition that errors may occur even when error-prevention strategies…

Under the strict legal definition, negligence must involve proving a clearly established duty of care which has been breached in a way that has resulted in injury or harm to the recipient of care. There does not need to be any malicious intention. Whether or not a particular injury can be attributed to medical negligence,…

Systematically developed statements which assist clinicians and patients to decide on appropriate treatments for specific conditions. These guidelines are attractive to health managers and patients because they are potentially able to reduce variation in clinical practice. This helps to ensure that patients receive the right treatment of an acceptable standard. In England & Wales, the…

A condition usually occurring in middle-aged people in which the sufferer finds on wakening in the morning that he or she cannot straighten the ring or middle finger spontaneously, but only by a special effort, when it suddenly straightens with a painful click, hence the name. In due course the finger remains bent at all…

A rare congenital abnormality characterised by the absence of one or more fingers and a deep central cleft that divides the hand into two. It is sometimes known as lobster hand. It may be accompanied by other congenital defects, such as cleft foot, absent permanent teeth, cleft palate (and/or lip), absence of the nails and…

The course of the circulation is as follows: the veins pour their blood, coming from the head, trunk, limbs and abdominal organs, into the right atrium of the heart. This contracts and drives the blood into the right ventricle, which then forces the blood into the lungs by way of the pulmonary artery. Here it…

A drug used to prevent the rejection of transplanted organs such as the heart and kidneys.  

A hormone produced by the placenta during pregnancy. It is similar to the pituitary gonadotrophins, which are blocked during pregnancy. Large amounts appear in a woman’s urine when she is pregnant and are used as the basis for pregnancy tests. Human gonadotrophins are used to treat delayed puberty and premenstrual tension.  

An insecticide which has been used successfully against flies and mosquitoes resistant to DDT, and for the control of ticks and mites. It requires special handling as it is toxic to humans when applied to the skin. A organochlorine used as an insecticide. In humans it causes neurological toxicities (such as alterations in memory and…