first opinion
More aging Americans — but not enough geriatricians
Adobe
When Jerry H. Gurwitz became one of the first American doctors certified in geriatric medicine over 35 years ago, he thought the new specialty was destined to become a vibrant field of medicine. He was also sure that when he got older, the health care system would be ready to take care of him.
He's in his late 60s now, and let's just say things haven't turned out the way he expected. Despite a growing aging population, the number of medical trainees going into geriatric medicine is shrinking. The U.S. health care system is woefully unprepared to handle the oncoming surge of dementia, impairment, and frailty, Gurwitz argues in a First Opinion essay.
He also asks a question that haunts anyone who has taken care of an elderly loved one: Who will take care of me? It may already be too late to help the system adequately care for aging baby boomers. "I am extremely worried about who will be there to care for me," he writes. "And if I am worried, you should be too." Read more.
lgbtqia health
New guidelines for treating trans people getting surgery
There's a major lack of health data on transgender populations — and that has far-reaching effects on all types of care. Surgeons, for example, sometimes ask trans patients to stop taking their hormones for days or weeks before surgery, despite a lack of evidence around how it affects outcomes. Now a working group of experts from the UK have published guidelines for treating trans people getting surgery. In Anaesthesia, they advise that trans patients not stop taking hormones before surgery, unless there's a specific contraindication.
Other recommendations include using the appropriate name and pronouns for trans patients, offering pregnancy tests to anyone with a uterus regardless of their gender expression, and considering how a patient's airway may be affected if they've received gender-affirming cosmetic procedures on their face or neck.
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