News & Public Affairs

The La Veena Johnson story

Listen to this entire show:

Tags: women, medicine

Dr. Johnson, a medical doctor who in a civilian capacity served over 25 years in the Army, talked about his nineteen year old daughter's La Veena's death in Balad Iraq in 2005. La Veena's death was first ruled a suicide and the family was told to keep the casket closed for the funeral services. When her sister LeCretia opened the casket the family to their horror discovered that La Veena had been severely beaten and among other injuries suffered broken ribs and a broken neck. The medical e...

The dangers of a cat bite

Listen to this entire show:

Tags: cats, animals, medicine

Mary Glenney talked about the dangers of a cat bite. If you are bitten by a cat and the bite is deep enough to draw blood, seek immediate medical attention. Specialists in infectious diseases consider cat bites to be the most dangerous of animal bites. Cats have especially pathogenic bacteria in their mouths. Combine that with the wound of a cat bite. Cats have sharp incisors which give a puncture wound that seals very quickly. Again, specialists consider a cat bite that draws blood to be...

Seth Mnookin on medicine, science and fear listen

Listen to this entire show:

Tags: journalism, science, medicine, viruses, fear

Science writer and journalist Seth Mnookin's third book, released earlier this year, is The Panic Virus: A True Story of Medicine, Science and Fear.

WMNF's Dawn Morgan spoke with Mnookin about the fear explosion in the media and what doctors and parents alike can do to combat misinformation.

"It was something that I noticed in conversations with my friends. A lot of them were either young parents or expectant parents. And that hadn’t been a topic that had been on my radar previous...

Experts Talk About Afghanistan's Medical Shortfalls listen

Listen to this entire show:

Tags: Medical care, Afghanistan, Afghanistan War, medicine, USF, Barack Obama, David Petraus

While the battle rages in the United States over how much access everyone should have to health care, many in Afghanistan are living with few ways of getting the care they need. On the final day of the USF Symposium on Afghanistan and Pakistan, experts tackled the question of how to provide quality care in that country, and it appears there are no easy answers.

Dr. Vincent Berkley says he’s an army of one. The assistant surgeon general i...

Fibromyalgia support group to meet in Pasco listen

Listen to this entire show:

Tags: Fibromyalgia, medicine, health

Fibromyalgia is often called an “invisible” illness because the people who have it typically do not look sick. But for them, something as simple as a hug or a handshake can be excruciatingly painful.

It’s the most common chronic widespread pain condition in the U.S., affecting more than six million Americans. It can have devastating effects on a sufferer’s life, impacting people’s ability to work and engage in everyday activities, as well as their relationships with family, friends and ...