In the news about Philip Agee\’s death:
"He had several operations for perforated ulcers and didn\’t survive all the surgery," Dwyer wrote, adding that Agee was cremated Tuesday and that friends planned a memorial ceremony for him Sunday…
Ulcers? But ulcers are, as we know, caused by bacterial infections, to be treated with antibiotics. There\’s even been a Nobel awarded (to an Australian called, of all things, Barry) for it.
Has that much vaunted Cuban health care system (never mind the poverty, the lack of freedom, the oppression, they\’ve got universal health care you know!) not caught up with this yet?
I think you’ll find the answer in the word “perforated”, Tim.
Dr Crippen’s back blogging! Yippee!
Didn’t Fidel require treatment by Spanish surgeons for his tummy troubles?
What on earth was the “evidence” that led docs to opine for decades that ulcers were caused by “stress”?
“What on earth was the “evidence” that led docs to opine for decades that ulcers were caused by “stress”?”
Although there is a high correlation between ulcers and H. Pylori infections, there are many who are infected who don’t develop ulcers. It seems one of the factors in H. Pylori going on to cause ulcers is stress.
http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/316/7130/538