by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Nov 4, 2015 | Fight the Good Fight, Health Information Technology and Wound Care
TRADJENTA® (Linagliptin)-Induced Bullous Pemphigoid Bullous pemphigoid is an acute or chronic autoimmune skin disease involving the formation of bullae at the dermal-epidermal junction. It is classified as a type II hypersensitivity reaction, with the formation of...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Nov 3, 2015 | Fight the Good Fight, Health Information Technology and Wound Care
Please remember to check out my November/December 2015 editorial in Today’s Wound Clinic. I reviewed the sad history of the two years I spent as President of the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society from 1998 to 2000, during which CMS attempted to reduce facility...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Oct 28, 2015 | Fight the Good Fight, Health Information Technology and Wound Care
This is a photo of the patient I mentioned previously this month. It may be hard to get your bearings, but the gauze is over his tracheostomy at the anterior neck. The wound is on the lateral neck and you can see his major neck vessels exposed. This is metastatic...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Oct 23, 2015 | Fight the Good Fight, Health Information Technology and Wound Care
It’s not IF but WHEN you get the notice of a payer audit. One day you will open your mail and receive the Notice of Audit. It’s no longer IF, but WHEN. What are you doing RIGHT NOW to ensure you will be successful when your time comes? Preparation is the key. ...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Oct 21, 2015 | Fight the Good Fight, Health Information Technology and Wound Care
This is not “what is it” but “who is it?” Wednesday. This is Mario Martinez, cped. I am showing this slide as a reminder about how HARD off-loading can be. I can’t take any credit for this serendipitous situation, but it turns out that a terrific Orthotics group is in...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Oct 16, 2015 | Fight the Good Fight, Health Information Technology and Wound Care
Good morning and Happy Friday! Friday’s on the blog are reserved for “Ask the Physician Friday.” If you have any questions for me please feel free to leave them in the comments below, ask on Twitter (@carolinefifemd), or on Facebook (@Woodlands Wound Physicians). I...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Oct 14, 2015 | Fight the Good Fight, Health Information Technology and Wound Care
What is this? It’s a relatively new off-loading device called a TOAD or T brace. I am trying it in a patient with bilateral plantar DFUs who is not a good candidate for a total contact cast. Caroline Fife, MD I’ve got a NEW Facebook Page – be sure to follow me there...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Oct 7, 2015 | Fight the Good Fight, Health Information Technology and Wound Care, Miscellaneous Musings, Nutrition & Wound Healing
This is an initial and a follow-up photo of a woman with an autoimmune disease that is causing horrible leg ulcers primarily on her knees. Her biggest problem, however, is that she weighs 88 lbs and doesn’t eat. I admitted her for malnutrition early in her course,...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Oct 6, 2015 | Fight the Good Fight, Health Information Technology and Wound Care
I recently got a complicated patient healed with a cellular product. I’d have to pay money back if Medicare reviews my claim because I used it outside of the coverage criteria. Based on the analysis that Dr. Marissa Carter and I performed, here’s a description of the...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Sep 30, 2015 | Fight the Good Fight, Health Information Technology and Wound Care
I never get tired of seeing the before and after of a total contact cast change. This ulcer started out much larger but this is just the change with one week. She was healed the next week. Caroline Fife, MD I’ve got a NEW Facebook Page – be sure to follow me there...
