Dr. Jim Dr. Jim

About Dr. Jim

I attended medical school at Tulane, did an internship in Philadelphia, served in the Navy assigned to the Marines, completed surgical fellowships at Mayo and Ochsner Clinics, residency at Tulane, and earned a PhD in cell biology. I was hired by Dr DeBakey in 1983 at Baylor College of Medicine during the golden age of cardiovascular surgery. I was swept along by history and did some sweeping myself. I have been to the puppet show and have creativity that has produced three medical books and hundreds of scientific and ethical publications. I am working on three non-fiction books: an apologia, a memoir, and a better health book.

The Ballyhoo About the Flu is True: Just Don’t Let the Flu Get You

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Flu is the nickname for the illness caused by the too often times deadly influenza virus. The Flu is often considered to be just another “cold” and is dismissed as inevitable.  And since one has recovered completely so many times from colds it seems just another nuisance. However, last year 80,000 Americans died because of those microscopic guys, not to mention the severe illnesses they cause. And about 80% of these deaths are in the elderly.

Influenza Vaccine Timing

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I am concerned about chain pharmacies such as Walmart continuing to have signs urging patrons to have Flu shots year-round. Yesterday, I was approached and strongly urged to be vaccinated while entering Walmart. I stated I […]

Antibiotics for a Cold Should be Better Controlled

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A close acquaintance that went to a Doc with clear symptoms of a common cold got treated with antibiotics recently which prompted this missive. They had taken the antibiotics for four days without any relief. SURPRISE! SURPRISE! In one huge recent study, of almost 200,000 patients with colds, about half were given unnecessary antibiotics.