medical

When medical dramas seemed to be in the doldrums, ‘The Pitt’ appeared. And that has forced Netflix to make decisions

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The Pitt’ has become one of HBO Max’s biggest critical and popular successes in recent times. And Netflix has reacted to the discovery of its rival by incorporating the 15 complete seasons of ‘ER’ into its catalogue. It is not an isolated case. They have been released six new medical dramas during the 2024-2025 season on different networks and platforms. The pattern suggests that the long and intense format recovers part of the space that short seasons, in the style of HBO’s prestige series, had imposed in the last decade. The phenomenon. The series created by R. Scott Gemmill is sweeping: a 93% on Rotten Tomatoestwo Golden Globes (Best Drama Series and Best Actor), five Emmys (with thirteen nominations)… and the audience figures are just as strong: the first season averaged 10 million viewers per episode, but The second is multiplying that data by three.. Quite a bombshell that is generating a predictable shock wave. The reason for success. Its technical and artistic virtues, needless to say, are very notable, with its feverish portrait of a night in the ER, mixing inconsequential cases with authentic life-or-death medical challenges, seasoned with circumstances that complicate each season (shootings, avalanches of patients, blackouts). But the format also explains part of the success: each episode represents one hour within a 15-hour shift in the ER, that is, fifteen chapters for a single work day. The real-time structure, a reformulation of ’24’ in a clinical format, allows overlapping medical cases to be followed as staff deal with lack of resources and ethical decisions under pressure. Emergency professionals on websites that collect viewer opinions, such as IMDBhave highlighted the technical precision of the series, a rare detail in the genre. Casey Bloys, CEO of HBO Max, explained that the production model of ‘The Pitt’ allows seasons to be released twelve months apart, compared to the 24 months required by series like ‘The House of the Dragon‘. “This model could be applied to future productions,” he declared. ‘Emergencies’ on Netflix. In response, Netflix has added to its lineup the complete 15 seasons of ‘ER’. While its genuine successor reaches record figures, Netflix recovers the title that established the rules of the genre three decades earlier. ‘ER’ aired on NBC from 1994 to 2009 and Michael Crichton, a novelist and doctor, wrote the original script in 1974 based on his experience as a student at Boston General Hospital. Studios rejected it for years as too technical and fast-paced, but when it finally came to the screen thanks to Spielberg’s production, the show racked up 124 Emmy nominationsan all-time record for a series, and won 23 statuettes, including best drama series in 1996. The influence of ‘ER’ on later series is indisputable. ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ (on Disney+) adopted its structure of weekly cases combined with long dramatic arcs; ‘House’ (on Netflix, Prime Video, Movistar and SkyShowtime) took the procedural approach applied to complex diagnoses; and ‘The Good Doctor’ (on Netflix, Movistar and Prime Video) inherited the balance between medicine and personal drama. Avalanche of doctors. Until six new medical dramas have come to streaming in recent months, some thanks to the success of ‘The Pitt’, others being more or less contemporary with the premiere of the first season of the HBO Max series. Fox premiered ‘Doc’ (Movistar), which reached 15.6 million viewers in its first 11 days. NBC launched two proposals: ‘Brilliant Minds’ (Movistar), focused on complex neurological cases, and ‘St. Denis Medical’, a comedy in mockumentary format. CBS developed ‘Watson’ (Movistar), where Sherlock Holmes’ legendary sidekick investigates medical mysteries instead of crimes. Netflix produced ‘Pulse’, his first English-language medical dramaset in a Miami trauma center. The platform also premiered ‘Heroes on Guard’, a Korean series about a traumatologist who tries to reorganize a university hospital. Both projects arrived in 2025, the same year that ‘The Pitt’ was consolidated on HBO Max. Some analysts point out that the COVID-19 pandemic focused collective attention on health workers and health systems. Five years later, once the trauma is over, we can allow ourselves to frivolize the dynamics of ER with almost detective plots. Why they succeed again. Critics point to a couple of possible reasons for this type of drama to return to the grid. On the one hand, it is a alternative (especially ‘The Pitt’) to the predominant format in recent times of “complete story that unfolds in eight chapters.” Here we have, in many cases, a multitude of microstories/patients (in the case of ‘The Pitt’ sometimes they are almost sketches) that begin and end in the same episode, a traditional television structure but one that is not usually seen in successful series. The formula also allows for something rare on television today: watching competent professionals solving problems. Each episode features new medical cases while personal arcs progress in the background. The viewer knows that Dr. Robinavitch will save lives on the night in question, even though his personal trauma takes fifteen episodes to resolve. The combination of cases that are resolved immediately and the slow development of a secondary plot also draws on series like ‘ER’ or ‘House’. In Xataka | We thought that cortisol was the biggest enemy of sleep: it is actually the key to making your body perform better during the day

There is a huge gap between what we think medical marijuana does and what it actually does.

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Anti-inflammatory, analgesic, relaxing, sleep inducer, anti-tumor, anticonvulsant… It is not the definitive medication leaflet, these are just some examples of what I have found when searching for “medical marijuana benefits.” According to a survey in the United States and Canada, 27% of citizens have consumed it to treat anxiety, relieve pain and sleep better. What if it is not as effective as we thought? This is what UCLA has just concluded after an extensive study in which they have analyzed fifteen years of data. The study. We have known him through New York Times. This is a very extensive review in which a group of psychiatrists from the University of California has analyzed more than 2,500 articles published from January 2010 to September of this year. They have included clinical trials, meta-analyses and clinical guidelines and have prioritized those that are based on larger and more relevant samples. The beliefs. In recent years, cannabis has become popular after its legalization in the United States, where It already collects more taxes than alcohol. According to the survey we mentioned above, people who used for medicinal purposes did so mainly to relieve pain (53%), sleep better (46%), treat anxiety (52%) and depression (40%). The conclusions. The study is conclusive: there is a huge difference between what we believe and scientific evidence. The evidence is strong in very specific cases, such as loss of appetite associated with HIV/AIDS, chemotherapy symptoms (specifically nausea and vomiting), and some severe pediatric disorders that cause seizures. However, for other conditions, the studies analyzed did not provide conclusive evidence of its effectiveness. For example, in the case of pain, one of the most common uses, clinical guideline from the American Association of Clinical Oncology does not recommend it as a first-line treatment due to lack of evidence. For anxiety there is also no solid evidence on the effectiveness of THC, but CBD consumed orally did obtain more notable results in reducing anxiety. Risks. While the evidence on its effectiveness is doubtful in many cases, the evidence on the risks is more extensive. Marijuana is associated with the appearance of psychotic symptoms and anxiety, especially that which has a high THC content, increasing the risk of anxiety disorder by 19.1%. Smoking marijuana daily increases the risk of coronary heart disease by 2%, the risk of heart attack by 1.7% and stroke by 2.6%. Addiction. On the other hand, there is the issue of addiction. The study estimates that 29% of people who use medical marijuana have a substance abuse problem, especially those who smoke it. Speaking to the New York Times, the professor and expert Ryan Vandreystates that this explains the improvements in insomnia that many consumers advocate; It is not that marijuana makes them sleep better, it is that they sleep worse if they do not consume it due to their dependence on the substance. “If they stopped using cannabis for a month, they might notice an improvement in their sleep. But most never make it to that month because, after a day or two without sleep, they convince themselves that ‘this is the only thing that helps me sleep, so I have to keep using it,’” he says. The excuse. It so happens that many medical marijuana users do not have any medical prescription. According to one survey published this year77% of consumers declared using cannabis for medical purposes, but only 28% consumed on medical advice. According to Kevin Hill, one of the authors of the UCLA review, there are justified and effective uses of cannabis, but there is a huge group of users for whom medicinal use is the excuse to “rationalize their recreational use.” Image | RDNE Stock project, Pexels In Xataka | The positive (and quite predictable) effect of legalizing the sale and consumption of marijuana

we have gone from medical diagnoses to adopting viral labels

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Social media has changed the way we understand, share and fear for our health. In this accelerated ecosystem, certain expressions born in science—or on its margins—propagate with astonishing rapidity. We have all heard words like microplastics, cortisol or, most recently, endocrine disruptors. Cold, technical terms, which nevertheless burn on TikTok and Instagram, turned into universal explanations for diffuse symptoms. Thus, they stop being a biomedical term and become something more: an identity label, a cause, a refuge from uncertainty. From scientific word to hashtag viral. The phenomenon is not new. Every once in a while, a word of medical jargon slips into everyday discourse, amplified by short videos and emotional narratives. In fact, recently the Chinese government has begun to regulate influencers that talk about health, demanding credentials or blocking imprecise terminology. The move illustrates the power of these terms: They no longer remain in the laboratory, but permeate popular culture. As explained the psychologist Alejandra de Pedro to Xatakaplatforms “not only amplify terms because they are new, but because they keep you inside.” On TikTok, he comments, if someone writes “endocrine disruptor” in the comments, the app highlights it in blue to invite a search. “And from there you enter a hole of videos on the subject. The platform wants you to spend more time, not learn more,” he points out. Furthermore, the logic of the algorithm is mixed with that of the human being: curiosity, fear, the desire for control. According to the psychologist Sergio Traver also consultedviralization is explained by two simultaneous factors: novelty (“attracts attention”) and simplification (“if this also solves a problem, it has a greater impact on us”). Various investigations confirm that the dissemination of incorrect or simplified information about health on networks is high. A systematic review found that the most viral topics They were vaccines, chronic diseases and diets, and that the spread of misinformation reached up to 87% in some cases. The more “credible” a content appears—and the less harm it appears to cause—the greater its dissemination. Viral words or authority? Viral words are not innocent labels, they function as symbols: they evoke authority (they sound scientific), they offer explanation (albeit simplified) and they generate community. Traver points out that the belief system is key: biomedical terms have greater impact because we “accept” the medical system as legitimate. De Pedro adds that there is a component of “borrowed authority”: if I say “endocrine disruptor”, it sounds technical, diffuse, the user does not usually question the source. For this reason, a viralized health term can become a kind of linguistic refuge, a formula for name what worries us without needing to go into nuances. In times of uncertainty—pandemic, climate crisis, information saturation—these terms act like amulets: they give a name to fear, they make it shareable, create community: “I know it too”, “I take care of myself”. Traver comments that sharing these terms can provide validation (“I identify with this”), and De Pedro speaks of the search for identity/belonging that acts in the background. The social function of the term. In a world where fear of the unknown is high (post-pandemic, mediatization of health, ecological crisis), these terms offer something that many demand: quick responses, labels that clear ambiguity, community. De Pedro describes it like this: “If a person is distressed and I tell him that it is all the fault of the ‘traumas’ (without explaining well what that is), I will be able to give him a pseudo-explanation… When using a fashionable term in health there is a feeling of control, of knowing something that others did not know.” Traver complements this by pointing out that “when someone names microplastics, we remember that news story that was related to cancer… These terms generate a network of associations that arouse fear and these emotions have been related to faster responses, seeking information.” And therein lies the crux of the matter: emotion—fear, indignation, anxiety—is not the error, it is the fuel. Recent studies show that false health rumors they spread faster than true information when they convey strong emotions (for example, condemnation, indignation) that appeal to morality. Furthermore, it comes into play confirmation bias: we tend to believe first what fits with our previous ideas. In this way, the user searches and shares only what reinforces their vision of the world, closing the circle of viralization. Viralization vs veracity. The problem comes when simplification becomes distortion. The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned of the danger of infodemics: the overabundance of information—correct or not—that confuses more than it guides. Scientific reviews, such as those published in Health Promotion International and PLOS ONEagree that social networks are fertile ground for the spread of health misinformation, especially when emotion is appealed to rather than evidence. Traver summarizes it like this: “Technical concepts rarely explain the why of something, they only delimit probabilities. But in networks they become closed certainties.” And De Pedro adds: “A false illusion of knowledge is generated. People believe they understand what they do not understand and they begin to distrust professionals.” The result is a scenario where anxiety fuels the search for explanations, and networks offer answers that are as quick as they are inaccurate. And the influencers arrive. The spread of these terms is not accidental. Platforms prioritize retention, engagement, and emotional hooks. The rise of influencers health has multiplied this phenomenon. Some do rigorous outreach work; others, not so much. “The problem is with those who put the share to scientific evidence,” warns Sergio Traver. Studies confirm that false or viral content circulates more easily if it evokes moral emotions, if it seems credible and if it is not excessively harmful. a study published in Nature shows that viral posts can significantly modify user behavior in the short and long term. In short, the viralization of health works at the intersection of four elements: technical term, emotion, algorithm and vulnerable audience. A cocktail is very difficult to control. What is at stake. The most worrying consequence is not … Read more

This is how AI has impacted in the medical sector, analysis of the BYD Seal U DM-I and much more in 1×18 crossover

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We have a new episode of Crossover, 1×18and this time he presents it alone Jaume Lahoz, who has no problem in taking the reins alone. In fact you will see as not only presents, but also has its own section. The central theme of this episode is an interview with a Top guest: Esther Gómez, known in networks such as @mienfermerafavorita. This disseminator and university professor tells us about present and future of AI applied to health. That gives us the opportunity to talk about some promising advances in this area, as is the case of Alphafold or Immunoscore. But we also chatthe long and laid about ethics, privacy and the role of health professionals in the digital age. But we are not there, and in this episode of Crossover we also commented the most prominent technological news of recent days and we have a section specially dedicated to gamers: What are the candidates for Goty in 2025? There is a lot and good (and very good) to what to get hooked. The last section makes Jaume even more protagonist than ever: he presents an analysis of his experience with one of the most popular SUVs of the moment, The Byd Seal U DM-I that too We were able to analyze in Xataka. We hope you enjoy the episode! On YouTube | Crossover

Pope Francis made his opinion clear about the medical ethics of the end of life. The one we do not know is that of the Vatican

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With Pope Francis in the hospital, he already hopes to know how the respiratory crisis evolves in the midst of his hospitalization for pneumonia, many things have stopped in the Vatican. The Holy City and “Renewable”For example. The Pontiff’s plans to make the small Catholic state more sustainable have remained in Stand By. Controversial issues have also been revived that have always been on the table. Without going any further, Francisco’s possible final. An unavoidable question. I told it a few days ago The New York Times Bringing a topic that the Vatican has preferred to avoid: What happens when a pontiff faces a prolonged deterioration of his health, loses his faculties and approaches at the end of his life? At 88, Francisco has spoken in the past about ethics in medical decision making in terminal cases, but has never revealed its own preferences in this regard. Although He left a letter of resignation in the Vatican in case of disability, its content is unknown and it is not known if you have designated someone to make medical decisions in their name. The silence of the “house.” The Vatican, faithful to his tradition of secrecy, has replied that “It’s too soon” To discuss these issues, despite the growing concern within the Church. Meanwhile, medical bulletins have also been prudent, informing that the Pope’s condition It remains stable And that, after its respiratory crisis, has been able to do without mechanical ventilation (He has even spoken). Be that as it may, uncertainty persists and the lack of a public protocol on how to manage the end of the life of a pontiff is sufficient reason for debate between theologians and ecclesiastical experts. The moral dilemma. The Catholic Church teaches that life must be defended From conception to natural death. However, within the doctrine there is a margin of interpretation When it is legitimate to stop prolonging it artificially. According to the Magisterium of the Church, the Use of “Extraordinary Media” To keep a patient alive, they can be suspended if they suppose disproportionate suffering or do not offer real improvement. The problem is that there is no clear definition of what constitutes an extraordinary medium, which leaves space for various interpretations within the Catholic clergy and bioethics.

Buyers are registering it as a medical device

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At the end of December we analyzed the Huawei Watch D2one of the most complete proposals at the health level in the smartwatch market. This clock can function as a tensiometer, a function of which you cannot boast any of its direct rivals. Vitaminate with Harmonyos, although with a price higher than that of clocks with similar specs (except for this function), it was raised as a more than interesting proposal. In China this clock is sweepingprecisely because of its tensiometer function. But the main reason is not the characteristic itself, it is that the Chinese have discovered something very important: they can load this expense to their medical insurance. After the launch of this device in China last November, the users of the social network Xiaohongshu, the new Chinese Tiktok, shared the data. This device is a blood pressure meter, so the Chinese state medical insurance covers the totality or part of the cost of the clock, depending on the city in which it is resided. The state medical insurance system is a medical coverage system that covers the vast majority of the population, composed of different programs as we reside in the city or in the rural environment. One of its characteristics is the direct refund system, through which it is enough to present the invoice of a medicine or health product included in the coverage to receive it. One of the obvious requirements is that the product must be prescribed by the doctor. In this way, those users who have prescribed a tensiometer can access a reim. Such has been the success of D2 in China that the device is completely exhausted. Image | Xataka In Xataka | Huawei Watch GT 4, Analysis: Two versions that squeeze the nuts to the Premium range

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