I sometimes think doctors forget what it’s like to be patients. But I’ve been there, and I know how frustrating and scary it can be. I remember one night, I was lying in a hospital bed, resting peacefully. I heard a noise and opened my eyes to a room full of chaos. Nurses everywhere. A crash cart. Someone holding paddles. I tried to speak, but couldn’t. …
4 things this doctor learned after his heart stopped beating
“I had no idea how much cancer sucks.”
My patient’s observation seems silly, basic. Of course, cancer sucks. It maims, humiliates and kills. It takes. What made the statement remarkable was its source. This is not a medically naïve person, waiting to die. Rather it was spoken by a patient in complete remission, likely cured, who is an expert in cancer care. To her amazement, it changed life forever.
I think that …
The cancer metamorphosis is different for each patient
The president’s proposed Precision Medicine Initiative, as mentioned in his recent State of the Union address suggests it’s probably time to get ready for some changes in our daily routines as health professionals.
I’m not talking about the incredible information that has already been produced by researchers examining the human genome. Nor am I referring to the work that is going on in major cancer centers and elsewhere exploring how to better …
Are we prepared for the genomics revolution?
Cases of measles linked to an exposure at Disneyland continue to spread, not just in California, but in several other states and in Mexico. The numbers of cases are climbing — and so are the number of exposed people who might get sick — and expose more people before they realize they are sick. Measles is extremely contagious; if someone has it, they will infect 90 percent of the people …
Why the Disney measles outbreak could be a game-changer
A cartoon of an angry looking physician, a spotted boy, and some anxious parents in The New Yorker reads, “If you connect the measles, it spells out, ‘My parents are idiots’.”
A facetious article in GomerBlog announces, “Big Pharma Admits They’re Just Trying to Kill Everyone with Vaccines.”
Even television host Stephen Colbert gets in on the make-fun-of-anti-vaxxers act, recently declaring, …
What doctors must learn from the anti-vaccination movement
Many parents around the U.S. are asking what to do about a possible measles exposure with a baby at home who is too young to be immunized. Should they stay home? Can they travel? Should they cancel that trip to Utah or to Vermont or even to Disney next month? Can they head out to the store without worry? Are they “safe”?
I hate that I can’t completely say they are …
Answers to your questions about the measles outbreak
Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has emerged as an increasingly common treatment for patients with refractory Clostridium difficile infection (CDI). Unlike standard antibiotic approaches, which only exacerbate dysbiosis and may perpetuate CDI recurrence, FMT restores normal gut microbial community structure and function of the gastrointestinal tract. However, a number of challenges need to be overcome before this procedure is widely accepted in mainstream clinical practice.
Before I jump into highlighting …
4 reasons why fecal transplants aren’t mainstream. Yet.
Sleep apnea is a condition that afflicts millions of people. There are two types of sleep apnea: central, and obstructive. Obstructive is by far the most common, and is usually what is referred to when people talk about sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when, during sleep, the airway passages in the throat close and block the movement of air. Common symptoms are snoring, gasping during sleep, sleepiness during the day, …
5 tips for travelling with your CPAP
We all know them. We see them on TV. We read about them in the paper. And, with the explosion of social media, you hear about it from people you know. If you have a Facebook account with a sizable enough network of friends, you’ve probably seen at least one negative comment about vaccines. On one end of the spectrum, there are the seemingly innocent people who claim that they …
We have the power to prevent disease. But we’re not using it.
As the measles outbreak gathers worrisome steam in parallel to the explosion of passionate rants both pro and anti-vaccination, I find myself wondering; what is this really about? Rather than get bogged down in the myriad of issues on either side- though at the outset I will say that as a pediatrician I unequivocally recommend vaccination; I will aim to look at the bigger picture.
Is this issue really about trying …
The measles outbreak: Let’s look at the bigger picture
Six years ago, just after arriving in Baltimore for a winter conference, I fell sick with fever and a bad sore throat.
After a night of feeling awful, I went looking for help. I found it at a Minute Clinic in a CVS near the hotel. I was seen right away by a friendly NP, who did a rapid strep test …
A tale of two strep throats: Retail clinic vs. PCP
“Nervous.”
I’ve heard that word a lot lately. It keeps falling from the mouths of my families in clinic, landing on the floor with a silent thud.
I mean, we have a right to be. We should be. It is one of the most infectious diseases on the planet, today about 400 people worldwide will have died of it, and the number of infected people in the U.S. is climbing.
As Read more…
When should parents be vaccinated against measles?
I saw this little news item from Shape Magazine about “vagina facials.”
First of all, the post means vulva. The vagina is inside and the vulva is the outside (where your underwear touches your skin). The vestibule is in between.
This what Shape Magazine had to say about it:
Created by Lisa Palmer, the facial came about after she “looked downstairs” and realized her vulva …
No, you don’t need a vagina facial
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No one ever wants to meet me. Well, at least inside of a hospital. If you are meeting me in a hospital, it is likely because you have been stabbed, shot, assaulted, or in a car accident. Although the only advice I have about avoiding the first three mechanisms of injury is to stay away from “two dudes” and not try to sell …
Driving advice from a trauma surgeon
In a recent post (“Dear Anti-Vax Parents: We’re Not Mad At You”), I wrote about the critical need for better education and communication between doctors and vaccine-hesitant parents. It was far more popular than I would have imagined, and I appreciate all of you who shared it. And in the spirit of providing reliable information about vaccine-preventable illnesses, I wanted to take the time to write about why measles matters.
The measles vaccine …
So what’s the big deal about measles?
As survival rates for pediatric cancer continue to improve, more and more pediatric practices include children who have been treated for cancer. Some patients are making the transition back to primary care after finishing their cancer treatment. Others are only a few years post-treatment and still being closely monitored for recurrence. Still others have survived five years or more and are considered cured. Whatever their circumstances, these patients can present …
5 things pediatricians should know about treating children who’ve had cancer
“Failure is not an option,” people sometimes say. I don’t agree.
I certainly have failed far more often than I have succeeded when I sought to do novel risky business adventures and/or create new products. Without failure, I would never have learned the lessons of life or the lessons of business necessary to succeed in these spaces. As a physician and surgeon, I can tell you that failure is part of …
Failure is part of advancing health care
A guest column by the American Society of Anesthesiologists, exclusive to KevinMD.com.
Before undergoing surgery, you should carefully discuss your medications with your surgeon and physician anesthesiologist. You may fare better during the operation and the early recovery phase if you continue required medications, but you might need to avoid some medications that could interfere with your anesthesia. Three …
Having surgery? Here’s how to manage your medications.
Millions of people are diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) every year making it one of the most common gastrointestinal (GI) conditions. Despite its prevalence, there remain many misconceptions about IBS among both patients and doctors. Here we review some basic concepts in hopes of demystifying this nebulous syndrome.
What is IBS?
Irritable bowel syndrome is defined by a constellation of symptoms including abdominal pain and altered bowel habits (diarrhea or constipation) …
Test your medicine knowledge with the MKSAP challenge, in partnership with the American College of Physicians.
A 58-year-old woman is seen for a follow-up evaluation of Parkinson disease, which she has had for 12 years. She was initially treated with ropinirole to which levodopa-carbidopa was added as the disease progressed. After 5 years of good control on medication, she began to experience involuntary generalized twisting and writhing movements …
MKSAP: 58-year-old woman with Parkinson disease
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