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The isolation of the COVID ICU: the need for patient advocates

Conditions

January 30, 2023

The COVID ICU is abuzz with monitors beeping and doctors and nurses rushing from bed to bed to care for critically ill patients, most on ventilators. The machines – dialysis, vents, pumps – sound off their rhythmic repetitions; breaths are pushed in and pulled out, and meds are dripped. Only the patients themselves are silent. We know this, and we hear this, but we are not there. It’s thhe height …

Innovative strategies for managing disruptive behaviors in health care settings [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

January 29, 2023

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Join us on our latest episode as we explore the importance of addressing violent behaviors in health care settings. We’ll be discussing the role of Behavioral Emergency Response Teams (BERTs), trained in non-violent intervention techniques, in managing …

Forgiveness vs. self-preservation: the difficult decision of caring for an abusive parent

Sheryl Recinos, MD

Physician

January 29, 2023

“My parents abused me as a child. I went no contact with them over ten years ago, but now my dad is in the hospital with a serious diagnosis and the discharge planner keeps asking me to be involved. I don’t want to. What are my rights?”

I read the lengthy message several times, feeling an overwhelming sense of dread. I was in the same “no contact” situation with my own …

Challenging conventional wisdom: How to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease

Arnold R. Eiser, MD

Conditions

January 29, 2023

Alzheimer’s disease is a devastating illness without effective treatment. Yet it may, in fact, be largely preventable. The first shocking fact to absorb is that the pathogenesis is largely extracranial, though assuredly not entirely so. That clearly defies the conventional pharmacologic wisdom, which has obsessed with amyloid-beta as the offending agent and has approached it by crafting and evaluating antibodies against it. The FDA has even bought into that theory …

The $6 soup that saved a pregnant patient $20,000

Anonymous

Physician

January 29, 2023

A good cup of soup can be comforting during illness. It’s like a form of medicine. Soups have many vitamins and minerals, protein and carbohydrates, and of course, water or cream to help stay hydrated. Salt makes a sore throat feel better (like warm salt water gargling) and heat clears nasal congestion (which relieves pain and sinus pressure). As such, a typical cup of restaurant soup costing $5 or $10 …

The unspoken epidemic: Why health care professionals aren’t talking about burnout

Varun Verma, MD

Physician

January 29, 2023

We don’t talk about burnout.

I recently reunited with a former medical school classmate for lunch and realized that I talked more to him in two hours about my experiences over the past few years than with my hospitalist colleagues at work or my closest friends. I’ve only ever dared to mention anything to my wife and brother (both physicians).

Lots of sources define burnout as the accumulation of stress over time …

Missed signs: a doctor’s reflection on depression [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

January 28, 2023

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In this episode, interventional physiatrist Francisco M. Torres shares a poignant story about missing the signs of depression in a patient. He reflects on the challenges of limited time with patients in modern health care and the …

Teen substance use rebounds after pandemic

Richard Capriola, MBA

Conditions

January 28, 2023

Among high school seniors using marijuana, the pandemic forced the largest one-year decline in use over the past 48 years. Marijuana use fell from 35.2 percent in 2020 to 30.5 percent during 2021. In 2022, it remained pretty much unchanged at 30.7 percent.

Alcohol drinking among high school seniors fell from 55.3 percent of seniors in 2020 to 46.5 percent during the pandemic year. However, in 2022, alcohol use among seniors …

Why taking risks is worth it: a doctor’s journey from uncertainty to opportunity

Francisco M. Torres, MD

Physician

January 28, 2023

There were no smartphones when I was a medical resident in the late 80s in Puerto Rico. During my last year, while waiting for a lecturer to arrive, I grabbed a medical journal from the conference room table to kill some time. I flipped through the pages, skimming the titles of the articles and looking at some of the advertisements. When I was about to put the journal down, I …

Why every doctor should have a side gig

Anonymous

Finance

January 28, 2023

Why is it that physicians are seeking alternative avenues to boost their income? It may seem counterintuitive for busy clinical doctors to pursue a side gig, why? In a post-pandemic era, physicians are plagued by colossal debt and increasing rates of burnout. More than 100,000 physicians have left the profession since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. My peers are frustrated, tired, and seeking a way out. For many, …

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Why every doctor should have a side gig

The DNA of entrepreneurs: How your genes could determine your business success

Harvey Castro, MD, MBA

Physician

January 28, 2023

Creating something new, taking calculated risks, and effectively allocating resources are all aspects of entrepreneurship. Both environmental and genetic variables play a role in this intricate process. This article will examine how a person’s propensity to become an entrepreneur is influenced by genetic and environmental factors that drive entrepreneurship.

Personality qualities and risk tolerance are critical genetic determinants of entrepreneurship. These characteristics can influence an individual’s approach to entrepreneurship and can …

Navigating the emotional impact of a medical malpractice lawsuit [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

January 27, 2023

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In this episode, we explore the emotional impact of medical malpractice lawsuits on physicians and how they can navigate the process. Attorney Christine Zharova shares her insights on how these lawsuits can affect relationships with colleagues, staff, …

Canada has a universal health care system. But does it really?

Jean Paul Brutus, MD

Policy

January 27, 2023

Maybe one day, our universal health care system represented the values of Canadians, but certainly not anymore. American friends, you may know us for our drinking age and “free health care.” Still, unfortunately, our health care system no longer embodies the principles of equality, respect, politeness, safety, and peace that we hold dear.

You may also be familiar with our Prime Minister’s fondness for dressing up and doing shirtless yoga poses. …

Pediatric mental health is a growing epidemic. Here’s how Illinois is leading the way to solve that.

Nitin Vidyasagar

Policy

January 27, 2023

One of my friends in middle school was known for her uncanny ability to brighten up any space she walked into. But when we hit high school, she had become more withdrawn and dejected, and her self-esteem plummeted. She was clearly struggling, but at the time, I didn’t know what the signs of depression were and was at a loss for how to support her. She and I had no …

3 shocking health care statistics for 2023

Robert Pearl, MD

Policy

January 27, 2023

As the New Year begins, a trio of health care statistics cast an intense and unflattering light on a nation in crisis.

These figures, all of them unimaginable just a generation ago, set the stage for a financial reckoning in 2023 and beyond.

Shocking stat #1: the number of Americans on Medicaid

Without looking it up: What percentage of Americans receive some or all health-insurance coverage from the government?

You might assume a low …

Women should be allowed to exercise autonomy with regard to their bodies and their medical care

Caroline Berberian

Conditions

January 27, 2023

When I walked into the ultrasound room, I immediately noticed the patient’s red-rimmed eyes and cloud of mussed-up brown hair. My eyes tracked the defeated curve of her back and its stark contrast to the sterile environment of the obstetrics and gynecology exam room, with its muted grey and blue tones. A forty-year-old woman, she had used in-vitro fertilization to become pregnant because she wanted her toddler son to have …

Life, death, and the balance in between: a cardiac anesthesiologist’s story [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

January 26, 2023

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David Alfery is a cardiac anesthesiologist who shares his experiences in the operating room and intensive care unit. In this discussion, he reflects on the lessons he learned about life, death, and the balance in between through …

ICU nurse of 33 years speaks out on the harsh reality of corporate hospitals

Debbie Moore-Black, RN

Conditions

January 26, 2023

I wasn’t supposed to hear this, but I did. It sealed the deal for me. It was one of the reasons I had to finally leave my true love: ICU nursing. After 33 years as an ICU nurse, I knew it was time to go.

I used to feel like I had a purpose. I used to think I was a dynamic part of saving lives in the ICU. I lived …

Insurance company vs. doctor: How the defense and settlement provisions in malpractice contracts favor carriers

Howard Smith, MD

Physician

January 26, 2023

In a medical malpractice lawsuit, your defense is completely in the hands of the malpractice carrier, and, make no mistake of it, its interests come first. However, the medical malpractice insurance contract is more instrumental in the defense of a doctor than insurance companies realize. There are clauses in the contract that, at first glance, seem to benefit carriers. However, there is a flip side to each clause.

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Insurance company vs. doctor: How the defense and settlement provisions in malpractice contracts favor carriers

The art of the physical exam: the importance of returning to the basics

Brandi Fontenot, MD

Physician

January 26, 2023

“Make thorough inspection.”
– Sir William Osler, MD.

The art of the physical exam is precisely that: an art that must be practiced often, for years on end, and the one that a physician may become a great achiever or skilled but never the master.

When I trained in internal medicine over a decade ago, our program director often harped on this art. I was too naive to understand his message at the …

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