KevinMD.com

In memory of a nurse who died from injuries sustained during a patient assault

Conditions

August 9, 2021

An excerpt from Hey! I Could Use a Little Help Here! My Story of Healthcare Workplace Violence.

This chapter is dedicated to the memory of Lynne Sausse Truxillo, RN, who died on April 11, 2019 from injuries sustained during a patient assault while on duty at Baton Rouge General Hospital.

It is not my place to intrude on the privacy of people …

A pediatric infectious disease physician shares his pandemic lessons [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

August 8, 2021

“COVID-19 has changed nearly every aspect of society as we know it, and doctors in hospitals across America are at the forefront of those changes. As a pediatric infectious diseases doctor who also writes curriculum to help the next generation of doctors prepare for their medical exams, I’ve seen firsthand …

Colorful pills don’t paint my world

Fery Pashang, PharmD

Meds

August 8, 2021

Pyrography

Medicine bottles are mundane objects tightly woven into our daily lives, with the promise of happier moods, better sleep, and lower blood pressure. Nevertheless, nothing on these objects correlates with hope, faith, or a feeling of healthiness. I aspire to affix a face on these bottles to create conversations among medication manufacturers, prescribers, and dispensers, allowing them to explore what really happens …

Read more…

Colorful pills don’t paint my world

Vaccine hesitancy is complex

Edwin Leap, MD

Physician

August 8, 2021

Given the devastation wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic, many are asking why people would be hesitant to be vaccinated against it. That’s the question that bounces around the skulls of countless physicians, public health experts, journalists, politicians, and others. But before trying to answer the question, it might be reasonable to ask why people do, or fail to do, other things that negatively affect their health.

Why does a patient with …

Read more…

Vaccine hesitancy is complex

Physician suicide: Where are the leaders?

Miriam Zylberglait Lisigurski, MD

Physician

August 8, 2021

I apologize in advance if the following lines sound full of frustration, disappointment, or anger. That is not my nature. I am optimistic; I like to see the light at the end of the tunnel and believe that goodness exists. But, after reading the news this past week, I don’t feel positive. I feel dismayed and heartbroken. I just continue asking myself: Where are the leaders?

Going to medical school and …

My child wants to be a doctor [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

August 7, 2021

“As a family physician, guest lecturer at a local medical school, and creator of a pre-med curriculum for young learners, I’m often asked by parents how to support their child who wants to be a doctor.

The most important point to remember is that you don’t need to have any …

Read more…

My child wants to be a doctor [PODCAST]

COVID’s lab leak theory obscures zoonosis and progression

Martha Rosenberg

Conditions

August 7, 2021

Even as COVID-19 is found in apes, big cats, minks, domestic cats, other small mammals, and now in U.S. deer, some don’t want to let go of the insultingly simplistic “lab leak” theory. Do they really think the 1918 influenza and AIDS pandemics (or Ebola, MERS, and SARS ) needed lab mendacity to exist? We won’t even talk about the prehistorical plagues!

Giving COVID-19 political not animal origins ignores its disturbing …

What do you really want in life?

Diana Londoño, MD

Physician

August 7, 2021

What do you want in life?

I mean, really want in life. Not just a nice car, a house or kids — although those are important and genuinely gratifying things to have. But I am talking about what is the purpose of your life? Have you ever thought of that? It seems that many times we associate this question with having a midlife crisis. People then begin doing things differently because, …

Read more…

What do you really want in life?

Dying after leaving AMA

Steve Burgess, MD

Conditions

August 7, 2021

The nurse called: “The patient wants to leave AMA.”

These calls come, fortunately not often. Typically the patient is not terribly ill, but they really miss their cigarettes or alcohol. Spending another day or two in the hospital would be wise, but leaving against medical advice is not actually jeopardizing their life.

This was different. This patient was very ill, but competent to make his own …

Read more…

Dying after leaving AMA

Try this new technique when talking to vaccine skeptics

Alicia DiGiammarino

Conditions

August 7, 2021

“Trust and confidence in any product — and here the vaccine is the product — starts with confidence in the process and safety.”
-Payam N., Vaccine Outreach Supervisor

While training over 1,800 vaccine outreach workers enrolled in the California Virtual Training Academy’s Vaccine Communications Training, the UCSF Center for Excellence in Primary Care developed a practical guide for engaging people who are skeptical of the COVID-19 vaccine in meaningful …

How to convince your health care colleagues to get vaccinated [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

August 6, 2021

“When a colleague in health care mentioned hesitation to get the COVID-19 vaccine in two separate instances, I was shocked and dismayed.

If we recommend vaccination to our patients, how can we not take the same precautions for ourselves?

With COVID-19 especially, anyone working in health care is exposed to many …

Addressing racial disparities in health begins upstream with racial equity in society [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

August 5, 2021

“Our nation is at a crossroads, but one thing is clear – the health of our country depends on the health of all individuals in it, regardless of income, gender, or race. ACPM is committed to doing our part to promote and advance health and safety for all populations. On …

You are not “asleep” under anesthesia

Edward R. Mariano, MD

Conditions

August 5, 2021

“You will be asleep for your surgery,” anesthesiologists often reassure their patients. Just before the start of anesthesia, a patient may hear the nurse saying, “Think of a nice dream as you go off to sleep.”

While these statements are intended to soothe patients during a stressful time, they gloss over this critical fact: Anesthesia is not like normal sleep at all. That’s why you need medical doctors – anesthesiologists – to take …

Read more…

You are not “asleep” under anesthesia

The pancreas of the future?

Thomas L. Amburn

Tech

August 5, 2021

Hidden in the epigastric region of the abdomen concealed by a curtain of peritoneum is a moody, often forgettable little organ. Of course, the term organ is a somewhat generous description for this rather overqualified gland. The pancreas has its own set of rules as it mischievously lurks behind the stomach waiting for its cue for chaos.

In a moment of theatrical exaggeration, it can go from completely forgettable to a …

Read more…

The pancreas of the future?

Why physician-specialized private counseling practices are important

Vickie Mulkerin, MD

Physician

August 5, 2021

Last year, a physician friend began experiencing what she believed was burnout. She felt constantly overwhelmed, had difficulty sleeping and eating, and began to dread going into her office. She worried excessively about patient outcomes, decisions she had made, and whether she was actually a good doctor. She even began to cry unpredictably. Like so many physicians who struggle with these kinds of symptoms, she avoided seeking help until she …

A daughter’s addiction. A mother’s love. [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

August 4, 2021

“I think back to the first time I ever brought Natalie to an emergency room. It was my fault. It was an odd accident. I had lifted her out of her car seat, grabbing my purse and a bag of groceries at the same time while turning and closing the …

How to recover from a bad electronic health records implementation

Afua Aning, MD

Tech

August 4, 2021

Is your health care organization reeling from a bad EHR implementation?

There have been rumblings from hospital leadership and congressional committees about the Veterans Administration (VA) Hospitals’ implementation of the Cerner Corporation electronic health record (EHR) replacing the VistA EHR. The $10 million EHR overhaul has been controversial since the staggered rollout started in Spokane, Washington. One report noted that months after the go-live, fewer users knew how to operate the …

Primary care: I love the variety and the intimacy of the problems that are placed before me

Melissa Schiffman, MD

Physician

August 4, 2021

An excerpt from Becoming Doctors 25 Years Later: Twenty five physicians sharing the journey from medical student to retirement.

If I get out of bed now, I can squeeze in that ten-minute morning yoga routine on YouTube. But it feels so nice lying here, sunlight streaming in, sips of coffee warming my body and boosting my heart rate up a notch. If …

Be the Simone Biles of health care

Tasia Isbell, MD, MPH

Physician

August 4, 2021

In a world full of white coats, wear a leotard.

The news of Simone Biles’s recent withdrawal from the Tokyo Olympic Games shocked the world. What was surprising to many was the reason—not a physical injury, but a commitment to prioritizing her mental health. Biles later revealed that she had been experiencing a case of the “twisties.”

So, what are the twisties?

Twisties is a term that refers to a mental block or …

Read more…

Be the Simone Biles of health care

Replaceable thoughts and essential books to help you survive burnout [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

August 3, 2021

“If you don’t ask for something you want, then you have already accepted the answer of no. Go ahead and ask for what you want and need. You may not get it this time but ask again in the future.

We …

Most Popular

Past Week

Past 6 Months

Recent Posts

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Most Popular

Past Week

Past 6 Months

Recent Posts