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COVID-19 and the use of outpatient steroids

Conditions

December 28, 2020

In some people, COVID-19 causes mild or no symptoms at all. In others, it can cause significant respiratory distress that can lead to death. Once infected with COVID-19, is there anything that someone can do to foster a less severe infection? The answer is likely “yes,” avoid the use of outpatient steroids.

The risk factors for a poor outcome with COVID-19 include age over 65, obesity, diabetes, and a compromised immune …

Food allergies are not funny [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

December 27, 2020

“If we do not raise objections to this kind of comedy, we are teaching those around us that food allergies can be funny. It is no that surprise that data indicates kids and adults are anxious, embarrassed, and bullied due to food allergies. When we make light of anaphylaxis, we perpetuate …

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Food allergies are not funny [PODCAST]

Pros and cons of 457(b) plans: What physicians need to know

Paul Morton, CFP

Finance

December 27, 2020

There’s not a perfect financial planning vehicle in existence. Salary deferral plans, like many retirement plans and 457 plans, carry pros and cons. Many hospital systems have a combination of 401(k), 403(b), and 457 plans. The 401(k) is often designed for the employees who make under a certain amount, say less than $150,000 or so. Then the 403(b) with an option to contribute to a 457 salary deferral plan is …

Science challenges dogma and upends previously held beliefs in its quest for truth

Shilpa Vellore Govardhan, MD

Conditions

December 27, 2020

Like most modern marriages with spouses in the same profession, ours is one based on an exquisite balance of willful one-upmanship and reluctant admiration. A pandemic with two physicians in critical care medicine, albeit in different disciplines, serves as ample cause for a seismic shift in that equilibrium.

In January, while the balance was still intact, when he remarked that the Chinese authorities should suspend their traditional New Year celebration because …

Getting a second opinion can save lives. It is time we make Miranda rights for patients.

Robert Trent

Physician

December 27, 2020

The Lebanese-born former American oncologist Farid Fata committed one of the most malicious acts of greed by a medical professional in recorded history.

Fata spent six years telling otherwise healthy people that they had cancer and needed immediate chemotherapy. He then fraudulently billed over $34 million in charges to Medicare and private insurance companies. Fata will arguably spend the rest of his life in prison, but the …

Surgical smoke evacuators and inertia in the time of COVID [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

December 26, 2020

“Early in the pandemic, in thinking of and discussing possible solutions to help protect health care workers, two of my former colleagues and I recalled a device called the Surgical Smoke Evacuator (SSE), which we used extensively since the 1990s when we worked together at the University of Pittsburgh to collect and …

Negotiate your employment agreement after residency

Barney Cohen, Esq

Finance

December 26, 2020

A lot is happening when graduating medical residents are looking for employment after completing graduate medical education. They are finishing their residencies, taking the specialty boards, and trying to decide where they will be spending the rest of their lives. Considering a new job offer can be both exciting and stressful. It is natural in such circumstances to focus on what the job promises, where it is located, and how much it pays—and easy to overlook the fact …

Talking politics in the exam room [PODCAST]

Hayward Zwerling, MD

Podcast

December 25, 2020

“The medical profession now understands that social determinants of health are probably the most important driver of a patient’s overall health, and these determinants are largely the result of political decisions. Clearly, we have a professional responsibility to teach our patients the science underlying their health issues. Don’t we also have a …

I am a physician who tested positive for COVID-19. My main symptom is anger.

Madison Pomerantz, MD

Conditions

December 25, 2020

As cases exploded across the country, I watched with horror as I saw people go on with their daily lives as if hundreds of thousands of people were not dying, as if millions were not infected, as if our health care system was not collapsing. I watched our country – a country I once believed in – fail miserably in taking care of its own people.

In …

Why corruption is ruining your health care [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

December 24, 2020

“Doctors help patients, and they love us for it. We fix bones, replace joints, cure killer infections, and control diabetes with insulin. We use painless scans for diagnosis. Liver, kidney, and heart transplants are now routine. Some patients get cured of lymphomas, leukemia, Hodgkin’s disease, and testicular cancer. Lives are prolonged …

The laws of The House of God and Man’s 4th Best Hospital

Samuel Shem, MD, PhD

Physician

December 24, 2020

Forty-two years ago, when I had finally finished the seven revisions of my first novel, The House of God, my editor said, “Why don’t you add a glossary and a list of The Laws of the House of God.” Writing the Laws, I hardly needed to refer to the text; they just flowed out. The Laws became common parlance, not only tacked up in on-call rooms but even, recently, listed …

Why dog poop is a metaphor for challenge, controversy, and change

Randall S. Fong, MD

Physician

December 24, 2020

I run outside, barefoot, and encounter natural phenomena along the way. One of these is dog poop. Ironically, there’s been recent chatter about dog poop on our community Facebook page. It’s a topic worthy of multiple posts and the impetus for the rather absurd bit of writing to follow.

The Facebook posts center on those anonymous people who fail to pick up their dog’s waste. Since I’m …

How to develop a mission-driven personal brand [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

December 23, 2020

“When it comes to social media, embrace a micromedia mindset. That means sharing entertaining, informative content that provides value. Think of yourself as the editor of your newspaper. Newspapers include various content: current events, interviews, information and research, op-eds, and more. Some of these are news-driven — like current events and information …

Why male circumcision should be delayed

Sumeet Dua, MD

Conditions

December 22, 2020

In Finland, lawmakers recently voted to make an existing ban on female genital mutilation more explicit by outlining punishments for such manipulation under the Finnish criminal law. This bill’s passage was widely applauded as it furthers the global efforts to eradicate female genital mutilation (FGM). While the bill received majority support in the parliament, a contentious debate ensued around an amendment in the …

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Why male circumcision should be delayed

Does your doctor’s age matter? [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

December 21, 2020

“If I had $100 for every time I walked into a patient’s room, introduced myself as the doctor, and was immediately asked, ‘Hey, how old are you?’ I might be able to retire right now — at the age of 28. Of course, I am exaggerating, and yet this question echoes for …

The FDA should consider vitamin D as a pharmaceutical agent for COVID

John D. Loike, PhD

Conditions

December 21, 2020

While the current COVID pandemic has created serious health challenges, there has been a dramatic increase in research examining the effects of vitamins on COVID infections. Many studies report the positive effects of vitamin D in boosting our immune system and protecting against COVID. Studies and seminars have shown that for those people who do not receive vitamin D from outdoor sun …

Don’t underestimate the value of intergenerational relationships [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

December 20, 2020

“With the rapid growth of modern medicine and awareness in lifestyle and environmental influences, individuals can live longer and healthier lives. Approximately 15.2 percent of the U.S. population consists of individuals 65 years and older. To make the added years of life expectancy fulfilling, older adults need to stay socially connected and …

An introduction to medical-legal consulting

Armin Feldman, MD

Physician

December 20, 2020

As many of you know, burnout is an increasingly serious problem for physicians, affecting over 50 percent of clinicians in some studies conducted before our current COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, in an interesting study, one of every four physicians is looking to do some non-clinical work, in part, to ease the stress of today’s clinical practice.

In one survey just completed, more than 48 percent of physicians reported that since the …

Issues faced by LGBTQ individuals in the operative setting [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

December 19, 2020

“Studies have repeatedly demonstrated a vast majority of pain physicians don’t feel like they have adequate training in meeting the unique needs of this patient population, though most agree that such efforts are very necessary. This disconnect between demand and supply is a problem, a big one.

With the current pandemic stretching …

To Dr. Biden from an MD: Please keep using your deserved title

Karen Tran-Harding, MD

Physician

December 19, 2020

A recent op-ed published by the Wall Street Journal, “Is There a Doctor in the White House? Not if You Need an M.D.,” has sparked a lot of controversy and immense backlash. The author Joseph Epstein, a former Northwestern University professor, first addresses the future First Lady as “kiddo” and continues with “’Dr. Jill Biden’ sounds and feels fraudulent, not to say a …

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