David A. Goodkin is a nephrologist.
Those of us who live in developed nations generally take for granted that we have ready access to clean water. Yet, the World Health Organization estimates that over two billion people worldwide must drink unsafe water. This problem is often greatest in remote areas of developing countries. Ingestion of water from rivers, wells, and other sources that feces have contaminated induces diarrheal …
It always makes my heart sink when the CPR guidelines change.
In 1980 I became a provider of advanced cardiovascular life support (ACLS) as certified by the American Heart Association. This was a great move. Through my internship and the many years that followed, it proved comforting to know that I would act decisively and with confidence in the setting of a cardiorespiratory arrest. The ACLS course dictated dogmatic protocols – …
I had wanted to take a long motorcycle trip for years, and I finally carved out two weeks to do so. My pal Doug and I packed our gear onto our Harleys and headed out without an itinerary. We would select the day’s route each morning. Initially, we enjoyed spectacular scenery and good times.
After a few days, however, we encountered pouring rain while winding through remote mountains. There was no …
During my internal medicine internship in 1980 a professor chided our team because housestaff no longer prepared and interpreted peripheral blood smears. He scoffed that they don’t make doctors like they used to. I have heard similar lamentations through the years. I imagine that millennia ago Galen griped that his apprentices did not examine phlegm and feces closely enough. I noted that I should not become a crotchety critic when …
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