A person rolls into an outpatient clinic. A pleasant bleach smell emanates from freshly scrubbed chairs. Happy chatter about people’s lives, and this week’s health issues are dimmed by the local radio station playing in the background. The …
Category: Conditions
A nurse won’t let this patient die
The sun sets a cascade of pink and yellow in the window of an ICU room. The slow hum of ventilation dampens the buzzes and beeps from machines. I stand in a room inundated by equipment. A machine to monitor vital signs with purple, green, blue, and red…
MKSAP: 59-year-old man is evaluated during a routine examination
Test your medicine knowledge with the MKSAP challenge, in partnership with the American College of Physicians. A 59-year-old man is evaluated during a routine examination. He feels well and has no symptoms. Medical history is significant for hypertensi…
10 things you need to know about strangulation and domestic violence
Having recently testified in several legal cases involving strangulation, here are some facts we all need to know about this extreme form of domestic violence (DV). I invite other subject matter experts to share their personal opinions on what is impor…
Getting pregnant may have saved her life
Mary Beth is a female in her early 30s, quite obese and mildly mentally repaired, as well as suffering from schizophrenia. She lives in a housing authority apartment, which is not a great place. But being highly subsidized, it is cheap! Her apartment i…
The pain score must go. Here’s why.
One of the most important purposes of a physician is to alleviate pain and suffering. Pain is the most common symptom prompting an emergency department (ED) visit. Emergency physicians are responsible for managing both acute pain and acute exacerbation…
Would you buy a smartphone if it had this warning label?
Imagine if every “device” (smartphone, tablet, laptop, etc.) had the following warning label: This device is not intended for any individuals under the age of 16. Purchasers of this device frequently cite their child’s “safety” as a r…
MKSAP: 60-year-old man with exertional chest discomfort
Test your medicine knowledge with the MKSAP challenge, in partnership with the American College of Physicians. A 60-year-old man is evaluated for a 5-month history of exertional chest discomfort that improves with rest. His symptoms have progressively …
The erroneous belief that the elderly have the healing power of younger individuals
A wise professor of medicine always told me as a young physician, “Eighty-year olds are to be revered and not messed with.” This is especially true for those 90 or older. Here in South Florida, there is always some senior citizen telling us today’s …
Chronic illness? Have faith in medicine.
I am healthy, a mom of two boys, a wife, and an emergency medicine PA for the past 12 years. I don’t just say I’m healthy to say it, but I really am. I’ve never taken medications, until now. It’s New Year’s Eve, and I̵…
