An excerpt from A Petit Mal. In ER, we are seen by French doctor, which is unusual and relevant because doctor asks boy if he likes any French soccer teams. Boy is wearing Italian soccer jersey. Yes, Paris Saint-Germain, boy says. Ah, doctor says, you …
When I was 36 weeks pregnant with my second child, Anna, my obstetrician noted that my fetus had a disproportionately small head, or microcephaly—a condition now commonly known because of its association with the Zika virus. “We’ll just hav…
In a recently published study, it was found that a set of 4 genes (JUN, CEBPB, PRKCB, ENO2, or CEBPG) was shown to predict the diagnosis of heroin addiction with an accuracy rate of around 85 percent. This is an amazing development and could open the d…
MRI, or magnetic resonance imaging, is a commonly used form of imaging to help diagnose conditions that might not be visible in an X-ray. The MRI scanner is a large cylindrical tube-shaped machine that creates a strong magnetic force and radio waves to…
A couple of weeks ago, my sister texted me that my 26-year-old nephew Justin was complaining that his chest hurt every time he breathed in. Justin is a healthy, athletic guy who played soccer throughout high school and volleyball in college. More recen…
Despite a growing body of research and clinical guidelines, a significant evidence-practice gap persists in the management of concussions. This gap represents a challenge that health care professionals and researchers are working diligently to bridge. …
In 1990, Ronald Melzack published a paper in Scientific American titled “The Tragedy of Needless Pain.” Many would regard Melzack as the “father” of pain science and the treatment of pain. In that paper, he described the science…
There are those who believe acupuncture to be a bunch of mumbo jumbo. I’m convinced it works, though. Acupuncture was first performed thousands of years ago, and it’s still being done today. That alone should tell you there’s somethin…
It was my first week in the radiation oncology department as a resident. The day had been busy, and most of the consultants and staff had already left the outpatient department (OPD). I was exhausted and famished, with thoughts of dinner dominating my …
In September 2023, President Biden announced health care provider training, allocating over $8 million through 18 awards to train primary care medical students, physician assistant students, and medical residents in providing culturally and linguistica…
