Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes! We sit down with pulmonary and critical care physicians Tonya Jagneaux and Hollis O’Neal to explore the complex challenges emergency departments face when diagnosing…
Category: Critical Care
How family presence in hospitals can be a lifeline for patients in crisis
During my time as a medical student shadowing in the intensive care unit, I met Ms. Stacey, hospitalized with a severe intestinal infection. As I entered her room, I saw her frail form lying amidst a web of tubes and monitors. Her prolonged hospital st…
From darkness to empathy: How one ICU patient transformed my perspective
My first ICU rotation of intern year was filled with great darkness. It was dark outside as I walked from my car into the hospital each morning before sunrise, and it was again dark when I walked to my car at the end of the day. Less than one hour into…
From darkness to empathy: How one ICU patient transformed my perspective
My first ICU rotation of intern year was filled with great darkness. It was dark outside as I walked from my car into the hospital each morning before sunrise, and it was again dark when I walked to my car at the end of the day. Less than one hour into…
The shocking fall of a respected ICU nurse
In the ICU, there was an experienced nurse. She was full of information and knew the policies and procedures inside and out. She was proficient in her role as an ICU nurse. But she was flawed. Something was wrong. Each day, she came to work wearing a g…
The dual demands of a PICU physician
A physician in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) requires vast medical knowledge along with emotional resilience. I always thought I had a strong sense of compassion for my patients and their families until I had my own baby 1.5 years ago. It co…
5 lessons for a better life: observations from a front row seat for the highs and lows
Recently, I had the privilege of being shadowed by a medical student who is interested in becoming a pediatric critical care medicine physician like I am. On the day she came to observe me, we were navigating a busy and heartbreaking time in the pediat…
Pain management for Black patients and painful realities
This piece is inspired by my recent patient encounter. Within the past week, I received a call from the ER to admit a 29-year-old African-American female whom, for the sake of this essay, I will call Keisha. Keisha presented with severe lower abdominal…
Navigating COVID: a journey from academic intensity to healing
Springtime. Blooming trees. Green grass. Cool winds. Sunny skies. COVID. That is where my mind wanders every year since 2020, when the season turns. I flash back to the drive between the hospital and my home. Every evening after fighting a losing battl…
Navigating family skepticism: a physician’s dilemma
As I stepped into the hospital waiting room, the anxious eyes of family members greeted me, their worry palpable as they awaited news about their ailing patriarch. Quickly, I introduced myself and delved into the heart of the matter. “I wanted to…
