Category: Critical Care

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…

Exploring pulmonary and ICU insights through cartoons

I’ve created cartoons using DALL-E, each with its own humorous caption. They’re all original ideas from me, but I used the AI to visualize them. Although they mostly touch on topics related to pulmonary and ICU medicine, I think they could …

The burden of choice: Navigating the complexities of surrogate decision-making in medicine

“I could have saved him,” the intensivist murmured, reflecting on a recent patient’s death. His silhouette was framed against the fading evening light that spilled into the ICU. His words, heavy with regret and resignation, floated ov…

NICU tragedy: How new nurses’ nail choices led to a newborn’s heartbreaking fate

A small, cliquish bevy of nurses was working their way through orientation in the NICU straight out of nursing school. They were happy and thrilled to be accepted into this specialized nursing unit: the NICU. Practicing good hygiene, washing hands up t…

From devastation to inspiration: my journey through three cancers

A solid mass silently grew on my kidney. An unwelcome addition. Asymptomatic. Discovered haphazardly during a CT scan of my lungs … And it revealed itself. At first, I was devastated. Will cancer ever leave me alone? It has already visited me twi…

From 8-hour to 12-hour shifts: Exploring health care’s changing landscape [PODCAST]

Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Catch up on old episodes! Join Bruce L. Davidson, a pulmonary and critical care physician. We delve into the transformation of health care work conditions, from 8-hour shifts to 12-hour shifts, and how this impacts …

Intensive caring in palliative care [PODCAST]

Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Catch up on old episodes! Join guest Harvey Max Chochinov, a psychiatrist, as he delves into the profound concept of “intensive caring” in palliative care. Inspired by Dame Cicely Saunders’ powerfu…