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ICU beds are limited, and are much more expensive than “regular” floor beds (costing up to thousands of dollars each day). Therefore, patients in the ICU are frequently assessed & re-assessed for the level of care their illness necessitates – their “candidacy” for ICU-level care, if you will. Clinical evaluations aside, there are certain signs […]
October 20, 2012
This mediku comes from my buddy Vince (@ER_DrTobe2013) and was inspired by an all-too-common occurrence in his field of his choice, Emergency Medicine. Patients who are so-called “frequent-fliers” are often mysteriously allergic to first-tier painkillers, but not “that one that begins with.. a D, I think?” Enjoy: My back is hurting I’m allergic to morphine […]
October 14, 2012
This month, I’m spending my days working with a rheumatology practice. It’s interesting to see the kinds of things the group is consulted on in the hospital – but in the office it’s mostly NSAIDs and knee-injections, which inspired this mediku. “Doc, my joint’s in pain!” Hmm . . . stick a needle in it […]
August 8, 2012
It’s easy to get caught up in the tests and scutwork that dominate the third and fourth years of medical school. Students are eager to get out of the classroom and into the hospital full-time, but that enthusiasm often fades with each fax, copy, or phone call that must be placed, and can turn to […]
April 18, 2012
I thought my last clerkship as a third year medical student deserved something more memorable than the typical medical haiku I write. In its stead I submit to you a David Letterman style Top Ten, drawn 100% from actual events. So, without further ado: The Top Ten Signs You are a Medical Student Practicing Pediatrics […]
March 11, 2012
So, as Obstetrics & Gynecology comes to a close, I’ve noticed something – just as in other surgical specialties, old school docs and nurses love to use the term “sontimeter” in place of centimeter. In fact, I’ve been hearing it twice as much because of the frequency ultrasounds are discussed in this specialty. Anyway, I […]
March 8, 2012
I recently observed my first robot-assisted operation with the da Vinci surgical system (left). It’s designed to allow for surgery that’s less invasive and more precise, resulting in shorter hospital stays. As you can see on the manufacturer’s website, the da Vinci surgical system is the best thing ever invented, and is somehow related to […]
March 4, 2012
Ask anyone in the medical field and they will tell you that part of their training essentially consists of learning a new language. Medical terminology is our solution for allowing practitioners to describe observations & procedures to each other in a semi-standardized format. However, some of the terminology we use is insensitive and downright silly. […]
February 19, 2012
Family medicine docs don’t have it easy – they have to triage up to a dozen complaints per patient and decide what to address at the current visit and what can/should wait, ensure the patient is being treated in a manner consistent with plans laid out at previous visits (often by another doctor), and they’re […]
January 21, 2012
This week’s Grand Rounds was geriatric-themed. One lecture was focused on fall risk in the elderly – the speaker thought it would be cute to include this [in]famous picture of the woman from the Life Alert® commercials: Maybe I needed a more stimulating lecture, or maybe my coffee hadn’t yet kicked in, but after seeing […]
January 10, 2013
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